Reference Books | Electronic Reference Resources

Subject Specific Reference Books

Dictionaries | Encyclopedias | Statistics |
Teacher Resources | Philosophy/Psychology | Literacy |
Special Education/Learning Disabilities | Early Childhood Education |
Issues and Topics in Education | Reform |
Teacher Preparation/Certification | Higher Education

General Topic Dictionaries

Learning theories, A to Z.
REF. LB15 .L4695 2002

Defines over 500 terms related to learning theories, educational environments, and educational technology. Each term is also placed into the most relevant of one of the four categories: cognitivism, constructivism, behaviorism, or humanism. Entries vary in length from a paragraph to a page.

The language of learning: a guide to education terms.
REF. LB15 .M321997

Written to help everyone come to a similar meaning for educational jargon, besides defining each educational term, this book also includes resources to consult for more information about the term and its implications/applications/background. A subject index at the back links terms by topic. Entries vary in length from a paragraph to a page.

International dictionary of education.
REF. LB15 .P34

Offering succinct definitions like that of a regular dictionary, this book provides an quick explanation of education related terms from the pre-school to post-doctorate levels. Terms used internationally are included, as well as entries for organizations, educationalists, and all areas pertaining to education.

The Facts on File dictionary of education.
REF. LB15 .S43

In addition to entries about expected terms dealing with education, this volume also includes biographical entries, court case summaries, and information about publications, laws, organizations, and tests. Two types of entries are included- varying between a normal glossary style description and those with a more comprehensive coverage complete with references for further information.

Thesaurus of ERIC descriptors.
REF. LB15 .T413 2001

Created to provide a definitive vocabulary for education, this thesaurus contains 10,733 vocabulary terms that can be used as a controlled vocabulary for performing successful searches in the ERIC databases.

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General Topic Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of education.
REF. LB15 .E47 2003

The second edition. A comprehensive general overview of education, this 8 volume set includes 3,000 pages and 850 articles ranging in length from 500 to 5,000 words, all about issues and topics involving education, biographies of educators, organizations, and court cases. Each article is signed by the author and is cross-referenced with other relevant articles within the encyclopedia. They all also have a bibliography with other useful resources. Many special features, such as a listing of standardized tests, state ed. department contact info, recommended websites, comprehensive index, and bibliography are all included in volume 8.

Encyclopedia of education.
REF. LB15 .B56 1970

When this ten-volume set was created in 1970, it was the first comprehensive education encyclopedia ever published. With more than 1,000 lengthy articles, it was designed to provide educators and researchers with a "view of the institutions and people, of the processes and products, found in educational practice. The articles deal with history, theory, research, and philosophy, as well as with the structure and fabric of education."

Biographical dictionary of American educators.
REF. LA2311 .B54

Developed to provide "a ready source of biographical information" on "1,665 educators, who have been major figures in the development of American education." Each entry includes the educator's education, employment, contributions to the field of education, and participation in professional activities. Included among criteria for selection, "persons who had been engaged in education, were eminent, had reached the age of sixty, had retired, or had died by January 1, 1975."

Encyclopedia of educational research.
REF. LB15 .M621992

Sponsored by the American Educational Research Association and "intended to summarize the research on educational topics of relevance", this four-volume set contains entries divided under 16 broader categories of research geared toward anyone dealing with research in education including educators, administrators, professionals, college students, and legislators. Lengthy articles with extensive reference lists provide background.

The International encyclopedia of teaching and teacher education.
REF. LB17 .I56

Organized by conceptual theme, the entries in this encyclopedia express "a view of knowledge about teaching and teacher education in the 1980's." The themes covered by the book include Concepts and Models, Methods and Paradigms for Research, Teaching Methods, Classroom Processes, Contextual Factors, and Teacher Education.

