Selected Internet Resources in Education

The following is a selective list of Internet resources in Education. Being a work-in-progress, this list will grow as more resources are identified. If you would like to recommend a resource for inclusion or offer suggestions for the site, please email: Nancy O'Brien, Head Librarian, Education and Social Science Library, 100 Main Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (217) 333-2305.

Much additional information can be found by using internet search engines such as google.com or altavista.com. Remember to view internet resources with the same discrimination as one would a traditional source. Be aware of the author's biases and the currency of the information.

See also our list of electronic journals in education.

  • Academe This Week (Chronicle of Higher Education)- This online version of the print serial covers the current weeks developments in education. Includes educational statistics, and a searchable listing of the job advertisements appearing in that week's Chronicle.
  • Bank Street Thinkers - Selected publications from the innovative Bureau of Educational Experiments, which evolved into Bank Street College are available in digitized format on this site. These articles represent the work of the institution from its earliest days as a leader in progressive education. They cover geography, social studies, language, the supervision of beginning teachers, the history of Bank Street, and play.
  • The Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University. "Reinventing Undergraduate Education: Three Years after the Boyer Report." (2001)- Three years after the original 1998 Boyer report [http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Pres/boyer.nsf] examined the major flaws in undergraduate education, the Boyer Commission surveyed American research universities to examine what progress and improvements had been made. This 2001 report offers survey results and statistics of the current state of undergraduate education at research universities. It also looks forward to what steps must be taken next.
  • Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education - "The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching publishes The Carnegie Classification, the framework and leading typology in which institutional diversity in U.S. higher education is commonly described. The 2000 edition classifies institutions based on their degree-granting activities from 1995-96 through 1997-98.
  • The Center for Education Reform - The Center for Education Reform (CER) provides information on charter schools and public schools. This site provides information on schools in all fifty states. This site also contains recent education news about reform and job listings searchable by state.
  • Certification Map - Certification Map lists the requirements needed to become a teacher in all 50 states, as well as salary range, prerequisites and testing information.
  • CollegeSource Online - "features over 9,800 College Catalogs in complete cover-to-cover original page format including 2-year, 4-year, graduate, and professional schools"
  • Common Core of Data (CCD): Information on Public Schools and School Districts in the United States - From the National Center for Education Statistics, this site offers search tools and data resources containing basic information and statistics on public elementary and secondary schools as well as on schooling in general. It allows the user to search for public schools and school districts, compare the finances of a school district with its peers, and create customized tables for schools, districts, and states over multiple years.
  • Distance Education Clearinghouse - This site was created by University of Wisconsin-Extension, with other University of Wisconsin institutions and includes various resources on distance education on a national and international level.
  • EdHelper - The latest education news, education business news, and links to other related sites are collected and updated regularly on this site. In addition, this site provides lesson plans in a variety of areas including math, writing, reading, science, technology, and social studies.
  • EDSITEment - Developed by the National Endowment for Humanities and other sources, this site contains links to 49 of the "top humanities sites" and lesson plans in the areas of history, English and language arts, foreign languages and art history. It also includes learning guides that provide tips for using sites for designing class curricula and activities. Sites are searchable.
  • Education Resources - from the Digital Librarian: a librarian's choice of the best of the Web
  • Education World - "... an information source on the Web with news from USA Today, monthly site reviews and employment listings to keep educators up to date. ...original content such as lesson plans, articles written by education experts, and information on how to make the best use of technology in the classroom ...."
  • Education-Line: Electronic Texts in Education and Training - This "electronic archive of 'grey' (report, conference, working paper) and 'pre-print' literature in the field of education and training" is provided by the British Education Index. Searchable by keyword and by BEI thesaurus terms, this database provides access to over 1,000 papers presented at British research conferences and elsewhere. Provides links to searchable paper files from conferences sponsored by the British Educational Research Association, the European Conference on Educational Research, and others.
  • Educator's Reference Desk - This valuable site from the Information Institute of Syracuse offers a broad range of solid information for educators and education researchers. Included are resource guides organized by topic, lesson plans arranged by subject, and a searchable question archive containing responses to questions sent to the now-defunct AskERIC service.
  • EURYDICE: The Information Network on Education in Europe - This comprehensive site offers information about the national education systems and policies throughout Europe. Included in the site are comparative analyis reports, key statistics, education reference tools, and news. Also useful is the link to EURYBASE, a database that contains historical backgrounds and analyses of the various education systems of Europe.
  • FREE: Federal Resources for Educational Excellence - Offers free educational web resources for teachers and students to use in the classroom sponsored through over 30 federal agencies. The web resources are organized into subject areas and it offers a variety of special collections.
  • GEM: The Gateway to Educational Materials - National Library of Education, U.S. Department of Education - This one-stop educational resource provides information, lesson plans, and activities pertaining to all K-12 subjects. Users can browse sites by subject or keyword, or they can search by subject, keyword, title, or full-text of the site description.
  • General Education Online - Designed for researchers and students, this comprehensive site offers links to higher education facilities throughout the world and includes over 160 countries.
