The Success Network: Supporting Partnerships and Coalitions that Strengthen Student Opportunities and Outcomes

A few short weeks ago, the Illinois Education and Career Success Network wrapped up its 11th annual conference. This year’s convening, Awareness to Action: Promoting Equity in Education and Careers, was targeted to secondary and postsecondary education partners, workforce development entities, community-based organizations, advocacy organizations, state agency partners, and national partners who are interested in equitably increasing the number of individuals with a college degree or postsecondary credential in Illinois. Across various sessions, attendees delved into topics such as access to quality education, workforce development, and eliminating systemic barriers that hinder opportunities.  

 “It was wonderful to see over 360 participants from across the State come together to learn, collaborate, and share best practices,” said Cheryl Flores, Director of Community Engagement at Advance Illinois. "It was inspiring to be with so many leaders with such a strong commitment to ensuring students are supported as they progress to and through postsecondary education and into the workforce.”  

 In 2009, the Illinois P-20 Council,  a statewide council that makes recommendations to the Governor, Illinois General Assembly, and state agencies for developing a sustainable statewide system of high-quality education and support from birth through adulthood, set a goal for Illinois to increase the number of individuals with high-quality college degrees and postsecondary credentials to 60% by 2025. While the P-20 Council and state agencies monitor progress against this goal and advocate for state policies that support it, it was clear that local effort and leadership was essential if Illinois was going to move the needle on getting students to and through postsecondary and into the workforce.  

 So in 2013, Advance Illinois, Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University (EdSystems), and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) collaborated to launch the 60 by 25 Network in 2013. The goal? To advance equitable postsecondary attainment in the state by working in partnership with state and local leaders to develop actionable strategies grounded in relevant data, research and best practice.  

 Eleven years later—and having renamed itself the Illinois Education and Career Success Network to make clear that it is committed to change beyond 2025– the Success Network supports communities around the state, working with stakeholders to gather and use data to set goals and monitor impact and collaborate with partners to develop sensible strategies to increase meaningful and equitable postsecondary attainment. The annual Success Network conference allows these networks and communities to come together to share best practices and lessons learned. And the interactive Leadership Community Dashboard helps communities visualize regional educational trend data, and group and compare their information with state averages.  

This year’s conference also spotlighted some timely and high-profile issues. Advance Illinois delivered presentations on "Why Illinois Needs an Equitable, Adequate, and Stable Higher Education Funding Approach" and "The State of Our Educator Pipeline: Strengths, Opportunities, and the Early Impact of COVID-19”. In the higher education funding session, Advance Illinois Senior Policy Associate Eyob Villa-Moges and Senior Policy Advisor Kelsey Bakken discussed challenges in Illinois’ current approach to funding its public universities, and walked the audience through recommendations being considered by the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding to make college more affordable, effective, and more equitable. [NOTE: The Commision has since released its recommendations and propose to increase overall funding to ensure each university has the resources they need to support their unique student body and mission, and to allocate new funds to universities furthest from full funding.  

“Illinois has disinvested in its public higher education system for two decades, and even in years when it attempted to increase funding, it did so using an historically inequitable system that has been driven more by political negotiation than student need. Sadly, the status quo does not serve either students or the state well," Villa-Moges said. “The Commission’s recommendations give us a blueprint to do better, enabling institutions to meet the challenges of educating their student body, both today, and tomorrow." 

And there may not be a hotter topic in the state than ongoing shortages in teachers, paraprofessionals and school counselors and social workers, and the reality that our educators do not come close to matching the diversity of our student population. Jim O’Connor, Project Director at Advance Illinois, shed some light on where we are making progress and where we still have challenges during a presentation “The State of Our Educator Pipeline 2023: Strengths, Opportunities, and the Early Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic”.  Jim noted that the supply of new teachers and principals has increased in recent years (and at a faster rate than the country as a whole), as has the diversity of candidates going into the profession, and districts have added over 5,000 new positions. However, many more educators are using emergency licensure (short-term approvals and provisional licenses), and the supply of paraprofessionals has declined.  As importantly, educator shortages are not the same regionally or by position. Vacancies are concentrated mainly in remote rural and urban districts, and vacancy rates are especially high in Special Education and Bilingual Education. Finally, and sadly, vacancies disproportionately impact Black and Latinx students, students from low-income households, English learners, and students with IEPs. As part of this session, Briana Morales, 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year and Josh Stafford, Superintendent, Vienna High School, presented teacher retention strategies that are working for their school communities.  

