This article offers a reflective analysis on how the author came to a deeper understanding of transformative learning while collaborating on a research project with Patricia Cranton from 2012- 2014, resulting in "A Novel Idea: Researching Transformative Learning in Fiction," published by Sense Publishers in 2015. They read six…

The Midwest Expansion of the Child-Parent Center Education Program (MCPC) is a pre-K to 3rd grade intervention program aimed at improving economically disadvantaged children's school success by enhancing continuity in instruction and increasing parental involvement. Opened in Chicago in the 1960s, this school reform model has undergone significant…

The faculty research residency (FRR) model was launched in 2010, with the goal of transforming coursework to improve the preparation of teachers for high-need schools. The FRR model leveraged school-university partnerships and situated university faculty in high-need schools to conduct research related to the university courses they taught. This…

Over the past two decades, community organizing has emerged as an effective force for school improvement. In the context of shrinking education funding, stubborn opportunity and achievement gaps between low-income and wealthy children and between children of color and White children, and polarizing debate on school reform, community organizing…

This report concludes that for the U.S. to prosper and compete in the 21st century, the education system will need to change its goals and practices so all students may succeed. That is, as information has become ubiquitous, schools need to emphasize 21st century skills such as analyzing, synthesizing, and creating along with understanding and…

This study examines a collaborative project between a literacy professor and a classroom teacher. The professor used a Newbery Award winning novel to develop a unit for a fifth-grade classroom using curricular materials and methods that showcased research-based literacy practices. The fifth-grade teacher, in turn, used her knowledge of students'…

A case study focused on a trio of forensics service areas in southeastern Illinois (Carmi and Mt. Carmel), southern Indiana (Evansville), and western Kentucky (Henderson, Owensboro, and Bowling Green) to examine the relative health and level of communication present within and among each of the three districts. Since most of the forensics programs…

Organizing for Student Success draws on data from more than 50 institutions to provide insight into how university colleges are organized, the initiatives they house, and the practices in place to ensure their effectiveness. Twenty case studies from 15 different campuses offer an in-depth understanding of institutional practice. Ultimately,…

A project had as its primary goal the development of a concept paper highlighting the relationships between vocational education, job creation, and economic development. Phase 1 (first year) was oriented toward determining a plan for conducting research; later phases will prepare curriculum and develop programs. Organizations and available…

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…

CONFERENCE REPRESENTATIVES FROM BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, ORGANIZED LABOR, HIGHER EDUCATION, SECONDARY EDUCATION, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES TOTALED 160. THEIR OBJECTIVES WERE--(1) TO IDENTIFY NEEDED AREAS OF ATTENTION AND CRITICAL ISSUES FACING VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN ILLINOIS, (2) TO SUGGEST…

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…

A systematic approach to disseminaton of vocational education research and development program improvement efforts is comprehensive, effective, and efficient. Systematic dissemination is a prerequisite link to assessing impact of research and development--for program improvement to occur, successful dissemination is crucial. A systematic approach…

RACIAL STRIFE, POPULATION MOBILITY, CHRONIC UNEMPLOYMENT, URBAN DECAY, AND OTHER CURRENT ISSUES WHICH AFFECT THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES OF LARGE CITIES WERE DELINEATED IN A SEMINAR TO PROVIDE WORKABLE PROPOSALS, GREATER COMMUNICATION, AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS WHO MUST DEAL WITH THESE PROBLEMS IN THEIR DAY-BY-DAY OPERATIONS.…

This paper presents the results of a study designed to meet the goal of assisting health occupations education planners to provide education relevant to the needs of students and employers. The objectives of the study were (1) to determine and clarify major issues and concerns of Illinois health care employers; (2) to determine, with the input of…