Theme: The State of Literacy Education
Guest Editor
Michael J. Young
The science of reading. Book bans. Scripted materials. Restrictive policy mandates. The COVID- 19 pandemic. The intensified testing and datafication of schools. A teacher exodus. Immigration policy. Attempts of the federal government to erase of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access from all facets of American life. The list goes on. Over the past decade (arguably longer), the field of literacy education has experienced waves of turmoil, pressure, and interruption. The tumultuous experience many educators, literacy educators, teacher educators, learners, families, and communities face continues into today and beyond.
Yet, there is the potential for hope as many work to re-center literacy education in the joy, heart, and belonging that can be constructed through a more critical and humanizing approach to literacy teaching, learning, and leadership.
This special issue seeks to examine the state of literacy education and pursue pathways that may recenter the field in the belonging, empathy, and healing we need both individually and collectively. What is literacy and what does it mean to be literate today? Whose language practices matter? Who gets to define that? Who gets to shape that? What can help and what can hinder language and literacy development in our schools and communities today? What challenges do learners, educators, and leaders face in the current context of literacy education? What barriers limit us? How do we address them? What practices might we take up to engage in the current moment? How do we pursue these?
Author Guidelines
Please submit a 500-1,000-word proposal, along with a short bio and contact information for each author by October 15, 2026 (see submission email address below). The submitted proposal should provide a title, background and context, methodology, key themes and findings, implications and contributions, and 3-5 relevant key words.
Final manuscripts will be 6,000-9,000 words, double-spaced, 12-point font, APA style 7th edition.
Submissions will undergo a blind peer review by at least two reviewers (i.e., one editorial team member, one volunteer reviewer). Submissions to the special issue will be evaluated based on their relevance to the theme and objectives outlined in the call for papers.
Manuscripts should demonstrate a clear and substantive connection to the special issue’s focus and contribute meaningfully to ongoing scholarly debates or identified gaps in the literature. Preference will be given to papers that offer original contributions through novel theoretical insights, innovative methodologies, new empirical evidence, or fresh interpretations of existing research. Submissions should engage critically with relevant and up-to-date literature, situating the study within existing scholarship while advancing new perspectives. Clarity of writing and organization are essential: manuscripts should be well structured, clearly argued, and written in an academically appropriate style. Consideration will also be given to how each contribution complements the overall coherence and intellectual diversity of the special issue. Finally, submissions must comply with the journal’s formatting, length, citation, and ethical guidelines.
Timeline
Proposals Due: October 15, 2026
Accept/Reject: December 15, 2026
Draft Articles Due: March 15, 2027
Feedback to authors: June 15, 2027
Final Drafts Due: September 15, 2027
Published: Fall 2027
Submission email: literacy.education.2027@gmail.com
Read full call here
QualPage 