This book challenges traditional, sanctioned, and official histories of reading comprehension by examining how ideological and cultural hegemony work to reproduce dominant ideologies through education in general and reading comprehension research and testing specifically. Willis analyzes the ideological and cultural foundations that underpin concepts, theories, research, tests, and interpretations, and connects these to the broader social and political contexts within U.S. history in which reading comprehension research and testing have evolved. The reconstruction of a history of reading comprehension research and testing in this way demystifies past and current assumptions about the interconnections among researchers, reading comprehension research, and standardized reading comprehension tests. A promising vision of the future of reading comprehension research and testing emergesone that is more complex, multidimensional, inclusive, and socially just. Reading Comprehension Research and Testing in the U.S. aims to revolutionize how reading comprehension is conceived, theorized, tested, and interpreted for all children. This is a critically relevant volume for educational researchers, teacher educators, school administrators, teachers, policy makers, and all those concerned with school literacy and educational equity.

Contents: Preface. Introduction. Western European Philosophical Foundations of Reading Comprehension Research and Testing. Ideological and Philosophical Foundations of Reading Comprehension Research and Testing. Reservoir of Themes and Premises: Social Influences of Early Concepts of Reading Comprehension. Producing Early Reading Comprehension Research and Testing. World War I and the Development of Reading Comprehension and Testing. Reproducing and Producing Reading Comprehension Research and Testing. Reading Comprehension Research and Testing Reinvents Itself. Federal Involvement in Reading Comprehension Research and Testing.