Search

This paper describes high quality teaching practices in two schools that produce exceptional growth for all kinds of students. These practices focus on making the most of instructional time and exposing students to high quality content in a variety of contexts. They prove teachers don't need to choose between differentiating to meet students' needs and giving them access to grade-level learning.

"Program Review and Assessment for Continuous Improvement: Asking the Right Questions. Occasional Paper No. 48" summarizes essential questions and discussions campuses should have regarding academic program reviews and the integration of assessment into such reviews. This document contains the following Appendices related to that paper: (1) McKendree University Academic Program Review Self-Study Form; (2) Program/Major Level Assessment Report Template; (3) Major Assessment Plan Evaluation Rubric; (4) McKendree University Academic Program Review; (5) Program Review Samples; and (6) McKendree University Academic Program Review Self-Study Form. [For "Program Review and Assessment for Continuous Improvement: Asking the Right Questions. Occasional Paper No. 48," see ED608778.]

In October of 2019, I presented at the IUPUI Assessment Institute in Indianapolis on the topic of academic program review. While almost every campus conducts program reviews, the definition, purpose, structure, and integration of assessment in program reviews is not universally understood, accepted, or implemented. This paper summarizes essential questions and discussions campuses should have regarding program reviews and the integration of assessment into such reviews. Unfortunately, too many campuses simply keep doing the same reviews over and over. The goal for this paper is to cause campuses to pause, reflect, answer some questions, and then revise their reviews to ensure a meaningful product. The paper is organized around the essential topics of definitions, accreditation, processes, continuous improvement and "closing the loop," and potential challenges. This paper concludes with templates from McKendree University that may serve as valuable tools which other campuses may use, edit, or compare to their own processes and practices. [For the related Appendices, see ED608781.]

In Illinois, there are more than 21,000 children and youth in foster care. Approximately 26% of these individuals are 13 and older (Illinois Department of Children & Family Services [IDCFS] 2021). Although career and technical education (CTE) programs are offered at both secondary and postsecondary educational levels, little to no data about current and former foster youths' CTE program matriculation and attainment is available. Considering that foster youth are identified as a disadvantaged population under Perkins V, it is imperative to address the need for: (1) an increased awareness of and access to CTE programs among foster youth; and (2) systematic tracking of Illinois foster youths' enrollment, retention, and graduation from CTE programs at the postsecondary educational level. This brief highlights two sections within the Perkins V Act: Section 7, Definitions, which recognizes current and former foster youth as a special population; and Section 112, Accountability, which provides an overview of the state and local reporting requirements relative to CTE program outcomes for identified special populations. The brief then provides recommendations to improve statewide tracking of foster youths' postsecondary educational attempts and attainment in Illinois CTE programs.

Defined benefit (DB) pension systems determine the size of pension payments using an employee's "final average salary". Thus, employees enrolled in DB pension systems face an incentive to "salary spike" -- strategically increase late career pensionable compensation -- to increase their retirement income. This is an important issue given that public pension systems face increasing scrutiny due to ongoing concerns about their fiscal sustainability. This paper develops an empirical method to quantify the prevalence of salary spiking by identifying cases where end-of-career compensation deviates from expected levels of compensation. We apply this method to the teacher pension systems in Illinois and examine how salary spiking changed in response to policy reform. The results suggest that salary spiking is very common, with about half of late career employees observed as having pensionable compensation that exceeds expectations. Policies designed to dissuade salary spiking by internalizing its costs across districts appear to reduce the prevalence of salary spiking, but there may be unintended consequences for individuals who are "not actually spiking," as such discouraging the assignment of supplementary responsibilities to late career employees.

How much do teachers value compensation that is deferred until retirement? This question is important because the vast majority of public school teachers are covered by defined benefit (DB) pension plans that "backload" a large share of compensation to retirement relative to the compensation structure in the private sector. There is little evidence, other than Fitzpatrick (2015), however, about whether DB pensions are consistent with teacher preferences for current and deferred compensation. This study examines a unique setting in Washington State, where teachers enroll in a hybrid, DB-Defined Contribution (DC) pension system, and have choices over their DC contribute rate. These choices reveal preferences about the value teachers place on current versus retirement compensation. We find that teachers choose to contribute an average of 8.18 percent, significantly more than the minimum required contribution of 5 percent. This suggests that teachers value retirement compensation significantly more than previously estimated by Fitzpatrick. Potential explanations for the difference in findings from prior evidence are discussed, including estimation strategies, differences in state settings, overall plan generosity, and the potential for teachers to view DB and DC pensions as different products.

