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As part of a long-term research planning effort designed to support US schools in teaching reading and mathematics, the RAND Reading Study Group has drafted a report entitled "Reading for Understanding: Towards an R & D Program for Reading Comprehension." The purpose of the report is to help the US Department of Education solicit future proposals for research and development and to develop strategies for planning and managing programs of research in reading comprehension and learning content through reading.

As part of a long-term research planning effort designed to support U.S. schools in teaching reading and mathematics, the RAND Reading Study Group has drafted a report entitled Reading for Understanding: Towards an R Fs D Program for Reading Comprehension. The purpose of the report is to help the U.S. Department of Education solicit future proposals for research and development and to develop strategies for planning and managing programs of research in reading comprehension and learning content through reading.

The math and study groups were asked to broadly assess what is known concerning the problems in those areas and about strategies for dealing with them, and to propose appropriate long-term guidance for research and development programs. The study groups sought to build on previous research, such as that done by the National Reading Panel.

In February, the RAND Reading Study Group released its initial draft report, which sets forth a framework for a program of research in reading comprehension. The study group hopes that the draft will provide the starting point for an ongoing discussion among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers of needed research and development related to reading comprehension.

The report can be accessed on the Web at www.rand.or multi/achieve mentforall. The study group hopes that the Web site will become a forum through which individuals, professional associations, and other groups will comment upon the report. Based on input gathered through the Web site and from presentations at professional meetings and a special conference to be held in June, the study group plans to create a revised version of the report late this summer.

In a news release issued in response to the draft report, IRA Executive Director Alan E. Farstrup said, "We encourage all reading professionals to review and respond to the RAND report. Government funded research must be guided by input from the field. Additionally, we fervently hope that the entire education community will provide timely and generous feedback. Such input from the profession is necessary for developing a strong research program, which is absolutely essential to improving reading achievement."

A list of study group members follows: Catherine Snow, chair, Donna Alvermann, Janice Dole, Jack Fletcher, Georgia Earnest Garcia, Irene Gaskins, Arthur Graesser, John Guthrie, Michael Kamil, William Nagy, Annemarie Sullivan Palincsar, Dorothy Strickland, Frank Vellutino, and Joanna Williams.

Watch future issues of Reading Today for further information about the work of the RAND Reading Study Group.