Call for Proposals

International School Choice and Reform Conference 2018: Connecting Research and Practice

I. General Information

The sixth International School Choice and Reform Conference (ISCRC) will bring together researchers, policy specialists, practitioners, and organization leaders from around the world who are interested in school choice and reforms that incorporate choice.  The conference will be held January 12-15, 2018 at the Sonesta Hotel, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida. Proposals Due by Monday, August 21, 2017.

The focus of the conference is on how school choice practice and policy shapes education, including the roles of varied stakeholders such as parents and teachers. Of particular interest are the connections between choice, autonomy, equity, and effective education. The conference encourages empirically-based papers that use strong quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methodological approaches and theoretical and philosophical analyses connected to choice.  We particularly welcome presentations that are critical as well as supportive of school choice.  Papers focusing on school choice and reform in other countries or those with an international comparative emphasis are highly encouraged.

II. Session Categories

The conference program will consist paper sessions, symposia, and critical conversations and networking sessions, selected through this open call for submissions and a peer review process.

Accepted PAPER submissions will be assembled into panels and a moderator or discussant will be appointed for each. We encourage proposals that target cutting-edge or provocative topics under the general theme of school choice in a single city, state, region or nation. Papers based upon empirical data and with policy implications are preferred.

SYMPOSIA provide opportunities to examine a specific school choice topic from a variety of perspectives, or across different cities, states, regions or countries. Symposium participants may or may not choose to submit written papers, and might include practitioners and policymakers. The organizer of a symposium proposes the topic, identifies participants, and describes the format to be used. Consent of all participants should be obtained before advancing a symposium proposal.

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS AND NETWORKING: These 60-minute sessions should facilitate informal, lively discussions around a series of provocative questions or research in process around school choice. Sessions may be structured to: 1) include a panel of participants who facilitate and guide the conversation; 2) engage the organizers and attendees in dialogue/discussion on an issue or series of related questions, or 3) provide scholars with common research interests dedicated time to meet, plan, discuss and consider developing collaborative projects, papers, and other scholarly pursuits that will be a continued focus beyond the conference.

We strongly encourage submission of proposals that take advantage of the diversity of conference participants, both internationally and by sector, and that stimulate broad rather than technical discussions.  Examples might include:

• Diverse approaches to school choice (e.g., magnet schools, tuition tax credits, charter schools).
• Diverse perspectives on a single topic related to school choice (e.g., parent engagement, the role of government regulation).
• International comparisons of the implementation, effects, etc. of school choice policies.
• Understanding the implications of various school choice reforms for diverse populations and communities.
• Exchanges among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.

III. Criteria for Review of Proposals

Our criteria for judging individual papers and symposia are that the proposal:

• States clear objectives that are salient to school choice and education reform, more generally.
• Provides a perspective or theoretical framework.
• Employs clearly articulated and appropriate research methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry.
• Uses appropriate data sources and evidence.
• Contains compelling results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view.
• Contributes to our scientific or scholarly understanding of the topic and informs policy and/or practice.

Proposals about Critical Conversations and Networking Sessions will be evaluated for:

• Relevance of the proposal to school choice and education reform, more generally.
• Appropriateness and significance of the topic/issue.
• Contribution to our scientific or scholarly understanding of the topic.
• Audience appeal.
• Relevance to policy and practice.
• Proposed mechanisms designed to encourage wide audience participation

IV. Guidelines for Content and Submission of Proposals
To submit a proposal, please do the following:

1. Create a detailed title page for your submission that includes: title of the submission; presentation format (individual paper, critical conversations and networking sessions, or panel/symposia); a brief description of the proposal; and the name, department, university/organization, and email address of all participants/authors. If any of the authors are willing to serve as a Chair/Moderator of a session, please indicate that in this document.
2. Create a blinded proposal (uploaded in Microsoft Word format), with all references to authors removed from the document. This proposal is limited to 1000 words for papers or critical conversations and networking sessions (not including references). Length criteria for panel/symposia are below.

a. Paper proposals should address the purpose/objectives of the presentation, explicitly describe the methods, data and/or theoretical issue addressed, summarize results or conclusions, and significance to researchers, policymakers, or practitioners.

b. Symposia/panel proposals should involve multiple presentations or participants and a chair. They should include the following:

• 15 words or fewer session title.
• 500 words or fewer overall session summary without any author/participant identification addressing the following session elements:

1. Objectives of the session
2. Overview of the presentation
3. Scholarly or scientific significance
4. Structure of the session

• 15 words or fewer paper/presentation titles that are different from the overall session title for each presenter/participant in the session.
• 250 words or fewer paper/presentation summary for each presenter/participant in the session, without any author/participant identification.

c. Critical conversations and networking proposals should describe the purpose/focus of the session, the ways in which organizers and participants will engage in conversation/dialogue, how the time will be used, outcomes for participants, and examples of questions or areas to be addressed.

Submit the title page and blinded proposal as two separate files by email to: schoolchoice.conference@gmail.com.

All submissions are due August 21, 2017. Notification of proposal acceptance/rejection will be sent by September 22, 2017.

Questions about Paper/Symposium/Critical Conversation and Networking proposal submissions may be directed to Dr. Yongmei Ni (yongmei.ni@utah.edu) or Dr. Chris Torres (ctorres@msu.edu). Additional details on conference announcement, registration, and hotel accommodations may be found at http:// ISCRweb.org.

To learn more about travel grants available for ISCRC attendees, please visit this page.