Encyclopedia of American education.
REF. LB17 .U541996

Designed as an "easy-to-use reference for the entire educational community," this 3 volume set with almost 2,500 entries provides comprehensive reference information on all aspects American education giving an overview of each topic. Each entry contains a bibliography of the references used, which the researcher can consult for further information.

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Statistics/School Directories

Education state rankings 2002-2003: Pre K-12 education in the United States.
REF. LA217.2 .E38 2002

If you want the education stats by state, this is the book for you. This text allows the reader to compare how each state's PreK-12 educational systems rank per state on such issues as enrollment, teacher salaries, graduation rates, test scores, school safety information, special education data, class size, funding, etc.

Illinois public schools, public school districts, other education units: directory.
REF. L903.I3 D563

Compiled by the State Board of Education, this directory lists all public school districts within the state of Illinois by county, including for each the school name, administrator, address, city, and phone number.

Patterson's American education.
REF. L901 .P3

In entries arranged alphabetically by state, this volume contains the contact information for "11,044 public school districts, 29,441 public secondary schools, 5,862 private and Catholic secondary schools, and more than 7,000 post-secondary schools."

The school code of Illinois.
REF. LB2523 .I44

This book contains the Illinois laws for schools. "This 1998 edition of the Illinois School Code and Related Laws is a special publication compiled by the Lexis Law Publishing for the Illinois Association of School Boards. It consists of the School Code and numerous other statutes selected by the IASB staff for their relevance to public school governance and administration."

Illinois teacher salary study.
REF. LB2842.2 .I42

Conducted annually since 1970, the Illinois State Board of Education compiles this report containing selected information on "teacher salary policies, salary schedules, actual salaries paid, and fringe benefits." Most tables are divided up by district enrollment.

Private business and vocational schools with instructional programs approved to operate in Illinois.
REF. LC1046.I3 P7501 1998-1999

"This publication contains the names, addresses, and program offerings of private business and vocational schools approved to operate in Illinois during the current approval year."

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Teacher Resources

Elementary teachers guide to free curriculum materials
REF. LB1044.88 .E58 2000

"The 2000-2001 Elementary Teachers Guide provides busy (and cash strapped) educators with information about 1,212 free books, teacher's guides, charts, posters, maps, articles and more to help save money and enrich the classroom." This manual also provides hints for how to make your requests more successful, plus an index at the back to make searching easier.

10,000 ideas for term papers, projects, reports, and speeches : intriguing, original research topics for every student's need
REF. LB1047.3 .L35 1998

Exactly like it says, this book contains 10,000 different ideas for researching and writing. A table of contents in the front allows the reader to choose a topical category to browse, and a key of symbols gives hints to the potential ease or difficulty of the idea.

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Philosophy/Psychology

Philosophy of education: an encyclopedia.
REF. LB17 .P4851996

Perfect for seeking background information on any topic about the philosophy of education, this book was "designed to show the diversity of topics that contribute to the study of the philosophy of education." This one volume encyclopedia contains 228 signed articles written by educational professionals; most articles are 600-5,000 words in length, containing a bibliography and a list of resources for further reference.

Mentoring: a comprehensive annotated bibliography of important references.
REF. LB1027.5 .M46 1986

This annotated bibliography contains references for dissertations, theses, articles, papers from conference proceedings, books, program descriptions, as well as references and movies for further learning. All materials are collected into this source to help both "novices and experts on mentoring" understand this "time-proven way of helping people achieve personal and professional excellence."

Encyclopedia of school psychology.
REF. LB1027.55 .E523 2005

Alphabetically listed entries in this one volume reference text provide "both an introduction to the field and a way for experienced practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of how school psychology has progressed to match the demands of the 21st century." Each of the page or longer articles contains a reference list for further reading, plus a reader's guide at the beginning of the volume allows the user to see which broader categories each article could fit under.

