Using NCTE Position Papers for Your Own Purposes

On Friday, August 18 representatives from four subject matter associations in Washington-English, science, social studies, and mathematics-will join together for an informal conversation about ways in which we might collaborate. We will use a selection of our associations’ position papers to discover commonalities and differences in perspective and policy.

I got the idea for the position paper agenda for this meeting from a generative session I attended at this year’s Whole Language Umbrella Institute. During this session Caryl Crowell, Yvetta Goodman, and Prisca Martens helped us think about ways to use three NCTE documents: “On Reading, Learning to Read, and Effective Reading Instruction,” “A Call to Action: What We Know about Adolescent Literacy and Ways to Support Teachers,” and “Features of Literacy Programs Decision Making Matrix.” It was encouraging to hear how these papers are already being used out in the field, i.e. for structuring a graduate program for secondary education majors, as a common read for a study group of principals, by literacy coaches working with teachers, as a form of professional development with curriculum developers, and as a way to connect English and science teachers.

Have you used an NCTE policy paper for any of your own purposes? I keep a folder of print copies of some of the papers that I might need the most in conversations with other groups here in Washington. For example, at a meeting of the National Adolescent Literacy Coalition that centered on English Language Learners, I quoted from the April 2006 NCTE Position Paper on the Role of English Teachers in Educating ELLs. With the renewal of the push toward English as a National Language, I could cite a much earlier, 1997 position statement in which NCTE opposed such a move, based on, among other things, research that confirms English language learners acquire English more easily if they are literate in their native language. I used NCTE’s policy paper on multi-modal literacy during an International Society for Technology in Education meeting that explored how best to help teachers integrate technology into instruction.

Although each of us works in different contexts, we all are supported through the official policy statements of NCTE. In high stakes situations, having the backing of our major professional association can boast confidence in taking a stand, upholding an individual voice. Check out NCTE’s policy statements on the NCTE website at http://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions.

If you have used or in the future do use one of NCTE’s official statements in your own context, I’d be interested in hearing how it worked. If you share your experience, I’ll pass it on for others to learn from. Just as the experiences I heard about at the WLU Institute sparked my thinking, your ideas may well benefit others in contexts you can’t even predict.