Read more about the article UI system repeatedly denies Daily Illini FOIA requests
Bercham Kamber/The Daily Illini.

UI system repeatedly denies Daily Illini FOIA requests

Amid allegations of sexual misconduct on campus, The Daily Illini has filed six requests for documents relating to sexual misconduct claims. All six requests have been denied, even when they were only for an aggregate number of complaints.

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How schools can help kids traumatized by gun violence

Children are among the most traumatized by gun violence in the community, and that trauma can affect their mental and physical health, behavior and academic performance. Lee Gaines looks at what schools and community groups are doing to help.

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‘No Taxpayer Dollars’ for coaches at the University of Illinois? It’s a lie

The Multimillion-Dollar Head Fake is an investigative project by Jay Rosenstein, a University of Illinois professor of Media and Cinema Studies, on how the University of Illinois spends state money on its athletic department despite claims to the contrary. Here part one of a four-part series as presented on Rosenstein's website. It was also featured in the Huffington Post, the Champaign News Gazette, Illinois Public Media and the Chicago Tribune.

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Read more about the article Champaign schools implement coding curriculumDarrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org
Kevin Zhu shows off some of his coding in his third grade class at Kenwood Elementary School in Champaign on November 7.

Champaign schools implement coding curriculum

Champaign Unit 4 Schools have implemented a curriculum based around coding, beginning in kindergarten and going all the way up through high school. The students have designated time each week to learn how to code through the programming language Scratch.

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Read more about the article Physical accessibility issues persist at University of Illinois 27 years after ADASteffie Drucker/For CU-CitizenAccess
A $60 million renovation helped Lincoln Hall become more accessible.

Physical accessibility issues persist at University of Illinois 27 years after ADA

While the University of Illinois has been called a pioneer in providing accessibility and support for students with disabilities, certain simple items — such as buttons to call and operate the elevator in Gregory Hall — remain out of reach.

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Read more about the article Despite reputation, University of Illinois struggles with web accessibilityDarrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess
Tim Offenstein, lead information design specialist and campus accessibility liaison at the University of Illinois, shows a page he is checking for accessibility in his office at the Digital Computing Lab in Urbana on May 16, 2017.

Despite reputation, University of Illinois struggles with web accessibility

If Tim Offenstein had to grade the University of Illinois in terms of web accessibility, he said he would give a B or C+.

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Read more about the article Federal civil rights investigation into University of Illinois web accessibility launched
A copy of the notification of a civil rights investigation launched by the Department of Education sent to Chancellor Robert Jones.

Federal civil rights investigation into University of Illinois web accessibility launched

The University of Illinois is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights because many university web pages are allegedly inaccessible to those with disabilities, according to an official notification sent to Chancellor Robert Jones on April 10.

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Read more about the article New law allows Illinois schools access to students’ social media passwordsDarrell Hoemann
Champaign Unit 4 school district attorney Tom Hockman with a screen of some of the district's digital media policies in his office in Champaign on Wednesday, April 1, 2015.

New law allows Illinois schools access to students’ social media passwords

Teenage cyberbullies across Illinois might want to think twice before posting anything mean or reckless on social media ever again. Illinois public school administrators now have the authority to demand a student’s social media account password if the school suspects the student of violating a disciplinary rule or policy, thanks to a new law implemented earlier this year.

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Read more about the article Free and reduced-cost lunches served up at Champaign County schoolsDarrell Hoemann
Peaches are served to a student at Booker T. Washington school in Champaign, Il on Monday, April 13, 2015.

Free and reduced-cost lunches served up at Champaign County schools

The number of children receiving free and reduced-cost lunches in Champaign County is on the rise as numbers across the country decline. Of the school districts that reported, more than 51 percent of children in the county are receiving free or reduced cost lunches, up 2 percent from 2014, according to state education data.

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Read more about the article Head Start, Early Head Start struggle with fundingDarrell Hoemann
Head Start director Cameron Moore in a classroom at the Champaign facility on Wednesday, April 1, 2015.

Head Start, Early Head Start struggle with funding

The Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Champaign County spent about $6.8 million last year to prepare young children from low-income families for kindergarten. But it is not enough. Although the programs serve nearly 600 children, there are still 230 on the waiting list.

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