When does a community create and sustain a truly innovative "next generation" high school that not only remains innovative, but also relevant? According to the Carnegie Corporation, this means seizing the opportunity to redesign schools to promote personalized learning. So far, much work has gone into retooling many of these (reform) elements individually. Many states, districts, and schools have made essential progress in changing teacher preparation and professional development to help talented educators enter and stay in the classroom. There have also been pushes for interventions like additional learning time, new curricula, and new technology, much of which has been shown to have a significant impact on student achievement. However, applied individually, each of these fails to get schools and school systems where they need to be to serve every student. This white paper will explore the issues through the perspectives of several members of the Atlantic Rim Collaboratory, who are attempting to share ideas and concepts on system redesign, by examples of schools that are making deep learning a priority through technology and by examples of initiatives and schools that have made personalized learning and mastery the focus of what they do. All these approaches are important for they become part of a comprehensive whole that can drive meaningful change. [For "Innovation and Deeper Learning: Model High Schools," see ED604591.]

A growing number of U.S. companies across a range of industries are designing apprenticeship programs to give workers access to on-the-job learning opportunities that allow them to transition into in-demand jobs and careers. This discussion paper provides a snapshot of the current state of apprenticeship in the United States based on interviews with national experts and key stakeholders engaged in apprenticeship implementation, including employers, community colleges, unions, and intermediaries. It explores what is needed to build successful programs and highlights current federal and state policy efforts to encourage registered apprenticeship expansion, noting barriers and lessons learned. Four recommendations for how to grow registered apprenticeship opportunities in the United States are: (1) Provide standardized models; (2) Reduce complexity; (3) Measure Value; and (4) Learn from Innovative Models. A sidebar presents examples of state incentives and supports for apprenticeship programs in Colorado, Maryland, and South Carolina. [This paper was produced with funding from the Nestlé USA corporation.]

A number of English language proficiency exams target grades K-12 English language learners (ELLs) because of the rising need to identify their needs and provide appropriate support in language learning. A good example is the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs (hereafter ACCESS), designed to measure the English language proficiency of students identified as ELLs. Every year approximately two million K-12 ELLs in the WIDA Consortium take ACCESS. After students complete the exam, score reports are provided to relevant stakeholders, including teachers and parents of the students. Because score reports are widely used by stakeholders for many purposes (e.g., placement, reclassification of ELLs), it is necessary to understand how they are interpreted and used in educational and home settings. Such information could be used to understand the usefulness of score reports and also to enhance their quality. However, there is little research on stakeholders' interpretation and use of score reports, especially in the context of K-12 ELL exams in the Unites States. Existing research is limited to teachers' interpretation of score reports (Impara, Divine, Bruce, Liverman, & Gay, 1991; Luecht, 2003; Underwood, Zapata-Rivera, & VanWinkle, 2007). For example, Impara et al. (1991) investigated the extent to which teachers were able to interpret student-level results on a standardized state assessment and the extent to which interpretive information provided on the reverse side of the student score report improved teacher understanding. Findings suggest that interpretive material helped facilitate teachers' understanding of student scores on the assessment. However, few studies have examined how stakeholders actually use the interpreted information. Moreover, very few (Miller & Watkins, 2010) have examined score reports from the parents' perspective. To gain a deeper understanding of the meaningfulness and utility of score reports, it is necessary to examine both educators' and parents' perspectives. The study on which this paper is based investigated how two stakeholder groups--K-12 ELL educators and parents--interpret and use ACCESS score reports. Findings from qualitative interviews offer implications for score report development in general and how to further enhance the quality of ACCESS score reports. In the study, the authors addressed the following research questions: (1) How do K-12 ELL educators and parents interpret the information in an English proficiency exam score report?; and (2) How do K-12 ELL educators and parents use the information in an English proficiency exam score report?

Children's academic and social development before third grade is highly predictive of later success in school and beyond. Research shows that during those early years, the gains children make in language and literacy, mathematics and social skills, and their growth as learners and thinkers are associated with a range of benefits, from academic achievement to economic stability to healthy habits and behaviors. "The Untapped Potential of an Early Childhood Assessment System: A Strategy for Improving Policies and Instruction from Early Childhood through 3rd Grade" outlines how state leaders can reduce or streamline the assessments being used in early learning programs and elementary schools, achieve economies of scale for educator training and leverage existing data systems to yield more powerful data to inform decision-making.

