Finding funds to build and renovate facilities is a major hurdle for public charter schools because most state laws do not provide charter schools with the full amount of state and local funding that other public schools receive. Although an increasing number of states are passing laws to address charter school facility funding gaps, inequities…

The fact that only 22 percent of adults in Illinois have children attending public schools challenges the idea of education as a "public good," yet despite many discouraging statistics concerning the public and the schools, there appears to be a growing awareness of the significance of education and an underlying foundation of faith in…

This publication is intended to assist economic decision makers in designing strategies for maximizing the economic development contributions of entrepreneurship and small business in Illinois. The challenges and opportunities for economic development through enhancement of entrepreneurial activity in the State are discussed. Various successful…

This book embraces the idea of listening to and learning from students. Although many educational theorists have long argued that incorporating children's perspectives about teaching and curriculum has the potential for increasing students' interest and participation in learning, their radical perspectives are still ignored or dismissed in theory…

Simulation of changes through 1988-89 in the distribution of general school aid (GSA) in Illinois demonstrated implications of a dual state economy for educational finance. Agricultural and heavy manufacturing areas were found to have suffered loss of tax revenue while service and light industry areas experienced increased revenue. Downstate…

This is the report of a commission of 20 Illinois citizens charged with identifying the principal problems in the State's elementary and secondary schools and recommending actions for improving the State's educational program. Three principal areas are addressed: (1) instructional standards and pupil performance; (2) personnel (especially teachers…

As a means of encouraging the formation of school-sponsored, citizen advisory committees, the Illinois Citizens Education Council embarked on a 3-year research and development project. This publication describes this project and thereby serves as a guide for organizing and using citizens' education advisory committees. Specific objectives of the…

Illinois is considering various approaches to school/business partnerships that will alleviate some of the problems facing America today, especially the need for an educated, trainable, and flexible workforce able to satisfy the demands of a radically altered economic environment. Widespread functional illiteracy, retraining needs, and…

Justification for school district consolidation is made on the basis of either reducing cost or increasing educational quality. Some cost reduction may be realized through certain economies of scale in some consolidations but it is by no means automatic. The Illinois State Board of Education emphasizes the relationship between high school size and…

This paper provides answers to commonly asked questions concerning the inclusion of children with disabilities in general education with special attention to inclusion in Illinois. Questions and answers are organized into the following sections: definitions; cost and finance; policy; roles and responsibilities; delivery of services; staff…

An economic development model was formulated to foster and strengthen commerce and industry retention and expansion in the state of Illinois. The main thrust of the model was on increasing productivity, decreasing business failures, encouraging entrepreneurship, and creating a favorable business climate through community support. To meet these…