 “If we want all students to have the option to earn a postsecondary degree or credential, we have to care about everything from preschool and home visiting to the strength and diversity of our educators to the affordability of our community colleges and universities and their ability to support every student to and through school,” said Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois.  “And that takes teamwork. So we look forward to the work ahead and the many and powerful partnerships and coalitions and networks that are working everyday to make sure students have strong opportunities and outcomes.”

Strengthening the Illinois Educator Pipeline Should Involve Investing in the Student Teaching Experience

Student teaching is a vital part of an educator’s preparation. The experience gives them a chance to practice and hone their craft with the support of an experienced (cooperating) teacher.   

There’s room to improve this experience in Illinois. Student teachers and cooperating teachers face challenges as a result of being unpaid for their services. Given the backdrop of persistent teacher shortages in various subject areas and geographies, and the disparate impact this has on students across lines of race and income, it is timely and right to address this issue.    

Challenge: Student teaching poses a financial barrier for too many prospective teachers, especially prospective teachers of color. 

For many teaching candidates, student teaching means financial hardship during the 10-16 week period spent in school practicing their craft. It can mean cutting back on the part-time or full-time work necessary to pay for their living costs. A recent report from Teach Plus highlights how even adults already working as paraprofessionals or teaching assistants often need to take a leave of absence during their student teaching experience, requiring them to go without critical pay and benefits.    

The economic implications of being a student teacher have an impact on who makes it into the teaching profession. We know from research that affordability is a barrier into teaching generally, but especially for students of color, who are already sorely underrepresented in the educator workforce and who make a positive difference in classrooms. The more debt students take on, the less likely they are to go into lower wage professions like teaching, with higher education debt disproportionately impacting Black Teacher candidates.    

Challenge: Few cooperating teachers receive any compensation or support for their role, despite their importance to the quality of the student teaching experience. 

Since school districts generally do not compensate cooperating teachers for the additional responsibilities involved, experienced teachers are not exactly clamoring to take it on.    

This is unfortunate since cooperating teachers play a critical role in developing the next generation of educators. Being a cooperating teacher takes extra time, effort, patience, and mentoring skills. We know from research that teaching candidates placed with highly-effective cooperating teachers end up teaching like a third-year teacher in just their first year in the classroom.  That’s significant! 

Yet, 72% of educator preparation program staff report that it has become even more difficult to find cooperating teachers since COVID. The National Council on Teacher Quality’s 2020 review of about 1,200 prep programs found that only 10% of prep programs take an active role in screening for any cooperating teacher skills or qualifications. From our own survey of teacher preparation program staff, we estimate that less than 20% of cooperating teachers receive training for the role.   

Investments in enhancing and making the student teaching experience more affordable can help expand our pipeline and direct more candidates to the districts and schools that need them.  

According to our recent report, The State of the Educator Pipeline, 2023, Illinois is dealing with an educator shortage in particular subject areas and geographies. The report’s findings underscore the need for strategic investments in the teacher pipeline that will help students from early childhood education (ECE) to 12th grade, along with students with special needs, students of color, and English Learners in particular, by addressing these challenges head on: 

• 3,532 unfilled teaching positions in Illinois in 2023, with 1/3 of them in Special Education 

• An additional 3,359 teachers are teaching on provisional licenses or short-term approvals, including 16% of bilingual teachers.   

• In 2023, about 61,000 students in Illinois did not have a fully certified teacher leading their classrooms. This disproportionately affected schools with more students from low-income households, Black and Latinx students. In fact, 35% of the state’s Black students are learning in high-vacancy schools (schools where 5% or more of their teaching positions are unfilled), compared to 15% of all students.  

