Faculty and Staff Profiles

Dr. Scott is an active member of several professional organizations, including the National Council of Teachers of English, where she has served as director and member of the Commission on Language, the International Reading Association, and the American Education Research Association and senior editor of Tennessee’s Children, a state journal of the Tennessee affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Dr. Scott is the founder and national director of the African American Read-In Chain and its affiliate, The African American Reading Fest. The African American Read-In Chain began in 1989 and has been operational since its inception, making it one of the longest running literacy promotion campaigns in the country. The African American Read-In Chain attracts participants from all States, including Hawaii and Alaska, as well as from groups in the West Indies, Australia, Germany, and Ghana. She has also been instrumental in setting up partnership literacy promotion campaigns with groups such as the National Council of Teachers of English and its Black Caucus, the International Reading Association, the National Parent Teacher Association, and the Reading is Fundamental program. For her work with literacy campaigns, she has received numerous awards, including The University of Memphis Outstanding Service Award, The Dallas County Community College’s Literacy Leaders Award, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s Distinguished Educator’s Award, the Women of Honor award from the Women's Foundation of Memphis, and the University of Memphis' Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Award.

African-American Read-In    

Course Information

• Professor Director, Reading Center, Instr. & Curr. Leadership ICL Department - University of Memphis University of Memphis - 1999-pres. 2001- pres.

• Language and Cultural Diversity (U) Language Variations and Learning Patterns (U) Language Pathologies and Dialect Variations (G) - University of Michigan, TA (1974-76) Eastern Michigan University, Adjunct (1974-76) Mary Grove College, Detroit, Adjunct (1975 & 1976)
• Language and Cultural Diversity (G) Freshman and Advanced Composition (U) Modern English Structures (U) Introduction to Linguistics (U) Applied Linguistics (U) Dialectology (G) Sociolinguistics (G) Syntax and Semantics (G) Composition Seminar (G) - University of Florida (1977-87)
• School Restructuring (G) Urban/Multicultural Education (G) Literacy and the Urban Child (G) Linguistics for Teachers (G) Thesis/Project Design - Central State University (1987-1987-1996)
• Curriculum and Models of Instruction (G) - LeMoyne-Owen College (1996-1997)
• School Community Relations (U) Learning in Urban Environments K-8 (U) Literacy in Middle Grades/5-8 (U) Language & Literacy/Grades K-4 (U) Family and Community Relations (G) Literacy Grades K-4 (G) Literacy Grades 5-8 (G) Advanced Literacy Assessment (G), Alternative Procedures for the Treatment of Reading Problems (G), Language and Literacy 5-8 (U), Reading Research Practicum (G), Classrroom Innovations in Teaching Literacy (G), Advanced Assessment of Reading (G), Literacy Grades 5-8 - The University of Memphis (1999-2009)

• Ed. D., Reading - Tanya Riley - 2014
• Ed. D., ICL - Phyllis Henson - 2012
• Ed. D., Reading - Antoinette Wise - 2013
• Ed.D., Reading - Des Remona Morgan - 2013
• Ed.D., Reading - Deonna Foster - 2011
• Ed.D.. Reading - Le Charle Harris - Summer 2009
• Ed. D., Reading - LeCharle Harris - Summer 2009
• M. S., Reading - Birgit Langenstein - Spring, 2009
• Ed.S. ,Summer 2009 - Birgit Langenstein - Ed. S. Summer 2009
• Ed. S., Reading - Schwann Daniel - Spring 2007

