AERA-GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION RESEARCH CONFERENCE
Advancing PDS Research: Exploring a Collaborative National Research Agenda Letter of Announcement
Dear Colleague,
We are pleased to announce that the Professional Development School Research Special Interest Group (SIG)/AERA in partnership with Georgia State University (GSU) has received a Research Conference Grant Award from the AERA. The purpose of the grant award is to support a three-day conference in September of 2021 on advancing PDS research and creating a collaborative national research agenda. Researchers, scholars, scholar-practitioners and doctoral students from different regions of the country, representing diverse perspectives and varied domains of inquiry will be invited to present their visions, views, theories, research and research approaches. The conference will be in-person at GSU and remote for a number of individuals starting on Friday, September 17 through Sunday, September 19.
The overarching goal of this groundbreaking conference is to explore and begin to articulate a national research agenda that will not only foster greater collaboration and coordination among researchers and practitioners but also lead to improved quality research in and on PDSs as a sub-set of school-university partnerships. In addition to articulating an initial national research agenda, the intended outcomes of the conference will include a book, a review of a new partnership inventory instrument, and a recorded interview with a nationally acclaimed scholar or researcher. The individuals who are invited to participate in the conference will be offered opportunities to participate in a research project(s) that will be conducted after the conference.
We encourage all interested parties to peruse the enclosed “call” for more specific information and application requirements. Also, we encourage applications from individuals representing traditionally marginalized groups. We seek to form a rich mixture of researchers and scholar-practitioners representative of different disciplines, levels of experience, race, gender, ethnicity and geography. We also ask that you distribute this announcement and call to any of your colleagues who may be interested in applying as a participant for this pioneering conference.
Sincerely,
The AERA-Georgia State University PDS Research Conference Committee
Conference Committee
Susan Ogletree, Ph.D. (PI)
Gwen Benson, Ph.D. (Co-PI)
Rebecca West Burns, Ph.D. (Co-PI)
William Curlette, Ph.D. (Co-PI)
Janna Dresden, Ph.D. (Co-PI)
Joseph Feinberg, Ph.D. (Co-PI)
Linda A. Catelli, Ed.D. (Co-PI)
Exploring a Collaborative National Research Agenda Call
Purpose: The purpose of the three-day working conference sponsored by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and Georgia State University (GSU) is to advance Professional Development School (PDS) and School-University Partnership (SUP) research, and to create an initial collaborative national research agenda.
Eligibility: Individuals applying must have:
- At least a master’s degree in a discipline, field or some area of study in education, or an area related to education.
- Conducted a research or action research/inquiry study in or on a PDS partnership, or any other type of collaboration, e.g., Community-School Partnerships.
- Working knowledge of one or more types of research (e.g., quantitative; qualitative) or research methodologies and approaches (e.g., designed-based research; longitudinal).
- Participated in a SUP or PDS partnership or other collaborative arrangements (e.g., Research-Practice Partnerships).
Expectations: Individuals applying must commit to:
- Participate in a three-day (September 17-19, 2021) in-person or remote research conference held at Georgia State University. There will be 25 individuals selected from the pool of applicants who will be invited to partake in the conference as a “participant” in either an in-person or remote mode. All other applicants are invited to attend the conference in a remote mode.
- Prepare and present (if selected as a participant) a paper/presentation for a plenary session that represents the individual’s vision or views, along with any theory, research or research approaches for advancing partnership research. Note – A limited number of papers will be selected for publication in a book.
- Read, prior to the conference, two to three common readings, along with a set of prepared papers/presentations that will be given by participants during “plenary” and “working seminar” sessions of the conference.
- Collaborate with other participants in a team arrangement during working seminar sessions to build capacity and create an initial collaborative national research agenda.
- Participate with others in an agreed-upon research project(s) after the conference.
Financial Support: There are limited funds available for travel and/or other expenses for those individuals who are selected to participate in-person at the three-day conference at Georgia State.
Application Process: Please send the requested information (1-3) as attached documents to https://gsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3lu4xkJV55ZWW8e by 6 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on Friday, April 2, 2021.
Be sure to place your name, position, email address and whether you prefer “in-person” or “remote” mode on each of the three (3) requested documents listed below:
- A current 10-page (or less) curriculum vitae;
- A 300-word abstract of the proposed paper/presentation for a plenary session of the conference (each participant will be given 15 minutes to present his or her paper/presentation); and
- A brief statement of intent of 200 words or less explaining why you want to participate in the conference and/or your career trajectory.
Applications will be reviewed by the AERA-GSU PDS Research Conference Committee and are reviewed based on:
- an applicant’s past research/inquiry record,
- quality of the proposed paper/presentation for advancing PDS or partnership research — relevance to the purpose/theme of the conference, value to partnership research, clarity, etc.
- experience in a SUP or a PDS partnership, or any other type of partnership arrangement.
Master’s and doctoral degree students who apply will be reviewed in a separate category.
Successful applications will be announced on Monday, May 3, 2021.
Please Note: If you are not interested in applying as a “participant” of the conference but wish to attend the three-day conference virtually, you need only to go online to the website and upload a file that includes your (a) name, home address and cell no., (b) position and institution or school district, (c) email address and (d) a few sentences telling us why you want to attend this conference. Submit the information no later than 6 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on Friday, April 2, 2021.
Given limited spaces to attend the conference in a remote mode, you will receive notice by May 3, 2021, as to whether or not you have been accepted as an “attendee.”