Student teaching is a vital part of building pipelines in hard-to-staff schools and districts.  We know from Illinois research that the median distance from where someone went to high school and ends up teaching is 13 miles. We also know that  teaching candidates often wind up at the school where they completed their student teaching. Research from Washington state showed that 23% of teachers teach in the same district where they grew up but 37% of teachers teach in the same district where they did student teaching. If we could be more deliberate about where teaching candidates do their student teaching, we could specifically address the need for teachers in schools with the greatest need.   

Districts that deliberately invest in their student teacher pipeline are seeing those investments pay off.  An example is Rockford Public Schools District 205. Student teachers in Rockford Public Schools can earn from $6,250 to $20,000 depending on whether they are student teaching 16 or 32 weeks respectively.  Importantly, student teachers are placed with the most effective teachers in the district.  And these cooperating teachers can earn $10,000 annually and complete these duties as part of broader suite of Multi-Classroom Teacher Leader roles. Those selected to be cooperating teachers must be passionate about growing teachers, have demonstrated strong instructional skills, and  have a history of taking on informal and formal leadership roles within their school.  And the program is working. 76% of the program completers have reached or are on track tenure and the district has expanded its investments so that there are now 18 pre-service teachers in the full-year student teaching program.    

There is more Illinois can do to expand paid student teacher opportunities and strengthen compensation and supports for our cooperating teachers. This legislative session, Representative Faver-Dias introduced HB5414, which would: 

• Pay all student teachers in the state $10,000 and pay cooperating teachers $2,000. If full funding is not possible, priority would be given to student teachers with the highest demonstrated financial need, pursuing licensure in high need subject areas like early childhood, SPED, and bilingual and completing their student teaching in high need schools.  

• Ensure that participating cooperating teachers complete training that aligns with the state’s training for mentor teachers. 

• Prohibit teacher preparation programs from maintaining a policy that student teachers can't be paid.  

• Require an evaluation to better understand how to improve the program.   

If we pay student teachers and their cooperating teachers, ensure that our cooperating teachers are consistently trained, and encourage student teacher placement in high need subject areas and schools, the state will be strengthening a critical part of its teacher pipeline, responding to shortage areas, supporting its continued growth, and increasing its diversity. Taken together, this investment will move us closer to ensuring all PK-12 students have the teachers they need to fully realize their potential.     

Jim O’Connor is a Project Director for Advance Illinois. 

Using Data to Better Understand the Educator Workforce

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has been sharing a snapshot of the supply, demand, and educator shortages in Illinois for roughly twenty years. This past December, they released their latest version of the triennial Educator and Supply Report, featuring an ambitious and expanded scope. The report analyzes a wide set of metrics, using employment data from teachers, administrators, and support staff. 

There’s a great deal to dig into. For my part, having released a report this past fall on how the state has been doing in growing, preparing and retaining its educator workforce, especially amidst COVID, I found certain data points of particular interest. This included updated educator retention data from SY22-23, which suggest that teacher and principal retention has largely returned to pre-pandemic levels after a temporary 'boost' during the early pandemic years (though what these trends look like can depend on how you define ‘retention’). Interestingly, ISBE’s analysis also shows that the number of former educators returning to the profession, which decreased in the first year of the pandemic, still hasn’t bounced back. 

While these overall numbers are important, anyone who lives in Illinois knows that there are significant differences in educator supply and demand across communities and schools throughout the state. The most recent report embraces this geographic diversity, demonstrating how retention varies from region to region. 

There are real regional disparities across certain metrics. Yet ISBE’s analysis also makes clear that some challenges are consistent across the state. While the racial composition of public school students varies from place to place, every region in the state sees a profound gap between the percentage of students of color and percentage of teachers of color. It is both intuitive and substantially research-backed that a racially and ethnically diverse teacher workforce matters. Still, no matter where in Illinois you look, you’ll see a workforce that is far from representative of local students. 

