"Aid Like A Paycheck" is a large-scale pilot evaluation of whether an innovative approach to disbursing financial aid can improve academic and financial outcomes for low-income community college students. Lessons from the pilot evaluation were used to create and fine-tune a logic model depicting activities, outputs, mediators, and…

This research report examines the Baby TALK model, an innovative early childhood intervention approach used to identify, recruit, and serve young children who are at-risk for developmental delays, mental health needs, and/or school failure, and their families. The report begins with a description of the model. This description is followed by an…

With Washington trapped in budget battles and partisan gridlock, cities have emerged as the best source of government innovation. Nowhere is this more visible than in New York City. Since taking office in 2002, Mayor Bloomberg has introduced a steady stream of innovative policies, from a competition to recruit a new applied sciences campus and a…

The United States economic recession is now in its third year and continues to have a serious impact on the American higher education system, including Illinois' public community colleges. Illinois community colleges are seeing increases in enrollments while at the same time seeing significant decreases in state funding. The purpose of this…

This report presents the recommendations of the Coordination of Social Services Action Group (CSSAG) to the governor of Illinois for the improvement of social services for children and parents within the state. Because of financial constraints, ways to develop a more efficient and effective social service delivery system must be found. To this…

In 1974, seven $100,000 grants were awarded for the design of experiments to deliver social and administrative services on interactive cable television. A subsequent study attempted to summarize and compare the seven studies and to place them in the context of the field's significant literature and current use. This report summarizes the results…

Describes the impact of the loss of private and public sector industry on west central Illinois. Explains cooperative efforts to establish and operate a dislocated worker program and develop a responsive delivery system. Looks at elements important to the success of the Galesburg Dislocated Worker Center, including exceptional grass roots effort…

Recommendations arising from the Illinois Project for School Reform are outlined in this document. First, the problem of declining academic standards is addressed and it is recommended that new curricula and rigorous standards be adopted. Local districts are urged to adopt a core curriculum, a competencies curriculum, or an integrated themes…

A survey of 133 Illinois direct service providers across various agencies indicated that providers are committed to serving youth with emotional/behavioral disorders locally, but perceived a lack of effort to eliminate ineffective programs and identified procedural barriers to providing comprehensive community-based services. A wide variety of…

University-community partnerships are widely recognized as critical to the success of community research and advocacy work but difficult to form and sustain. This article will describe a unique facet of that partnership, namely the collaboration between mental health clinicians and community consultants, a partnership that our data suggest was a…

A study gathered the perceptions of 33 (of a sample of 45) occupational education deans in Illinois regarding instructional problems, instructional technologies, currency of instructors with technology, and equipment needs. Data suggest that they are aware of some technologies and delivery systems and are moderately receptive toward using…

The Shawnee College Vienna Correctional Center Vocational Programs System is a comprehensive career education delivery system utilizing the latest and best of the exemplary-demonstration models of both public and private educational delivery systems and correctional education delivery systems. (Author)

Cost effectiveness of the program cannot be accurately determined. Assessment is based on actual self-care rather than proving poverty. A flexible approach is taken toward disability level and family support. States should keep community care flexible and available at acceptable cost. (JAC)

This brief is based on the 61-page report of the same name. This paper, commissioned by the Brookings Institution, studies the emergence of the mixed delivery model, in which pre-kindergarten is delivered in community-based settings and schools. It describes findings of a state survey CLASP conducted to understand the policy choices,…

This study of risk characteristics of 100 Illinois children/adolescents with emotional/behavior disorders admitted to programs to prevent the need for residential placements found that most of the children were in single parent families; almost 85% had average or above average intelligence; and almost half were exposed to divorce, poverty,…