• Circles of Success Learning Academy - Board Member & Researcher - 2010-2013 -  
• Project CARES - Consultant & Supervisor - 2010=2013 -  
• Founder and National Director, African American Read-In Chain - U.S. Schools and Communities - 1989-2013 - National Council of Teachers of English
• MCS Summer Literacy Clinics - Memphis City Schools/ICL Faculty - August 2008-2011 - Memphis City Schools
• MCS Literacy Corp - Memphis City Schools/ICL Faculty - Sept. 2008- Jan. 2009 - Memphis City Schools
• Partnership of the African American Read-In and the National Parent Teacher Association - National Organizations and Schools - 2006-2010 - NPTA & NCTE
• HBCU Literacy Tours - African American Reading Fest, Harlem Book Fair, J.C. & Frankie Watts Foundation - 2006-2010 - The Literacy Promotion Partnership Group
• Partnership Agreement Reading is Fundamental - RIF and NCTE African American Read-In Chain - 2006-2010 - National Council of Teachers of English
• Partnership Agreement African American Read-In - National Parent Teacher Association - 2006-2010 - National Council of Teachers of English
• Charter School Research Team - Center for Research on Educational Policies - 2004-2005 - TN Office of Education
• Founding Member, Mid South First Books - Local Literacy Providers and Supporters - 2003-2005 - The National First Book Collaborative
• Co-Designer of Boys Booked on Barber Shops - Local Barberships and Boys in Neighboring Communities - 2003-2004 - Barbershops, Schools, and Community Organizations
• Development of Curriculum for the Circles of Success Learning Academy - Planning Team - 2002-2003 - Voluntary
• Chair, Planning the Circles of Success Learning Academy - The Works, Inc. - 2001-2002 - The Hyde Foundation
• Planning Team, Tennessee Charter Schools - The Works, Inc., Caldwell Elementary, etc. - 2001-2002 - The Hyde Foundation
• Board Member It's Time To Read - Memphis Literacy Providers and Supporters - 2000-2005 - The Assisi Foundation
• Board Member, TVA & MLGW Saturday Academy - Memphis Urban Schools - 1999-2005 - TVA & MLGW

• ICL Department, Reading - Prepared and Coordinated Conference Presentations of Nine Doctoral Students - Fall 2010-Spring 2011
• Language Arts Journal - Editorial Board - 2008-2011
• University of Memphis - MLK Human Rights Awards Committee - 2008 - 2011
• College of Education - Problem-Based Learning - 2008=2011
• ICL Department - Teaching Committee - 8/2008-present
• ICL Department - Director of the Reading Center - 1998 -2012
• Language Arts Journal - Ediitorial Board - 2005-2008
• ICL Department - Reading Faculty - Ongoing
• University - Member, TBR Minority/SES Scholarship Committee - 2008 - 2012
• ICL Department - Tenure-Promotion Committe - Ongoing
• Department - Co-Chair, Search Committee, Clinical Professor - 2007
• College - NCATE Conceptual Framework Committee - 2006-2007
• Department - Chair, Search Committee, Reading - 2006
• Department - Chair, Tenure-Promotion Committee - 2006
• University - Planning Committee Writing Across the University - 2004-2005
• College - Graduate Curriculum Comm. - 2003-2004
• College - Tenure-Promotion Comm. - 2003 & 2004
• Department - Search Committee, Reading (C ) - 2002 & 2003
• University - TBR Minority Scholarship Committee, Chair 1997 - 1999-2005
• University - Search Committee, VP for Advancement - 2002-2003
• Department - ICL Diversity Committee (C ) - 2001-2002
• College of Arts & Sciences - African/African American Studies Curriculum Design Committee - 1997-1999
• University - President's Cabinet - 1996-1999
• Educational Testing Services - Member, National Advisory Board - 2006-2007
• National Council of Teachers of English - Member, Commission on Language - 2005-2008
• National Writing Project - Member, Southern Region, The Neglected R Project - 2004
• Tennessee Association for the Education of Young Children - Senior Editor of Tennessee's Children Journal - 2004 to present
• Tennessee Association for the Education of Young Children - Board Member - 2004-2007
• American Education Research Association - Nominating Committee, Urbal Literacy - 2007
• American Education Research Association - Development Reviewer, Research Proposals - 2004-2005
• National Council of Teachers of English - Director, Commission on Language - 2001-2004
• National Council of Teachers of English - Member, Commission on Language - 1994-1997
• National Council of Teachers of English - Member, Commission on Reading - 1991-1994
• National Council of Teachers of English - Executive Committee, 3 C's - 1987-1990
• National Council of Teachers of English - Trustee, NCTE Research Foundation - 1987-1990
• National Council of Teachers of English - Editorial Board, Studies in Writing & Rhetoric - 1985-1988

