About
the National Reading Panel (NRP)
NRP
Meeting Archive |
Panel Meetings
January 31, 2000
Bethesda, MD
Meeting Minutes
Introduction
The National Reading Panel met on
January 31, 2000 in Building 31 of the National Institutes
for Health in Bethesda, MD.
Those Panel members attending were:
Dr. Linnea Ehri, Ms. Norma Garza, Dr. Michael Kamil,
Dr. Donald Langenberg, Dr. Cora Marrett, Dr. S.J. Samuels,
Dr. Sally Shaywitz, Dr. Dale Willows, Dr. Joanna Williams,
and Dr. Joanne Yatvin.
Dr. Duane Alexander, the director of
the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD) called the meeting to order at 1:07 p.m.
Dr. Langenberg began by recognizing
that this final meeting of the Panel was being held
in the same room where the Panel first met in April
1998. He noted that the Panel has analyzed more than
25,000 research reports and publications as part of
its work.
He applauded the Panel for the strength
of its work and the major messages reflected in its
summary report, and hoped that the Panel's effort would
result in the end of the "reading wars." He
specifically acknowledged the value of the Panel's methodological
standards as evidence of the Panel's success.
Dr. Alexander then thanked the members
of the Panel for the work they had done. He commented
on the comprehensiveness of the Panel's work, and said
that NICHD planned a comprehensive distribution of the
Panel's work, per the congressional charge.
Dr. Alexander then said that he would
be testifying before the House Appropriations Committee
on February 16 and before the Senate Appropriations
Committee on March 8, and that both committees were
eager to receive an update on the Panel report.
Discussion of the Summary Report
Dr. Langenberg then began an introductory
discussion of the Panel's summary report, and members
of the Panel agreed to break for 15 minutes to review
the report.
Recess
The Panel recessed from 1:39 p.m. until
1:56 p.m.
Continued Discussion of the Summary
Report
Patrick Riccards of the Widmeyer-Baker
Group then described how the summary report was constructed,
explaining that the structure adopted by the Alphabetics
subgroup in their executive summary was the model that
was used to edit all other subgroup executive summaries,
as well as the overall summary report.
Dr. Langenberg said that Panel members
would be given the opportunity to provide their comments
and suggested changes to language and emphasis, but
re-emphasized his desire to get general agreement on
the summary report.
Mr. Riccards noted that Panel members
still had to create a final section of the summary report,
detailing the next steps that researchers should pursue
based on the Panel findings.
To resolve an earlier discussion, Dr.
Williams said that the Alphabetics and Fluency subgroups
had indeed looked at learning disabled children as part
of their research. Learning disabled and reading disabled
children were included in one category for many of these
studies.
Members of the Panel then agreed that
a glossary would be an important addition to the Panel
report.
Recess
The Panel recessed from 2:50 p.m. to
3:15 p.m.
Continued Discussion of the Summary
Report
Dr. Willows suggested that the Panel
redevelop its summary report table reflecting the number
of studies initially identified and those actually included
in the reports. She said the table should clearly reflect
the Panel's efforts and its analysis of the available
research. Panel members agreed to the change in the
table.
Dr. Langenberg then asked members of
the Panel for general acceptance of the subgroup reports,
and subgroup executive summaries, providing Panel members
the opportunity to make changes, as needed. All reports
were accepted by the Panel.
Dr. Shaywitz suggested that the methodology
chapter from the progress report be added to the summary
report of the Panel. Panel members agreed.
Mr. Riccards reminded Panel members
that, as part of the summary report, Panel members would
be interviewed on video so a video report could be assembled.
The video report would be presented to Congress as part
of the NRP report, and would be used as a dissemination
tool.
Dr. Alexander said that NICHD would
publicize the Panel's work at professional conferences.
He also said that attempts would be made to include
research assistants as part of the congressional briefings.
Panel members then discussed the need
to present its findings to a broad range of organizations
and interest groups in the coming year.
Panel members agreed to accept the
summary report, as it stands, with a series of agreed-upon
changes.
The Panel adjourned at 5:08 p.m.
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