ERIC
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/orr/get.php?instid=752409
ERIC is a national education database sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. Presently the largest education database in the world, ERIC contains over 1,000,000 citations covering research documents, journal articles, technical reports, program descriptions and evaluations, and curricular materials in the field of education. In addition to ERIC subject descriptors and extensive abstracts, limited full-text access to selected items is available. Covers 1966-present.
Note: If you are not affiliated with the university, you can use the free ERIC search engine. This interface is less user-friendly than the one linked to above, but searches the same database of information.
Education Full Text
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/ersearch/get.php?rid=13736
Education Full Text indexes and abstracts articles from English-language journals and yearbooks published in the U.S. and elsewhere. English-language books relating to education published in 1995 or later are also indexed. Abstracting coverage begins with January 1994. Abstracts describe the content and scope of the source documents. Full-text coverage begins in January 1996.
Educator's Reference Desk
A well-organized collection of resources for teachers, including a searchable archive of responses to questions sent to the AskERIC reference service between 1992 and 2003.
Statistical Sources
Digest of Education Statistics
The Digest of Education Statistics is the official U.S. authority for statistics on almost every aspect of education.
Illinois State Board of Education: Data Analysis and Progress Reporting
Offers statistics, reports, and data on schools in the state.
Also from the Illinois State Board of Education, search for report cards for individual schools from 1998 forward, and for districts and the state as a whole from 2002 forward. These reports provide detailed information on student scores on standardized tests, and also present an overview of the schools' student population and district finances. They are useful tools for assessing the performance of the schools where you might be student teaching.
Selected Web Sites
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/edx/eleced.htm
The Education and Social Science Library's list of useful websites for research and current awareness in education issues.