Critical thinking and learning: an encyclopedia for parents and teachers.
REF. LB1590.3 .C735 2004

This encyclopedia "lays out a new theory of critical thinking that is informed by a variety of innovations in social, political, philosophical, pedagogical, and cognitive scholarship. It serves as both a source for rethinking critical thinking and for providing teachers with specific examples of how such ideas can be practically employed."

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Literacy

A Dictionary of reading and related terms.
REF. LB1049.98 .D53

The purpose of this dictionary was to define commonly used terms in regard to reading and its related disciplines, and to "clarify the meanings of these terms." This volume contains approximately 5,400 terms, selected because of their relevance to literature.

The literacy dictionary : the vocabulary of reading and writing
REF. LB1049.98 .L581995

Designed to help "educational practitioners, researchers, and other interested persons in the national and international community to understand terms used in contemporary and historical writings about literacy." This updated volume includes "deeper understandings of the social nature of language development and of the constructive nature of learning, the development of holistic views of curriculum and instruction, and more comprehensive, innovative ways of assessing learning."

Adult literacy/illiteracy in the United States: a handbook for reference and research.
REF. LC151 .C64

By laying a foundation of facts as the groundwork for understanding literacy and its role in our lives and society, this book hopes to lead to "effective action" to the challenges of illiteracy. Information such as statistics, chronology, biographical sketches of key contributors, a directory or organizations, associations, and government agencies, reference materials listing, and computer resources provide a wide variety of "viewpoints and approaches".

Literacy and Learning: A Reference Handbook
REF LC 151 .B58 2002

This comprehensive book searches to answer the questions, "what is literacy?" and "how do we achieve it?" and includes chapters exploring entire concept of literacy, explaining the history of literacy, and looks at where we're going. Each of the 10 chapters contains a summary section and a list of references for further study.

Literacy in America: an encyclopedia of history, theory, and practice.
REF. LC151 .L487 2002

"This two volume encyclopedia provides a comprehensive overview of the study and teaching of literacy in the United States. It addresses the learning and practice of multiple literacies, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and such 'new literacies' as popular culture, media, and technology." Entries range in length from 500 to 4,000 words, and they include references for further information about each topic.

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Special Education and Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities sourcebook: basic information about disorders such as dyslexia, visual and auditory processing deficits, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and autism, along with statistical and demographic data, reports on current research initiatives, an explanation of the assessment process, and a special section for adults with learning disabilities.
REF. LC4705 .L434 1998

The subtitle pretty much says it all; divided into parts (which focus on broad areas of interest) and chapters (that look at more specific topics within that broader area), "this book is designed to give parents and other concerned individuals the information they need to understand the underlying medical theories about learning disabilities, current diagnostic methods, and approaches to treatment."

Dictionary of special education and rehabilitation.
REF. LC3957 .V471997

With word-by-word alphabetization, this text defines the vocabulary specific to the field of special education and rehabilitation. Terms that can be used for cross-referencing are included in each entry in italics. Included in the back of the book are listings of common abbreviations and acronyms, associations and national centers, legal terms, periodicals and journals for the field, and sources for legal assistance.

Dictionary of reading and learning disability.
REF. LC4019 .B88

"Compiled to serve teachers in the fields of reading and learning disabilities," this alphabetized text provides definitions for relevant terms as they are related to the field of practice. Appendices are included for the sources of the definitions and common standardized tests.

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Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood Education: An International Encyclopedia
REF. LB 1139.23 .E272 2007

This four volume set "discusses key historical and contemporary issues, research, theoretical perspectives, national policies, and practices... including accountability, assessment, biculturalism, bullying, child abuse, early intervention, ethnicity, Head Start, IDEA, No Child Left Behind, and Zero to three."

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Issues and Topics in Education

Handbook of research on multicultural education.
REF. LC1099.3 .H35 2004

This volume divided into 12 parts each containing multiple chapters written by experts in the field was devised to bring together the major research and scholarship related to multicultural education; a resource of great breadth for those interested in the topic.

