Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Gordon R. Alley, one of the founders of the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning in 1978 when it was known as the Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities, was a master at mentoring the young and inexperienced assistant professors who were assembled to conduct the institute's first research studies. He generously shared his expertise and time to enable others to reach their goals and taught that partnership is vital to successfully conducting large-scale research and development efforts. Dr. Alley passed away in 1997 as a result of a tragic accident several years earlier. To honor his legacy and ensure that the trail he blazed never be forgotten, we give the Gordon R. Alley Partnership Award to other professionals who contribute to the work of the Center in the same spirit. This year's award honors Andres Henriquez, whose vision and gift for bringing people together have changed the adolescent literacy landscape. In the process, Andres has earned the respect and admiration of scholars, policy makers, and practitioners.
In recent years, adolescent literacy has catapulted to prominence in the consciousness of educators, researchers, and policy makers across the country. In large measure, this newfound focus can be traced to the unflagging efforts of Andres Henriquez, director of the Advancing Literacy Initiative for Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Andres' unique combination of integrity, passion, and political acumen set him apart from program officers who invest less of themselves in their work.
"It isn't about building his portfolio at Carnegie. It isn't about building the portfolios of individual researchers. It's about trying to make a difference," says Elizabeth Moje of the University of Michigan School of Education, who worked with Andres as part of Carnegie's Advancing Literacy Initiative. "He really is concerned about kids and their development."
Andres' rich background in research and education--including stints with the National Science Foundation, Children's Television Workshop, MTV Networks, and as a teacher at a public elementary school in East Harlem--has shaped how he views adolescents and their role in society.
"I realized how powerful young people are in our nation, and we really need to pay a lot more attention to teenagers," he says.
With that perspective guiding his course, Andres assembled some of the brightest minds in the field to serve on the Carnegie Advisory Council for Advancing Literacy.
"Andres Henriquez is the leader and the standard bearer for adolescent literacy in the country," says Michele Cahill, vice president, national program coordination, and director of urban education for Carnegie. "Andres is really gifted in his ability to bring together people with different backgrounds and different academic and professional expertise. I think that is more and more what education needs."
The advisory council--including Don Deshler from the Center for Research on Learning and Elizabeth Moje from the University of Michigan--brought national attention to the very serious issues confronting struggling adolescent learners. Members leveraged their considerable expertise in the areas of policy, practice, and preservice preparation.
Among the publications produced through the Advancing Literacy Initiative were Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy, published by the Alliance for Excellent Education, and Informed Choices for Struggling Adolescent Readers: A Research-Based Guide to Instructional Programs and Practices written by Don Deshler, Annemarie Sullivan Palincsar, Gina Biancarosa, and Marnie Nair and commissioned by Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Under Andres' leadership, the Advancing Literacy Initiative has helped shape a new direction for the field. New funding initiatives for adolescent literacy, large evaluation projects sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences, and efforts to develop new assessments can all be linked to Andres' ability to build strong coalitions and think strategically about how to wield the power and influence of the Carnegie Corporation.
"That's been a really extraordinary vision and display of political acumen in how to bring together all the various communities of interest, communities of practice, to focus specifically on problems of adolescent literacy," says Carol Lee of Northwestern University, who also served on Carnegie's Advisory Council for Advancing Literacy.
Among the organizations that have benefited from Andres' passionate pursuit of his goal is the Center for Research on Learning. In addition to recruiting Don to serve on the advisory council, Carnegie has funded projects to advance the Center's understanding of the issues and to connect our researchers with resources and people doing good work in this area.
Don recalls Andres' first visit to the Center as the beginning of a series of tough questions about how we viewed problems and approached our work.
"What he was doing at that very early point in the relationship was causing us to question deeply the work that we were doing," Don says. "I didn't realize at the time how significant his direction to us was.
"We significantly broadened the way we think about problems and the way we approach the work that we do."
2008 Conference Home | Preconference Workshops | Conference Sessions | Keynotes
