For Immediate Release
November 9, 2004
Illinois State Board of Education
awards grants to struggling schools
Springfield, Ill. –The Illinois State Board of Education
has awarded more than $14 million in System of Support
Coordination and Services grants to ten educational support
organizations in Illinois. The grant awards represent
the second year of a three-year grant program for regional
providers to support schools in their area either in academic
early warning, on the academic watch list or at risk of
placement on the list.
“The State Board of Education is committed to working
with struggling schools to turn things around,” said
Gov. Blagojevich. “It’s what the kids deserve
and what their communities need.”
System of Support services may include health services,
nutrition support, family involvement and support, before-
and after-school activities, programs to improve school
climate, community support and services for schools, students,
families and communities. These services may include expanded
community use of school sites and community service by
students and school staff.
Each of the grant recipients has developed and put in
place a plan to help targeted schools and districts develop
school improvement plans focused on academic achievement.
The four components of the plans are:
- data analysis and school improvement plan development;
- standards-aligned curriculum, instruction and classroom
assessment;
- teacher and administrator enhancement; and
- student, family and community support services.
“By focusing on struggling schools and districts
we can target efforts where they’re needed the most,”
said Interim State Superintendent Randy Dunn. “The
providers have worked one-on-one with these schools to
help them get plans in place that produce positive results.”
Evaluation of each program’s success is based on:
- positive effects on educator knowledge, skills, behaviors,
and attitudes;
- increases in the number of staff meeting “highly
qualified” criteria;
- positive effects on student behavior and school environment;
- positive increases in family and community support;
and
- cost-effectiveness.
The Systems of Support Coordination and Services grants
are funded through State School Improvement funds and
Federal Title I School Improvement, Title II Teacher Quality
and Title V Innovative Programs funds.
Organizations receiving grant awards are:
- Intermediate Service Center, West Cook - $1,736,000
- Intermediate Service Center, South Cook - $2,470,000
- Regional Superintendent of Education Professional
Development Alliance, Joliet - $1,790,000
- Regional Office of Education, Boone/Winnebago - $1,400,000
- Regional Office of Education, Peoria - $1,775,000
- Regional Office of Education, Iroquois-Kankakee -
$1,717,000
- Regional Office of Education, St. Clair - $1,865,000
- Regional Office of Education, Ullin - $1,130,000
- Illinois Principals’ Association - $400,000
- Illinois Association of School Boards - $200,000
This year, Gov. Blagojevich and members of the General
Assembly approved a state funding increase of $389 million
for targeted education programs. Since taking office,
the Governor increased education funding each year, bringing
the state’s commitment to education this year to
nearly $800 million over annual funding levels two years
ago. In total, Illinois schools have received more than
a billion dollars in new funding since the Governor took
office.
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