For decades, numerous observers have agreed on the value of collaboration between K-12 and higher education--especially as these sectors work toward increasing college readiness and success. While most states maintain separate agencies for K-12 and higher education, many states have worked to foster collaboration through state P-20 councils.…

Using the lens of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, activity theory, and Engeström's activity systems analysis, this qualitative study explores students' experiences in the context of a sixteen-week transpacific collaboration between seven students at Northern Illinois University (NIU) and seven students from Shandong Normal University (SDNU),…

In spring 2012, Sherry Kaufman, a consultant at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, was asked to support kindergarten teachers in deepening their practice of constructivism and exploring the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. Central to such an approach is the belief that all learning is socially constructed through interaction…

Recent state policies demand universities restructure principal preparation programs. Mandates, though unfunded, provide an opportunity for universities to engage representative stakeholders who benefit from context specific instruction. This article demonstrates how professors in one research university used collected programmatic information and…

This mixed methods study examines what makes Bluffview Elementary School a success as measured by the ISAT, the mandated state test of Illinois. Despite national reports of achievement gaps and low test scores, Bluffview Elementary has shown sustained success in educating children. This paper reviews how Bluffview Elementary students are achieving…

Responses from high school science teachers in Illinois (211 of 336) indicated that half collaborated with agriculture teachers; most felt agricultural education benefitted high achievers and thought that agriculture should become more science based. Attitudes toward agriculture were more positive if teachers were familiar with agricultural…

This report presents the results of a collaborative study undertaken by five rural, unit school districts in Illinois to provide data to be used in planning for school improvement. Information was gathered from on-site visits by teams of constituents from other districts and through a survey of perceptions of local community persons regarding…

Findings of a study that examined the roles of business representatives and business educators in establishing collaborative relationships in the 1990s, as perceived by selected secondary and postsecondary business instructors in Illinois, are presented in this paper. An expert panel of 25 secondary and postsecondary instructors participated in…

A survey of 83 Illinois elementary schools with intervention assistance teams found that teams were able to meet the needs of 59% of the students reviewed without referral for a formal evaluation. The survey analyzes the composition of teams, strategies used by teams, and inservice preparation and offers recommendations for team development. (JDD)

School administrators, teachers, parents, and students in schools belonging to the Eastern Illinois School Development Council were surveyed to determine the need for a career education resource laboratory as a vehicle for coordinating an area career education program, K-12. The opening summary briefly describes the objectives of the project, the…

State governments across the nation are engaging community colleges as cornerstones of their comprehensive economic development strategies. This executive summary summarizes the efforts of 10 states, recommended by national experts, to deploy community colleges in support of state economic development priorities. The 10 states are: Florida,…

State governments across the nation are engaging community colleges as cornerstones of their comprehensive economic development strategies. This report summarizes the efforts of 10 states, recommended by national experts, to deploy community colleges in support of state economic development priorities. The 10 states are: Florida, Mississippi,…

To collect information related to seven research questions regarding cooperation/collaboration among employment training delivery systems, a three-step approach was used. This included a literature review, interviews with local representatives of employment training systems, and a questionnaire mailed to representatives of the seven major…

The Illinois Systems of Public Higher Education are described and analyzed. The final result of a decade of rapid expansion in Illinois was a state system of higher education that consists of four governance systems for senior universities and a community college system, involving 12 universities and five coordinating staffs. It is the…

Illinois State University and University of Illinois faculty collaborated to pilot test and evaluate Applied Academics curricula in Illinois. Three sets of pilot sites included the following: (1) 14 local education agencies that pilot tested Applied Communications and/or Mathematics; (2) 10 sites at which vocational teachers collaborated with…