  • Grapevine: An Annual Compilation of Data on State Tax Appropriations for the General Operation of Higher Education - Provides an annual compilation of data on state tax support for higher education, including general fund appropriations for universities, colleges, community colleges, and state higher education agencies. Includes tables with appropriations per capita; state rankings on percentage changes; and several other categories. A 50-state summary table showing total state tax appropriations for the current year and percent changes over time is also provided.
  • Illinois Interactive Report Card - This website is created at Northern Illinois University with support from the Illinois State Board of Education and allows searching for schools in Illinois and provides statistical information, including test scores, demographics and expenditures. Each school lists Adequate Yearly Progress Report and more information specific to that school. This site also contains information about Illinois education system.
  • Illinois School Reform Resource Locator - "... provides access to and information about school reform initiatives in the state of Illinois, including local initiatives, as well as national school reform efforts at the kindergarten through grade 12 levels."
  • Illinois State Board of Education
  • Learning-Theories.com - This site offers an index of learning theories and models, related definitions and paradigms. All learning theories entries allow users to leave comments to suggest additional resources or provide more information. A RSS feed is available to monitor additions to the site.
  • Library of Congress Learning Page for Students and Educators- The Learning page offers new pathways for learning about history of America, utilizing documents from the Library's primary source materials of rare Americana. The site also features available e-mail reference assistance, files of teacher generated project ideas, and links to history and education related Web sites.
  • McGraw-Hill Teaching Methods Web Resources- This site offers wide range of web resources in the following subject areas of Art; English/Language Arts; Foreign Languages; history/Social Studies; Mathematics; Science; Physical education; Vocational Education; and Global Education.
  • Measuring Up: The State by State Report Card for Higher Education- This report card evaluates systems of higher education by state, allowing the user to compare different states' scores or look at a more detailed review of an individual state. Each state is rated and reviewed in six categories: preparation for college, participation in college, affordability, benefits, college completion rates, and student learning. Also of interest is a report entitled Summary and Review of Measuring Up 2000: The State-by-State Report Card for Higher Education. Composed by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, this document provides a detailed review and analysis of Illinois' ratings in Measuring Up 2000 and a brief history of Illinois' strive for excellence in education.
  • National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)- NAEP is charged by Congress to monitor the knowledge, skills, and performance of the nation's children. NAEP provides objective data about student performance at national, regional, and state levels.
  • National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)- The National Center for Learning Disabilities provides support for children and adults with learning disabilities (LD). They provide information, resources, and referral services to those affected with LD, and to educators who work with those having learning disabilities. The site contains quick facts about LD, links to research and news about LD, and information on coping and succeeding with LD. The site is updated regularly.
  • National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education - The Center presents reports and publications on state policies on higher education, state spending on higher education and surveys of the public's perceptions of higher education listed by state.
  • National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs (NCELA) - Formerly known as the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (NCBE), NCELA collects, analyzes and disseminates information related to linguistically and culturally diverse students in the United States. Their web site includes an online library with full-text of NCBE publications, access to NCELA databases, and links to other sites related to language, culture, and education.
  • Search for Schools, Colleges, and Libraries - From the National Center for Education Statistics, this site allows you to locate educational institutions in the U.S. by name, state, city, or zip code. Searches can be limited to public schools, private schools, colleges, or public libraries. Information provided for schools includes address, enrollment, demographics, and student-teacher ratio.
  • Special Education Resources on the Internet - "Special Education Resources on the Internet (SERI) is a collection of Internet accessible information resources of interest to those involved in the fields related to Special Education. This collection exists in order to make on-line Special Education resources more easily and readily available in one location."
  • State Childcare Profiles - This site, created by the National Child Care Information Center, provides statistics on child care by state. Information covered includes demographics and Staff/Child Ratio Requirements.
  • State Policy Inventory Database Online (SPIDO) - A database of higher education policy issues, searchable by state or by policy issue, designed to provide state policy makers, educational leaders, and education consumers with policies in critical areas that most directly impact student achievement, access, and success in higher education. Provides access to topics such as articulation and alignment, student financial aid, teacher quality initiatives, and so on. Includes links to each state's higher education board, other relevant state agencies, and specific statutes or higher education board policies, with directions for locating the full text.
  • Theory Into Practice Database - "The Theory Into Practice (TIP) database contains descriptions of 50 theories relevant to human learning and instruction. Each description includes the following sections: overview, scope/application, example, principles, and references. Relationships between theories are identified by highlighted text within articles. These relationships can be connections between specific theories or to concepts that underly a number of theories. The theories are also indexed according to content domain and type of learning. Some theories also include brief video clips."
  • UNESCO Portal on Higher Education Institutions - This portal, maintained by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), "offers access to on-line information on higher education institutions recognized or otherwise sanctioned by competent authorities in participating countries. The country information on this portal is managed and updated by relevant authorities in participating countries".
  • United States Department of Education - The Internet home of the Department of Education contains a wealth of resources, including education research and statistics and information on federal education policy.