In response to legislative mandate, this report assesses the status of remediation in postsecondary education in Illinois and presents recommendations concerning remedial education to the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). After five resolutions dealing with remediation are presented as they were adopted by the IBHE and State Board of…

A panel presentation and discussion of the effect of politics on the elected governing boards of the public higher education institutions in Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, and Nevada, especially in relation to board election procedures and the state system's complexity, is summarized. (MSE)

Since Jonathan Kozol's 1991 publication of "Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools," East St. Louis, Illinois, District 189 has endured unswerving criticism and study. While Kozol's work made publicly known the horrible conditions of schools in the district, it did not bring immediate relief. In 1994, the state appointed a…

The legislative mandate for bilingual education in Illinois was analyzed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the mandate. Questions were addressed concerning the desired outcome of the mandate, the actual outcomes, and potential alternatives for bringing about the desired outcome. The history of the mandate for bilingual education and…

Recent increases in the percentage of women on United States school boards is already changing the decision-making process. A DuPage County, Illinois, survey reveals that, for example, while male board members tend to emphasize administrative efficiency, women tend to get more involved in educational policy formation. (JBM)

This paper contests a 1985 report by the Illinois State Board of Education, which asserted that small schools are inferior and inefficient, that student achievement is significantly related to school size, and that a high school enrollment of 500-1200 students is necessary for a broad choice of academic courses and extracurricular activities. It…

The fact that only 22 percent of adults in Illinois have children attending public schools challenges the idea of education as a "public good," yet despite many discouraging statistics concerning the public and the schools, there appears to be a growing awareness of the significance of education and an underlying foundation of faith in…

This report provides information to guide establishment of state policy and practice on the use of microcomputers for foreign language instruction in Illinois schools. It consists of: (1) an overview of literature on the use of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in foreign language teaching, from early efforts at instruction with mainframe…

Criticizes the Illinois State Board of Education's study of the effects of school district size on student achievement as a piece of research upon which to base educational policy decisions. Points out specific weaknesses in the research. (FL)

As part of a study initiated by the Illinois State Board of Education to provide information on which to base personnel policy for the state's schools, this report presents staff recommendations for future state policy governing all certified educational personnel. Recommendations cover the essential areas of personnel programs, including (1)…

This staff report details fiscal year 1998 capital improvement budget recommendations of the Illinois State Board of Higher Education. The report recommends funding for 39 higher education capital facility projects at a total cost of $284.5 million, including $40 million for capital renewal projects; $25 million for technology infrastructure in…

Illinois tort policy has swung from supporting the sovereign immunity of school districts, to completely striking down sovereign immunity, to narrowing conditions in which districts and employees could be liable. Advises Illinois and other states with similar problems to develop legislation and court precedents to reduce the complexity of tort…

Relations between colleges/college governing boards and statewide coordinating boards, and alternatives to coordination, are considered. The history of statewide coordinating boards is briefly sketched, and it is suggested that current conditions and trends require both state and institutional responses. Among the issues are declining enrollments…

Four articles on changing governance patterns of state colleges and universities are presented. In "State Control vs. Campus Autonomy: A Struggle for Balance," Donald E. Walters discusses the distribution of power in Illinois'"system of systems" governance structure. In Illinois several multi-campus university systems coexist;…

During the 1982-1983 school year, the Illinois State Board of Education conducted an intensive study of the state's education-for-employment program. The study assessed the role of the state and local school districts in meeting the needs of their vocational, employment and training, career, and adult education programs. The board's study…