This research study focused on the effects of departmentalization in the elementary school setting. Previous research on the topic of departmentalization in elementary school settings presented inconclusive results. The purpose of this study was to collect and analyze data from self-contained and departmentalized classrooms in fourth and fifth…

The following resource is an impact story of how NCSI built the capacity of Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to design a state system of support to begin addressing the special education teacher shortage. The resource provides context for the intensive technical assistance focusing on improvement science, provides qualitative and…

I revisit the so-called Illinois Decision of 1955, which eliminated basic writing from the University of Illinois Rhetoric Program and caused a chain of similar programmatic actions on other campuses nationwide. I contend that reviewing and archiving the Illinois Decision as a locally specific act with multiple actors besides WPA Charles Roberts…

North Park University's adult program has moved steadily from a centralized governance structure toward a more distributed structure in many ways. The School of Adult Learning hires its own faculty, some of whom are full time in the adult program. The school also has autonomy over academic policy. Ultimately, this academic autonomy has fostered…

The certainty of facing death and bereavement and the complex personal and societal issues involved argue for the importance of death education. The current study addresses a gap in knowledge by beginning to assess the extent of dying, death, and bereavement (DD&B) course offerings by U.S. psychology departments. This article reports on data…

Research opportunities for undergraduates in the social sciences remain relatively rare. If they exist at all they are usually in the natural sciences and engineering. In study abroad the situation is particularly pronounced: a semester or year abroad is still more a time for cultural and linguistic immersion than it is for building specific…

Although school administration has received some attention, no studies have examined the impact of reform proposals on university departments of educational administration. This study examines how the reform movement has influenced various functions and operations in 18 departments of educational administration in Illinois. Results show minimal…

The goal of this paper is to show how one political science department at a small midwestern university (Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois) used good assessment practices identified by the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) and others to effect improvement. The paper argues that these principles can be followed and produce…

Comments on building departmental excellence through creating conditions for development of the focus that emerged at the Speech Communication Department at the University of Illinois. Considers how the constructivist turn in communication studies at Illinois in the late 1970s and early 1980s underscores the value of multiple-group cluster hiring…

Teachers in trainable mentally handicapped classes throughout Illinois were surveyed in regard to the type of classroom structure being followed (i.e., self-contained, semidepartmentalized, departmentalized) and also the extent to which their needs and the needs of their children were being met. (Author)

This report focuses on productivity improvements in instructional programs at Illinois' public universities by providing an assessment of statewide instructional capacity. The report identifies 22 disciplines in which reduction, consolidation, or elimination of programs should be considered. It notes that when programs are offered by several…

At first glance, academic assessment is simply another request for more paper. But it goes well beyond the design of a plan or blueprint. Instead, assessment involves the much more difficult task of creating a new culture. Borrowing from both the experience of the Department of Political Science at Northeastern Illinois University and from the…

A fact-finding survey based on a questionnaire answered by 418 Illinois English teachers examined the teaching of language arts in grades 7, 8, and 9 in Illinois. It showed that teachers get very little supervision, that they feel that they need improvement in teaching composition, reading, and the "new grammar," and that composition…

This report proposes 25 guidelines that should be considered in making productivity improvements in the following five key areas: (1) instruction, (2) research and public service, (3) overall academic functions, (4) administrative functions, and (5) state policies affecting higher education. In some cases, data are presented that illustrate the…

A unit cost analysis for fiscal year (FY) 1979 was conducted by the Illinois Community College Board using mid-term enrollment data and uniform accounting information from each of the state's 51 community colleges. Unit costs for instructional areas were determined at three incremental levels: (1) net instructional cost (NIC), which includes…