Finally, the report reminds us that reality does not always reflect our expectations. For example, we know that there is high demand for bilingual and foreign language teachers. That said, data from the last three years show that rates at which completers of educator preparation programs were hired into Illinois public schools within one year of completion were lower for educators with bilingual and foreign language endorsements compared to educators endorsed in most other areas. 

To me, this exemplifies why reports—and data—like this matter; our assumptions about trends and challenges may not align with reality. On its own, data cannot fix what ails Illinois’ educator workforce. But it’s a critical tool for understanding where the real challenges actually are, how they manifest, and what it will take to address them. If we don’t accurately understand the problem, we may propose or invest in misguided solutions. ISBE’s report, in combination with other recent or upcoming research and analyses, is not only illuminating and important, but should help guide efforts to build out and support the educator workforce this coming legislative session and beyond. 

Mercedes Wentworth-Nice is a Senior Policy Associate for Advance Illinois. 

Educator Advisory Council: Welcome to the New Cohort

The best education policy is grounded in the experiences and input of those on the front lines of education everyday. For this reason, Advance Illinois formed the Educator Advisory Council (EAC) composed of educators from across the state. This past December, Advance Illinois welcomed the 2023-2025 EAC cohort, bringing together educators who span from early childhood to post-secondary, represent the rich diversity of the state, and collectively have over 300 years of experience leading both inside and outside the classroom. 

The EAC informs our policy recommendations by ensuring they are grounded in best practices. The EAC is one of the groups we rely on to help inform our perspective, push our thinking, and ensure that solutions to some of the most challenging and complex education issues are informed by one of the groups most impacted by these policies and decisions: educators. During their time with the council, members take a deep dive into our policy priorities, learn how to use their voice as advocates, develop a shared understanding of structural racism and how it shows up in the education system challenges we see today, and are afforded various leadership opportunities. We are fortunate to have a group of dedicated, experienced, and diverse educators join us and we look forward to their collective impact.  

Read more about the Educator Advisory Council.

Cheryl Flores is the Director of Community of Engagement for Advance Illinois.

Summer Q&A with Illinois Superintendent: Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, Peoria Public Schools District #150

This summer, we will get to know more about our Equity First superintendents. Advance Illinois’s Equity First coalition is an alliance of superintendents across Illinois that advocate for public policy that promotes equity in public education for students. The group gathers to discuss education policy and school community issues to help inform Advance Illinois’ education policy agenda and statewide policy broadly.  

In this week’s blog we converse with Peoria, Illinois superintendent Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat.

 Why did you go into the education field?

Education is a profession where you can see the impact that you are having on your students and your community. My why is to give each and every child a fighting chance for a good life. 

Tell us about your school district. What are some accomplishments you want to highlight from your school district?

Accomplishments include:  

• Virtual town hall meetings  

• Wraparound Center  

• Food pantry  

• Counseling  

• Respite  

• Modified calendar  

• District-wide literacy and math 

• Flexible seating (available in all K-8 buildings)  

• Dual Degree Option – HS diploma and Associates degree  

• Instrumental updates

What have been some of the challenges you’ve had or are addressing in your school district?

Ensuring that every child is reading in first grade or before.

How does EBF funding play a role in the success of the students you serve or the school district?

The best word to describe Peoria Public School (PPS)’s position in respect to the IL School Report Card is growth. 56% of PPS schools are designated commendable or higher, compared to only 39.1% in 2018-2019. Nine schools improved in designation compared to four in 2019. Charter Oak Primary School and Reservoir Gifted Middle School were recognized as exemplary schools, placing them in the top 10% of schools state-wide. Franklin Primary School, Harold B. Dawson Jr. Middle School, and Manual High School, 3 schools located in some of the most distressed zip codes in the State, rose from the lowest designation to commendable. Peoria Public Schools places equity practices at the forefront of every strategy and implementation. As we continue our path forward, we will invest in innovative and well-proven strategies to support our school improvement efforts with the following: 

High School Graduation Rate – Intense and deliberate credit recovery and alternative schools allow students to work at their own pace AND at the most convenient times of their day. Constant contact with home school liaisons and deliberate intervention services ensures students stay the course and has had a large impact on outcomes.  

