For decades, numerous observers have agreed on the value of collaboration between K-12 and higher education--especially as these sectors work toward increasing college readiness and success. While most states maintain separate agencies for K-12 and higher education, many states have worked to foster collaboration through state P-20 councils.…

Hundreds of U.S. schools will supplement fire drills and tornado training next fall with simulations of school shootings. In response to the December shootings by an intruder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, several states have enacted or are considering laws that require more and new types of school safety drills, more…

The Illinois Child Care Collaboration Program promotes collaboration between child care and other early care and education providers, including Early Head Start (EHS), by creating policies to ease blending of funds to extend the day or year of existing services. While no funding is provided through the initiative, participating programs may take…

License renewal and recertification have long been standard practice in service professions. Ten years ago, a new law called for policy revision and mandated that Illinois teachers acquire continuing professional development to maintain certification. This study provides a historical perspective of the Illinois teacher recertification process,…

This report describes the use of Lead Turnaround Partners (LTPs) in the current School Improvement Grant (SIG) program and provides the results of document review, surveys, and interviews with eight State Education Agencies and seven Lead Turnaround Partner organizations. The study focuses on the implementation of the transformation and turnaround…

In 2010, unprecedented levels of resources began to flow through state education agencies (SEAs) to support dramatic change in persistently low-performing schools under the expanded federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) program. The challenge for states is to leverage the federal investment to drive dramatic and sustainable change efforts in…

Touch-screen technologies, on-demand multimedia, and mobile devices are prompting a rethinking of education. In a world of increasing fiscal constraints, state leaders are under pressure to capitalize on these new technologies to improve productivity and help students excel. The task is daunting across the education spectrum, but for those in…

This policy analysis explains the need for a system approach to educator talent management. The report analyzes how state policies in the Midwest support the development of effective teachers and leaders throughout their career. The report focuses on state policies in teacher preparation including certification and licensure, recruitment and…

CO-SPONSORED BY THE STATE LIBRARIES OF ILLINOIS, INDIANA, AND MISSOURI, THIS STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL OF STATE LIBRARIES IN THE EXPANSION OF THEIR ROLE AS COLLECTORS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF LIBRARY STATISTICS ON A REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SCALE, AND TO OBTAIN SOME IDEA OF THE USES AND USERS OF CURRENTLY PUBLISHED STATISTICS AS…

Excerpts from the Illinois Interagency Drug Abuse Education Development Committee's 147 page guide to assist young people by providing health information, especially about drugs. (JA)

"Moving the Needle on Poverty" is designed to provide Colorado leaders with an up-to-date picture of the diverse strategies that states across the nation are pursuing to lift individuals, families, and communities out of poverty. As the report indicates, many states are choosing to set specific and measurable goals for poverty reduction,…

A summary of data on inservice training programs for state agencies providing services to the developmentally disabled in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Minnesota (Health, Education, and Welfare Region V) is provided. After a brief description of the purpose and methodology of the survey, the findings are presented. Among…

This paper discusses the potential of individual States for encouraging voluntary desegregation at the local level. Desegregation history and State strategies in five States--California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Kentucky, and Washington--are closely examined. In all of the States studied, State laws provide the State agency with considerable…

The implementation of selected coordinating functions by the professional staffs of state Junior College Boards in Florida and Illinois, and effects of the implementation practices on individual community-junior college integrity were investigated in this study. A survey of the literature revealed the generally recognized functions for which state…

A survey of 42 chief executive officers (28%), 72 line managers (47%), and 37 state agency personnel directors (24%) found that all 3 groups viewed the personnel department as primarily service providers, directors regarded themselves more involved in advisory roles than did the other 2 groups, and there was limited support for policymaking…