Illinois: The State and Its Educational System.

Illinois, a large and predominantly urban state, is growing very slowly. It has not done well in creating new jobs; manufacturing jobs declined more and service jobs increased less than nationwide. The state is, however, a national leader in beef, hog, and soybean production. Chicago, in addition to being the financial capital of the Midwest, is one of the three places in the country where law and finance have converged to form a massive new industry related to "the making of money." Chicago has outstanding facilities for higher education, with 34 private colleges and universities and 25 public ones. The state's per capita income to per pupil expenditure ratio suggests, though, that Illinois is seriously deficient in its support of public education. Within Chicago, there are no predominantly low-income White schools and no middle-class Black or Hispanic schools; virtually all minority innercity high schools lack basic precollegiate courses. Illinois has succeeded in building a major system of higher education, including both public and private institutions, that is diverse and of high quality. Although funding has been inconsistent in recent years, the system still works well, even though it seems to ignore the unique needs of Chicago. (20 references) (KM)