Freshmen on Track – Teachers have all developed specific competencies and allow students to learn from mistakes. The ability to reassess has helped students move more successfully to their sophomore year.  

Attendance - A combination of door-to-door home visits followed by monthly data analysis meetings, interventions, and celebrations have made large improvements in attendance, tardies, and chronic absenteeism.  

Opportunities for Advanced Learning – Improved engagement by expanded options of and access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses while maintaining a strong International Baccalaureate (IB) high school and providing dual enrollment opportunities for students through dual credit courses within the high school setting (both traditional college and CTE pathways) and opportunities for students to spend full days of their junior and senior year on the community college campus.  

Career Pathways – Expansion of career and technical pathway opportunities has increased industry credentials earned by students to over 600 with most students earning at least two credentials, certifications, licenses, and dual credit.  

Curriculum Revitalization – Breathing new life into curriculum and professional development impacting mathematics, Science, English/Language Arts, and Social Studies (including newly adopted Black History curriculum for middle school and high school students) has realigned learning to much higher levels of rigor while still providing intervention support. The literacy framework has been restructured so students are reading at grade level by third grade. Students writing every day is an additional focus to increase proficiency. Individual devices are also more readily available in classrooms. Innovation – Hiring parents as Parent Advocates provides support throughout school buildings while improving parent-teacher relationships. Our International Teacher Exchange program also allows students to learn from teachers from diverse countries.  

Social Emotional – In addition to counseling supports present at each school, the district added two alternative programs to provide SEL and academic supports for primary and middle school students. School Resource Officers focus on intervening and mentoring students. The Justice Advocate staff are assigned to students who are actively engaged with the law. As a result, more students are back in school with a recidivism rate lower than what is seen state-and-nationwide.  

Assistance - Unique to our District is the Wraparound Center where individuals can receive food assistance, counseling services, services for victims and relatives of violent crime, juvenile probation services, programs for single parents, drug and alcohol treatment, legal services, employment training, and certification programs.  

The growth of Peoria Public Schools is a testament to our skilled educators, dedicated board members, resilient students and families, and critical/constant support from community partners and the wider Peoria community. With a clear vision and well-demonstrated strategies, we will continue to accelerate learning and provide more opportunities and growth for a remarkable future for every student. 

What resources and supports can further benefit your school? Or what resources/supports have made a positive difference? 

Additional funding would allow us to do the following to benefit our students such as: 

• Providing additional security staff in its schools.  

• Provide reading recovery teachers to accelerate reading achievement thereby closing the disparity in academic skills of students in our classrooms. 

• Provide more classroom teachers in reading recovery and middle school algebra to augment academic intervention opportunities for our students and provide an earlier and enriched math exposure students would otherwise not have. 

Fun fact about yourself: 

I was a roller-skating champion when I was a kid. 

Summer Q&A with Illinois Superintendent: Dr. Chuck Lane, Centralia High School District #200

This summer, we will get to know more about our Equity First superintendents. Advance Illinois’s Equity First coalition is an alliance of superintendents across Illinois that advocate for public policy that promotes equity in public education for students. The group gathers to discuss education policy and school community issues to help inform Advance Illinois’ education policy agenda and statewide policy broadly.  

In this week’s blog we converse with Centralia, Illinois superintendent Dr. Chuck Lane.

Why did you go into the education field?

I thought I could make a difference in the lives of children and adults. I also remembered how enthusiastic and happy my teachers were in high school and how they seemed to enjoy coming to work every day. That made a lasting impression on me. 

Tell us about your school district. What are some accomplishments you want to highlight from your school district? What have been some of the challenges you’ve had or are addressing in your school district? 

