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homicide rates of African American males are at least five times
the rates of their European American counterparts, and the prospects
for African American males with disabilities are even more disturbing.
LASER employs serious investigation, so that tragic trends involving
urban and impoverished youth can be reversed.
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In
order to conduct and sustain an urban research agenda, LASER
has forged partnerships with the special education departments
of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Historically
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Native
American Serving Institutions (NASIs), and Other Minority
Institutions (OMIs, or institutions with a minority population
of at least 25%). Currently, there are 19 participating minority
universities, although we welcome others to join
us. Divided into four collaborative research communities
(CRCs), these institutions form a strong core of collegial
support and intellectual stimulation that is needed to accomplish
our ambitious research activities. Organized by geographical
location to further enhance opportunities for collaboration,
the four CRCs are as follows (links to their Web sites are
provided):
Collaborative Research Community 1
Elizabeth
City State University (HBCU)
Coppin
State University (HBCU)
University
of North Carolina, Pembroke (OMI/NA)
North
Carolina Central University (HBCU)
Fayetteville
State University (HBCU)
Central
State University (HBCU)
Collaborative Research Community 2
Florida
A&M University (after going to this link, click Education)
(HBCU)
Florida
International University (HSI)
University
of South Florida (OMI)
Collaborative Research Community 3
Dillard
University (after going to this link, click Courses of
Study, then Education) (HBCU)
Grambling
State University (HBCU)
Fisk University
(HBCU)
Jackson
State University (HBCU)
Collaborative Research Community 4
New
Mexico State University (HSI)
California
State University, Los Angeles (HSI)
University
of Texas, Austin (OMI)
University
of California, San Diego (OMI)
The CRCs focus their research on issues that are most urgent
to the needs of urban and high poverty children, including
• Successful inclusion practices
• Favorable intervention strategies
• Effective parental participation
• Equitable disciplinary approaches
• Successful coordination of special education services
with health and social services
LASER holds regular meetings with all four CRCs in order to
pool the talents, expertise, and other resources that are
needed to shape an effective urban special education research
agenda. Each of the four CRCs works with experienced research
mentors, who facilitate regular site-based professional development
meetings, workshops, and seminars, during which members conceptualize
grant proposals and create research projects and dissemination
plans.
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