Defining and assessing learning: exploring competency-based initiatives: report of the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative Working Group on Competency-Based Initiatives in Postsecondary Education.
REF. LC1032 .D446 2002

This text "examines the use of competency-based initiatives across postsecondary education in the United States and presents principles that underlie successful implementation drawn from selected case studies." What that mean, is that this book contains studies about student achievement in postsecondary education.

School violence: a reference handbook.
REF. LB3013.3 .K681997

This volume covers "national opinion on the subject, various theories of violence, risk factors, the availability of weapons to young people, and educational reform, as well as state and federal legislation. Also included are biographical sketches of individuals who have studied or worked to abolish violence in schools; a chronology of events associated with the topic; revealing statistics; and annotated lists of print and nonprint resources for further study."

Religion in the schools: a reference handbook.
EF. LC111 .J87 1998

This "handbook examines how the issue of religion in the schools has had a polarizing effect on communities, and how the courts and legislatures have shaped the nature of the debate." Components addressed include a historical overview of the topic's background, an exploration of key conflict areas, a chronology, biographical sketches, important documents, court cases, relevant quotations, directory of organizations, and additional resources.

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Reform

Encyclopedia of student and youth movements
REF. LA186 .B87 1998

In an alphabetical listing focusing on "events, organizations, and people that had either a large impact at the time of their appearance or a large influence on subsequent events or both," this book includes such topics as "political rebellion, religious proselytizing or reform, militarism, pacifism, civil rights, communism, conservatism, and even various forms of oppression." With a bibliography for further research and cross-referencing throughout the author chronicles student-youth movements, providing descriptions, key terms, and explanations of events beginning with the Middle Ages.

Education reform
REF. LA212 .F75 2004

This Facts-on-File book provides "In one volume, all the essential tools: Overview of the topic, chronology of important events, glossary of terms, biographical listing, complete index, plus a fully annotated bibliography."

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Teacher Preparation/Certification

The making of a teacher: a report on teacher preparation in the U.S.
REF. LB1715 .F45 1999

The Center for Education Information asked educational institutions with teacher preparation programs to collect data about the individuals who were completing the programs in preparation to teach. A 36-item questionnaire was sent out to the directors of the 1,354 educational institutions, and this report is the results of that survey.

Alternative teacher certification: a state-by-state analysis.
REF. LB1771 .A47

This book contains an overview and introduction of, statistics about, state contacts for programs, and explanations of alternative a.k.a. non-traditional (undergraduate degree) teacher certification.

Requirements for certification: teachers, counselors, librarians, administrators for elementary schools, secondary schools, junior colleges.
REF. LB1771 .W6

In its 70th edition, this book "provides much-needed current information on certification requirements for all fifty states and the District of Columbia."

A guide to college programs in teacher preparation.
REF. LB2165 .G75 1999

According to this guide, of the "more than 1,000 institutions with programs to prepare teachers in the U.S. today. Of these, 500 have received the profession's seal of approval." This guide describes the programs of those approved institutions in a state-by-state list.

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Higher Ed. Resources for the Teacher in Professional Preparation

Directory of higher education, prepared by the Illinois Board of Higher Education
REF. L903.I5 I5

This publication contains information on higher education institutions in Illinois. Sure we've got the 2001 copy in the reference collection, but how about the 2007 version? That's even better huh. Check that out from the State of Illinois Board of Higher Education

Peterson's annual guides/undergraduate study. Guide to four-year colleges.
REF. L901 .P44 2007

Three books in one, this guide offers proviles of more than 2,500 colleges in the U.S. and Canada, "get-to-know information written by college officials, and majors listings" so that you'll be able to tell which schools have the degree you're thinking about.

Peterson's graduate and professional programs.
REF. L901 .P461

An impressive multi-volume set, the Peterson's guides provide "comprehensive information on graduate programs and degrees at more than 2,000 institutions." The first volume provides an overview of the institutions as a whole, while books 2 through 6 are devoted to specific fields of study.