• Circles of Success Learning Academy - 2011-2013
• Review Editor, Reading Research Quarterly - 2011-2013
• Editorial Board, Language Arts Journal - 2008-2012
• Project CARES, Consultant and Literacy Supervisor - 2010-2013
• Quality Assurance Consultant: NCATE: Reading First Technical Education Network (RFTEN) - 2003-2005
• Facilitator, Memphis City Schools' REA Workshops, Reading K-3 - 2003-2004
• Review Editor: Book Manuscripts, Articles (Linguistics and Education), Research Proposals (Spencer) - 1996-2005
• NCATE- HBCU- Technical Support Network - 1996-2002

• Scott, J. & Brinson, S. (2004). Stepping up to standards-based teaching:
          An integrated reading-math approach in K-2. Tennessee's Children,
          Journal of the Tennessee Association for the Education of Young Children. 
• Anderson, R., Dietrich, A., Puckett, J., Scott, J., & Smith, L. (2004). Creating
          literacy partnerships with middle school teachers. Tennessee Association of
          Middle Schools, V. 31.
• Williams, B. & Scott, J. (2003). Accountability and assessment in teacher education.
          AACTE/ Journal of Teacher Education.
• Scott, J. (2003). High stakes testing: A divisive solution to education problems.
          Commissioned  by the National Association of Black School Educators,
          54 ms pages).     
• Morris, V., Hawkins, J., & Scott, J. (2002) Benjamin L. Hooks: A teacher's
          guide to classroom activities. Memphis: Hooks Institute for Social Change.   
• Scott, J. C. (2000). Re-Searching Insider Knowledge: A Teacher-Research Project.
          Sponsored by the Spencer Foundation. A Technical Report.
• Scott, J. & Marcus, C. (2000). Emergent literacy: Home-school connections. In
          J. Harris, A. Kamhi, & K. Pollack (Eds.), Literacy in African American
          communities (77-98). Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Scott, J. & Hardaway, Y. (Eds.). (1998). Diversity at its Best.
           (Conference Proceedings). Memphis: The University of Memphis,
          Office of Diversity.
• Scott, J. (1998). The serious side of Ebonics humor. Journal of English Linguistics,
           26, 2, 137-155.
• Scott, J. (1997). Practice what you preach: Preach what you practice. In A. Dyson,
          What difference does difference make? (pp. 132-136). Urbana: National
          Council of Teachers of English.
• Scott, J. (1992). Deficit theories, ethnic dialects , and literacy research: When
          and why recycling is not cost efficient. In C. Kinzer & D. Leu (Eds.)
          Literacy research, theory, and practice:  Views from many per-
          spectives (49-63). Forty-first Yearbook, National Reading Conference
          (Plenary Address). 
  
• Scott, J., Straker, D., & Gamble, D. (1992). Mission 2020: Validating passports to
          the land of equal opportunity. Commissioned by the Select Committee on the
          Education of Black Youth. Wilberforce), Ohio: Central State University.  
• Scott, J., Davis, W. & Cole, A. (1989). A picture is worth a thousand words:
          The visual-print connection. Dialogue: Arts in the Midwest, May/June,
          26-31.
• Scott, J. (1988). Nonmainstream groups: Questions and research directions.
           In J. Davidson (Ed.), Counterpoint and beyond: A response to Becoming
           a nation of readers (27-31). Urbana: National Council of Teachers of
            English.
  
• Scott, J. (1986). Mixed dialects in the composition classroom. In M. Montgomery
          & G. Bailey (Eds.), Language variety in the South (333-347).  University,
          AL: University of Alabama Press. University, Alabama: The University of
          Alabama Press.   
• 
  Scott, J. (1985). The King Case: Implications for educators. In C. Brooks, J. Scott,
          M. Chaplin, D. Lipscomb, W. Cook, & V. Davis (eds.), Tapping potential:
          English language arts for the Black learnere. (63-71) Urbana: National
          Council of Teachers of English
    
• Scott, J. & Smitherman, G. (1985). Language attitudes and self-fulfilling prophecies
           in the elementary school. In S. Greenbaum (ed.), The English Language Today. 
          Elmsford: Pergamon Press.
   
• Scott, J. (1981). Black language and communication skills: Recycling the issues. In
           G. Smitherman (Ed.), Black English and the education of  Black children and
           youth, (129-251). Detroit: Waynes State University Press.
   
