IERC Publications

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		*IERC Annual Report for FY09 (2009)* Kathleen S. Brown Full Document This document provides a brief overview of the Illinois Education Research Council's activities for the 2008-2009 Fiscal Year.

		*Education Beyond High School Series* *The Illinois Class of 2002—an overview: A descriptive summary four years after high school (IERC 2009-1)* Christopher M. Mullin, Bradford R. White and Kathleen Sullivan Brown The Illinois Class of 2002 and College Readiness (IERC 2009-2) Bradford R. White, Christopher M. Mullin, and Kathleen Sullivan Brown The Illinois Class of 2002 and Gender (IERC 2009-3) Kathleen Sullivan Brown, Christopher M. Mullin, and Bradford R. White The Illinois Class of 2002 and Parent Income (IERC 2009-4) Bradford R. White, Christopher M. Mullin, and Kathleen Sullivan Brown The Illinois Class of 2002 and Race/Ethnicity (IERC 2009-5) Kathleen Sullivan Brown, Christopher M. Mullin, and Bradford R. White The various ways by which members of the Class of 2002 interact with opportunities for postsecondary education frame this study. Presented are enrollment and completion trends. Displayed are data by fall, spring, and summer semesters to capture the annual rhythms of educational participation.

		*Grounding Research in Reality: Fiscal Equity & K-12 Funding in Illinois (IERC 2008-3)* Christopher M. Mullin and Kathleen Sullivan Brown Full Document Policy Brief ERIC citation The purpose of this study was to replicate both The Education Trust’s The Funding Gap and D. Verstegen and L. Driscoll’s The Illinois Dilemma studies published in 2008 utilizing the actual allocations to districts resulting from the fiscal policy mechanism (funding formula) in Illinois for the 2004-2005 school year to understand the influence of adjusted values on determinants of fiscal equity as applied in each of the earlier studies. The results of the IERC analyses indicated a less severe “gap” between the highest and lowest poverty district quartiles and a positive “gap” for high minority district quartiles when compared against the district quartiles with the lowest minority presence, as compared to results presented by The Education Trust. With respect to the IERC results when revisiting The Illinois Dilemma, a more inequitable distribution of aid was observed than that reported by D. Verstegen and L. Driscoll. This finding was found to be the result of inequitable local resources primarily existing in elementary districts.

		*Leveling Up: Narrowing the Teacher Academic Capital Gap in Illinois (IERC 2008-1)* Bradford R. White, Jennifer, B. Presley, and Karen J. DeAngelis Full Document Policy Brief ERIC citation ED502243 This study examines the distribution, change, and impact of the Index of Teacher Academic Capital (ITAC) in all Illinois public schools from 2001 to 2006. The ITAC is a school-level composite of five measures: teacher ACT Composite and English scores, teacher Basic Skills Test results, teacher certification status, and teacher undergraduate college competitiveness. We find that students in high-poverty and high-minority schools, especially those in Chicago, had less access to high ITAC than their counterparts elsewhere. However, high-poverty schools statewide and high-minority schools in Chicago also experienced the greatest gains in ITAC over the time period. We show the impact of ITAC by using fixed-effects models, which reveal that schools that increase their ITACs also tend to improve their achievement.

		*Leaving Schools or Leaving the Profession: Setting Illinois' Record Straight on New Teacher Attrition (IERC 2007-1)* Karen J. DeAngelis and Jennifer B. Presley Full Document Executive Summary This study assessed the extent of new teacher turnover from schools, districts, and the public school teaching profession in Illinois. Using data from the Illinois State Board of Education’s Teacher Service Record (TSR) and Teacher Certification Information System (TCIS) databases for the period 1986/87 through 2005/06, several cohorts of full-time teachers were tracked for five years following their initial entry into teaching to account for their movements, including reentry to the Illinois Public Schools, over time. Differences in turnover rates by teachers’ personal characteristics, such as gender, race/ethnicity, age at entry, and ACT scores, and by school characteristics, such as locale, percent low-income students, and percent minority students, were examined. The findings from this study will contribute to policy discussions concerning teacher personnel practices in Illinois.

		**Focus on Illinois Education Research Symposium 2007** Full Document This document provides abstracts of research presentations on Illinois education that were made at the Sixth Focus on Illinois Education Research Symposium in Orland Park, IL, June 2007.

