Exploring the ISBE Equity Journey Continuum
The Fall 2023 Illinois P-20 Network meeting consisted primarily of worktime for each of three key Illinois P-20 Network workgroups: Dual Credit Think Tank, IPIE, and KEEP Illinois. A summary of the IPIE workgroup worktime follows below.
The Illinois Partnership of Educators for Inclusion and Equity (IPIE) focused its workgroup time on engaging in a data-driven equity workshop. IPIE is dedicated to connecting DEI leaders from school districts, community colleges, and universities across Illinois and to share resources across the group on a consistent basis. This workshop, led by Shavina Baker and Eric Junco, unveiled a treasure trove of resources including the group’s listserv using Google Groups, an online chat space using Discord, a web-based resource bank, and details about NIU’s Social Justice Summer Camp. These resources are intended to support equity leaders in their efforts to create positive changes and to support personal and professional learning in their communities.
This workshop gave participants an overview of how to incorporate data into their conversations around equity within their school districts using key features from the Illinois Report Card, specifically the Data Library and the Custom Report Card Builder. Participants engaged in rich discussions on student achievement, opportunity gaps, and student discipline data. The workshop also gave participants examples on how these data points could assist in writing an action plan for addressing these gaps within their Equity Journey Continuum narratives.
IPIE participants expressed appreciation for the session through their feedback. Attendees described the session as “very powerful and practical,” appreciating the “fresh perspectives on opportunity gaps and best practices.” Another view of the disparities that participants found between groups of students in their district’s data fostered a newfound awareness and created a sense of urgency to address these issues. As part of the session’s focus on the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) Illinois Report Card website, the ISBE Equity Journey Continuum was central to the workshop’s activities. As a result of the discussions, participants advocated for the inclusion of specific achievement and opportunity gap data within their districts’ Equity Journey Continuum text to foster transparency. Additionally, given the public nature of the Equity Journey Continuum statements, these cannot only be used to inform community members but as a way for districts to find partners working towards the same goals and/or with similar strategies and action plans. This workshop provided a strong foundation for continued collective action and encouraged new participants to join IPIE in an effort to bridge existing gaps and to achieve equitable outcomes in education.
The final portion of the Illinois P-20 Network meeting included each workgroup providing a summary of their work to all participants. Then, small group discussions considered what the 1-year and 3-year specific task priorities should be for the Illinois P-20 Network. As a next step, the Network’s leadership team will compile all of those suggested priorities, analyze them, and may then solicit additional feedback from across the Illinois P-20 Network. Ultimately, the goal will be that there are specific, actionable, and sustainable next steps for each of the workgroups.
November 2023