Almost everyone is familiar with the African saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." However, there are very few "villages" that actually engage in this practice. The educational assets of the village include the knowledge of neighborhood residents, the clubs, groups, and associations that are citizen-based learning environments and the local institutions (businesses, not-for-profits, and government bodies). They all provide incredible learning opportunities. It is these neighborhood educational assets that are activated in a village that raises its children. In most communities, however, these invaluable resources are unused and disconnected from the lives of young people. It appears that in one to two generations, villages have lost their power to raise children. Their functions have largely been transferred to schools. This transfer is reflected by the fact that in the last generation, schools have been asked to take responsibility for the health, safety, food, recreation, behavior, moral values, and entrepreneurial development of young people. This Kettering Foundation working paper by John McKnight, codirector of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD), Northwestern University, presents some of ABCD's research in assisting people in local neighborhoods to identify the local teaching knowledge.

Amid growing recognition that strong academic skills alone are not enough for young people to become successful adults, this comprehensive report offers wide-ranging evidence to show what young people need to develop from preschool to young adulthood to succeed in college and career, have healthy relationships, be engaged citizens, and make wise choices. It concludes that rich experiences combining action and reflection help children develop a set of critical skills, attitudes, and behaviors. And it suggests that policies should aim to ensure that all children have consistent, supportive relationships and an abundance of these developmental experiences through activities inside and outside of school. The Wallace Foundation awarded a competitive grant to UChicago CCSR in 2013 to undertake the project, which included a review of relevant literature spanning decades as well as interviews with national experts in research, policy and practice, and young people and the adults who work with them in schools, programs and agencies throughout Chicago. The report offers evidence to show how, where, and when the "key factors" to success develop from early childhood through young adulthood, emphasizing the kinds of experiences and supportive relationships that guide the positive development of these factors. Recognizing that there are no silver bullets to promoting social-emotional learning, the report emphasizes a range of factors that build on one another over time. It also emphasizes factors that are particularly malleable, as well as the age at which each of the key factors comes into prominence, offering adults the most promising window for positive intervention. A key problem the report identifies is that disadvantaged youth often face extra challenges. For example, they often have fewer in-school and out-of-school opportunities for consistent, positive developmental experiences and relationships and face significant opportunity gaps to developing the essential skills to become productive adults. An appendix provides a list of experts who provided input and feedback throughout this project. [This report was written with David W. Johnson, Sarah Dickson, Ashley Cureton Turner, Ashley Mayo, and Kathleen Hayes.]

As governors respond to the need to significantly improve the quality of public education, they should consider incorporating stronger actions to improve mathematics instruction as part of their overall reform agenda. Governors can take the following actions to promote high-quality mathematics instruction for young children: (1) Become a champion for improvements in the quality of early math education with legislators, business leaders, educators, parents, and students; (2) Align high-quality mathematics standards through the educational pipeline, and support appropriate use of student assessments to measure results. State leaders could consider raising standards for the math skills and concepts children should learn in their state's early learning guidelines; and (3) Promote changes in policies that improve educator preparation and that support their capacity to teach mathematics to young children. Although governors are already strong proponents of early reading initiatives, they have an opportunity to become champions for improving early mathematics instruction in their states, as well. Many of the actions described in this brief require no or minimal new state funding and can help lay the groundwork for a state's focus on high-quality early mathematics teaching and learning.

We study employers' perceptions of postsecondary degrees using a field experiment. We randomly assign the sector and selectivity of institution to fictitious resumes and send them to real vacancy postings on a large online job board. According to our results, a bachelor's degree in business from a for-profit "online" institution is 22 percent less likely to receive a callback than a similar degree from a non-selective public institution. Degrees from selective public institutions are relatively more likely to receive callbacks from employers posting higher-salaried jobs, suggesting that employers value college quality and the likelihood of a successful match when contacting applicants. "Measuring Job Quality by Collecting Job Title-Specific Salaries" is appended.

