Research and Resources
Mission Possible: Achieving and Maintaining Academic Improvement
Penny Billman, Ph.D, "Mission Possible: Achieving and Maintaining Academic Improvement", NIU Outreach, Northern Illinois University, 2004.
Dr. Penny Billman surveyed principals at schools that won Academic Improvement and Spotlight Schools awards in 2003-2004 to determine key factors in their exemplary academic accomplishments. Six critical strategies emerged from the interviews.
The Achievement Gap in Illinois
The Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University produces and disseminates research to a wide variety of audience on raising achievement and closing the gaps.
The American Diploma Project is engaged in helping Illinois students learn at higher levels. Illinois joined the project in 2008. The first step will be to revise and raise the Illinois Learning Standards.
Education Commission of the States provides information about what various states are doing to close the achievement gap and links to extensive resources on the topic. Go to "Closing the Achievement Gap" at www.ecs.org.
Education Trust publishes extensive information on achievement gaps at the national level and on a state by state basis, including studies of causes such as out-of-field teaching and faculty credentials at high-risk schools.
The Interactive Illinois Report Card contains tables showing disaggregated scores for all groups required by NCLB (plus gender) in all Illinois schools. Additional tables displaying achievement gaps in all subject areas at all grades tested may be found under Test Results>Achievement Gap.
Glenn W. McGee, Ph.D, "Closing Illinois' Achievement Gap: Lessons from the 'Golden Spike' High-Poverty, High-Performing Schools," Northern Illinois University Center for Governmental Studies, 2002.
The National Governors' Association Center for Best Practices offers policy papers on closing the achievement gap and raising achievement.
High-Poverty, High-Performing Schools
The U.S. Department of Education delivers No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School Awards to schools nationwide that are closing the achievement gap. These awards are based on recommendations by chief state school officers who used application materials supplied by schools.
http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs
Education Trust has identified high-poverty, high-performing schools across the country, using a variety of databases. Ed Trust's criteria included schools with restrictive admissions policies such as gifted and magnet schools. Interesting and useful data. See the 2002 series on "Dispelling the Myth."
http://www.edtrust.org