In 2007, the Kettering Foundation launched a nationwide, two-year research project to learn what people in communities across the nation think about the achievement gap--and what roles they see for themselves in helping young people succeed academically. The community forums, which drew more than 3,200 participants nationwide, spotlighted elements…

This report presents the results of a collaborative study undertaken by five rural, unit school districts in Illinois to provide data to be used in planning for school improvement. Information was gathered from on-site visits by teams of constituents from other districts and through a survey of perceptions of local community persons regarding…

To obtain data about the Harper College students' and community's attitudes toward athletic programs at the college, a survey was conducted of 200 full-time and 200 part-time students and 200 randomly selected households within the school district. The return rate for the survey questionnaire was 57 percent for full-time students, 49 percent for…

The concept of self study method in community development is discussed as it relates to anthropology, and a program conducted in Cairo, Illinois in 1956-57 is examined to determine if the self study goals were met. The ecological, historical, and geographical setting is given, along with attitudes and concerns of residents, ascertained from…

The Logan County (Illinois) Community Resource Development Council, assisted by sociologists and graduate students from the University of Illinois, designed an attitudinal survey which was administered to a random sample of 700 Logan County adults to ascertain the support of the residents for Council activities and to learn from the residents what…

It is essential that school board members understand the important role that public sentiment plays both in the management of the public schools and in the determination of legislated powers of local school boards. The 14 articles from the "Illinois School Board Journal" presented here were chosen for the light they shed on public…

In an effort to understand the role of the arts in small Illinois communities, a broad exploratory study was conducted in nine counties to determine what potential arts audiences want, what local arts resources offer, and what arts programming strategies are suggested by the gaps between the two. Organizational representatives and individuals…