This paper explores the range of ways in which school districts are using Title I funds for early education through kindergarten and examines how the implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has impacted those investments. It also makes recommendations for local education agencies (LEAs) interested in creating Title I-funded early education programs or thinking about how to sustain such investments in the face of policy and funding challenges. The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) spent more than two years examining strategies to encourage and sustain Title I investments in high-quality early education programs in local communities. Building on research and analysis in "Missed Opportunities? The Possibilities and Challenges of Funding High-Quality Preschool through Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act", the Center conducted Web-based research to identify promising models, review local policies and documents, and find local policymakers to interview. Staff also used ongoing conversations with early education administrators to identify more than 100 schools and districts with some history of using Title I for early education programs. CLASP conducted interviews with more than 30 states and districts, including districts with increasing Title I allocations and others with decreasing allocations, and districts in states with a history of investments in pre-kindergarten and others in states without such a history, using a survey protocol developed to understand how schools and districts are using Title I for early education, the history of these investments, and the barriers and flexibility in the law. CLASP interviewed state and local Title I directors, early childhood directors, and district superintendents and, where possible, collected financial information on Title I early education investments. This paper discusses: (1) Federal and state funding for early education; (2) Opportunity of Title I funding for early education; (3) Story behind Title I investments in early education, through illustrations of a range of models from school districts; (4) How NCLB is impacting Title I investments in early education; and (5) Recommendations for LEAs. The report concludes that using Title I funds for early education is not a new idea: many schools and districts have been using these funds to invest in young children for decades. Although accountability requirements of NCLB have created new challenges to sustaining or expanding those investments, NCLB also offers an opportunity and an incentive to support the nation's youngest students. Many LEAs are committed to supporting early education, and several openings and strategies exist that may enable LEAs to take advantage of the flexibility of Title I funds to use them to support early education and to support broad educational goals. There is, however, emerging evidence that the requirements of NCLB and the limited funding available are putting district policymakers in the difficult position of defunding successful early childhood programs. In addition to actions that LEAs can take, the report advocates that there are also ways in which NCLB could be improved to support high-quality early education. CLASP has issued a set of federal recommendations for reauthorization of NCLB. They include: (1) Improved data collection; (2) Enhanced language on transitions between community-based early childhood programs and local schools; (3) Sustaining and supporting local flexibility in use of funds for discretionary purposes; (4) Ensuring that joint professional development opportunities are available to build knowledge of child development and appropriate practices with English language learners (ELLs); (5) Encouraging state education agencies (SEAs) to use set-aside funds to promote and support early childhood programs at the local level; and (6) Increased funding. A long-term strategy to successfully create and sustain sound investments in young children will take efforts and strong leadership at all levels. (Contains 88 endnotes.) [For "Missed Opportunities? The Possibilities and Challenges of Funding High-Quality Preschool through Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act", see ED484650.]

Assessments of U.S. students typically reveal stronger performance in science than mathematics yet their science performance remains uninspiring at best. Whether the metric considered is an international benchmark from TIMSS or PISA or the nation's NAEP report card, the mediocre portrait of U.S. science achievement has remained virtually unchanged over the past 20 years. The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) is a readily accessible resource not only to the people of Chicago but also to a much larger multistate area. MSI has taken the initiative to establish an active and ongoing multifaceted working relationship with the Chicago Public Schools and other local schools, particularly those serving high-needs student populations. The issues of lackluster student achievement in science and science teachers' access to quality professional capacity-building experiences led MSI to form the Institute for Quality Science Teaching (IQST). This study's main focus was to evaluate the first of IQST's course goals, improving teachers' content knowledge, in one IQST course. The module selected for this evaluation project was the Get Re-Energized (GRE) module that focuses on energy topics, a part of the physical sciences and an area of particularly weak performance for U.S. students.

