Lynne Anderson-Loy teaches science to sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders in the Contemporary School and the Regional Safe School at Woodruff Career and Technical Center in the Peoria (Illinois) Public Schools District. In this article, she describes her experience of learning how to manage student behavior in various schools throughout her…

The PASSAGE (Positive and Safe Schools Advancing Greater Equity) initiative in Chicago brought together representatives from Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the parent organizing group COFI (Community Organizing and Family Issues), and the youth education organizing group VOYCE (Voices of Youth in Chicago Education), facilitated by the Annenberg…

Middle and high school students subjected to harsh school discipline policies and practices such as suspensions and expulsions are more likely to disengage from the classroom and course work, and increases their chances of dropping out, according to this new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education. The report recommends implementing…

The Illinois State Board of Education launched a special education pilot project using a concept called Response to Intervention (RtI) that some experts believe could lead to a sea change in the way special education is provided. RtI places greater emphasis on early intervention and a reduced emphasis on psychological testing and other traditional…

Project ACCEPT (Achieving Creative & Collaborative Educational Preservice Teams)represents an initiative at Northern Illinois University, where special and general education preservice teachers are joined in a voluntary project featuring an enhanced curriculum and field experiences in inclusive classrooms. Participants receive intensive…