Areas of Focus
The Illinois P-20 Network is designed to build relationships vertically from educational organizations working with newborns and toddlers to higher education and ongoing adult education. Through this collective work, the Illinois P-20 Network seeks to emphasize the importance of the entire continuum of lifelong learning. The Network’s goal of influencing federal and state policies and implementing engaging, effective assessment and instructional practices ensures that all people in Illinois benefit from the best education throughout their lives.
Areas of Focus are responsive to the needs of P-20 Network partners, and these Areas of Focus adjust over time according to the needs of the educational community in Illinois. Each current Area of Focus is described below. Links to additional resources in each of these areas are available on the Resources page.
College & Career Readiness
Working across the P-20 continuum, the Illinois P-20 Network champions policies and practices that ensure that all students have success in both postsecondary education and in careers beyond that. The Illinois P-20 Network continues to work and provide supports in a number of areas of College and Career Readiness, including:
- PaCE Framework
- Career Pathway Endorsements, including the Career Pathways User Group and the Career Pathways Virtual Trailheads YouTube series
- Dual Credit, including the work of the Illinois P-20 Network’s Dual Credit Think Tank
- Transitional Instruction
Equity & Opportunity
The foundation of all work undertaken by the Illinois P-20 Network is rooted in ensuring that all students and organizations have the resources, structures, and strategies necessary to ensure high-level learning. Equal educational opportunities requires a focus on outcomes and the engagement of communities and educators in the processes of creating and implementing programs and strategies for learning. Examples of the P-20 Network’s focus on equity and opportunity across the tremendous diversity of Illinois can be found in:
- The reporting efforts of the Illinois Report Card and the Illinois Postsecondary Profiles websites.
- Work with individual schools and teachers on curriculum, instruction, and assessment, such as Career Pathway Endorsements Team-Based Challenges.
- The work of the Illinois P-20 Network’s Dual Credit Think Tank to increase the accessibility of early college credit for all students.
NIU P-20 Research & Data Collaborative
The Illinois P-20 Network is a member of the Northern Illinois University P-20 Research & Data Collaborative. From Early Childhood through Higher Education and from small, rural school districts to statewide research, the P-20 Research & Data Collaborative offers the expertise and resources to advance learning for students, organizations, communities, and policymakers.