RESEARCH

We believe that by partnering scholarly research and grassroots community organizing, we are able to inform policy and transform low-income communities. Recently, we have begun extensive research regarding teacher effectiveness and teacher demographic trends in Illinois. In addition, we participated in the October 2010 “Building a Pipeline of Effective Teachers of Color” dialogue, co-hosted by the Illinois P-20 Council. Here are some excerpts from some of our recent research efforts as well as some scholarly articles that support work similar to ours.

Education

  1. Characteristics of Highly Effective Teachers, by Dr. Brian Schultz and Leslie Ramyk (complete with extensive Bibliography)
  2. Grow Your Own Teacher Candidate in the Communities, by Leslie Ramyk
  3. Grow Your Own Teachers: First Year Results, by OER Associates, LLC
  4. What Does Teacher Testing Tell Us about Teacher Effectiveness, by Dan Goldhaber
  5. Depolarizing the Debate on How to Measure and Cultivate Teacher Effectiveness, by Warren Simmons, Executive Director of the Annenberg Institute

 

Minimum Wage

  1. Minimum Wage Impacts on Employment: A Look at Indiana, Illinois, and Surrounding Midwestern States, by
    Michael F. Thompson: Economic Research Analyst
  2. Poll that shows strong support for minimum wage increase in Illinois by Kiley & Company, Opinion Research Consultants
  3. Wall Street Journal Article: Workers Not Benefiting From Productivity Gains

 

Foreclosure

Foreclosure Mediation Programs:

  1. Before Cook County started: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/06/time_we_talked.html
  2. After Cook County Started: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/06/foreclosure_mediation.html
  3. TRF Fund Philadelphia Program Research (New) http://www.trfund.com/resource/downloads/policypubs/Foreclosure_Diversion_Initial_Report.pdf

Vacant Property

http://www.995hope.org/content/pdf/Apgar_Duda_Study_Short_Version.pdf