Resources
Providing educators at all levels with direct access to the resources that they need is one important element of the work of the Illinois P-20 Network. Resources and the topics covered here are based on the needs of Network partners and current areas of focus.
| Illinois P-20 Resources | College & Career Readiness Resources |
| Successful Transitions to Postsecondary Learning | NIU P-20 Research & Data Collaborative |
Illinois P-20 Resources
Education in Illinois is governed by multiple state agencies (listed in the right sidebar), a network of Regional Offices of Education to provide additional administration over and collaboration with local school districts, and a network of community colleges, which have geographic boundaries like school districts. Additionally, there 852 school districts, and there are 48 community colleges in Illinois. The following resources can be helpful in understanding:
- Illinois Education & Workforce Interactive Overlap Map – including school districts, community colleges, public universities
- Regional Office of Education – Community College Overlay Map (PDF)
- Regional Office of Education – Community College Overlay List
College & Career Readiness Resources
Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework – The PaCE Framework provides one important foundation for college and career readiness as it identifies key skills and experiences for students at different points on their journey through the grade levels. The Illinois P-20 Network offers Administrator Academy workshops, which teachers can also attend and earn Professional Development Hours, focused on learning about and developing a custom framework in one’s own school district. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission also provides leadership in supporting school districts in developing and implementing their own PaCE Framework.
Career Pathway Endorsements – Career Pathway Endorsements in Illinois offer students the opportunity to earn an “Endorsement” on their high school diploma/transcript, and this Endorsement demonstrates that students have mastered a body of competencies in a particular Career Pathway after a specific sequence of courses (including multiple courses offering early college credit) and after a range of work-based learning experiences, including team-based challenges and an internship. The Illinois P-20 Network is here to support school districts with all aspects of planning for and implementation of the Career Pathway Endorsements.
- Illinois P-20 Network Career Pathways User Group – Join today!
- Career Development Experience Toolkit
- Elements of a Career Pathway Team-Based Challenge
- Illinois Career Pathways Dictionary (PDF)
Career Pathways Virtual Trailheads YouTube Series – Launched just after the shelter-in-place order due to COVID-19 went into effect in Illinois in March 2020, Career Pathways Virtual Trailheads is a YouTube series in which professionals in a wide range of careers are interviewed about their work and the path that they took into their current role. These interviews provide one form of virtual work-based learning experiences for students whether they are learning remotely or in the classroom, and these videos can supplement other career experiences while providing insight about the cross-sector essential employability skills.
Successful Transitions to Postsecondary Learning
Dual Credit – Students who participate in early college credit courses while still in high school have more successful postsecondary learning experiences in colleges and universities. Dual credit courses across the curriculum provide significant opportunities to all students who participate.
The Illinois P-20 Network Dual Credit Think Tank is continually looking to improve policies around and support for dual credit in order to ensure that all students in all schools across all regions of Illinois can participate and benefit. If you are interested in learning more or becoming involved, email p20network@niu.edu.
Key dual credit resources from the state agencies include:
- Illinois State Board of Education Dual Credit Website
- Illinois Community College Board Dual Credit Website
- Illinois State Board of Education – Illinois Community College Board Dual Credit Model Partnership Agreement
Transitional Instruction – To successfully achieve in a community college or university setting, students need a strong foundation of skills in math and literacy. When students graduate from high school and are placed into courses designed to remediate skills that they were expected to have previously mastered, students tend to be less likely to advance or complete their degrees. Additionally, students must spend limited financial aid on non-credit bearing classes just to begin fully participating in their postsecondary learning experiences. To address, Illinois’s Postsecondary Workforce Readiness (PWR) Act provided the foundation on which today’s Transitional Math and Transitional English classes are being implemented.
- Transitional Math – There are three pathways that Illinois schools can offer for Transitional Math: STEM, Qualitative Literacy/Statistics, and Technical Math. Learn more about Transitional Math at the official Illinois Transitional Math website, including accessing specific Transitional Math curriculum information by pathway.
- Transitional English – Educators from across school districts, community colleges, and universities gathered alongside representatives of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Community College Board, and the Illinois Board of Higher Education throughout the 2019-2020 school year to develop the Transitional English Competencies and Course Parameters. Public comments were captured throughout June and July 2020, and the Illinois P-20 Network will continue to provide updates on the development of Transitional English in our Newsfeed.
NIU P-20 Research & Data Collaborative
The Illinois P-20 Network is a member of the Northern Illinois University P-20 Research & Data Collaborative. Illinois P-20 Network staff participate in the research process, project management, and authorship of statewide and local research and evaluation projects through the NIU P-20 Research & Data Collaborative. Learn more about…