The purpose of this research study was to investigate teacher perspectives of implementing standards-based grading in kindergarten through fifth grade in language arts and math in Southern Illinois. This mixed-methods explanatory research study examined the challenges teachers encountered when implementing standards-based grading, and the changes,…

A review of State Department of Education and school district websites was conducted to determine how policy related to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) was communicated to teachers of students with severe disabilities. Four states were selected: California, New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. State Department of Education websites and…

This study investigated the existing training practices for online instructors in the Illinois community college system. As online learning continues to alter the educational landscape, online faculty need to be better prepared to support student success. A survey with questions based on best practices in online instructor training was distributed…

How to promote social emotional learning (SEL) at school depends largely on teachers. Mostly teachers implement specific programs, but they have difficulties in incorporating SEL into the regular curriculum. The main aim of the paper is to present the conceptual model of sustainable integration of SEL into everyday teaching practices in every…

Although many districts and teachers have struggled to provide online learning, those who serve young children were perhaps least prepared. And although nearly all states have developed guidance and resources to support students and families since the pandemic started, they often lack an effective remote learning model for preK-3 that is rooted in…

The purpose of this study was to examine whether district funding influences the leadership work of school principals. This study explored the role of the elementary principal in four school districts. Two districts were located in communities with an affluent population and the schools had an abundance of fiscal resources; the other two districts…

The purpose of this study was to examine the life and work of Frank William Westhoff (1863-1938), a leader in music education during the progressive era (circa 1890s-1950s). Research questions focused on his work as a music supervisor, teacher educator, pedagogue, and textbook author. I also explored Westhoff's contributions to the profession and…

The National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools (NSBECS) are a national articulation of defining characteristics and performance benchmarks that guide Catholic schools in assessing, strengthening, and sustaining their operations in four Domains: Mission and Catholic Identity, Governance and Leadership, Academic Excellence, and…

Educators have sought to understand and address the disproportional representation of students from certain student subgroups in gifted education. Most gifted identification decisions are made with national comparisons where students must score above a certain percentage of test takers. However, this approach is not always consistent with the…

Research Findings: Family child care providers widely participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), yet their participation experiences have not been studied. To fill this gap, we used a mixed methods approach that combined survey data collected from a random sample of 224 CACFP-participating licensed family child care providers…

The paper highlights the development of a collaborative formative assessment scoring process in a partnership between an urban university and one of the nation's largest districts. We explore collaborative research through the lens of a single formative assessment rubric derived from the Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning Framework (CER, McNeill…

The work of the National Forum on Education Statistics (Forum) is a key aspect of the National Cooperative Education Statistics System (Cooperative System). The Cooperative System was established to produce and maintain, with the cooperation of the states, comparable and uniform education information and data that are useful for policymaking at…

This research study explored the perceptions of practicing Illinois superintendents regarding the efficacy of the work they do as a superintendent related to their experience in a superintendent preparation program. Although a multitude of research studies have been completed for both teacher and principal preparation programs, very little…

This document outlines the administrative rules of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), delineating the following areas: (1) ICCB Administration, including definitions, regulations of advisory groups and opinions, manuals, the role of the executive director, appearance at ICCB meetings, appeal procedure, administration of detachments and…

This document is a companion to a similar report dated May 2018. It outlines the administrative rules of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), as of October 2018 delineating the following: (1) ICCB Administration, including definitions, regulations of advisory groups and opinions, manuals, the role of the executive director, appearance at…