MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University College of Education recently hosted nearly 200 educators from across the world at the 2025 Literacy Research Conference on campus.
Held earlier this month, the 12th annual conference provides an opportunity for students, scholars, and educational leaders to present their research and practices related to literacy to address the stagnant or declining national literacy scores across the country.
“Primary objective of the conference is to translate research findings into practical applications for educators,” explained professor Amy Elleman, director of the Literacy Studies Ph.D. Program in MTSU’s College of Education. “Additionally, the conference provides a safe environment for students to practice their presentation skills.”
Literacy leader Kristen Wynn, head of the Pennsylvania-based AIM Institute for Learning and Research, kicked off the conference with a presentation on “Building Solid Literacy Infrastructure to Improve Outcomes for all Students.”
With over 19 years of experience in education, Wynn’s career highlights include improving literacy outcomes in Mississippi as the state literacy director and spearheading initiatives like the Emerging Science of Reading School Recognition Program.
“It was an honor to welcome Kristen Wynn. Her insights brought valuable perspectives to the essential and ongoing conversations in literacy research,” said College of Education Dean Neporcha Cone. “Events like these highlight the strength, passion, and expertise within our college and reflect our commitment to advancing literacy education and supporting research that makes a difference.”
In addition to the keynote speaker, there were 51 presentations from 58 educators and students over the course of the day. The conference was also livestreamed to over two dozen educators.
Barbara Quintard, a Spanish teacher with 6 1/2 years of experience in McMinn County Schools in Tennessee, shared insights into English as a Second Language, or ESL, support and action research. Currently, as an ESL consulting teacher, Quintard supports classroom and ESL teachers with multilingual students during state testing.
“I surveyed the teachers in my county to see what sort of strategies they use to support limited English proficient/multilingual learners in their classrooms before, during and after reading,” Quintard said.
Jason Lukawitz, lecturer in the MTSU Department of Communication Studies, gave a presentation on how science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, can increase literacy through hands-on integration of electronics.
Other presentations included adolescent reading comprehension, social-emotional learning strategies, vocabulary interventions, among others.
“Our goal is not only to address literacy challenges, but also to ensure that our efforts make a tangible impact,” Elleman said. “We recognize that literacy is a multifaceted issue that requires an interdisciplinary approach, which aligns with the core focus of our program in MTSU’s Literacy Studies Ph.D. Program.
“To effectively address this problem, we believe that multiple perspectives are necessary, along with the identification and implementation of systems that support teachers’ adoption of effective strategies.”
In the United States, approximately 43 million adults are functionally illiterate, representing 21% of the population. Despite having substantial resources, these numbers have remained largely unchanged. Students of color are disproportionately affected by this issue.
“This persistent problem has hindered our progress, and that is why our program, established 15 years ago, was designed to provide innovative solutions to address these challenges,” Elleman said. “We are currently training our students but also attempting to unite educators.”
— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)
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