Describes a program at an Illinois middle school that was designed to increase reading achievement, vocabulary, and the enjoyment of reading. Highlights include the library's role; use of the Standardized Test for Assessment of Reading; the Accelerated Reader program; teacher training; teacher comments; and grant funds. Four appendices include:…

A report recently released by the Center on Education Policy reveals that the four-year-old No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has indeed served to shine a light on the importance of professional development for K-12 educators. Beyond that basic fact, though, any real broad-based impact on the training of educators remains inconclusive. While the…

Three discrete programs were evaluated by comparing students' pretest-posttest results, and by surveying teachers, principals, and parents for their perceptions of the programs and recommendations for improvement. Over 500 students, referred to student relations specialists because of personal or social problems, showed statistically significant…

Thirteen objectives of the program and analyses of each in terms of procedure, evaluation, the status of procedure, and status of the evaluation are listed in this report. The objectives are: the establishment of a community relations program to promote two-way communication between school board, administration, teachers, students, and parents;…

The basic text (or, in some cases, an outline of the text) of the presentations taped at the conference for vocational education personnel coordinators constitute the major portion of this report. Titles are (1) A Philosophy for Personnel Development in Vocational Education, (2) Performance-Based Teacher Education for Vocational Teachers, (3) A…

Inverness Research studied the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Seminars on Science program for eight years, from its inception in 1998 to 2006. This paper presents teacher survey ratings for "Earth: Inside and Out", along with profiles of three teachers who took the course. Course takers report on the annual follow-up surveys…

In Chicago and suburban schools there are many teachers who have not had an opportunity to take part in either induction or orientation programs during their first year of teaching. Exposed to proper and adequate induction programs, beginning teachers may demonstrate higher performance and skill in classroom management, instruction, discipline,…

While Illinois educational officials developed a uniform assessment manual to accompany standardized tests, a companion handbook was developed by a consultant for use with teacher- and district-made tests. Criterion-referenced or mastery tests were the subject of the handbook. The handbook was designed to assess content validity as well as provide…

The Programmatic Approach to Guidance Excellence (PAGE 2) Project produced staff development materials for the career guidance components of program planning, curriculum-based guidance, and job placement. These materials make up the PAGE 2 Instructional Resource Package, intended to be used as a planning program for a comprehensive career guidance…

Designed to assist administrators of staff development programs for personnel engaged in Illinois' summer educational programs for migrant youth, this guide contains suggestions for a 2-day intensive staff inservice program. Providing a continuum of difficulty to allow selection of activities and levels most appropriate to local needs, the guide…

Within primary and secondary school technology education, engineering has been proposed as an avenue to bring about technological literacy. Different initiatives such as curriculum development projects (i.e., Project ProBase and Project Lead The Way) and National Science Foundation funded projects such as the National Center for Engineering and…

The purpose of the SPARK Outreach Project was to address the needs of an increasingly culturally diverse population by providing a model for teachers of young children with disabilities with (1) a story-based creative arts curriculum derived from a variety of cultural and ethnic traditions; (2) a developmentally and individually appropriate…

A study was performed to examine problems and opportunities associated with occupational education personnel development. Study objectives were (1) to define the career education concept in relation to occupational personnel development needs, (2) to analyze the need for personnel required to implement occupational education goals, (3) to describe…

This resource book is one of a series of three information resources containing ideas about instructional technology applications and how certain technology applications may have particular relevance to vocational education. It is designed to help vocational educators make decisions about which technologies to use in their instructional settings.…

This paper provides answers to commonly asked questions concerning the inclusion of children with disabilities in general education with special attention to inclusion in Illinois. Questions and answers are organized into the following sections: definitions; cost and finance; policy; roles and responsibilities; delivery of services; staff…