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Academician at the school of education and social policy at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois James P. Spillane gets a little nervous sometimes when he talks to groups of educators about distributed leadership, a notion about how schools operate that he's spent the past several years trying to understand. The researchers also tapped the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago, which has amassed troves of information on that city's schools from test scores and the consortium's own surveys. INSET: Research and Resources.

Reports on the work-study program of the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago, Illinois. Requirements of the program; History of the school; School staff; Businesses participating in the program; Interest of the Catholic school community in the program.

Operating from a corner of the University of Chicago, the Consortium on Chicago School Research, produces high-quality studies to meet the needs of local educators and policymakers. Amid a new push in education for more scholarship focused on the immediate concerns of practitioners, the work of the consortium represents an unusual example of “usable research”. The Consortium owes its existence to the 1988 state law that sought to greatly decentralize the governance of the city's schools. In a steady stream of reports, its researchers dissect Chicago district policy and paint detailed pictures of the conditions inside schools. From teacher professional development to magnet schools, little that's been done in the name of school improvement in the city has escaped the consortium's scrutiny. For the consortium, the local school community is both the object of analysis and its closest partner. Its members regularly cull the advice of education advocates and school officials in deciding what to investigate. And they keep them in the loop throughout the study process.

The article focuses on mentoring programs in several U.S. states which provide coaching and training for new school principals. Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich signed legislation in July, 2006 to create programs for all new principals in the state. In addition, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania have contracts with the National Institute for School Leadership, a private group that trains principals. Alaska and Arizona are also establishing programs.

Reports the dismissal of teachers in Chicago, Illinois as part of reforms and new policy in the city systems in 1999. Lawsuits filed against the city; Comments from Jackie Gallagher, a spokeswoman for the Chicago Teachers Union.

Unveils the plans of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Chicago, Illinois to map out radical reforms to ensure the viability of its schools, including a push for state financial support for patients who choose a private education for their children. Details on the plans; Enrollment in the catholic schools between 1997 and 1998; Capital campaign to be launched by the archdiocese.

Presents information on the National Education Association's (NEA) endorsement of Grand Old Party (GOP) congressional candidates for elections in Illinois in November, 1998. Proposals for the modernization of school buildings in Illinois; Details on Democratic Congressman Glenn Poshard; Why did the NEA choose Secretary of State George Ryan as candidate for the election instead of Poshard. INSET: Shifting Allegiances.

The article focuses on an initiative in Chicago schools to train 100 school principals in marketing their schools and interviewing potential teachers. According to the article, the 431,000-student school district has increased the ratio of resumes to openings from 2-to-1 to about 10-to-1 since 2002. The district's training will be organized by the New Teacher Project, a nonprofit consulting group based in New York City.

The article reports that a resolution has been passed by delegates to the National School Boards Association's annual meeting held in Chicago, Illinois, in April 2006. This resolution opposed efforts to remove locally elected school boards.

A Chicago, Illinois-based philanthropy that has modeled itself after venture-capital firms has pledged to raise $15 million to strengthen leadership in some of the city's most challenged schools. In announcing the drive last week, officials of the Chicago Public Education Fund said the money would pay for financial incentives and other strategies aimed at deploying teams of highly skilled principals and teachers to the schools that need them the most. Launched in 2000 by a group of local business and civic leaders, the fund already has solicited and spent $10 million, largely in support of nontraditional training programs aimed at recruiting more teachers and principals to the 434,000-student system. The fund is part of a small but growing number of philanthropies that emulate the ways of venture-capital firms, which put up money to help new business enterprises get off the ground.

Amid skepticism by some local education groups, Chicago, Illinois school district leaders approved a plan to revamp the requirements for becoming a principal in the country's third-largest school system. Under policies adopted by the city's board of education candidates for principalships in the 438,000 student system will have to pass oral and written exams, while also demonstrating their skills as instructional leaders through previous experience or an internship. But district officials said their aim is to place greater emphasis on performance, instead of just course work, in deciding who is eligible to become a principal, according to Mike Vaughn, a district spokesman.

Leaders of a suburban Chicago school district will be traveling to Washington to meet with members of administration under U.S. President George W. Bush, after winning a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award as of January 28, 2004. It is only the third school system ever to achieve the honor, which is bestowed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Award organizers lauded the district for its success in raising student performance and for its innovative efforts to gauge parent, staff, and student satisfaction. In tracking what it calls its market performance, the district has shown that it spends less per percentage point of student achievement on state tests than comparable districts do. An awards ceremony is planned for later this winter in Washington, though no date has been set.

To honor the upcoming 75th anniversary of the W.K. Kellogg(W.K. Kellogg) Foundation, its leaders wanted to establish a grant that would represent the organization's main interests.A 14-member board, including eight young people, at the National Service Learning Partnership at the Academy for Educational Development in New York City, will select eight sites this summer to take part in the program.When the intern at the Chicago-based 11-10-02 Foundation first proposed the idea, Greg Forbes Siegman, the founder of the volunteer group that funds college scholarships, wasn't sure the young man could pull it off.The college-bound senior from the Latin School of Chicago was rewarded for his hard work April 26 with a Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Service, sponsored by the American Institute for Public Service.

Reports on the delay in the implementation of changes in the way Illinois renews teacher licenses, following a lawsuit contesting the process. Financiers of the suit; Point of disagreement between the state superintendent and the certification board; Views of state education officials on the lawsuit.

Focuses on a lawsuit filed in a federal court by eight of the teachers and the Chicago, Illinois Teachers Union. Honorable terminations of Chicago school teachers; Contention of the dismissed teachers; Comments from the chief education officer of the Chicago school system.

Reports on the federal empowerment zone awarded to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago, Illinois to help subsidized its work-study program. How the program works; Tuition fee at the school; Reason for the approval of public support for the school.

Discusses the impact of the 24-day teachers' strike on the students and community in East St. Louis, Illinois. Union's winning of the elimination of split-level classes; Issues on city and school district struggles with poverty and racial isolation; Low student performance; City Council's $500,000 pledge to the teachers on strike.

Reports on the sharing of expertise between Chicago, Illinois' public and Roman Catholic school systems. Number of students served by the two school systems; Personnel contributed by the archdiocese to public school work; Changes at the Little Village neighborhood.

Reports developments in education in the United States as of May 2001. Resignation of Gery J. Chico as president of the Chicago Board of Education; Investigation on the suspected Internet posting of an essay question before the Advanced Placement history exam in New Jersey; Recruitment of graduating high school students for teaching position in Florida.