Home > Christine Kiracofe (Rienstra-Kiracofe) - Faculty Profiles
Faculty Profiles
Steven C. Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education 100 N. University Street West Lafayette Indiana 47907-2098 BRNG 5132work Work Phone: (765) 496-6068work Work Email: ckiracofe@purdue.eduINTERNET
Christine Kiracofe (Rienstra-Kiracofe)
Department Head, Professor Educational Leadership and Policy StudiesEducational Studies
– Profile
+ Education
- M.P.A. — Public Administration, Purdue Global (2022)
- Ed. D. — Education Administration, University of Georgia (2004)
- M.A. — Art History, University of Georgia (2000)
- B.A. — Art History & Health Sciences (1997)
Certificates
- Family Law Mediation, Pepperdine University School of Law (2018)
- Legal Mediation, Northwestern University (2013)
+ Experience
- 2024 – present
Head
Department of Educational Studies
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN - 2020 – present
Professor
Department of Educational Studies
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN - 2018 – 2020
Associate Professor
Department of Educational Studies
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN - 2016 – 2018
Professor
Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations
Northern Illinois University - 2014 – 2018
Adjunct Professor
College of Law
Northern Illinois University - 2010 – 2016
Associate Professor
Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations
Northern Illinois University
+ Awards
- Fellow, National Education Finance Academy (May 2013)
- Will Myers Memorial Scholarship Recipient, American Educational Finance Association (2003)
- Member, Phi Beta Kappa (1997)
- Heyl Scholarship Recipient, Kalamazoo College (1993 – 1997)
+ Research and Publications
Dr. Kiracofe’s research focuses on the intersection of Education Law and Finance, with a primary emphasis on school funding litigation. Dr. Kiracofe also studies issues related to the Constitutional and Statutory rights of students, teachers, and administrators in public K-12 schools and Colleges/Universities. She is a trained legal mediator and has a professional interest in using mediation and conflict resolution strategies as tools for educational administrators.
+ Selected Publications
Books
- Kiracofe, C., Hirth, M. & Hutton, T. (Eds.) (2022). Charter School Funding Considerations. Information Age Publishing.
- Wood, R.C., Thompson, D.C., Dayton, J. & Kiracofe, C. (2015). Educational Finance Law: Constitutional Challenges to State Aid Plans – An Analysis of Strategies. Cleveland, Ohio: Education Law Association.
- Dayton, J. & Kiracofe, C. (2013). Illinois Education Law: A State Law Companion. Bangor, Maine: Wisdom Builders Press.
Book Chapters
- Kiracofe, C., Whitford, D., Katsiyannis, A. & Yell, M. (2022). Reshaping Educational Policy to Advance Social Justice. In Understanding and Addressing Disproportionality in Education: Moving Toward Social Justice.Springer.
- Kiracofe, C. Wood, R.C., Dayton, J. & Kiracofe, C. (2017). School Funding Litigation. In The Principal’s Legal Handbook (6th ed.) (pp. 121-156). Cleveland, OH: Education Law Association.
- Kiracofe, C. (2017). Public School Facilities and Religious Buildings: The Constitutional Parameters of Renting Each Other’s Space. In Religion and the Law in Public Schools(pp. 333-354). Cleveland, OH: Education Law Association.
- Kiracofe, C. (2013). School District Governance & Finance. In A. Osborne & N. Roberts (Eds.), Educators’ Guide to School Law 2013. Dayton, OH: Education Law Association.
- Kiracofe, C. (2012). School District Governance & Finance. In A. Osborne & N. Roberts (Eds.), Educators’ Guide to School Law 2012. Dayton, OH: Education Law Association.
Scholarly Articles
- Kiracofe, C. (In Press). School Funding Litigation as a Tool to Achieve Education Access and Opportunity, Syracuse Law Review.
- Mombou, K. & Kiracofe, C. (2023). The Implications of Export Control Laws on Research Universities, Education Law into Practice: West’s Education Law Reporter, 412, 409-416.
