This report derives its findings from Summer/Fall 2023 phone interviews with 22 facilitators and eight administrators following their participation in Math for All during the 2022-23 school year. The findings, summarized below, provide insight into the implementation experience, including challenges, areas of success, and plans for sustaining and…

Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) invited 10 districts to participate in a community of practice designed to increase understanding of how to braid and blend federal funds. District teams composed of principals, superintendents, business managers, and other district leaders participated in four 90-minute virtual sessions. The purpose of…

Many colleges and universities face record numbers of first year students leaving during or after their first semester of the first year. With increased access to higher education over the past decade the demographic makeup of universities in Illinois and the United States has certainly diversified. In the state of Illinois universities are…

As the country quickly builds its efforts to enhance quality in early education and care classrooms, states are implementing Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) to recognize and improve the quality of programs. QRIS also provides technical support and increased financial benefits for participating programs to attain higher levels of…

Scaling of evidence-based practices in education has received extensive discussion but little empirical evaluation. We present here a descriptive summary of the experience from seven states with a history of implementing and scaling School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) over the past decade. Each state has been…

According to a 2007 U.S. Census report, 43% of children in America younger than six are classified as low income (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007). The USDA (2008a, 2009a) indicated 17.1% of school-aged children are classified as overweight; an additional 15% are at risk of becoming overweight; and approximately 17.2 million children are living in…

This study investigated Response to Intervention (RtI) implementation in two Illinois middle schools and its impact on the collaborative relationship between general and special education teachers. The intended and unintended consequences of RtI implementation for general and special educators were examined. This qualitative research study was…

This report focuses on the perceptions and experiences of teachers and administrators during the first year of REACH implementation, which was in many ways a particularly demanding year. These experiences can be helpful to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and to other districts across the country as they work to restructure and transform teacher…

Introduction: Quality professional development (PD) is critical for health teachers to positively impact student learning. PD elements include administrator support, teacher involvement, content-specific focus, collaboration time, and program evaluation. Purpose: This study investigated (a) whether PD was supported, (b) which PD opportunities were…

The rising numbers of special education referrals have resulted in national debate and subsequent new legislation regarding the methods school districts have traditionally used to identify specific learning disabilities. The 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) now allows the use of a student's response…

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…