		Following the Illinois High School Class of 2002: Three Years Into College (IERC 2006-5) Yuqin Gong, Jennifer B. Presley, and Bradford R. White Full Document Executive Summary This report provides an update on the Illinois public high school class of 2002 and its progress through the higher education system. Three years after graduation, who has persisted, who has stopped out, who has transferred, and who has completed a two-year program?

		**Focus on Illinois Education Research Symposium 2006** Full Document This document provides abstracts of research presentations on Illinois education that were made at the Fifth Focus on Illinois Education Research Symposium in Springfield, IL, June 2006.

		*The Illinois Early Childhood Teacher Reserve Pool Study (IERC 2006-4)* Brenda K. Klostermann, Bradford R. White, and Jennifer B. Presley Full Document Executive Summary This report presents the results of the Illinois Survey of Early Childhood Certificants, which we distributed to over 4,000 individuals in Spring 2005. The survey found that certified teachers are willing to consider working in Illinois early childhood centers under the right conditions, and that better salaries would make such positions more attractive – it is salaries not setting that deter potential recruitees. Many details about the characteristics and work experiences of this Reserve Pool are presented in the report, along with tables and charts comparing the Reserve Pool to other groups of respondents.

		*Pipelines and Pools: Meeting the Demand for Early Childhood Teachers in Illinois (IERC 2006-3)* Jennifer B. Presley, Brenda K. Klostermann, and Bradford R. White Full Document Executive Summary This study analyzes whether Illinois' supply of early childhood teachers will be adequate to meet the increased demand brought about by the state's new Preschool For All plan. We find that the supply produced by the new-certificant pipeline, combined with an existing reserve pool of qualified teachers, will be sufficient to meet demand if certified teachers are offered professional salaries and the plan is phased in at a rate of about 10,000 additional students per year. Chicago will be more dependent on its new-certificant pipeline and needs to understand why so many students do not make it from "interest" to program enrollment to program completion.

		*The Demographics and Academics of College Going in Illinois* (IERC 2006-2) Yuqin Gong and Jennifer B. Presley Full Document Executive Summary Summary Brief In order to help the state of Illinois assess the extent to which it is providing access to educational opportunities that lead to successful transitions to college and the workforce, the IERC is undertaking a six-year longitudinal study following the 113,660 students in the Illinois high school class of 2002. This report, the second one in the series, addresses college participation in the first academic year after high school graduation (AY 2002-2003).

		*Estimating the Economic Impact of College Student Migration From Illinois (IERC 2006-1)* Ryan Smith and Andrew F. Wall Full Document Executive Summary Guest authors Smith and Wall estimate the economic impact of student migration from Illinois. They conclude that Illinois loses about $700 million in tax revenues over the lifetime of Fall 2000 college migrants.

		*The Demographics and Academics of College Readiness in Illinois* (IERC 2005-3) Jennifer B. Presley and Yuqin Gong Full Document Executive Summary In order to help Illinois policymakers and education administrators assess whether the State's public high school graduates are ready to enter and succeed in college, the IERC is undertaking a six-year longitudinal study of the Illinois Class of 2002. This first report shows that only about one third of the Class of 2002 is college-ready, and that poor and minority members of the cohort are less likely to be ready for college when they finish high school.

		*Examining the Distribution and Impact of Teacher Quality in Illinois (IERC 2005-2)* Jennifer B. Presley, Bradford R. White, and Yuqin Gong Full Document Executive Summary In a previous Illinois Education Research Council (IERC) policy research report, The Distribution of Teacher Quality in Illinois (IERC 2005-1), we introduced the Illinois Teacher Quality Index (TQI). The TQI is a school-level indicator of teacher quality that describes a school’s concentration of certain teacher attributes that research suggests are associated with student performance. In this report, we continue our exploration of the TQI, its distribution, and its relationship to student performance outcomes.

		*The Distribution of Teacher Quality in Illinois (IERC 2005-1)* Karen J. DeAngelis, Jennifer B. Presley, and Bradford R. White Full Document Executive Summary In this study, we look at the distribution of all 140,000 teachers in 2002-2003 among Illinois’ public schools using five teacher attributes that have been shown in previous research to be related to student performance. We created a composite measure of school teacher quality that we named the Teacher Quality Index (TQI) to combine these teacher quality characteristics into a standardized index. We use a school’s TQI as an indicator of average teacher quality at that school.

