This report provides key insights into the difficult working conditions endured by teachers in Arizona and across the nation. Arizona provides just $8,569 in per pupil funding, the lowest among all states. In fact, Arizona provides $5,477 "less" per pupil than the national average. Arizona also invests only 2.5% of its state wealth, as…

School districts are making after-school day-care programs available for disabled children by expanding existing programs for non-disabled students to include children with disabilities. Project SCOPE (Serving Children of Parents Employed) in Springfield Illinois and school-age child-care programs in Arlington and Fairfax County, Virginia, are…

This pamphlet is designed to help parents lobby for state-level funding of gifted programs. Suggestions for making telephone calls and writing letters to representatives and senators are offered along with sample scripts for a telephone call and a letter. A description of the 15-step legislative process for gifted education bills in Illinois is…

Spurred by the economic boom of the late 1990s and a decades-old national standards movement that increased both the transparency of assessment results and the awareness of urban public school failure, communities across the country are turning to community organizing as a strategy for improving public education. As organizations confront the…

This handbook provides information about the school system in the United States and Illinois. Nine chapters discuss the following issues: (1) "United States School System" (e.g., how schools are organized and what kinds of schools exist); (2) "Enrolling in School" (e.g., how to enroll a child and what medical forms and…

This guide is designed to inform Illinois parents of children with disabilities about their childrens' educational rights and about special education services. Topics covered include: (1) steps to getting services, parent participation, and examples of modifications; (2) screening, referral, evaluation, and conference; (3) eligibility categories…

This manual on drugs, alcohol, and driving is written for parents from both prevention and intervention perspectives. An overview of the substance abuse problem is presented through a description of the film, "The Mountain," a 14-minute animated movie in which a rural community, working together, learn to use and enjoy in safety the…

This booklet presents information concerning homelessness and the education of homeless children nationwide and in Illinois. Estimates of the number of homeless children vary widely. Reasons for homeless children's failure to attend school include school residency requirements, delays in transfer of documents, and lack of transportation. The…

Intended to educate youth and parents about the rights and responsibilities of youth in society, this manual outlines the prevailing rules as well as U.S. and Illinois laws applying to youth. Separated into four categories, the manual explores the relationship of youth to society, youth to family, social controls on youth, and the rights and…

Online learning is growing rapidly across the United States within all levels of education, as more and more students and educators become familiar with the benefits of learning unconstrained by time and place. Across most states and all grade levels, students are finding increased opportunity, flexibility, and convenience through online learning.…