Literacy and Reading Education: Professional Associations

Since 1956, IRA has been a nonprofit, global network of individuals and institutions committed to worldwide literacy. More than 56,000 members strong, the Association supports literacy professionals through a wide range of resources, advocacy efforts, volunteerism, and professional development activities. Our members promote high levels of literacy for all by:
Improving the quality of reading instruction
Disseminating research and information about reading
Encouraging the lifetime reading habit.

CRLA (formerly WCRLA) is a group of student-oriented professionals active in the fields of reading, learning assistance, developmental education, tutoring, and mentoring at the college/adult level. CRLA is inherently diverse in membership. CRLA’s most vital function and overall purpose is to provide a forum for the interchange of ideas, methods, and information to improve student learning and to facilitate the professional growth of its members.

Members give practical application to their research and promote the implementation of innovative strategies to enhance student learning. In a spirit of community, members share their own successful experiences with others so that all may benefit.

Any individual who belongs to a faculty or administration of a public or private college or university, and who has an interest in college learning assistance, tutorial programs, reading, and developmental education is invited to join the College Reading and Learning Association.

California Reading Association (CRA) is a non-profit professional organization of educators who are actively involved in all aspects of reading and language arts education, from kindergarten through university levels. The state organization, an affiliate of the International Reading Association (IRA), consists of more than 55 active local reading councils located in different service areas around the state. Over 3,000 educators hold membership in this professional organization.

The California Reading Association is committed to promoting standards-aligned instruction consistent with the California Reading/Language Arts Framework (1999), which is designed to meet the needs of all learners. CRA supports the use of research-based teaching strategies designed to enable students to decode, comprehend, think critically, and communicate effectively.

The Orange County Reading Association (OCRA) is a professional organization of teachers, administrators, reading specialists, paraprofessionals, parents and others interested in the teaching of reading and the improvement of reading at all levels.

We are a local council of the California Reading Association (CRA) and the International Reading Association (IRA). We have achieved honor council status from IRA for the past thirty years.

The Literacy Research Association (LRA) is a community of scholars dedicated to promoting research that enriches the knowledge, understanding, and development of lifespan literacies in a multicultural and multilingual world. LRA is committed to ethical research that is rigorous, methodologically diverse, and socially responsible. LRA is dedicated to disseminating such research broadly so as to promote generative theories, informed practices and sound policies. Central to its mission, LRA mentors and supports future generations of literacy scholars.

The National Council of Teachers of English is devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. This mission statement was adopted in 1990:

"The Council promotes the development of literacy, the use of language to construct personal and public worlds and to achieve full participation in society, through the learning and teaching of English and the related arts and sciences of language.“

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.

Established in 1970, Reading Educators’ Guild is the oldest alumni support groups on the CSUF campus.

REG is composed of graduates from CSUF with a Master of Science in Education, Reading and community members who share and interest in its mission. Its purpose is to provide service as a professional development and networking organization for reading educators. REG also provides support for the Reading Department in a variety of ways, including the awarding of scholarships and grants.

The California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1976 to promote bilingual education and quality educational experiences for all students in California. CABE has 5,000 members with over 60 chapters/affiliates, all working to promote equity and student achievement for students with diverse cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds. CABE recognizes and honors the fact that we live in a rich multicultural, global society and that respect for diversity makes us a stronger state and nation.

Since 1975, the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) has been a non-profit membership organization that works to ensure that language-minority students have equal opportunities to learn English and succeed academically.

NABE’s priorities include: Improving instructional practices for linguistically and culturally diverse children; providing bilingual educators with more high-quality professional development opportunities; securing adequate funding for the programs serving limited-English-proficient students; and keeping the rights of language-minority Americans clearly in focus as states and communities move forward with educational reforms.

To advance professional expertise in English language teaching and learning for speakers of other languages worldwide