While research shows that exclusionary discipline practices in the early years are ineffective and developmentally inappropriate, young children continue to be suspended and expelled at high rates. An increasing number of states have taken steps to ensure that young children are not removed from programs due to their behavior. This report explores…

Amid growing recognition that strong academic skills alone are not enough for young people to become successful adults, this comprehensive report offers wide-ranging evidence to show what young people need to develop from preschool to young adulthood to succeed in college and career, have healthy relationships, be engaged citizens, and make wise…

This article offers interpretive perspectives on play as a cultural activity during middle childhood by contrasting two communities targeted for aid by external sport and play programs: a Chicago public housing community and a community of Angolan refugee camps. Ethnographic anecdotes, along with some survey results, demonstrate that aside from…

The importance of pre-service teacher training regarding environmental education (EE) has been vastly demonstrated. This systematic review examined the existing evidence from studies evaluating and analysing the relationship between EE, including environmental competences and pre-service primary school teacher training. The literature review…

As a necessary preliminary for this issue on Illinois' experience with school-university partnerships to provide teacher development opportunities, this article provides a review of the literature relevant to such programs. As the evaluation and assessment have changed over the years since the Eisenhower grants period, the author explains the…

The Early Childhood Technology Integrated Instructional System 3 (EC-TIIS 3), housed in the Center for Best Practices in Early Childhood (the Center) within the College of Education and Human Services at Western Illinois University (WIU), was funded in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) as a…

This report re-evaluates evidence on the issue of age ranges served of handicapped children in Illinois schools, analyzes additional research on the issue, and estimates the cost that would be incurred if the current 3-21 year range were to be lowered to birth. A literature review addresses two broad areas: the identification and effectiveness of…

Undertaken as a background paper for an early childhood education policy study intended to identify current issues in early childhood education and policy alternatives for consideration by the State Board of Education of Illinois, this report focuses on the effectiveness of early childhood education programs. Specifically addressed are (1) reasons…

The federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) has launched a five-year initiative that will support state efforts to build comprehensive early childhood service systems. This initiative--the State Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (SECCS) Initiative--provides planning and implementation grants to the state and territory Maternal and…

This study examines the value of volunteering in preschools by members of the preschooler's family. Prior research has confirmed the benefits of parental involvement in children's education, particularly before the child is 6 years of age. Close contact between parent and teacher gives each a more complete picture of the child's abilities and…

Citation analysis of 265 Workforce Education and Development (WED) dissertations, theses, and graduate research papers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) was used to (1) determine core serials in the discipline, (2) provide Morris Library with a guide to serials acquisition and maintenance in the discipline, and (3) provide future…

This report of a project to begin to develop a plan for research, development, and instruction in adult vocational education in Illinois has two specific goals: (1) to identify the current status of adult vocational education in Illinois and (2) to recommend key directions for state actions. It presents information collected through a…

In recent years, there has been increased policy interest in the way young people spend their time out of school, and in promoting the availability of opportunities for them to spend this time in productive and developmentally supportive ways. Out-of-school opportunities (such as arts and music programs, sports teams, community service, youth …

This report provides analysis and preliminary recommendations on a mandate that requires and contributes to the development of physical education components in Illinois public schools. The report is presented in sections dealing with: (1) five areas of analysis and sources of information; (2) legal requirements and statutory authority for…

National data increasingly show that the prevailing model of workforce development-- job search and basic training leading to an entry-level job-- does little to promote economic self sufficiency or career progression. In the face of strong evidence that some form of post-secondary training and education is needed to support a family, there is a…