- Hayden, D. & Kiracofe, C. (2023). Expansion of the Analysis of Performance Funding Outcomes to include Critical Race Theory, Journal of Higher Education Policy and Leadership Studies, 4(1), 7-23.
- McCombs, R. & Kiracofe, C. (2023). State Legislation Regarding Service Animals: Informing Big Ten Higher Education Disability Policy, Education Law into Practice: West’s Education Law Reporter, 409,1-15.
- Ashcraft, M. & Kiracofe, C. (2023). Relationships for Scholarships: A Legislative Review of Mentoring Requirements in Eligibility and Renewal Criteria for State- Based Promise Programs, West’s Education Law Reporter, 408, 665-679.
- Ashcraft, M. & Kiracofe, C. (2022). A Legislative Review of the Indiana 21st Century Scholars Program: Policy Implications for Higher Education Access and Completion, West’s Education Law Reporter, 400,1-17.
- Phillips, T. & Kiracofe, C. (2022). Financial Literacy Programming in Higher Education: What’s There and What’s Missing, Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice. DOI:10.1080/19496591.2022.2074796
- Bingham, C. & Kiracofe, C. (2022). Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Legal Legacy: The EqualProtection Clause and Women in Public Higher Education Institutions in the United States, Education Law into Practice: West’s Education Law Reporter, 397, 12-24.
- McCombs, R. & Kiracofe, C. (2022). Service Animals in the Higher Education Environment: How the Law Guides Institutions in Supporting Disabled Student Handlers, Education Law into Practice: West’s Education Law Reporter, 395, 467-476.
- Kiracofe, C. & Weiler, S. (2022).Surfing the Waves: An Examination of School Funding Litigation from Serrano v. PriesttoCook v. Raimondoand the Possible Transition to the Fourth Wave,Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal, 2021(2), 159-230.
- DeMitchell, T., Kiracofe, C., Fossey, R. & Fellman, N. (2021). Skirts, Yes, Pants, No: Dress Codes, and “Ancient and Absurd Customs?” Peltier v. Charter Day School, Inc., Education Law into Practice: West’s Education Law Reporter, 393,471-482.
- Osborne, A., Kiracofe, C. & Fossey, R. (2021). Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools: Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies under the IDEA. Education Law into Practice: West’s Education Law Reporter, 393,7-12.
- Weiler, S., Kopanke, J. & Kiracofe, C. (2021). Applying the Odds Ratio to the Study of School Finance Litigation. West’s Education Law Reporter, 392,1-16.
- Osborne, A., Kiracofe, C., & Fossey, R. (2021). Board of Education of Yorktown Central School District v. C.S.: School Districts Cannot Unilaterally Amend IEPs During Resolution Periods,Education Law into Practice: West’s Education Law Reporter, 389, 17-22.
- Fossey, R., Kiracofe, C., & Osborne, A.G. (2021). Doe v. Rhode Island School of Design: A College has a Duty to Provide Students with Safe Housing During Overseas Study Abroad Programs,Education Law into Practice: West’s Education Law Reporter, 387, 456-460.
- Kiracofe, C. & Weiler, S. (2021). As SerranoTurns 50: Historical Perspectives and Future Projections on School Finance. Education Law and Policy Review, 6, 1-8.
- Weiler, S. & Kiracofe, C. (2021). Forward to Journal of Education Human Resources Spring 2021 Edition. Journal of Education Human Resources, 39(2), 103-104 DOI: 10.3138/jehr-39-2- 002
- Fossey, R., Kiracofe, C., and Osborne, A. (2021). Collins v. Putt: Instructor did not Violate a Student’s First Amendment Rights When She Removed His Online Post from a College Message Board,Education Law into Practice: West’s Education Law Reporter, 387, 12-16.
+ Courses Typically Taught
- EDST 20010 — Education Policies and Laws (Undergraduate level)
- EDST 64000 — Higher Education Law (PhD level)
- EDST 64300 — Economics and Finance of Higher Education (PhD level)
- EDST 64700 — History of American Colleges & Universities (PhD level)
- EDST 60900 — Legal Aspects of American K-12 Education (MEd level)