Center for the Study of Education Policy
Established in 1995, the Center for the Study of Education Policy emphasizes research that matters. The Center collects and organizes information, conducts research, and brings the results of research into the everyday world of school administrators, governmental leaders, and higher education policymakers in Illinois and across the country. Renowned for its work in education finance, the Center also excels in education leadership development, school improvement programs, higher education finance, and school-college partnerships. Some of the Center's current initiatives include:
- ESEA Improving Teacher Quality Grant Evaluation : Through this project funded by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), faculty affiliated with the Center of the Study of Education Policy provides technical assistance and program support to staff at the IBHE and the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) related to IBHE's ESEA Improving Teacher Quality Grants.
- IL-SAELP: School improvement requires effective leadership. As such, Illinois laws and policies must assure that education leaders have the capacity to improve teaching and learning, consider best practices, and employ research on school improvement. Changes to certification processes and criteria are the focus of initial efforts. Related efforts include a study and policy recommendations on improved preparation of school administrators.
- Leadership to Integrate the Learning Continuum (LINC): The LINC initiative, funded by the McCormick Foundation, is focused on supporting leaders in early childhood and K-12 to develop and nurture a seamless learning continuum centered on children's learning and development. The intended outcome of this initiative is to develop and implement policies and practices that address the missing links in creating a learning continuum to support the whole child from birth to beyond and the role that early childhood and K-12 school leaders play in their efforts to collaborate with families, support agencies, and community and state stakeholders to provide high quality learning and developmental opportunities for all children.
- The Social, Economic, and Educational Correlates of Rural School Closure: This study is aimed at better understanding the causes of rural school closure by answering three questions: what are the demographic, economic, and educational predictors of rural school closure; what are the demographic, economic, and educational impacts of rural school closure and when do these impacts manifest themselves, if ever; and under what circumstances are the demographic, economic, and educational changes brought on by the closure or reorganization beneficial to a county, district, or community?
