April 2017 Volume 45, No. 1

The Mid-South Educational Research Association

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

2017 SUBMISSION LINK OPEN

www.msera.org

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Call for Papers..............................1Research In Progress...................2Call for Applications - MSERA Executive Director......2President's Message.....................3Call for Session Chairs.................3Call for Reviewers........................3Call for Mentors...........................3Save-The-Date..............................4

The Mid-South

Educational

RESEARCHER

Julie A. Holmes

Randy Parker

Editors

TheResearcher

The 2017 Annual Meeting of MSERA will be November 8 – 10, 2017 at The Mill in Starkville Mississippi, Home of Mississippi State University

Proposals Eligible for Submission

All members of MSERA and others are invited to submit proposals for the following sessions:1) Discussion/Paper2) Display/Poster3) Symposia4) Training5) Research in Progress (students only)

Proposals will be considered if they are submitted electronically, via the submission system, by Tuesday, July 25, 2017. Proposals are to be submitted as an Abstract. All submissions for the James E. McLean Outstanding Distinguished Paper Award and the Herbert M. Handley Outstanding Dissertation/Thesis Award must be submitted as a proposal for the Annual Meeting AND also follow specific instructions on the MSERA website

(http://www.msera.org)

If you have any questions about the Call for Proposals, please email the 2017 Program Chair- Shannon Chiasson programchair@msera.org.

Complete Submission Information at www.msera.org

MSERA 2017: Investigating Today to Improve Education Tomorrow

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The Board of the Mid-South Educational Research Association (MSERA) intends to appoint an Executive Director. The term of appointment is three years with the option with agreement of the Board and the Executive Director of renewal. Selection will be based on (1) the credentials of the nominee, with particular emphasis on a record of leadership and service to MSERA and (2) level of released time and financial support by the candidate's institution or organization, including travel, postage, clerical services, and supplies. MSERA will also provide budgetary support for attendance at the Spring Board Meeting and Annual Meeting in the Fall, not to exceed $500 for both, as well as a monthly stipend of $150.00. The Executive Director must be a current member of MSERA and reside in one of the MSERA member states during the term of service. The Executive Director of MSERA is responsible for coordinating the work of the Association and serving as an advisor for activities of the Association. S/he has primary responsibility for performing business functions of the organization, including but not limited to:(1) managing, accounting, and reporting financial information on behalf of the organization,(2) reporting quarterly to the Executive Committee on significant activities, including all monies received and

expended on behalf of the organization,(3) coordinating with the President and Budget Advisory Committee preparation of a proposed annual budget

for each operational year (January – December) for presentation to the Board at the Spring Board meeting,(4) coordinating the maintenance of the membership records with the Secretary, and (5) making an annual report to the membership of the organization at the Annual Meeting. Letters of application must provide details about the nominee's interest in the position and commitment to MSERA, as well as his/her credentials with vita and, at least, three references. Additionally, the letter of application must include letter(s) of support from the applicant’s institution or organization specifying the institution’s or organization’s support of the applicant in fulfilling this position, as well as the amount of released time and other types of institutional or organizational support.

Applications are to be submitted electronically to Jane Nell Luster (JaneNellLuster@gmail.com). Applications must be received by midnight Friday, 09/08/2017. Each nomination will be acknowledged electronically. The position of Executive Director of MSERA will remain open until filled.

Call For Applications: MSERA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS - Graduate Students Only

Once a student's presentation has been accepted provisionally, the student will be required to submit his/her contact/affiliation information and a letter of support from their committee and/or chair to the RIP reviewers in order to be eligible for the Research-In-Progress Awards ($100). Awardees must be present at the MSERA Annual Business Meeting Thursday, November 9, 2017 in order to receive the monetary award.

The Research In Progress (RIP) is an initiative of the MidSouth Educational Research Foundation (MSERF). These sessions are designed for Graduate Students participating in on-going research or research nearing completion to have an opportunity to present research projects at various stages of development in an environment conducive to constructive feedback, suggestions for improvement and ideas for continuation and completion of research projects.The Foundation provides a monetary award for up to 15 Graduate Students who have applied for and been selected for presentation in the RIP Sessions. In order for those selected to receive the monetary award, the student must present their research at the conference AND attend the Annual Business Meeting where the awards are presented.