		**Focus on Illinois Education Research Symposium 2005** Compendium of Abstracts This document provides abstracts of research presentations on Illinois education that were made at the Fourth Focus on Illinois Education Research Symposium in Bloomington, June 2005.

		Issues in Education: AYP in Illinois and the Nation (IERC 2005-I-1) Hazel E. Loucks and Eleanor G. Cameron Full Document ERIC citation ED504275 In the few short years since its passage in 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has become the focus of many in education, from state superintendents to researchers to teachers. In this Issues in Education we seek to give the reader a basic introduction to the way in which NCLB and its main measure of success, Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), work in Illinois, and to compare Illinois’ implementation of NCLB with that of other states. We provide a history of adoption of NCLB in Illinois, explain the nuts and bolts of AYP, and finish with conclusions and recommendations.

		*Third Illinois Policy Inventory on Teaching and Learning (April 2005)* Jennifer B. Presley and Eleanor G. Cameron Full Document In December 2001, the Illinois Education Research Council prepared the first Inventory on teaching and learning for Illinois in conjunction with the state’s responsibilities as a member of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. A second Inventory was published in December 2002. This third Inventory provides new information that documents progress to April 2005.

		Collaborating for Success: Lessons Learned from Illinois' TQE Grant Implementation (January 2005) Brenda K. Klostermann and Jennifer B. Presley Full Document Findings are presented from our case study evaluating the implementation of the IBHE's federally funded grant, A Common Vision: Teacher Quality Enhancement in the Middle Grades in Illinois. Four sites were examined in terms of how they organized to attain the grant goals, and what aspects of organizational culture and leadership behavior contributed to success. This cross-site analysis draws lessons learned from the four sites to assist future implementation of multi-site higher education projects.

		*Assessment of Illinois Early Care and Education Data and Research Reports (September 2004)* Jennifer B. Presley, Brenda K. Klostermann and Bradford R. White Full Document This report provides an audit and assessment of currently available Illinois early childcare data and reports. It provides recommendations to enhance current data collection efforts and outlines the next steps to be undertaken by the IERC in its study of early education in Illinois.

		**Focus on Illinois Education Research Symposium 2004** Compendium of Abstracts This document provides abstracts of research presentations on Illinois education that were made at the Third Focus on Illinois Education Research Symposium in Naperville, June 2004.

		*Issues in Education: School Size (IERC 2004-I-1)* Karen J. DeAngelis Full Document ERIC citation ED504256 Responding to questions regarding what research tells us about the importance of school size to student achievement, this report reviews recent research on the topic. It concludes that to the extent that small schools are better able than large schools to create forward planning conditions, then small schools appear to be a promising strategy. The report includes an extensive reference list.

		*Occupational Stability of New College Graduates (IERC RN 2003-1)* Jennifer B. Presley Full Document ERIC citation ED504255 Henke and Zahn (2001) found that 1992-93 college graduates who entered K-12 teaching were among the most stable of all employed graduates with respect to their occupations three years later. This Research Note reanalyzes Baccalaureate and Beyond data to include in the three-year comparison those who were not employed. The Henke and Zahn findings hold up.

		*Preparing School Principals: A National Perspective on Policy and Program Innovations (September 2003)* Elizabeth L. Hale and Hunter N. Moorman Full Document Overview (IERC 2003-I-3) ERIC citation ED504276 This report is published jointly by the Institute for Educational Leadership (Washington, D.C.) and the IERC as part of its Issues in Education series. The report focuses on two areas in which state policies and programs can have particular influence on school leadership: licensure, certification and accreditation requirements; and administrator training and professional development.

		*Illinois Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis (IERC 2003-3)* Jennifer B. Presley Full Document Executive Summary ERIC citation ED504257 Using data from national surveys, Illinois’ higher education enrollment and funding patterns are compared to other states. Conclusions are drawn regarding the state’s investment in higher education.

		**Focus on Illinois Education Research Symposium 2003** Compendium of Abstracts

		*Teacher Induction in Illinois: Evidence from the Illinois Teacher Study (IERC 2003-2)* Brenda K. Klostermann and Jennifer B. Presley, Michael T. Peddle and Charles E. Trott Full Document Executive Summary Using survey data collected through the Illinois Teacher Study, this report provides results about teachers’ satisfaction with their preparation courses and their participation in induction activities. It describes the relationship between participation in specific induction activities, the number of activities in which respondents participated, and intentions to remain in teaching.

