American Reading Company (ARC) announced today the appointment of Julie Washington, Ph.D., Professor in the School of Education at the University of California – Irvine (UCI), to its Academic Advisory Board. She is a Speech-Language Pathologist and a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

“Dr. Washington’s work has shed light on critical issues impacting reading, language development, and language acquisition for students of color that is essential to ensuring all learners read and write on or above grade level,” said Jane Hileman, Founder and CEO of the American Reading Company. “Her guidance and leadership on our Academic Advisory Board will provide invaluable insight to partners in the field.”

Dr. Washington earned her Ph.D. in Education with a focus on Speech and Language Pathology. She is the director of both the Dialect, Poverty and Academic Success Lab (the University of California, Irvine) and the Learning Disabilities Research Innovation Hub. Dr. Washington’s recent research focuses on the relationship between poverty, language variation, and literacy. The objective of this research is to understand how cultural dialect impacts the assessment and identification of reading disabilities in African American children as well as to analyze how language production and comprehension affect reading development and early language skills for children growing up in poverty.

Referring to her recent appointment to the board, Dr. Washington said, “There is so much work to be done when it comes to literacy issues facing our nation's classrooms, especially among those affected by the pandemic. I look forward to working with ARC’s Academic Advisory Board in their continued quest of ensuring that high-quality and culturally-relevant literature is accessible to all students. It is an honor to be a member”.

About American Reading Company

American Reading Company (ARC) is a diverse, mission-driven organization, headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, that works to ensure every student reads and writes on or above grade level. ARC works collaboratively to strengthen district and school capacity at every level by placing literacy and agency at the heart of school transformation through foundational skills instruction, reading and writing practice, knowledge-building content, formative assessment, and an integrated tiered system of support.

As a result, all students read, write, discuss, think, investigate, and solve problems at ever-increasing levels of proficiency. ARC partners share a sustained commitment with partner districts to achieve academic success for every student.