Graduate Students with work in progress are encouraged to apply for the RIP Session at www.msera.org.

An abstract for any RIP session should include as much of the following that is available at the time of submission; however, not all elements are needed to submit for these sessions.• Problem Statement• Brief description of the research that provides the theoretical grounding for the problem• Summary of the methodology including a description of data collection, instrumentation, analysis and subjects• Results• Conclusions/implications of the study

2017 INCOMING PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

If you are interested in reviewing submitted proposals, please Apply Online on the Annual Meeting Page of the MSERA

Website. Be sure to include your contact information and your areas of expertise including research

methodology.

CALL FOR MENTORS

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as the 2017 President of the Mid-South Educational Research Association (MSERA). The association has a long and rich history. Founded in 1972 as a nonprofit incorporated educational organization, our mission is to unite, mentor and empower members to strive for excellence in research, contribute to the body of knowledge in the field, and promote the use of research results to drive transformational change that improves the overall quality of education for the public good. The work of the association is driven by our mission.

Over the course of our forty five year history, our membership has impacted the field of education locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. It is this legacy of excellence in education that truly defines who we are. The potential of our membership to continue to impact our field is limitless. This year, we are tapping into the collective talents that exist within our association to move MSERA forward and to bring to you a conference experience that will not only keep you engaged from start to finish, but will also keep you coming back yearly.

Our annual meeting in Starkville MS, scheduled for November 8-10th, promises to showcase scholarship from across the field of education. There will be paper sessions, poster sessions, sessions covering research in progress, symposiums, training sessions, dynamic keynotes and a host of opportunities to network and get involved in the association. You will also have an opportunity to learn about the historic Mill at Mississippi State University, which once was a cotton mill dating back to 1902. I encourage you to bring a friend or two to our annual meeting and experience all that MSERA has to offer.

Our annual conference would not be possible without the behind the scene contributions of dedicated, committed and talented members who are willing to serve. Our board members and committees are hard at work preparing to welcome you to the 2017 Annual Meeting.

Please visit our website at www.msera.org to learn more about the association and our 2017 Annual Meeting. Details about the annual meeting will be made available on our website as they are finalized. I encourage you if you have not done so as yet, to block out November 8-10th, 2017 on your calendar. This will be an annual meeting you cannot afford to miss.

I look forward to welcoming you to our annual meeting in Starkville, MS. Together we are making MSERA strong and relevant.See you there.

Respectfully,Franz H. Reneau, Ph.D.2017 MSERA President

CALL FOR SESSIONS CHAIRS

Interested Professional Members and Graduate Students are

especially encouraged to serve as Session Chairs. Responsibilities include introducing the session

presenters, informing presenters of time limits, and facilitating question

and answer periods in the session. Interested members should APPLY Online on the Annual Meeting Page

of the MSERA Website. Please provide your 1) name,

2) email address, 3) affiliation,

4) areas of interest (k-12/higher education) and 5) methodology expertise/interest (quantitative/

qualitative/mixed methods)

CALL FOR REV IEWERS

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Have you been a MSERA for 15 years or more? If so, you are

eligible to become one of MSERA’s esteemed Mentors.

Mentors are needed to moderate Research-In-Progress (RIP)

Sessions and to participate in the Mentoring Session. A mentor

may serve as a RIP Session Chair introducing each session participant, informing

participants of time limits, monitoring the time of

presentations, and leading the session discussions with

constructive guidance for beginning researchers. Any

member interested in serving as a Mentor, should Apply Online on the Annual Meeting Page of the MSERA Website. Please provide

your 1) name, 2) email address, 3) affiliation and 4) number of years

of MSERA membership.

P.O. Box 3161 Louisiana Tech UniversityRuston, LA 71272

The Mid-South Educational RESEARCHER

Published at Louisiana Tech University

for the Mid-South Educational

Research Association Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership

P.O. Box 3161, Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, LA 71272 Julie A. Holmes Randy Parker

Editors

Place Address Label HERE