Established in 2002—and now in its third year of operation—the CSU Center for the Advancement of Reading (CAR), under the co-direction of Nancy Brynelson (CSU Chancellor’s Office) and Dana L. Grisham (San Diego State University), is dedicated to excellence in literacy instruction for all students in California public schools. CAR promotes the preparation of effective teachers and reading specialists in the California State University by:

• Facilitating faculty communication and research;



• Disseminating research and policy information;



• Fostering connections among CSU literacy faculty, K-12 partners, and public education stakeholders; and



• Serving as a forum for the interchange of public and academic interests.

The California State University mission stipulates that there will be effective and meaningful collaboration with the K-12 public school sector in the preparation of quality teachers. During its first year, CAR established the Council of Faculty Representatives from 22 CSU campuses that prepare teachers for California schools. An advisory board made up of selected members of the CAR faculty representatives and diverse public education stakeholders was also initiated to address the CSU mission. Together, these bodies collaborate throughout the year on a variety of activities including:

• Development of a CAR website.



• Publication and wide dissemination of a policy document “Preparing Teachers to Teach Reading Effectively” (available at website).



• Annual sponsorship of a CSU reading conference. The 2004 conference theme was “Preparing Teachers to Teach Reading Comprehension;” 220 participants from 22 CSU campuses and K-12 school districts participated in a day of study and discussion.



• Collaboration between the CSU, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC), and the California Department of Education (CDE) via an Intersegmental Literacy Faculty Forum that provides participants with the most current research in education for information and discussion. The January 2003 forum addressed “Evidence-Based Research in Reading: Challenges and Implications.” In April 2004, the forum brought together researchers participating on the National Reading Panel investigating research findings on English learners to present their preliminary findings. Literacy faculty attended from the CSU, the University of California, and private and independent colleges and universities. Plans for the 2005 forum are currently underway and represent the collaborative efforts of the CCTC, the CDE, the CSU, the UC, and private and independent colleges and universities.



• Coordination of regional meetings for CSU reading/language arts faculty. These informational and collaborative meetings focus on meeting the needs of English learners, elementary and secondary literacy issues, reading specialist/masters programs in the regions, and faculty research.



• Leadership of the Reading Institutes for Academic Preparation (RIAP, formerly RICAP) for the last three years. The Reading Institutes present a model of collaboration between high schools and the CSU by providing professional development for both high school teachers and university faculty, with the goal of improving the academic preparation of college-bound high school students.

In 2003-2004, CAR convened meetings of a Single Subject Reading Task Force (SSRTF) with the goal of improving preparation for single subject teachers in California. The CSU annual evaluation of teacher education provides insights into the quality of teacher preparation systemwide, which are addressed in a systemic manner through these and other activities. Task force members met throughout the academic year to examine syllabi across the system for the single subject reading methods course. The product of their work is contained in the June 2004 publication “Principles and Resources: Enhancing CSU Single Subject Reading Courses.” In addition, professional development sessions were held in various geographical areas for all faculty and instructors teaching the course.