On Dec. 1, Nick Penning, a longtime fixture on the advocacy team at the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), retired as the association's senior legislative analyst. In his 26 years with the association, Penning played many roles relating to advocacy, but the one he relished the most was serving as the principal communicator with…

In December, President-elect Barack Obama selected Chicago's Dodge Renaissance Academy, a 400-student pre-K8 school, as the backdrop for choosing Arne Duncan, the Chicago Public Schools' CEO, as the nation's new secretary of education. Touted as a "turnaround school," Dodge represented the idea that if change could come to a…

A study of perceptions of 562 Illinois secondary students and 45 business teachers regarding secretarial office occupations found students more negative than teachers and male students and teachers more negative than female students and teachers. Significant differences were found in student attitudes by mothers' educational level. (SK)

Describes a study of the relationship between the family background, personal characteristics, and educational goals and achievement of 424 community college office occupations students in Illinois and their decision to terminate their education with the associate degree or to transfer to a 4-year college. Finds educational goals critical in…