		*In the Pipeline: The Early Career Paths of Administrative Certificate Holders in Illinois (IERC 2003-1*) Karen J. DeAngelis Full Document Executive Summary The study examines the early career paths of a random sample of individuals who earned their Illinois Type 75 administrative certificates in 1999-2000.

		Issues in Education. Class Size and Student Achievement: Lessons from California and Tennessee (IERC 2003-I-2) Karen J. DeAngelis Full Document ERIC citation ED504258 Over the past several years, states have come under increased pressure to improve the academic achievement of all students in their schools. As states have looked for ways to accomplish this task, more and more have turned to class size reduction, particularly in the early elementary grades. In this paper, we summarize evidence from two well-known, state-sponsored class size reduction initiatives and consider why these initiatives produced such different results. The approaches to class size reduction taken by these states provide lessons for other states that might be considering such programs.

		*Issues in Education. Learning to Read (IERC 2003-I-1)* Jennifer B. Presley Full Document ERIC citation ED504271 Illinois’ policy makers recognize the importance of reading competency to success in school. In this paper we summarize the findings of several recent national reports on reading and consider their findings for Illinois’ reading initiatives. The paper also provides an overview of reading programs and certification in Illinois, including the Assessment of Professional Teaching examination that will be required for initial certification in October 2003.

		*Teacher Supply in Illinois: Evidence From the Illinois Teacher Study* *(December 2002)* Karen J. DeAngelis, Michael T. Peddle and Charles E. Trott Full Document Executive Summary ERIC citation ED504270 This study examines the career plans and experiences of newly certified teachers and teachers with one to five years of teaching experience in the Illinois public schools. During Fall 2001, the three groups reported here were surveyed via telephone about their employment experiences, their intended career plans, the reasons behind the decisions of those who left teaching, and their experiences in the job market for public school teaching positions in Illinois. Between 350 and 400 surveys were completed for each of the three groups.

		*Illinois Policy Inventory on Teaching and Learning (December 2002)* Jennifer B. Presley for the Governor's Council on Educator Quality Full Document In December 2001, the Governor’s Council on Educator Quality prepared its first report on teaching and learning in Illinois. It committed to updating the report annually. This 2002 Policy Inventory on Teaching and Learning provides new information that documents progress during 2002.

		Assessment of Data Sources Relevant to the Supply and Quality of Illinois Primary and Secondary Educators (December 2002) James M. Wilson Full Document Executive Summary In November 2001 the Illinois Education Research Council received a grant from the Washington Mutual Foundation to assess the extent and usefulness of Illinois’ data systems for the study of teacher supply and demand. Data and Decision Analysis, Inc. was contracted to undertake a review of currently available data, identify data gaps, and suggest steps for moving forward. This report is in response to that charge.

		*The School Funding Gap: How Illinois Ranks (November 2002)* Jennifer B. Presley and Isis D. Randolph Full Document Executive Summary ERIC citation ED504273 This report extends the funding gap analysis for K-12 districts that was published by The Education Trust in August 2002. This study provides information on the national ranking of all Illinois’ school districts based on poverty quartile and state and local funding. It also examines funding adequacy, in addition to funding equity.

		*The Teacher Supply Pipeline in Illinois: Entrance Into And Exit From Teaching (October 2002)* Full Document This Policy Research Brief summarizes findings from several studies of the Illinois teacher supply pipeline. It describes current teacher shortages, and identifies opportunities to plug leaks in the teacher supply pipeline.

		Illinois Policy Inventory on Teaching and Learning (December 2001) Jennifer B. Presley and Pamela J. Konkol for the Governor's Council on Educator Quality Full Document As one of the partner states with the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future (NCTAF), Illinois formed a teacher quality policy advisory council. Each state’s council is expected to document the status of state policies that support student learning through quality instruction. The Governor’s Council has prepared this report to meet that commitment.

		Paths To Teaching (IERC 2001-1) John B. Lee, Suzanne B. Clery and Jennifer B. Presley Full Document Executive Summary This report traces the early career patterns of teachers who graduated from college in 1993. The results provide information on which college graduates became teachers, where they taught and whether they left teaching within three years.