Purpose/Objectives: This study investigated the use of electronic and paper-based point-of-service (POS) systems in school nutrition programs (SNPs), including associated challenges and the desired skills and existing training practices for personnel handling such systems. Methods: A questionnaire was developed based on interviews with 25 SNP…

In the first comprehensive analysis of Illinois' statewide survey of school climate and learning conditions, this report finds systematic differences among schools in the degree to which students and teachers report strength in the five essential supports. Previous University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research (UChicago CCSR)…

The National Math + Science Initiative (NMSI) is a nonprofit organization committed to improving educational outcomes that traces its roots back to the early 1990s. NMSI's College Readiness Program (CRP) is a long-standing program with the goal of promoting STEM education in high schools to improve students' preparation for college. The three-year…

Purpose: Authorities recommend that schools provide a variety of opportunities for students to obtain physical activity (PA) before, during, and after school. This study assessed the prevalence of several school PA practices--including measures of quantity and quality of physical education (PE)--in elementary schools and examined the associations…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to analyze how high school principals approached developing a collaborative culture and providing collaborative leadership in a large high school setting. The population sample for this study was 82 principals of large comprehensive high schools of grades 9 through 12 or some combination thereof with…

A questionnaire responded to by 34 randomly selected Illinois school districts with high school enrollments under 500 provided information contradicting an Illinois State Board of Education report that cast doubt on the educational effectiveness of smaller schools. The questionnaire's first section sought information about each district's…

Seventy-one elementary and middle school principals in northern Illinois responded to a questionnaire on their backgrounds in reading instruction, their preferences for certain approaches, their duties in relation to the reading program, and their feelings of competence in these matters. Responses are collated by school size. (SJL)

This report contains a history of school district organization in Illinois, a statistical profile of Illinois education today, a survey of selected districts offering quality education, and an agenda for change. Findings indicate that, of the measurable factors affecting the quality of local educational opportunity, district size is most critical.…

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…

Methodology and findings are reported for a series of statistical analyses conducted to identify those factors that account for variations in instructional unit costs (IUC) among the Illinois community colleges. The first analysis described in the report correlates five measures of district wealth with total IUC (i.e., total instructional costs…