PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH AN ACADEMIC CENTER
Proposal to Establish the Center for Community and School Action Research
(CCSAR)
as an Academic Center of Excellence at Southern Connecticut State University
Submitted by:
Norris M. Haynes, Ph.D.
Professor, Counseling and School Psychology
and
Rodney A. Lane, Ed.D.
Dean, School of Education
July 13, 2001
This is a proposal to establish the Center for Community and School Action Research (CCSAR) at
Southern Connecticut State University
A. Need
There is a need, throughout the State of Connecticut, among community and school-based programs, for
an action-oriented research and evaluation approach to improve program implementation and to assess
program impact. A related need is for SCSU professors and university students to be involved in
meaningful and mutually rewarding ways in action research and evaluation activities in communities and
schools.
.
B. Mission, Goals and Objectives
The Community and School Action Research Group was established in the fall of 1998, by Dr. Norris M.
Haynes to address the needs identified above. The proposed Center for Community and School Action
Research (CCSAR) will be a collaborative enterprise involving faculty and students in various
departments at Southern Connecticut State University, faculty at other CSU campuses, Yale University
Child Study Center, and community agencies and school districts throughout the State of Connecticut.. .
Mission: The mission of the Center for Community and School Action Research (CCSAR) will be to
inform educational and child development practices and policies, through action and investigative
research activities, thereby promoting educational improvement, and children’s health and safety
resulting in student optimal development and high levels of achievement and accomplishments.
The Goal of CCSAR will be to contribute to knowledge which will help to improve teaching and learning
in schools, the psycho-educational development of children and the safety, health and well-being of
children in area public schools and communities.
The Objectives of CCSAR will be to:
1) provide opportunities for SCSU professors and students to engage in action research activities in
school settings as teaching and learning experiences, and service projects to schools.
2) explore and examine issues related to the improvement of teaching, learning, safety and health in
schools
3) conduct collaborative research on topics and interventions related to the healthy physical,
psychosocial and academic development of students in schools
4) conduct research on school climate and context factors that influence students’ development and
learning
5) support the improvement of schools and communities through collaborative interventions and
evaluations based on documented need.
6) disseminate research findings and share conceptual ideas on educational and social practices and
policies to a wide audience, through publications, presentations, seminars, workshops and other methods.
The Center will conduct, promote and support a number of activities in six interrelated areas. The areas
of activity are: 1.)Teaching 2.) Interventions 3.) Action Research 4.) Investigative Research 5.)
Publications 6.) Presentations.
1. Teaching:
The Center will offer courses in action research, and qualitative and quantitative methods at the
undergraduate and graduate levels. Short courses in areas of high interest will also be offered through the
Center. Students, supported and mentored by professors, will also participate in school-based intervention
and action research evaluation projects as part of their course work and field experiences. The Center will
also serve as a resource and support for students in their research. To date, the Community and School
Action Research Group has offered the following:
Research design, data entry and SPSS data analysis training session for employees from the
Urban League of Rhode Island.
 Sponsored faculty development forum. Presenter: Dr. Steven Marans, Harris Associate
Professor of Child Psychoanalysis, Yale Child Study Center. Addressed the clinical
assessment/ treatment of children/families exposed to violence. Also child development issues
and the community policing project.
 Sponsored faculty development on “ How to Conduct Collaborative Action Research”
2. Interventions:
The Center will support school-based interventions and related evaluations undertaken by SCSU
professors and colleagues in school districts and schools when these activities are consistent with its
mission and goals. As such, the Community and School Action Research Group has:
 conducted an analysis of Counseling and School Psychology student activities survey as
part of the required evaluation for the Council on the Accreditation of Counseling and
Related Education Programs (CACREP), Dr. Judith Wilcox, department of Counseling and
School Psychology
 developed an Educational Leadership Survey for the department of Educational
Leadership.
3. Action Research:
The Center will encourage, support, and conduct intervention-based action research. Programs and
interventions in schools involving faculty and students in various departments at SCSU constitute the
basis for action research activities. Some of these activities will involve the New Haven Public Schools
and may be done in collaboration with faculty at the Yale Child Study Center. The group that is
submitting this proposal to become a center is currently involved in a multi-year evaluation of the Safe
Schools and Healthy Students Initiative in Waterbury and in evaluating the State of Connecticut
Department of Education Early Literacy Success Program. These activities provide documentation of
program implementation and outcomes and feed results back into the implementation cycle to improve
and enhance the interventions and increase their effectiveness. The Community and School Action
Research Group has received:
a one half million dollar grant for three years to conduct the evaluation of the Federal
Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative in Waterbury, Ct.
