In March 2020, COVID-19 resulted in school closures for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year across the nation. Because of the pandemic predictions regarding the 20202021 school year, concerns regarding curricular offerings and delivery surfaced quickly. A non-experimental quantitative comparative study was conducted in two neighboring…

This study examined rural-nonrural differences in postsecondary educational expectations and the attainment of expectations for grade 10 students attending rural and nonrural high schools in the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest region and how these differences compare with rural-nonrural differences in the rest of the nation. For…

Several social-emotional learning (SEL) or social-emotional and character development (SECD) programs have been shown to be effective at improving SEL/SECD skills, and some have also provided evidence of effectiveness in improving student behavior and academic achievement (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011). Very few SEL…

International assessment data indicate American students are not competing with their counterparts in other countries. The mathematics curriculum and pedagogy are not preparing students to compete in a global economy. This study compared student achievement using sixth grade mathematics results from the Illinois Standards Achievement Test.…

In the era of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, school districts are under increasing pressure from policymakers to hold all students to high performance standards. In response, a growing number of schools are embracing the principles of student-centered learning (SCL). SCL is a contemporary approach that combines progressive and…

Using data collected from a state sample of principals in Illinois this study examines the role of online and blended instruction in addressing concerns and issues facing the American high school. In comparing the results in this study with those of a national sample of principals, most of the findings are comparable even though the present study…

A study of 198 students and 43 educators examined computer attitudes and knowledge in rural settings. Educators and students had positive attitudes toward computers. Educators demonstrated significantly higher knowledge levels than students. Over half of the students and about one-third of the educators indicated having a computer at home. (JHZ)

Presents the findings of a survey of Illinois community college trustees. Focuses on the differences between suburban and rural trustees with regard to personal characteristics, trustee-constituency linkages, decision making, and priorities given to various college programs. (AYC)

Data from the Illinois Census of Secondary School Course Offerings for 1981-82 show that the traditional nature of foreign language study continues relatively unchanged. Students typically begin language study in high school and must take only two years of a language. While the availability of foreign languages in high schools was the same in…

School finance is basic to understanding and improving the condition of rural education. The purpose of this study was to: (1) determine the relationship between educational spending and component property wealth in the rural schools of Illinois; (2) examine potential trends in component property wealth in Illinois; and (3) identify and facilitate…

A report compares 30 small/rural K-12 school districts (900 students or fewer) in Illinois to 642 similar districts nationwide, using data from 1982-83. Qualifying districts were identified as 4,125 nationwide (26.4% of all public school districts) and 221 in Illinois (22.4%, enrolling 121,570 students). A questionnaire was mailed to…