Important to the mission of the Center is the intersection of research and practice as represented by publications, conferences, and service to education institutions, professional organizations, and government. The Center conducts research and performs public service activities on current and emerging education policy issues.
Recession, Retrenchment, and Recovery Project: Higher Education Funding and Student Financial Aid. The Recession, Retrenchment, and Recovery Project examined the effects of recessions on students' financial access to college during the 25-year period 1979-2004, identified states that have been relatively successful in maintaining financial access, and collected policy strategies used by these states. A particular concern was the impact of recessions on financial access-the balance of state financial aid and tuition and fees-for students attending public institutions. The final report, state profiles and other documents and data accompanying the report on higher education funding, student access and student financial aid.
NCLB Grant: Through this project funded by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), faculty affiliated with the Center of the Study of Education Policy will provide technical assistance and program support to staff at the IBHE and the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) related to IBHE's recently awarded No Child Left Behind (NCLB) School College Partnership grants.
Improving Teacher Quality Grant: Through the Improving Teacher Quality initiative, the Center is working with the Education Trust to collect data and make policy recommendations related to the distribution of effective teachers in Illinois. The result of the research of this project will be a publication that highlights the extent of the teacher distribution problem in the three states and districts and policy recommendations.
NCEA Just for the Kids Project: The Center for the Study of Educational Policy was chosen as the lead institution for Illinois in the National Center for Educational Accountability (NCEA), Just For The Kids project, a collaborative effort with the Education Commission of the States, the Illinois Business Roundtable, and the University of Texas at Austin.