We’ve been able to invest substantially in technology over the last few years. In becoming a 1:1 district, we’ve given our students the necessary technical tools to be successful in today’s workplace. We have continued to add more dual credit classes, which helps our students get a head start on their post-secondary certificate or degree. Centralia High School has also been able to add more career pathways, which allows our students to get a taste of what their future career might look Ike. Many of the challenges we now face center around the shortage of quality teaching candidates. In past years, we would have 20-25 candidates for most positions. Now we are lucky if we have a handful. This is especially problematic for most rural schools across our state. We must be able to replace retiring faculty with high-quality candidates if we want to maintain excellent schools. 

How does EBF funding play a role in the success of the students you serve or the school district?

In simple terms, EBF has totally transformed our school district. In 2017, we were in dire shape financially. The years of prorated general state aid had crippled our school district. When EBF finally passed, Centralia High School was at 51% of our adequacy target. Today after 6 years of steady funding, we sit at 72% of our adequacy target. We’ve been able to make significant strides in investing in our curriculum and teaching staff. We’ve invested heavily in technology adding interactive panels to all classrooms and creating a VR room to give our students a taste of the very latest in the digital world. EBF has leveled the playing field and allowed our students to have a type of high school experience not previously possible during the general state aid days. 

What resources and supports can further benefit your school? Or what resources/supports have made a positive difference? 

Obtaining funds to start a “Grow Your Own Program” would be a game changer for our school district. The only way for us to attract high-quality candidates to our area is to invest in our own students. We currently have an education pathway that exposes our students to the profession but we do not have funding to then help them pay for their college. If we had funding to offer, we could lure them back to our school district to become teachers for our school. In my opinion, having a “Grow Your Own Program” is the only way rural school districts will be able to combat the teacher shortage problem. 

Fun fact about yourself: 

I was a college and high school basketball coach before becoming an administrator. 

Summer Q&A with Illinois Superintendent: Dr. Mary Havis, Berwyn South School District #100

This summer, we will get to know more about our Equity First superintendents. Advance Illinois’s Equity First coalition is an alliance of superintendents across Illinois that advocate for public policy that promotes equity in public education for students. The group gathers to discuss education policy and school community issues to help inform Advance Illinois’ education policy agenda and statewide policy broadly.  

In this week’s blog we converse with Berwyn, Illinois superintendent Dr. Mary Havis from Berwyn South School District 100.

Why did you go into the education field?

It was never a question from a young age that I would end up working with kids. It is always something I was drawn to and walking into my first job as a teacher was all I hoped it would be! Looking back, I remember the excitement of teaching early in my career and now appreciate more than ever the students, staff, and community I am blessed to serve as an educator. 

Tell us about your school district. What are some accomplishments you want to highlight from your school district? What have been some of the challenges you’ve had or are addressing in your school district? 

Berwyn South School District 100 serves approximately 3,000 students in eight schools, six elementary schools and two middle schools. Student demographics are 84% Hispanic, 8% White, 4% Black, 1% Asian, and 1.5% two or more races. Sixty-nine percent of the students we serve are low-income, 16% are students with IEPs, and 30% are English Learners. We are extremely proud of the welcoming, inclusive environments in our schools and are committed to ensuring equitable access to high-quality teachers, curriculum, and resources for all students. We are pleased to have extended our dual language program to the middle schools as we strive to support and enhance the learning opportunities for multilingual learners throughout their years in our district. We believe that our learning environments should be personalized for students, and they should have the tools available to them to extend learning beyond the walls of the classroom and beyond the length of the school day. We are proud that all eight of our schools were recognized as Apple Distinguished Schools for 2022-2025 for empowering our students and staff to think critically and creatively through innovative instructional practices, equitable learning opportunities, and meaningful staff and student engagement. We believe teachers create the inspiration for learning in our classrooms and value the importance of providing them with the resources, professional learning, support, and space to be amazing. Like many districts, we continue to be challenged with filling high-needs positions and to continue to grow essential programs to our community such as dual language, fine arts, SEL support, and after-school opportunities. 

How does EBF funding play a role in the success of the students you serve or the school district?

