In 2013, the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) in its inaugural "Exemplary Educational Leadership Preparation" (EELP) program competition recognized University of Illinois at Chicago's (UIC) Doctorate in Urban Education Leadership as one of two EELP programs in the United States. This article provides information…

Over the past 15 years, knowledge of the afterschool field has grown substantially. A large body of evidence exists that confirms quality afterschool programs help children become more engaged in school, reduce their likelihood of taking part in at-risk behaviors or acting out in school, and help raise their academic performance. A greater…

"Accelerating Opportunity" responds to the nation's growing need for improved pathways from Adult Basic Education (ABE) to credentials of value in the labor market. It builds on promising practices developed in "Breaking Through," an initiative of Jobs for the Future and the National Council for Workforce Education, and…

The Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project is the first major opportunity to use a behavioral economics lens to look at programs that serve poor and vulnerable people in the United States. Sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S.…

This article provides an overview of the contexts, the key features, and the evidentiary data--the criteria regarding candidates to engage in administrative work--for five innovative principal preparation programs. Short case studies and cross-case analysis of the sample programs are used to provide thorough descriptions. The five programs in fact…

Teaching entrepreneurship--how to create, grow and run a business or organization--is one potential means to increase college and career readiness skills. Learning how to start a business can improve critical thinking, communication and collaboration (Gallagher, Stepien, & Rosenthal, 1992; Hmelo, 1998), which are key qualities for academic as…

This report provides a summary of major results of the Illinois Bridge Status Survey, administered online between April and June 2010. The purpose of the survey was to understand the extent to which bridge programs are being implemented in Illinois, as well as to build an online directory of bridge programs. Bridge programs are an emerging…

As the efficacy of educational administration programs has come under increased national scrutiny, one area which has received particular attention is the administrative internship component. In Illinois, various professional, governmental, and state-supported organizations such as the Commission on School Leader Preparation, Illinois Council of…

The 20 institutions in Illinois recognized by the NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education) were surveyed to determine what programs for teacher induction are presently in place. Thirteen institutions responded with some description of their Teacher Induction Program. These descriptions vary in scope and content. The other…

The results of a one-year project to determine the status of provisions for consumer education throughout the country are reported in this document. A section on the observations and recommendations of the advisory committee of the consumer's education project serves as the document's introduction. Part I, background and overview, analyzes the…

A comprehensive assessment of Right to Read programs in Illinois is provided in this final report. The chapter headed "Purposes of the Report" includes a description of the development of evaluation rationale and design, presentation of findings and products, and format for provision of conclusions, implications, and recommendations.…

The bilingual situation in Illinois is described briefly, and an outline of the instructional objectives of local bilingual programs is given. The programs are to be: (1) measurable and oriented toward the end-of-year-product, and (2) organized within the guidelines for state-funded bilingual programs. The main part of the report describes the…

This report provides information on design and evaluation of workplace literacy programs (WLPs) to improve work force readiness and an overview of concepts about the nature, uses, and abuses of standardized tests in program evaluation and accountability. Chapter 1 takes a sociohistorical and sociopolitical perspective in discussing the knowledge…

In Chicago and suburban schools there are many teachers who have not had an opportunity to take part in either induction or orientation programs during their first year of teaching. Exposed to proper and adequate induction programs, beginning teachers may demonstrate higher performance and skill in classroom management, instruction, discipline,…

The Programmatic Approach to Guidance Excellence (PAGE 2) Project produced staff development materials for the career guidance components of program planning, curriculum-based guidance, and job placement. These materials make up the PAGE 2 Instructional Resource Package, intended to be used as a planning program for a comprehensive career guidance…