The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program is a residential, quasi-military program for youth ages 16 to 18 who are experiencing difficulty in traditional high school. This report covers the program years 2018-2019 and is the fourth in a series of annual reports that RAND Corporation researchers have issued over the course of a research project…

Living-learning communities combine curricular, co-curricular, and residential components of college life. They are a relatively new variation on the residential education that has been part of the undergraduate experience at America's independent colleges and universities for centuries. Research suggests that living-learning communities have a…

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…

Teacher residency programs are a relatively new method for building stronger teacher pipelines. Research assessing the impact of these programs is still limited, but some early reports suggest that residency programs hold promise for improving teacher effectiveness and retention rates (Barrett, Hovde, Hahn, & Rosqueta, 2011; Papay, West,…

The internationally recognized Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students in grades 10 through 12 in its advanced, residential…

This study examined the association between organizational climate and changes in internalizing and externalizing behavior for youth in residential treatment centers (RTCs). The sample included 407 youth and 349 front-line residential treatment staff from 17 RTCs in Illinois. Youth behavior was measured using the Child Functional Assessment Rating…

The need for quality service-learning programs has increased according to greater interest in service-learning and civic engagement for academically gifted students. The Civic Leadership Institute (CLI), a 3-week residential program for gifted adolescents, is a service-learning program created to help academically talented students explore complex…

This study explored burnout among frontline staff within a children's residential treatment center (RTC) population. Data were collected from 375 full-time, frontline, children's RTC staff employed at 21 RTCs in Illinois. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), results indicated that frontline staff age, training, empathic concern, communicative…

The "National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program" is a residential education and training program designed for youth ages 16 to 18 who have dropped out of or been expelled from high school. During the 22-week residential period, participants are offered GED preparation classes and other program services intended to promote positive youth…

Unfortunately, racial disparities are well documented in the delivery of behavioral health services. This study examines the effects of implementing a decision support process, integrating clinical information into the administration of mental health services, on racial disparities in psychiatric hospital admissions for children in state custody.…

At Camelot Schools there is a firm belief that every child with autism is a success story waiting to be told. Children with the disorder often have difficulty expressing their needs and engaging in social contact with others. It is important for parents to know that progress is possible, and they do not have to go it alone. Camelot Schools'…

Medicaid billing information was used to examine the administration of psychotropic medication to residents of community long-term care facilities providing mental retardation services. Results indicated 28.9 percent of such residents in Illinois received at least one psychotropic medication with little or no influence of demographic and facility…

This article discusses the response of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IDCFS) to the perceived problems with long-term residential treatment and psychiatric hospitalization. The IDCFS implemented a process of residential placement review and a system of residential facility gatekeepers to ensure more appropriate placement and…

A questionnaire was sent to 69 directors of residential centers in the state of Illinois affiliated with the Child Care Association, Department of Mental Health and Department of Corrections - Juvenile Division, regarding the current status of educational arrangements in Illinois institutions serving disturbed, delinquent, and/or…

The presentation deals with four of the factors that have made the Illinois Developmental Centers for the Retarded a success. The following four factors are discussed: (1) the philosophy that the developmentally disabled are individuals and members of society with rights and privileges due all citizens; (2) intensive staff development programs…