When Congress reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), much of the debate will undoubtedly focus on the accountability requirements added to Title I by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Title I authorizes federal aid to school districts to educate low-achieving children in low-income areas. Among the most controversial of these NCLB requirements are the provisions for determining whether schools and districts have made adequate yearly progress (AYP) in raising student achievement in reading and mathematics. This background paper from the Center on Education Policy (CEP) explores some of the factors that have influenced recent trends in the national percentage of public schools that have not made AYP, out of the total number of schools that reported AYP results. This paper is intended to serve as a companion to the report, "Update with 2009-10 Data and Five-Year Trends: How Many Schools Have Not Made Adequate Yearly Progress?" (CEP, 2011). As discussed in more detail in that five-year trend report, the national percentage of public schools failing to make AYP rose from 29% in 2006 to an estimated 38% in 2010 and actually decreased in two of the interim years. Although 38% is a record high percentage of schools not making AYP, it is still lower than what many observers had predicted by this point in NCLB implementation. CEP's analysis focused on 10 large or medium-sized states that had the greatest increases or decreases in the number of schools not making AYP or had other noteworthy AYP trends: California, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington. Its analysis revealed several factors, in addition to changes in student learning, that appear to account for some of the fluctuations in the national percentage of schools not making AYP and may help explain why these percentages have not escalated as quickly as some analysts have predicted. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) National trends in the percentage of schools not making AYP have been affected disproportionately by trends in a limited subset of states; (2) Changes in state testing policies have slowed, or even reversed, increases in the number of schools failing to make AYP in several states; (3) The NCLB "safe harbor" provision has also helped somewhat in keeping down the share of schools failing to make AYP in certain states; (4) The use of growth models appears to have had a limited impact on AYP trends in most of the growth model states analyzed; (5) In most of the states analyzed, the number of schools failing to make AYP increased substantially in the years when the state's achievement targets went up; (6) States that introduced new tests saw substantial short-term increases or decreases in the number of schools failing to make AYP; (7) In some states, changes in the number of schools not making AYP are largely attributable to changes in the cut scores defining "proficient" performance on state tests; (8) North Carolina's experience suggests that counting proficient scores from retests can reduce the number of schools failing to make AYP--especially in the short term; and (9) Even if most or all states adopt common standards and common assessments, variations in state accountability policies could continue to make it impossible to arrive at meaningful comparisons about the performance of different states. (Contains 6 footnotes.) [For the companion report, "Update with 2009-10 Data and Five-Year Trends: How Many Schools Have Not Made Adequate Yearly Progress?," see ED518993.]

Digital learning makes possible the "unbundling" of school provisions--that is, it allows children to be served by providers from almost anywhere, in new and more customized ways. At the same time, because it destandardizes and decentralizes educational delivery, digital education is far harder to bring under the yoke of the quality-control systems and metrics that have been devised for traditional school structures. In this paper, Hess explores the pros and cons of input regulation, outcome-based accountability, and market signals as solutions to the quality challenge. In the end, he recommends using all three approaches in careful combination so as to leverage their strengths and offset their weaknesses. In practice, that means demanding transparent financial information from providers, holding them to account for student achievement gains whenever possible, and developing "crowd-sourcing" reporting systems to help educators, parents, and students identify the most effective purveyors of online learning. (Contains 14 footnotes.)

Beginning in 2002, The Chicago Community Trust embarked on an ambitious grant- making strategy to improve education outcomes primarily in the city of Chicago and Cook County, Illinois. Known as The Education Initiative, this effort focused on three priority grant areas: literacy, professional development, and alternative models of schools. In June, 2005 (the 3rd year of the initiative), the Trust awarded a contract to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) to assess the impact of the Education Initiative. During the 3rd year of the evaluation, the program officers and evaluators were especially interested in pilot testing evaluation guidelines that were developed as part of the overall evaluation of the Education Initiative. These guidelines and related evaluation reporting tools were intended to help grantees tailor projects to the foundations priorities, and help the foundation assess the impact of their diverse grant activities. The authors report on the design and pilot testing of the evaluation guidelines and reporting tools developed to support the education program of the Trust. The next section describes the impetus for developing these tools and the evaluation findings that informed their design. In the fourth section, the authors briefly describe the pilot study design and the participants. They also report findings from the pilot study. In the final section, they describe implications for use of the guidelines and tools by the Trust and other foundations. Appendices include: (1) Draft CCT Evaluation Guidelines; (2) Draft Evaluation Plan Template; and (3) Logic Model Example Adapted from BSF Grantee Model. (Contains 1 table, 7 footnotes, and 2 figures.) [This paper was written with Katie Herrem.]

Decades of research find that effective school leadership and access to high-quality early education are two of the most important determinants of educational outcomes. School principals affect both teacher and student performance and play an important role in turning around troubled schools. High-quality education, from prekindergarten (pre-K) through third grade builds foundational knowledge and skills that prepare students for long-term success. Although governors have acted in recent years to address these two issues separately, efforts to harness the potential of school leaders to promote high-quality education for young children have been more limited. Most states' principal preparation systems could be improved to better equip elementary school principals to evaluate pre-K through third-grade (P-3) teachers, support improvements in teaching and learning, and guide teachers in using curricula and assessments in the earliest grades. This issue brief makes the case for why governors should consider building elementary school principals' capacity as P-3 leaders and outlines specific state policy strategies for accomplishing this goal. To illuminate how this works in practice, a case study from Illinois highlights how this state is including early learning content in the principal preparation process.

