Milisav Ilic
He/His | milisav.ilic@alliant.edu
Educational Leadership and Management | Adjunct Professor
Biography
Milisav Ilic, Ed.D. is an education leader and scholar-practitioner whose work focuses on educational equity, student mobility, and system design in K–12 and postsecondary-adjacent contexts. His research and professional practice examine how education policy is implemented at the system level, with particular attention to juvenile justice education, foster youth services, alternative education, and credit portability.
Dr. Ilic has held senior leadership roles in county and district educational agencies, where he has overseen student services, legal compliance, and cross-agency coordination. His work on partial credit and reentry has supported districts in aligning practice with state and federal education law while redesigning systems to prevent learning loss for highly mobile students.
Through teaching, writing, and professional development, Dr. Ilic engages educators and leaders in bridging policy, practice, and continuous improvement. His scholarship emphasizes accountability, system coherence, and the moral dimensions of educational leadership.
Professional Interests
Dr. Ilic’s professional and research interests center on educational equity, student mobility, and system design in K–12 education. His work examines how education policy is implemented at the organizational level, with particular attention to alternative education, partial credit, credit portability, juvenile justice education, foster youth services, and reentry pathways. He is especially interested in how discretion, technology, and accountability structures shape student outcomes, and how leaders can redesign systems to ensure continuity of learning for highly mobile and system-impacted students.
Education and Certifications
Doctor of Education, Administrative Leadership for Teaching and Learning, Walden University, Minneapolis, MN: Master of Arts in Music Composition and Performance Practice, University of California, Santa Cruz: Bachelor of Music, History and Theory, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON: California Administrative Services Credential: California Single Subject Teaching Credential (Music): California Crosscultural, Language and Academic Development (CLAD)
Scholarship & Contributions to the Field
Dr. Ilic’s scholarship contributes to the fields of educational leadership, policy implementation, and equity-focused system design. His work advances understanding of how partial credit, credit portability, and student mobility are operationalized within K–12 systems, particularly for youth impacted by juvenile justice involvement and foster care. By bridging legal analysis, organizational theory, and practitioner knowledge, he has helped shift the conversation from compliance-based approaches to design-based equity. His contributions inform district and county policy development, leadership preparation, and continuous improvement efforts aimed at preventing learning loss during educational transitions.