• Scott, J. (1981). The influence of spoken language patterns on the writing of Black college freshmen. Urbana: National Council of Teachers of English Research Foundation (85 pages). Technical Report.
• Scott, J. (1980). Perspectives on bidialectal education. Occasional Papers
      in Linguistics, Southern Illinois University, 6, 195-210.
• Scott, J. (1980). Language barriers and dialect interference: Toward the production
      of an illiterate minority. Proceedings of the Annual Language Symposium (1-17).
      New York: Medgar Evers College and the New York State TESOL Association.
   
• Scott, J. (1980). Comments on the Michigan Black language case. English Journal, 69,
      6, 10-12.
• Scott, J. (1979). Black dialects and reading: Which differences make a difference? In W. Shafer (Ed.), Applied Linguistics and 
            Reading (51-62) . Newark: International Reading Association
   
• Scott, J. & Scott, E. (1979). Relationships between reading and writing structures
          (pp. 45-53). Gainesville: University of Florida, Annual Reading-Writing Center
           Conference Proceedings.
• Scott, J. (1973). The need for semantic considerations in accounting for verb forms
       in Black dialects of English. The University of  Michigan  Papers in Linguistics,
      1(2), 140-145.    

• Introduction of NCTE President, Dr. Keith Gilyard for the President's Address. National Council of Teachers of English Conference, 2012, Las Vegas 
• Speaker: "Inquiry as a tool for engaging students students in studies of language diversity in classrooms." National Council og Yeachers of English Conference, Las  Vegas 2012.  
• Discussant: "Igniting students' language awareness--and reigniting our own." National Council of Teachers of English Conference, Las Vegas, 2012
• Featured Session, Scott as session proposer and chair: "Past and future partnerships: The African AmericanRead-In Chain." Sponsored by the NCTE Black Caucus. The National Council of Teachers of English Conference, Chicago, November 2011.
• Facilitator; "Countering the deficit orientation about linguistically diverse students: Teachers Using students' heritage ways of speaking as valuable resources. Session sponsored by the Language Collaborative. National Council of Teachers of English Conference, Chicago, November 2011. 
• Session Proposer and Speaker:  "Rewriting the future: Integrated reading and writing teaching and research." Session presented by University of Memphis doctoral students in reading. The National Council of Teachers of English Conference, Chicago, November 2011.   
•  Scott, J.C. "Evaluating Writing: Measuring Textual Density." The Memphis City Schools Professional Development Summit, July, 2010. 
•  Powell, A., Cooley-Nichols, S., Scott, J. (2010). Math, Assistive Technology and Reading for Inclusive Middle School Classrooms."  Conference of the Council of Exceptional Children, Teacher Education Divison, St. Louis, (November 2010).
•  Katz, L., Scott, J. Hadjioannou, X. (2010). "Re-Igniting the Compassion to Teach."  Conference of the American Education Research Association, Denver, Colorado.    
•  Scott, Jerrie (2009)  "What Counts as 'Good' Literature: Reading Between and Beyond the Lines of the African American Read-In Chain, 2009 National Council of Teachers of English Conference, Philadelphia  

• R7553 - Literacy K-4
• R7553 - Literacy K-4
• R7554 - Literacy 5-8
• I7991/96 - Thesis/IS
• R7554 - Literacy 5-8
• I7809 - Reading Research Practicum
• I991/96 - Thesis/IS
• R7553 - Literacy K-4
• R7554 - Literacy 5-8
• I7809 - Reading Research Practicum
• I7996 -  
• R7553 - Literacy K-4
• R7554 - Literacy 5-8
• I7996 - Thesis
• R 7554 - Literacy 5-8
• R 7554 - Literacy 5-8
• ICL 7996 - Thesis
• RDNG 7554 - Literacy 5-8
• RDNG 7/8542 - Innovations in the Teaching of Reading
• RDNG 7/8542 - Innovations in the Teaching of Reading
• RDNG 7554 - Literacy 5-8
• RDNG 7554 - Literacy 5-8
• RDNG 7554 - 23
• RDNG 7/8540 - Innovations in Teaching Reading
• ICL 8000 - Education Specialist, Reading
• ICL 9000 - Dissertation