The human brain develops rapidly in the first five years of life. High-quality early learning experiences can have a profound and lasting positive effect on young children during these years, setting the stage for success in kindergarten and beyond. This is especially true for young children with high needs who are from low-income families; who…

Few states have established systems for overseeing dual enrollment programs to encourage institutions to align their practices with quality standards. Five states (Arkansas, Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota), have established incentives or requirements for post-secondary concurrent enrollment providers to pursue the National Alliance of…

In 2009, Excelencia in Education launched the Ensuring America's Future initiative to inform, organize, and engage leaders in a tactical plan to increase Latino college completion. An executive summary of Latino College Completion in 50 states synthesizes information on 50 state factsheets and builds on the national benchmarking guide. Each…

The state of Illinois recently has required state goals for learning to be identified and assessed in the following areas of learning: language arts, mathematics, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, fine arts, and physical development and health. The Illinois Goal Assessment Program (IGAP) is designed to assess the progress made…

Goal 5 of "The Illinois Commitment," strategic plan for higher education in Illinois, stipulates that by 2004, all academic programs will systematically assess student learning and use assessment results to improve programs. This paper provides the history and context for the systematic assessment of student learning, including…

The long-range program for Illinois libraries was developed in accordance with the requirements of the Library Services and Construction Act. The plan sets forth the long-range goal "the assured provision of excellent library service for all the residents of the state so that the need for cultural, educational, informational and recreational…

This is the first report on the performance indicators adopted by the Illinois Board of Higher Education in February 2003 to assess progress toward the six goals of "The Illinois Commitment." This imitative is a work in progress that will be implemented and refined over multiple years. This first report focuses on the statewide and…

This document provides additional information for teachers and administrators who are implementing the Illinois Plan for Home Economics Education by conducting the several exploratory/orientation courses developed in the curriculum. These six appendixes contain the following: (1) the Illinois Home Economics Sequential Program; (2) a comparison of…

Presents results of an analysis of the academic programs of students who have completed undergraduate degrees through Illinois statewide nontraditional programs in order to determine student preferences and needed changes. Outlines the components of typical programs designed by students. Provides guidelines for universities developing a…

This narrative report on a 5-year project summarizes the major objectives and accomplishments of a federally supported dissemination program designed to place the results of educational research and other educational resources at the disposal of Illinois users. The report includes highlights of the first four years of the project, entitled…

Noting that prevention is the key to healthy development of the youngest children in Illinois, the Birth to Three Project is working to develop a comprehensive, coordinated system of services for expecting families and children under 3 years of age. This progress report details the first year implementation of the All Our Kids (AOK): Birth to…

A study was conducted to investigate empirically the nature of program development, testing Everett Rogers' model of collective adoption of an innovation against the data, and distinguishing between the developmental patterns of high and low quality programs. Subjects were 34 school districts representing a 10 percent sample of 340 districts…

The Illinois Bilingual Education Service Center is State funded and includes several component projects: Illinois Resource Center; Title VII Midwest Resource Center; Illinois ELS/ABE (English as a Second Language/Adult Basic Education) Service Center; and the Bilingual Consumer and Homemaking Education Project. Project cooperation and content are…

A network of quality schools has been suggested as a means of achieving excellence in Illinois public schools. Such a program to be effective, must be specific while at the same time addressing the broad and complex needs for education. Also, the proposed network must be built upon the mistakes of the past and must stimulate renewal at the local…

This booklet outlines Illinois' eight goals for its public school system for the 21st century. The first two goals reflect a vision for Illinois education. In general, these goals provide an outline of expectations and aspirations for students. The other six goals reflect the nature of support necessary for that responsibility to be successfully…