ACTION RESEARCH LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (ARLI)
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM INFORMATION
Application Must Be Submitted to CFE@CFEgrants.org by Monday, June 30, 2014
Program Description
Chicago Foundation for Education’s (CFE) Action Research Leadership Institute (ARLI) invites exemplary
PreK-8th grade Chicago Public School (CPS) teachers to join a fellowship program to improve student
achievement and teaching effectiveness. Selected teachers will be awarded $1,250 fellowships and be
provided with intensive professional development as they analyze the effectiveness of their teaching
strategies and practices through an action research study conducted in their schools.
ARLI Fellows will meet monthly over the 2014-15 academic year, receiving more than 45 hours of total
support from CFE and a university advisor. The ARLI experience is similar to that of a graduate seminar:
Fellows meet within a collaborative setting to participate in reflective dialogue, data protocols, and
explore critical questions based on their classroom experiences. At the end of the school year, ARLI
Fellows share their key research findings and recommendations with a presentation and a written
paper.
Action Research is a systematic process that teachers can use on an on-going basis to analyze the
effectiveness of their instruction through data collection, evaluation, and reflection. The research
findings and resulting policy recommendations of a teacher’s inquiry have the potential to impact a
classroom, school, or an entire district.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be full-time PreK-8th grade Chicago Public School educators who are in good standing
and are ISBE certified. CFE considers an ‘educator’ to be a professional who works directly with students
at least 60% of the time. CFE recognizes librarians, social workers, and other “specialists” as educators.
ARLI Fellowship Award Information
ARLI Fellow Benefits:
 Receive a $1,250 stipend and earn up to 68 CPDUs.
 Receive on-going instruction and mentoring from a university professor as you conduct an action
research project that aims to impact your classroom, your school, and/or the district.
 Participate in reflective dialogue and collaborative research in a collegial setting.
 Contribute to a growing field of research on the effectiveness of teacher inquiry and
collaboration.
 Earn recognition as a teacher-leader.
Chicago Foundation for Education
ARLI Fellowship Program Information
 Character Education Bonus Award: Fellows who demonstrate exemplary research in the areas of
Character Education and the social-emotional well-being of students may receive a $200
Character Education Bonus Grant at the end of their Fellowship.
ARLI Fellow Responsibilities:
 Participate in 10 to 12 meetings (3-4 hours each) and two individual conferences during the
2014-15 school year. Attendance at all meetings is mandatory and every effort will be made to
coordinate meeting dates with schedules of participating Fellows. The first meeting will be
scheduled for early September.
 Devote a significant amount of time outside of meetings to collect and analyze data.
 Complete assigned readings, write a teacher journal, and participate in online discussion forums.
 Write, in incremental stages throughout the program, a 10 to 15-page research paper detailing
your research findings and policy recommendations.
 Write a two-page executive summary of your paper.
 Present your work at CFE’s annual ARLI Policy Forum, ultimately submitting your paper to at least
one education journal or comparable publication.
 Maintain weekly email communication with CFE and your university advisor.
Award Criteria and Selection Process
Fellowship proposal evaluation criteria:

Interest in, rationale for, and commitment to program involvement

Demonstrated efforts to enhance teaching and learning

Exhibition of an analytical and reflective disposition)

Strength of support letter

Overall clarity and presentation of application
Finalists for the ARLI Fellowship will be notified by Tuesday, July 15th. Each finalist will be interviewed
at the CFE office on either Wednesday, July 23rd or Thursday, July 24th, so please ensure you have
daytime availability on both of those dates. Final awards will be announced in mid-August.
Application Information
Complete and email a copy of pages 3 & 4 of this application, along with a scanned copy of a Letter of
Support from an administrator, to CFE@CFEgrants.org. Submissions must be emailed to this address no
later than Monday, June 30, 2014. This information – as well as the application itself – can also be found
on our website at www.CFEgrants.org.
ARLI FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION
Application Must Be Submitted to CFE@CFEgrants.org by Monday, June 30, 2014
PART I: Directions for Application
Complete and email a copy of pages 3 & 4 of this application, along with a scanned copy of a Letter of Support
from an administrator, to CFE@CFEgrants.org. Submissions must be emailed to this address by Monday, June 30,
2014. This information – as well as the application itself – can be found on our website at www.CFEgrants.org.
PART II: Applicant Information
Name
Title (check one):
Home Address
State
Zip
E-Mail
Cell
Home
Please answer the following questions to help CFE track how funds are being awarded (optional):
 Black
School Name
 White
Mr.
Dr.
 Latino
 Asian/Pacific Islander
Gender:
 Native American
F
M
 Other
 Other  No Answer
Principal Name
What teaching position do you hold?
How did you learn of this program?
(Check all that apply.)
Teacher, Gen Ed
Principal/administrator
Teacher, Subject:
Specialist, Title:
Other, Title:
What grade(s) do you teach?
Do you hold a leadership role within
your school? (Note: This is not a
requirement for consideration)
Team Leader
Mrs.
Apt.
City
Race/Ethnicity:
Ms.
What were the top three influences
in your decision to apply for an ARLI
Fellowship?
Another teacher/colleague
Received nomination letter
Received a nomination letter
Prior CFE award winner
CFE’s Annual Workshop
CFE print marketing
Opportunity to gain leadership
experience
CFE email
Colleague recommendation
Other:
Grant money
Other:
N/A
Other
How many years have you been teaching? At Current School:
In Total:
With CPS:
PART III: Letter of Support
A Letter of Support from your principal, assistant principal, team leader, or another colleague in a leadership role is
required. Please remind your reference that specific examples are more helpful than generic statements, and that the
best letters will speak to your:
 Commitment to student achievement, and how you have produced positive classroom or school change
 Ability to analyze and learn from experience
 Personal and/or professional qualities likely to foster adult learning and collaboration
PART IV: Application Questions
 Each response must be limited to 1200 characters, including spaces (approximately 8-10 sentences).
 Please define all education terminology and/or acronyms – points may otherwise be deducted.
Q1. Why have you chosen to apply for the ARLI Fellowship Program? How will participating in
this program benefit your personal goals for professional development?
Response:
Q2. Action Research is the systematic process of analyzing a particular aspect of your practice
and collecting data to evaluate how student outcomes and/or your school environment are
impacted. In reflecting on your teaching practice, please discuss one possible area of
research, as well as your rationale for this choice.
Response:
Q3. What one education policy issue are you most passionate about? Please be specific.
Response:
Q4. Give an example of a way you have produced positive classroom or school change. Please
be specific about your role.
Response:
Q5. Discuss your commitment to “lifelong learning”. Please be specific, including any advanced
degrees, professional memberships, and/or other grants or awards that have contributed to
your professional growth.
Response:
Q6. Successful action research requires ample time for data collection, meetings, and reflection.
Please discuss how you will make time to fully participate in this program, despite other
personal and professional commitments. Please note that other obligations will not
prevent your application from being competitive, but must be taken into consideration.
Response:
Q7. ARLI is a program dependent on effective teacher collaboration. Please discuss a
collaborative experience you have had and what you gained from that experience.
Response: