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THE DAILY ILLINI 5he independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Illinois works to close achievement gap Approval of increased funding shows dedication to education BY JOSH WINTERS STAFF WRITER
State legislators and educators are working to improve the quality of education among low-income students by closing the achievement gap. The Illinois State Board of Education approved its fiscal year 2016 budget recommendation on Jan. 21, which seeks to increase General State Aid funding by $729.9 million. In a statement, Christopher A. Koch, Illinois state superintendent of education, said the
increase could go a long way toward improving the quality of education for Illinois students. “Education is the smartest investment we can make in the economic future of our state and the quality of its workforce,” Koch said. “GSA funds have fallen short of what is owed to school districts for the past four years, contributing to poorer financial health for more school districts and threatening the academic and extracurricular opportunities for the
state’s two million students.” Koch’s remarks are a nod to a concept that has recently been a hot topic in Illinois politics: the achievement gap, or the academic disparity that exists between low-income and non-low-income students, as well as between minority and white students. “We say we educate all kids, and we do, but we don’t give all kids the same public education,” said Eboni Zamani-Gallaher, professor in Education. “In those communities where there’s a higher property tax base, there are more options, and for those that are in communities (with less property tax revenue) ... they have to do
more with less.” Data from the State Board of Education showed that in 2014 low-income students score significantly lower results on the Illinois Standard Achievement Test, ISAT, averaging 33 points lower in reading, 30 points lower in math and 23 points lower in science. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, 51.5 percent of students are considered “lowincome” students. Lorenzo Baber, assistant professor in Education, said students living in or near poverty face a number of challenges that can have detrimental effects on classroom performance, as well as on
standardized tests. These students face higher levels of test anxiety, Baber said, out of fear that if they do not receive high marks, their career and higher education opportunities will be severely limited. “For a lot of these tests, you can increase your scores by taking courses outside of class, and of course for lowincome students, they don’t have as much access to these additional classes outside of the traditional school, and that can have an impact on their test scores,” Baber said. Low-income children also have less access to the health care they need to help them succeed in school, like pre-
scription glasses, ZamaniGallaher said. The obstacles facing children living in poverty can have a “snowballing effect” and lead to chronic problems throughout their education, she added. For black and Hispanic students, who are more likely to live in poverty than whites, these problems are even more pronounced. “We have seen where, particularly depending on race and ethnicity interacting with socio-economic status, that there’s a broader achievement gap,” Zamani-Gallaher said. “When we look at the poverty statistics in terms of what is
SEE EDUCATION | 3A
Housing to release room details promptly BY ALI BRABOY STAFF WRITER
For new students enrolling for the Fall 2015 semester, the University is now offering the opportunity to choose more specific living options. According to the University Housing website, if new students enrolling at the University complete a housing contract by May 15, the stu-
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dents will receive a time slot in late May. When the time slot arrives, they will be able to choose available rooms and halls, which will be available until June when the process closes. The new process for incoming freshmen and transfer students is similar to that of students returning to University Housing, wherein they are able to choose a specific hall and room to live in. Kirsten Ruby, associate director of Housing for Communications and Marketing,
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0RUH LQVLGH Visit
our editorial for our opinion on the new housing changes. Page 4A
ZOE GRANT THE DAILY ILLINI
Alyssa Machinis, senior in Media, shops for her textbooks at the TIS Bookstore on Tuesday January 27, 2015.
