Raising the Roof: Higher Visions for Research in Urban Schools and Communities

TAMPA (September 21, 2005) - Much has been written about the failure of urban schools and the need for further research to eradicate the achievement gap.  Linking Academic Scholars to Educational Resources (Project LASER), a technical assistance project of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, responds to this call.

“Urban children are waiting,” says Project LASER’s Director Dr. Brenda L. Townsend, who is a Professor of Special Education at the University of South Florida, where the project is housed.

LASER supports minority serving institutions in building their capacity for research, which examines the intersection between urban children and schools and special education, and how this research can be translated into effective practice.

“Raising the Roof: Higher Visions for Research in Urban Schools and Communities” is the theme of the 5th Annual Project LASER Urban Research Conference, which will take place the USF Embassy Suite–Busch Gardens (Tampa, FL), September 22-24, 2005.

Bringing together LASER faculty and some of the most renowned scholars in the field, this event will serve as a culminating activity as the project concludes its final year of federal funding. Registration is free.

College faculty, special and general educators and administrators, and parents with their children are encouraged to take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn and collaborate on issues related to the education of children and youth from urban and high poverty backgrounds.

Presenters will include:

• Dr. Na'im Akbar, Florida State University
• Dr. Kathryn Au, University of Hawaii, Manoa
• Dr. Marilyn Cochran Smith, Boston College
• Dr. Ruben Donato, University of Colorado, Boulder
• Dr. Donna Ford, Vanderbilt University
• Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Dr. Russell Skiba, Indiana University, Bloomington
  
  

The conference also features:

• a pre-conference workshop on culturally responsive teaching (September 21)
• a research marketplace focusing on the findings of LASER-sponsored research projects
• a community town hall meeting designed to provide families, community members, and university faculty an opportunity to discuss critical issues in urban schools and explore solutions and next steps

For more information about the 5th Annual Project Urban Research Education Conference or to register, please visit www.coedu.usf/edu/LASER. For questions or additional details, please, contact Dr. Brenda L. Townsend at btownsen@tempest.coedu.usf.edu or Dr. Monika W. Shealey, Assistant Director, at Shealey@tempest.coedu.usf.edu.