Physical education is critical to addressing childhood obesity, yet many school-based programs do not meet established quality standards and teachers are called upon to change. Little is known about how change is initiated and its associated internal and external factors. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate physical education…

This "water cooler" column features e-mail conversations between Erin Koning and three teachers--Beth, Jenna, and Patrice--and is a reflection of their participation in a Chicago Public School (CPS), professional development series designed to support the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in grades K-12. At the…

The faculty research residency (FRR) model was launched in 2010, with the goal of transforming coursework to improve the preparation of teachers for high-need schools. The FRR model leveraged school-university partnerships and situated university faculty in high-need schools to conduct research related to the university courses they taught. This…

In a small suburban district in the Midwest, the superintendent was outlining his plans for aligning the curriculum to the Common Core State Standards. The process had begun, he explained, so he and his staff were set to spend the next three years on math, then three years on English language arts and so on. The author struggled with the concept…

This report explains the key role that school librarians and libraries should play in state- and district-wide efforts to transition to digital learning, or the effective use of technology to improve teaching and learning. The report calls for district and school leaders, policymakers, and boards of education to support, encourage, and fund the…

Are there teachable "transferable skills" (TS) that might mitigate the limitations of a rural location--or indeed, the limitations any program might encounter in regard to diversity expectations? Following a study conducted in 2010 of how rural schools, colleges, and departments of education (SCDEs) attempted to meet the National Council…

Research shows that educators are not prepared to address real life issues such as substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and bullying in the classroom. Yet, students with learning disabilities remain vulnerable to each of these pressing life issues. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether the curriculum infusion (CI) model increased the…

Describes how four Illinois school districts have dealt with declining enrollments and teacher shortages by developing an interactive system using local cable television systems to broadcast courses that are shared between schools. The evaluation of the first two years of programing has been encouraging. (MD)

This is the first part of a two-part position paper, updating an 1986 position statement, developed by the Illinois Art Education Association for the elementary, middle-level, and secondary schools in the state of Illinois. Part 1, the "Introductory Statement," highlights the contemporary context of educational reform as an opportunity…

This report contains information on the activities undertaken by the Parenting Education Committee. Background information is first provided together with the history of this committee whose purpose was to study parenting education statewide and to identify suitable areas for a curriculum as well as available resources. Results follow of a study…

This paper presents recommendations for revision of the current general education requirements for an Illinois teaching certificate. These recommendations concern the following areas of the curriculum: (1) American history; (2) American government; (3) psychology; (4) biological science; (5) communications; (6) humanities; (7) literature; (8)…

In May of 1977, each public school district and regional superintendent in the 31 southernmost counties of Illinois (principally rural, small schools) was sent a number of the Needs Assessment Instruments. The 295 returned instruments included responses from the following elementary and secondary personnel: teachers (N=86); principals (N=85);…

This four-part booklet is the result of a project with four goals: (1) familiarize physical educators in Illinois with the four items of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Health Related Physical Fitness Test; (2) design materials regarding implementation strategies for health related fitness that…

This report focuses on a study of law-related education in high school social studies programs in five states--California, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Teachers and administrators from 78 high schools were interviewed. Part 1 of the report explains law-related education and deals with respondents' reports of the status of…

In developing criterion-referenced reading tests, staff in a Skokie (Illinois) school district answered parents' concerns about accountability, participated in a valuable inservice learning experience, and achieved coordination between elementary and junior high programs. (Author/WD)