$100,000 to conduct the evaluation of the Early Reading Success
Institute/Initiative for the Connecticut State Department of Education.
4. Investigative Research:
In addition to action research activities, the Center will conduct and will support relevant research projects
that are designed to address questions pertinent to the mission and goals of the Center. These research
activities will be designed to generate knowledge about the relationship between certain variables of
interest and to test certain hypotheses. The results of these studies will lead to the development of specific
interventions. Examples of recent collaborative research activities/projects include:
 “Factors Influencing Student Learning Experiences in South Africa” –Dr. Brian Perkins
 “CMT and Measuring Reading Comprehension”- Dr. Louise Spear-Swerling
 “Freshmen Attitudes and Opinions”- Dr. Cynthia McDaniels
 “Addressing the Needs of Homeless Families”- Dr. Joy Fopiano
5. Publications:
The Center will support the preparation and submission of manuscripts for publication in professional
peer-review journals and other sources. The Center will establish relationships with major book
publishers with a view to exploring the feasibility of book contracts for members of faculty. The Center
will also publish position papers on critical issues and a quarterly newsletter highlighting important work
being done by faculty, students and affiliates. The Center also plans to establish a resource library that
will house relevant and significant publications. Sample publications produced by the Community and
School Action Research Group include:
 The CCSAR Herald- a quarterly newsletter published by the Center.
 Homeless Shelter Manual – A handbook of guidelines for working with homeless
children and families in shelters.
 No Numbing Numbers: Math and Science Achievement through Social and Emotional
Development –Manuscript submitted for publication
6. Presentations:
The Center will conduct and support presentations by students and faculty at major national and regional
professional conferences. The Center will also sponsor or co-sponsor symposia, seminars and workshops
on critical issues related to educational practice and policies, counseling and school psychology,
children’s health and development and school reform and improvement. The Center will also sponsor
annual student and faculty research poster sessions during which the works of students and faculty will be
shared in poster format and reviewed, critiqued and discussed by other students and faculty.
Presentations by the Community and School Action Research Group have included:
 Panel presentation at the National Science Foundation Systematic Initiatives Principal
Investigators meeting. “The Cultural Context of Evaluation” Dr. Norris Haynes.
 Early childhood psychosocial and emotional development: Strategies for meeting the unique
needs of the young child. Presenter, Safe Schools/Healthy Students Annual Conference,
Washington, D.C.
C. Faculty and Staff:
The Center for Community and School Action Research (CCSAR) will have a Director, Norris M.
Haynes, Ph.D. He is a full professor and member of the faculty in the Department of Counseling and
School Psychology. Other core faculty will include, Teri A. Olisky, Ph.D. Chair of the Counseling and
School Psychology Department and William J. Diffley, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Research and
Measurement Program, department of Educational Leadership ( resumes attached-see appendix).
Maureen Gilbride-Redman, M.P.A. will serve as Research Associate. The Center will also be staffed by
other faculty collaborators, Graduate Assistants and University Assistants. An Advisory Board will
provide input, guidance and advice to the Director. The Board will be chaired by the Dean of the School
of Education at SCSU, and will include representatives from various departments at SCSU, school
systems, community agencies, and the Yale Child Study Center. A Steering Committee will provide
direction and policy advice to the Director. It will be comprised of Department Chairs, the Dean of the
School of Education, The Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Assistant to the Vice President for
Academic affairs, The Dean of Graduate Studies at SCSU, The Associate Dean of the School of Medicine
at Yale University and the Director of the Yale University Child Study Center.
D. Budget
E. Assessment and Evaluation:
Several approaches will be used to assess and evaluate the productivity and effectiveness of the Center.
These approaches will include:

Assessment of the quality of research and evaluation reports produced by CCSAR. The quality of
these reports will be assessed by the audience for the reports. An evaluation checklist will be
developed for this purpose.

Assessment of the level and quality of technical and research assistance provided by CSAR staff
to faculty and students. The Community and School Action Research Group has developed and
has begun to use an assessment form for this purpose. As a Center, CCSAR will expand the use of
this form.

Evaluation of CCSAR’s contribution to the improvement of educator preparation at SCSU.
Currently the Community and School Action Research Group conducts educator preparation
evaluation and provided feedback to the Dean of the School of Education and to Department
Chairs. A Dean and Department Chairs will be asked to provide more extensive and regular
feedback to CCSR staff on the value and usefulness of the evaluation data and information that
CCSAR provides.

Review of the number and kind of grants and contracts applied for and the number and kind of
grants and contracts received will be conducted annually.

An annual internal review will be conducted by the Director. He will conduct staff evaluations and
process audits of CCSAR’s work. Members of the Advisory and Steering Committees will also be
invited to provided critical feedback of CCSAR’s work and recommendations for improvement.
APPENDIX
Curriculum Vitae
Dr. William Diffley
Dr. Norris Haynes
Dr. Teri Olisky