Panayiota Kendeou, professor of educational psychology in the psychological foundations of education program and Guy Bond Chair in Reading, presented at a plenary session during the National Academy of Education Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., November 8-9.

The plenary session, entitled “Reaping the Rewards of the IES Reading for Understanding Initiative,” featured the Reading for Understanding Report, to which Kendeou has contributed important insights.

Reading for Understanding Initiative (RFU) began in 2010 when the Institute of Education Sciences committed $120 million to establish it as a research and development network focused on improving reading comprehension for students in grades preK-12. 

The plenary answered two key questions about RFU: What is its return on the investment? What are its implications for future research in reading comprehension?

Kendeou presented her insights on the impact of the initiative on the assessment of reading comprehension.

The plenary was co-chaired by David Pearson and Annemarie Palincsar.

For more information on Kendeou’s research, visit her Reading + Learning Lab site.