Peterson's guide to private secondary schools, 1998-99.
REF. L900 .P482

This 19th edition includes detailed information on 1,500 accredited private secondary schools worldwide including day, boarding, religious, military, junior boarding, and special needs schools.

College degrees by mail & modem, 1999 : 100 accredited schools that offer bachelor's, master's, doctorates, and law degrees by home study.
REF. L901 .C65 1999

After giving a thorough overview of why people seek to receive their degrees by non-traditional means, the authors go through the steps necessary to help the reader locate a best match school to meet their needs, the application process, and checking accreditation. The second portion profiles 100 accredited schools that offer degrees by home study. A myriad of appendices provide more interesting information, including scam schools with explanations, glossary, and an index.

The HEP: higher education directory.
REF. L901 .E34

As a listing of accredited higher education institutions, this directory provides detailed descriptions of the schools divided alphabetically by state. Millikin is on page 141.

Internships.
REF. L901 .I66

This directory provides comprehensive information on internship opportunities available across the nation. The "listings are categorized according to the type of company or organization that sponsors the internship." Each profile contains a brief description of the hosting organization, the type, number, and description of positions available, benefits, international internship opportunities, and contact information.

100 classic books about higher education: a compendium and essays. /
REF. LB2322.2 .A19 2001

Listing annotatedly what the authors consider the "100 most important and influential books about U.S. colleges and universities in the 20th century," this short title also including three essays by the authors, hopes to provide useful insight into the importance of higher education and primary literature to aid in research.

Handbook of accreditation
REF. LB2331.615.U6 H5 2003

"The primary audience for this Handbook is organizations affiliated with or seeking affiliation with the Higher Learning Commission. The Handbook provides a useful overview of the Commission as well as basic introductions to the various programs for seeking and reaffirming accreditation." It provides "essential information without the instructions and details that are best discussed when organizations are involved in the processes."

Peterson's college money handbook.
REF. LB2337.2 .C65

Peterson's Handbook provides "step-by-step explanation of the student financial aid process along with complete descriptions of financial aid programs at more than 1,800 colleges and universities" (Millikin's on page 430). It also claims to have an "exclusive chart showing what parents and students actually pay on average at each college."

2002 national directory of scholarships, internships, and fellowships for Latino youth.
REF. LB2337.2 .N385 2002

This "directory includes information for Latino students and young professionals wishing to finance their higher education and/or enhance their educational and professional experience with leadership development opportunities."

Peterson's scholarships, grants & prizes.
REF. LB2337.2 .P48

A wonderful and up-to-date resource for finding the right scholarship to help finance your higher education, Peterson's includes the details you need on more than 1.6 million awards, such as eligibility requirements, award amounts, application deadlines, tips to avoid scams, and information about online financial aid resources. "Quick-reference charts and indexes" will make searching easy while you try to figure out which awards are good matched for you.

American college regalia: a handbook.
REF. LB3630 .S64

Divided by state and then in alphabetical order, this book contains the school name, address, nickname, colors, mascot, newspaper name, yearbook name, alma mater song, and fight song for the 469American colleges and universities with an enrollment of 2,500 students and above who responded to the book editor's request for information.

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Ask a librarian at the Research Assistance Desk
for help in locating these sources.

Electronic Reference Sources

The Educator's Reference Desk

A "virtual library" of resources with lesson plans and materials, ERIC resources, information guides and more.

Chronicle of Higher Education

Highlights and contents of the weekly edition, includes the job listings for that week.

Financial Aid Information

Includes a glossary of financial aid terms as well as information about grants, loans and scholarships from both government and nongovernment sources. Also provides links to related sites.

Peterson's College Guides

Online versions of the printed guides. Guides to undergraduate, graduate and vocational-technical schools. Searchable by name or location. Includes a section on postgraduate education for executives.

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