Performance funding in higher education ties state funding directly to institutional performance on specific indicators, such as rates of retention, graduation, and job placement. One of the great puzzles about performance funding is that it has been both popular and unstable. Between 1979 and 2007, 26 states enacted it, but 14 of those states later dropped it (though two recently reestablished it). To shed light on the causes of this unstable institutionalization of performance funding, we examined three states that have experienced different forms of program cessation--Illinois, Washington, and Florida. For our analysis of the factors leading these three states to abandon performance funding systems, we drew upon interviews and documentary analyses that we conducted in these states. Our interviews were with state and local higher education officials, legislators and staff, governors and their advisors, and business leaders. The documents we analyzed included state government legislation, policy declarations and reports, newspaper accounts, and analyses by other investigators. We inevitably found that factors unique to one or another state played a role in the demise of performance funding. Nonetheless, we also found several common features: (1) A sharp drop in higher education funding (present in Florida and Illinois); (2) A lack of support by higher education institutions for the continuation of performance funding (all three states); (3) The loss of key supporters of performance funding (all three states); (4) Weak support by the business community (Florida and Illinois); and (5) The establishment of performance funding through a budget proviso rather than a statute (Illinois and Washington). The final section of this paper discusses the implications of these findings for advocates of performance funding. (Contains 11 footnotes, and 2 tables.) [Abstract modified to meet ERIC guidelines. For associated brief, see ED505706.]

With the rise in the number of types of digital media and the time youth spend on these platforms, researchers theorize that interacting with digital media can provide significant motivation for youth to participate, create, and become active learners. The Consortium on Chicago School Research, with funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is in the process of studying the impact of a new youth-centered digital learning initiative at the Chicago Public Library. This space, called YOUmedia, is aimed at providing useful and engaging learning experiences for high school teens through access to new and traditional media. This snapshot report presents an overview of strengths and weaknesses of the program and details some of the changes that took place in year one. Appended are: (1) Creation of Partnerships; (2) Research Methods; and (3) Structured Activities at YOUmedia. (Contains 3 figures and 23 endnotes.)

More than 1.7 million students attend out-of-state colleges, and most are eligible to vote in either their home state or in their college state. Despite the potential impact of the "away" student vote on close elections, on-campus voter drives that promote absentee voting are rare. Here we report a detailed outcome study of an in-person campus voter drive conducted at Northwestern University in Fall 2008, in which students were offered a choice of college state (Illinois) or home state (absentee) registration and voting. Voting in swing states was actively encouraged for those who had that choice. Students from swing states selected absentee voting over Illinois voting by an 8:1 ratio. Students from other non-swing states showed a 2:1 ratio. Notably, both groups preferred absentee voting despite its greater complexity. We found that for students who successfully registered in Illinois, or who received an absentee ballot from another state, turnout was very high: over 80% of each group cast a ballot. Concerns about low absentee turnout due to the complexity of absentee voting were not justified. We report the rate of failures in absentee voting, and the causes of those failures. We also investigated whether any student abused the privilege of absentee voting by voting twice; we found than none had. (Contains 5 figures, 1 table and 32 footnotes.)

Using the qualitative research method known as folknography, the authors led a research team to the heart of Illinois farm country to ask the question "What are the perceptions of the people of the Midwest concerning math and math education?" A review of the literature includes Canadian and Australian references on the topic, as well as information from the United States, and the targeted geography and population is described. Research followed the pattern of a similar study conducted in Appalachia in 2004. A preliminary survey was planned to gather benchmarking statistical data and to open respondents up to the possibilities of a folknographic interview. Folknographers entered the field in May 2006 to perform focused and intensive field research. Findings include: (1) belief that young people can not perform simple math; (2) perception that too much technology has a significant and negative impact on developing minds of students; (3) connection between acquiring math knowledge and achieving a dynamic career; (4) recollections of tyrannical or cruel math teachers; (5) desire for a school or school system that makes learning math an exciting and motivating experience. Folknographic narratives are included to illustrate each finding. Bibliography is included. Four appendixes conclude the document: (1) Perceptions of Math in the Mid-West Interview Questions: Adults (18-55); (2) Perceptions of Math in the Mid-West Interview Questions: Seniors (55-Over); (3) Perceptions of Math in the Mid-West Interview Questions: Youth (Ages 10-17); and (4) Perceptions of Math Survey Mid-West. (Contains 4 charts.)

