April 13, 2004, the Joyce Foundation approved a grant to the Education Trust to work with key state and local education leaders in Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin, with an additional focus on Cleveland Municipal School District, Chicago Public Schools, and Milwaukee Public Schools, in a comprehensive approach to improving the distribution of effective teachers serving low-income, minority, and low-performing students. Illinois State University will work with the Education Trust to collect data and make policy recommendations related to the distribution of effective teachers in Illinois.
Illinois State Working Group Recommendations for Improving Teacher Quality for Low-Income and Minority
Students in Illinois (.pdf)
From May 2004-May 2006, the project will be conducted within each state and directed by two coordinated and overlapping working groups of key education stakeholders, one at the state level and one at the local level. The working groups will consist of representatives from the different branches of government and both K-12 and higher education, with additional participation by business, community, and teacher union leaders. With assistance, coordination, and analysis support provided by the Education Trust, the working groups will engage in a three-stage process, collaborating and sharing information with one another. While core elements of analysis will be similar in each state and in each district, each project will also be coordinated and executed in a manner that is consistent with and builds on current and previous state and local teacher qualify efforts.
At the end of this project, Education Trust will submit a publication that highlights the extent of the teacher distribution problem in the three states and districts and policy recommendations. For more information on this study, contact
