Research indicates that school nursing services are cost-effective, but the National Association of School Nurses estimates that 25% of schools do not have a school nurse (SN). The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of Illinois school districts that employed SNs. This was a secondary data analysis of Illinois School Report…

Publicly reporting timely, actionable, and comprehensible data is one of the most powerful ways states can promote transparency, strengthen accountability, and ensure that everyone with a stake in education--parents, educators, policymakers, researchers, and members of the public and press-- has access to the information they need to make good…

The purpose of this study was to examine the participation of students in extended day programming at Donoghue Elementary School, a University of Chicago Charter School, during the 2009-2010 school year and explore whether participation was related to academic performance and improvement. Using the available written records, the authors found that…

In this set of four supplemental tables, the authors compare the baseline test scores of the treatment and matched control group samples observed in each year after KIPP entry (outcome years 1 to 4). As discussed in Chapter III, the authors used an iterative propensity score estimation procedure to calculate each student's probability of entering…

Annually, ACT provides a snapshot of the college and career readiness of ACT-tested high school graduates. This report is offered as a service to inform policymakers and practitioners about selected indicators of effectiveness and how that translates into readiness. It is designed to stimulate discussion, inquiry, and action. This report for the…

The transition into high school is a critical point in the educational pipeline, and ninth-grade can be characterized as one of its leakiest junctures. This policy brief examines how some states and districts are currently easing the transition into high school for students. It focuses on five key challenges that states, districts and schools…

In response to questions raised by the Pupil Accounting System Advisory Group concerning the criteria for determining a day of attendance and whether study hall time should be counted when measuring attendance, the Illinois State Board of Education conducted a comprehensive survey to ascertain current study hall policy and practice among the…

Since President Obama took office, he has repeatedly called for the United States to significantly improve its postsecondary education performance. One goal in particular has gained wide attention: the President's declaration that in an ever more competitive global marketplace, the United States must once again lead the world in college…

This report provides a summary of the results of a survey intended to gather firsthand information concerning truancy and absenteeism in Illinois schools. The report includes data on attendance patterns and policies in various Illinois school districts, legal actions taken by the districts in response to truant behavior, ratings of assistance…

Investigated whether official school data on the 45 general high schools of Chicago support public fears that the quality of urban high schools is related to their racial balance and that mixed high schools deteriorate as blacks, minorities, and the poor spill into them. (Author/JM)

This paper examines the decline in Illinois public school enrollment that began in 1971-72 and attempts to predict the likely duration and severity of the decline. Much of the paper discusses the use of two different models for calculating enrollment projections from 1974 through 1985. The grade-by-grade model formulates enrollment projections…

This report presents information about the number of eligible preschool children being served and not being served by Head Start programs in the state of Illinois. Four criteria used in determining eligibility for Head Start programs are reviewed: (1) family income, (2) age, (3) handicapping condition, and (4) need. Several tables provide data and…

The statistics on vandalism compiled in this report were obtained from a survey of all 717 schools in suburban Cook County and give a broad overview of the extent, frequency, and financial costs incurred as a result of vandalism in the schools. The survey includes information on methods of protection and surveillance such as security personnel,…

This study presents a means of identifying economically efficient school districts in Illinois and provides an analysis of select school variables: school population; salary expenditure; level of teacher preparedness; number of years of teaching experience; and select ratios incorporating pupils, administrators, teachers, test scores, and percent…

School finance is basic to understanding and improving the condition of rural education. Information necessary for financial planning and policy development at the state and local levels is stored in large computer readable data bases and needs to be accessed. Pertinent data elements need to be extracted from the data base and relationships among…