Students save with open-source» BY ELYSSA KAUFMAN STAFF WRITER
With the rising cost of textbooks, which can cost hundreds of dollars every semester, more students are turning to e-books. Milind Basole, principal eLearning professional at CITES, serves as a manager of the University’s textbook platform project. EText is a reading platform developed on campus, based off an Internet browser, for e-books and multimedia. In the fall of 2014, a little over 2,500 students used the eText system, Basole said. When combining the fall and spring semesters, students saved over $100,000 by using eText over print textbooks. Certain courses, such as ACES 101 and Engineering 100 currently allow students to use the eText platform. “Online textbooks have a lot more interactivity that can be utilized for better teaching and learning outcomes,” Basole said. “This is also a really great medium for flipped classrooms, because you have the ability to make the teaching materials available to students beforehand.” According to the American Association of Publishers, e-book sales have increased by 7.5 percent in 2014, producing $937 million. Basole said that with a physical textbooks, students have to “lug” the book everywhere. However, eText, a browser-based program, allows students to use the book on smartphones, tablets, laptops and adaptive devices. Basole believes eText is on the forefront of providing textbooks for those with learning disabilities, such as visual impairment. “We have been commended by the National Federation of the Blind for our work,”
Basole said. “Adaptive devices used by people with visual impairments work with the eText platform.” As an office administrator for the Urban and Regional Planning department, Holly Clingan is required to provide the Illini Union Bookstore with a list of textbooks professors want to order. This year, she found several publishers would only provide electronic copies of the books selected. “There are a lot more PDF files being used as resources in the Urban and Regional Planning department,” Clingan said. “I think the program is trending in an electronic direction.” Clingan also believes e-books are increasing due to the age of users. “The students who are new to the program are used to digital resources,” she said. “However, I prefer paper and the ability to highlight in physical books.” Open-source textbooks are also rising in popularity. Open-source textbooks can be downloaded by anyone, anywhere for free. Students who want a physical copy can download the book and print it. “Instead of paying $100 for a textbook that has royalties attached to it that go to an author and a publisher, printing is around twenty dollars,” said Jonathan Tomkin, professor and associate director of the Earth, Society and Environment department. However, prices to print vary depending on the book. The open source textbook “Sustainability: A Comprehensive Foundation” was written by a group of professors, including Tomkin, who teach at all three Illinois campuses. The textbook is currently used in Earth Systems 200 and was created with the help of a grant from Sen. Dick
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Students often pay more for physical copies of textbooks when e-books are offered directly through campus bookstores. Look at the textbook prices that a typical freshman student in Division of General Studies may pay. Listed are the textbooks required for courses that meet general education requirements.
By Tignor
American Politics Today Essentials
NEW $120 E-BOOK $41
Process for newly admitted students to apply for University Housing
Q By completing the housing contract by May 15, incoming students will receive a time slot in late May. Q At the time slot, from available rooms, students will be able to choose their desired hall and
E-books provide affordable options
Worlds Together, Worlds Apart Volume 2
SEE HOUSING | 3A room. Q By late June, students will receive a notification stating their room location and roommate. Q If students do not meet the May 15 deadline, University Housing will make housing assignments based on students’ preference. Source: University Housing
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NEW $112 E-BOOK $34
By Bianco PS 101
HIST 100 Macroeconomics
NEW $232
By Colander
E-BOOK $149 YIWEI ZHANG THE DAILY ILLINI
Students are going back to the Illinois Street Residential Hall after class at noon on Tuesday.
ECON 103 Essentials of Meteorology
NEW $200
By Ahrens
E-BOOK $82
ATMS 100 SOURCE: Illini Union Bookstore Durbin’s office. “I think it may depend on the student whether online textbooks or a physical copy works better,” Tomkin said. “The benefit to the online textbook is something like a search function, which is really useful to students when looking for a particular concept.” Due to the accessibility of open-source textbooks, Tomkin said the books are available to anyone in the world, which can benefit international students who with an
College Physics By Giambattista
Unidentified man breaks in, damages State Farm Center
NEW $278 E-BOOK $175
PHYS 101
DAILY ILLINI STAFF REPORT
THE DAILY ILLINI e-book wouldn’t have to worry about shipping from the United States. “One of the things that really motivated me to do this is that when a professor chooses a textbook, they choose the textbook that will best help a student learn,” Tomkin said. “With open-source textbooks, you as a professor do not have to feel guilty for putting students under a financial hardship to assign a book.”
Elyssa can be reached at eskaufm2@dailyillini.com.
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Police are continuing to investigate a break in at the State Farm Center by an unidentified man on Jan. 1. According to University Police Detective Sgt. Tom Geis, the suspect entered the building by breaking a window around 2 a.m. He then walked around the building and exited through a door. The estimated damage of the window is $2,500. The man was caught on video, and the University of Illinois Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying the man.
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The man is facing charges of criminal damage to state supported property, which is a class four felony, Geis said. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the University of Illinois Police Department at 217-3331216 or Champaign County Crimestoppers at 217-3738477. Tips can also be sent anonymously by visiting www.373tips.com or texting keyword CCTIP, plus the information, to 274637 (CRIMES).
Katherine Boncher contributed to this report.
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