A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

1994 Field-Initiated Studies Grants

Determining which homework assignments improve study habits and attitudes toward school, assessing whether involving teachers and students in software design helps comprehension of social studies texts, and comparing language use at home between language-minority children in two cities to determine effective home-school collaboration are the subjects of 3 of the 11 new Field-Initiated Studies (FIS) grants. The OERI grants, totaling $932,000, are for projects lasting up to 18 months. The grantees were selected by non-federal scholars, practitioners, and researchers who evaluated the 277 applications for this competition. The grantees and their projects are:

$67,530 to Gary A. Griffin, University of Arizona, Tucson, to examine ten schools that have been engaged in restructuring activity for 5 or more years in order to determine how school restructuring takes place and what school professionals believe the consequences are for teachers and students.

$87,015 to Mary E. Brenner, University of California, Santa Barbara, to investigate how well students learn basic algebraic concepts of variables and equations while solving problems. The study will create guidelines for developing ways to teach pre-algebra effectively to language minority students.

$89,851 to George Batsche and Howard Knoff, University of South Florida, Tampa, to evaluate four Hillsborough County, FL, school programs designed to improve academic achievement, with a focus on students at-risk of dropping out, those who stay in school but do not perform well academically, and educationally and economically disadvantaged students. The project will look at program coordination and organization, school discipline, parental collaboration, and staff development in the areas of teaching problem-solving and social skills.

$71,751 to Philip Kearney, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, to evaluate the content and usefulness of school data reports generated for school district administrators, and to design a system that allows agencies that collect school data to generate quick reports useful to school administrators.

$90,000 to Shlomo S. Sawilowsky, Wayne State University, Detroit, to evaluate Wayne State University's public charter school project. The results will be provided to the Detroit middle school that is being evaluated and to other schools facing similar challenges.

$74,846 to Harris Cooper, University of Missouri, Columbia, to investigate the homework assignment process and to determine how homework affects learning and attitudes toward school, study habits, cheating, and participation in community activities; how best to involve parents in homework; and the relative effectiveness of different types of homework assignments. The project will produce policy guidelines for teachers and suggestions for future research, which will be shared with school administrators, board members, teachers, parents, students, professional educational organizations, and teacher preparation programs.

$87,358 to Neal Topp, Neal Grandgenett, and Robert Mortenson, University of Nebraska, Omaha, to evaluate the impact of the statewide Internet computer system and related teacher training programs on K-12 education in Nebraska. The project will make recommendations for use of networks in Nebraska schools and around the nation.

$97,975 to Donald Leu, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, to explore whether involving teachers and students in software design helps students comprehend social studies texts and to determine how students respond to electronically integrated children's literature selections. The project will produce several working models of multimedia software such as hypertext and full-motion video for use in social studies instruction.

$79,584 to Sara B. Berenson, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, to evaluate if and how teaching methods change after teachers are taught to use alternative assessments that look beyond what students have learned and attempt to measure how they use what they have learned.

$87,663 to Robert J. Bayley, University of Texas, San Antonio, and Sandra R. Schecter, University of California, Berkeley, to study the use and choice of language in the home of linguistic minority Mexican-American children in grades four, five, and six in the San Antonio and San Francisco areas. The project will provide educators information about out-of-school bilingualism, linguistic coping strategies, and ideas for developing effective home-school collaborations.

$98,427 to Ulrich C. Reitzug, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, to examine site-based management at nine Milwaukee schools and to discover how the authority, influence, and involvement of teachers affect transition to site-based management and school change.

Individuals, institutions of higher education, and public and private organizations and agencies are eligible to apply for grants under the FIS program. Applicants are invited to propose research on any topic that will advance educational theory and practice. Abstracts of FIS programs funded in FY 1992 and 1993 are available from FIS.

Funding for the 1995 grants has not yet been determined. However, there will be a significant increase in funding for grants in FY 96. To get on the FIS mailing list, send your name and address to OERI, FIS Grants Program, 555 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20208-5646.

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