Constance McCullough Research Award

Deadline: June 30
Nomination Form (PDF)

Purpose

To recognize outstanding research in the reading/language arts area by a member of the California Reading Association. This award was established in 1980 to honor the late Dr. Constance McCullough, Past President of the International Reading Association and Professor Emeritus at San Francisco State University.

Eligibility

  • Any current member of CRA who completes a thesis, a research-based M.A. project or dissertation in the field of reading/language arts between July 1 and June 30.
  • The thesis, research-based project, or dissertation must have been written as part of the requirements leading to a graduate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning.

Entry Deadline

  1. The chair of the CRA Citations and Awards Committee must receive six copies of an abstract of the research (approximately 500 words) and copies of the last chapter by the June 30 deadline. The abstract should include the rationale for the study, a brief discussion of the main sources in the review of literature, a clear and thorough description of the research design, and the conclusions of the study with recommendations for future study.
  2. The firm submission deadline will allow the members of the committee (five members besides the CRA Citations and Awards Chair, a non-voting member) to read, rate, and report their ratings to the Chair.
  3. The committee will review the submissions and select the top five theses or research-based NIA project nominees from those submitted. The finalists may be asked to submit a complete copy of the thesis, project, or dissertation to the committee for further study. These will be returned following the final selection of award recipients in each category.

Criteria

Each submission will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Submission must be received by the June 30th deadline.
  • Submission must have all information on the Nomination Form completed. There must be the signature of the local council president verifying that the nominee is a member of that local council and the signature of the university project/thesis/dissertation chair.
  • There must be six copies of the abstract and last chapter. Nominee's name should be on a separate cover sheet.
  • If the above criteria are met, the nomination will be sent by the Citations and Awards Chair to the rest of the committee.
  • The committee will use a 1-5 scale (I = excellent; 5 = unsatisfactory) to rate the submission according to:
    Clarity - The information is succinctly and clearly presented.
    Accuracy - The information reflects accurate reporting and topic treatment.
    Thoroughness - The research evidences depth, detail and topic coverage.
    Significance - The research is timely and relevant to current literacy practices.

These criteria should be reflected in the presentation and organization of the study, the review of the literature, and where pertinent, in the summary of findings and recommendations for future research. This study or project should be described so clearly and completely that replication would be easy. In addition, the significance of its contribution to knowledge within the reading/language Arts area will be considered.

Award

The recipient will:

January 14, 2012e CRA Conference.
  • Be invited to present a summary of the study or project at the CRA Conference in a special research session.
  • Be honored at an appropriate function at the CRA Conference.
  • Be invited to submit an abstract of the study or project for publication in The California Reader.

    • Procedure

    1. CRA members submit names of nominees to local councils.
    2. Each local council may submit one nomination in each category (thesis, research-based MA project, or dissertation) by completing the Nomination Form. Six copies of the abstract and last chapter must be included with the nomination form.
    3. After selecting the proposed recipients in each category, the Studies and Research Committee will submit those names to the CRA Board.
    4. The CRA Board of Directors has the final responsibility in the selection of the recipient(s) of the Constance McCullough Research Award.

    Additional Information: Mail completed Nomination Form to CRA