Opened in fall 2009, YOUmedia attracts high schoolaged teens who want a safe and welcoming place to hang out and socialize, as well as those with established or nascent interests in both digital and traditional media. With the guidance of staff and the synergy of peer involvement, participants discover and pursue their interests through both…

While many studies have assessed the practices, status, activities, costs, and growth of faculty development programs at community colleges, few studies have examined the impact of these programs from the perspective of the faculty members who participate in them. Accordingly, this qualitative study employed interviews with faculty members at…

Making Connections was the Annie E. Casey Foundation's signature place-based, community-change initiative of the 2000s. It sought to build on previous work and launch an effort focused firmly on the framework of family strengthening. The Foundation started Making Connections in 22 places, focusing eventually on first 10, then seven sites. It…

This descriptive study explores the perceptions of and preferences for leadership development by students enrolled in a comprehensive urban agriculture program. A total of 284 students from the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences participated in the study. The results of the study showed that the average respondent was involved in a…

In late 1999, philanthropist Susie Buffett wanted to make the smartest possible investment to improve public education in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. She and her then-foundation president, Dan Pedersen, spoke with Superintendent John Mackiel regarding how he would choose to use private funds to enhance opportunities for Omaha's 46,000…

Father involvement enhances children's well-being. A growing body of research supports this conclusion, showing that children with involved fathers exhibit greater school readiness, increased cognitive development, higher levels of empathy, and other positive characteristics (Administration for Children and Families 2004a). Research also indicates…

Discusses collaboration between a teacher and an education professor in developing and implementing a new reading/language-arts program in a fifth-grade classroom. The move from a traditional basal reading and language-arts textbook approach to one using novels and process writing meant many changes for both teacher and students. An Author's…

A study found that a slight majority of Illinois agricultural production teachers requires all vocational agriculture students to have supervised occupational experience (SOE) educational programs. Teachers who place higher expectations on their students for SOE participation are more systematic and extensive in their planning and supervision…

This report, initiated at the request of the Lincoln Trail College (LTC) faculty, provides a series of recommendations regarding a continuing professional development program specially tailored to meet the needs and characteristics of the staff at LTC. A questionnaire was developed to determine activity relevance and availability, preference…

Describes the grant-supported Read, Enjoy and Do (R.E.A.D.) program of the Park Forest (Illinois) Public Library intended to provide materials to help parents/caregivers make reading an enjoyable learning experience for children. Highlights the program's accomplishments, strengths, and weaknesses. Analyzes changed or altered grant needs and…

A study was made of Phase 1 of the long-term standards program for agricultural occupations programs for Illinois community colleges. The unique feature of this project was the procedure used to maximize the input of community college teachers in the validation and revision of the national standards. Survey instruments were sent to community…

The Special Education Parents Alliance created an employment project seeking jobs in the business community for special education graduates and other persons with disabilities. The project serves learning disabled, educable mentally handicapped, trainable mentally handicapped, and physically disabled persons in DuPage County and portions of west…

Illinois' state-funded preschool program, the Illinois Prekindergarten Program for Children at Risk of Academic Failure, is serving almost 19,000 children in the 1989-90 period on an allocation of 48 million dollars, which was distributed to 184 projects in 353 school districts. The preschool projects serve children of 3-5 years, who are taught…

This report contains a summation of the data collected on the Fiscal Year 1973 Title I Elementary Secondary Education Act of 1965 projects in the State of Illinois. The report covers many issues which are relevant to the Title I projects. Such issues are: participation of local educational agencies, program objectives, results of the instructional…

The first step in an improvement effort involves reflection and goal setting. By focusing inward and identifying needs, a person or a school can make great changes. This article discusses how a writing center can be a locus for change within a school. Most high school writing centers start because a few English teachers share a passion for…