This paper examines the growth and characteristics of the Hispanic population in Illinois and presents a case study of how a rural Illinois community and its schools are adapting to an influx of mostly Mexican immigrants. The first section discusses Mexican immigration to Illinois during the 1900s and provides racial/ethnic data on population growth in the Midwest and Illinois during the 1980s; educational attainment, 1980-95; income and poverty rates; and population change in metro and nonmetro Illinois, 1990-96. In "Anytown," a rapid influx of Hispanic workers for a new meatpacking plant has resulted in local conflicts over education, housing, and race. Hispanic students in the schools increased from less than 5 in 1993 to 350 in 1998. As school administrators became aware of the rising numbers, they responded by hiring translators, bilingual aides, and a bilingual coordinator; creating a prekindergarten class for Hispanic students; encouraging parent participation; and developing appropriate curricula and assessment methods. Teachers participated in workshops and conferences about cultural change and the classroom. As staff and administrators gained knowledge and understanding about the needs of language-minority students, they shifted toward a more student-centered philosophy and began developing bilingual and multicultural programs. Interviews with immigrants about experiences in the community, at work, and in school portray the racism encountered by culturally diverse newcomers, but also the efforts of teachers and community members to improve community relations and social integration. Contains 33 references. (SV)

Recent studies and personal narratives suggest a connection between the low academic achievement of Latina/o students in the United States to the lack of care they experience in schools. The author reports on a study he conducted of the Chicago-based Pedro Albizu Campos Alternative High School, focusing on the experiences of its students and teachers. He found that for a school to be effective for Latina/o students and other students of color, it must become a "sanctuary" in that the school fosters student-teacher caring relationships, provides a familial type environment to ensure that its students are not marginalized, provides a gang-free safe space, and affirms students' racial and ethnic identities. The purpose of this article, then, is threefold. First, the author briefly describes the high school. Second, he highlights students' voices and their descriptions of the "school as sanctuary" concept. Third, he describes the teachers' experiences pertaining to their difficult task of maintaining the high school as a sanctuary for its students.

This paper examines some of the major problems and barriers faced by Hispanic/Latino youth who, despite high college enrollment rates, do not complete the four-year degree. An examination of five entering classes of Illinois college students found that only 30.2 percent of Hispanic students had completed their degrees at the end of four years, 33.8 percent were still enrolled in college, and 36 percent had dropped out. Factors identified as leading to lack of persistence included the overall cost of earning a degree, lack of academic preparation for college in junior and senior high school, poor articulation between community colleges and four-year institutions, limited access to resources, and family pressures. Several strategies are suggested for improving timely degree completion, including pre-college initiatives such as providing multicultural training for teaching faculty and support staff to dispel stereotypes, introducing concepts of academic achievement and excellence in elementary schools, emphasizing the concept of career opportunities available through post-secondary training, and involving members of the Hispanic community in school parent-teacher organizations. Post-secondary strategies suggested include developing bilingual brochures for high school counselors, parents, and advisors, providing information about fast-track programs, building schedules around student needs, initiating summer scholarship opportunities, and reevaluating general education requirements in colleges. (Contains 28 references.) (JM)

Families undergo difficulties in trying to negotiate the labyrinth of early childhood services offered in Illinois. Because of the multiplicity of programs and scarce funding, many children and families do not receive the services they need. Coordination among programs and services is also limited. This paper offers background on how the foundations of Illinois' current system were laid, where Illinois is in the process of improving the coordination of services, and how a structure of services can be achieved which efficiently and equitably cares for and educates Illinois' youngest citizens. The following sections are included: (1) Background, including information on the 1989 Child Care Summit, along with the infusion of funds; (2) Current Status, including details on the mega-computer concept, Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R), and how to link care with education; (3) National Trends and Models, describing Illinois as a national leader in establishing a statewide system which links parents and providers; (4) Policy Implications; and (5) Alternatives for Action, includes a discussion of nine policy implications and future considerations. Appendices contain details of 30 early education funding streams, including Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) employment-related child care, Illinois Department of Public Aid (IDPA) programs, Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) programs, federal programs, and public/private programs. (BGC)