Fordham Scholars

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute is launching a new grant program called Fordham Scholars that aims to fund junior researchers working on key issues in American K-12 education. Each year, the Fordham Scholars program will announce a theme and solicit applicants for research grants ranging in value from $15,000 to $25,000. Three to five such grants will ordinarily be made.

This year's theme is The Courts and K-12 Education.

Advanced doctoral students and junior faculty members--especially those in economics, law, political science, and public policy--are invited to apply for these grants. The application deadline is February 15, 2008. Recipients will be notified by the end of April and will be invited to Washington, D.C., in June 2008 for a reception in their honor.

Winners will use the funds to support their research and file in a timely manner their papers to peer-reviewed journals for publication consideration. A copy of these papers should also be filed with the Institute, which may choose to publish them at a later date.

Individuals are encouraged to be creative in framing their proposed research topics, approaches, and methods. Successful projects in this year's round will examine how the courts (state, federal, etc.) may affect the ability of educators, policymakers, and entrepreneurs to foster stronger pupil achievement; greater choices for families; more efficient school operations; promising innovations in curriculum, instruction, school organization and, leadership; and sound, workable accountability mechanisms.

Topics may include, but are in no way limited to, the following:

• Legal barriers to hiring effective school leaders and teachers (and letting go those who are ineffective)
• Litigation's effect on school discipline, staff morale, and sound management
• Special education litigation (and costs)
• Constitutional and other litigation and its effects on the expansion and quality improvement of charter schools and other forms of school choice
• Torts litigation and its impact on physical education
• School finance litigation and its effect on sound budgetary practices

Please see the links at right for further information.