This report is drafted with state leaders and policy makers in mind, including those who work with or support these education leaders. The information shared in this report will likely be most relevant to states that have either not yet considered a new data system on teacher preparation providers, are only now starting to consider the idea, or…

Over the years, a number of interventions aimed at increasing student engagement and performance have been implemented in higher education. Some of these, labeled high-impact practices (HIPs), when done well, have led to documented evidence of student success. Two approaches that have been identified as HIPs--first-year seminars and learning…

New Leaders is a nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure high academic achievement for all students by developing outstanding school leaders to serve in urban schools. Its premise is that a combination of preparation and improved working conditions for principals, especially greater autonomy, would lead to improved student outcomes. Its…

New Leaders is dedicated to promoting student achievement by developing outstanding school leaders to serve in urban schools. RAND Corporation researchers conducted a formative and summative external evaluation of the New Leaders program, its theory of action, and its implementation from 2006 through 2013. This document presents technical…

The state of Illinois is encouraging schools to better inspect and evaluate the causes of their pest infestation problems through use of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) guidelines developed by the Illinois Department of Public Health. This guide reviews the philosophy and organization of an IPM program for structural pests in schools,…

This report is the second of a series exploring implementation of best practices in programs serving young children and families, and focuses on the uses and benefits of developing and using a logic model in programs serving young children and families. A logic model is described as providing a way to clearly articulate the program's theory of…

This packet includes four publications of a project to develop and pilot a K-12 career awareness and development sequence (CADS) for education-to-careers. The K-12 CADS sequence presents a pyramid of the recommended CADS by grade level; recommended career-cluster focus for grades K-8; suggestions for implementation with this information for each…

The compendium presents a view of 70 programs participating in the Illinois supported employment initiative. A preliminary chapter analyzes the implementation of supported employment in Illinois. It provides a brief history of the Illinois supported employment initiative, describes the Illinois Supported Employment Project, examines the impact of…

Despite the widespread introduction of microcomputers into the nation's schools, tremendous variations exist in the frequency and success of their implementation. This study focuses on the principal's role as one possible cause of these variations. Recent research has identified two major role activities of principals: instructional leadership and…

This guide is intended to assist administrators, curriculum directors, and teachers throughout Illinois in assessing and revising their current industrial technology education programs. The first section discusses the rationale behind the Illinois state plan for industrial technology education and lists the program's overall goals and objectives.…

This booklet was designed as a guide for administrators involved in the school desegregation process in Illinois. The following information is provided: a list of requirements for the elimination and prevention of school segregation and racial discrimination under Illinois' School Code; a model for local districts to use in implementing…

This manual contains current guidelines for Illinois school personnel to follow when working with children who have infectious diseases. The first chapter focuses on school district development of policies and procedures and program implementation. The next chapter provides information on characteristics, mode of transmission, prevention, and…

This tech prep planning handbook is based on the research conducted at the Office of Community College Research and Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The study involved information gathering procedures at each of the 17 tech prep pilot sites about their planning activities. Seven sections are included: (1) tech prep in…

A project in Illinois created a 17-member committee, reviewed literature, and conducted a telephone survey of all 51 state home economics supervisors in the United States to create a conceptual framework for secondary home economics. The framework was reviewed and refined by the participants and is being published. Additional materials developed…

This manual, one of a series of five manuals written for pupil personnel workers in the Illinois schools, is designed to assist school personnel with practices and procedures in school social work. Chapter 1 focuses on philosophy, and briefly introduces major concepts in pupil personnel services including service coordination, community-school…