I can highlight many examples of how EBF has impacted the learning environment and student outcomes in District 100 but would like to focus on one that highlights the importance of quality resources for instruction. As a district, we were significantly underperforming in math. Our resources were not meeting the needs of our staff and students, and five years ago we began a thorough process of researching, selecting, and implementing a new high-quality curricular resource. Curriculum committees researched and selected a resource that ensured our students had access to standards-based, grade level content that allowed them to explore math through a variety of learning tools and instructional practices. We were able to hire math coaches and recently added math support teachers at all elementary schools. As a result, we have seen some of the highest growth rates in math than we have ever experienced, and our most recent MAP data shows our students are growing at a faster rate than their grade level peers across the country. EBF has directly impacted our ability to invest in curricular resources, provide the staffing we need to meet the diverse needs of our students, and address the much-needed improvements in the learning environments we create for our students. Additionally, because of the investment we have been able to make in our teachers, our retention rate has grown by 5% since 2017 and that makes a significant difference for our students, our families, and the entire community.  

What resources and supports can further benefit your school? Or what resources/supports have made a positive difference? 

We are currently researching an ELA curriculum resource that will benefit our students and will invest in continued professional development to support teachers in reading instruction. We also look to continue to invest in SEL supports for students.

Fun fact about yourself: 

I grew up and attended school in the community I currently serve as Superintendent.

Illinois Taking Steps in Supporting Our Students’ Well-Being

Every child deserves a safe and supportive environment in which to learn and thrive, and with the Governor’s signing of HB342 this month, Illinois joins other states in systemically addressing child well-being, and is setting itself apart as a leader in trauma-informed, healing-centered practices that prioritize the whole child.  

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a large and growing body of research made plain the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) and trauma responsive practices in improving educational and life outcomes for students and addressing systemic inequities. In the wake of the pandemic, the need to ensure that schools are equipped to meet social, emotional and mental health needs has become even more urgent.  For example, we know that: 

• While Illinois ranked 13th among states in providing mental health services to youth, according to Mental Health America, nearly 40% of our state's young people who have experienced major depressive episodes were not able to receive mental health care; 

• Pre-pandemic, 40% of Illinois youth were exposed to at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE; Sacks & Murphey, 2018); and 

• In Illinois, K-12 students do not have sufficient access to counselors, social workers, and psychologists. 

From The State We’re In 2022: A Look at the Impact of COVID-1 9 on Education in Illinois

 Whole Child (HB342) 

In 2021, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus made the “whole child” a priority with the creation of the Whole Child Task Force (WCTF) as a component of its Education Pillar Bill. The Task Force was charged with identifying steps the state can and should take to ensure all students would receive the support they need to thrive in school and beyond. Importantly, the Task Force was composed of stakeholders ranging from parents and teachers to school and district administrators, to trauma experts, state agency experts, advocates and providers who met throughout the year to identify key areas of need and opportunity. In 2022, the WCTF released an actionable and comprehensive set of recommendations focused primarily on policies and practices needed to provide an equitable, inclusive, safe, and supportive environment in all schools. While some of the recommendations are currently underway and being implemented by Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), other recommendations required legislative action. Enter HB342, a bill that implements key Task Force recommendations. The bill was championed by Representative Carol Ammons and Senator Kimberly Lightford and passed this spring with strong bipartisan support.  The bill:  

• Adopts clear and common definitions proposed by the task force, including definitions of trauma, trauma responsive learning environments and whole child.  

• Ensures that relevant data on school and district resources, such as counselors and social workers, is included on the Illinois State Report Card. Making this information available will help inform local decision-making and enable stakeholders to engage with local and state leaders around resource allocations and programming.    

• Creates a child “adversity index” to shed light on student exposure to trauma across the state. Specifically, HB342 charges the Illinois State Board of Education with convening a diverse cross-agency group, along with outside experts, to develop a robust statewide index that provides a window into the level of trauma experienced in school districts across the state.  Among other things, such an index will help leaders and policymakers understand the depth and breadth of need across Illinois and inform how the state can best direct financial and other resources.    

• Articulates the preparation, training, and ongoing development that both new and current educators need to support trauma-responsive schools and districts. HB342 tasks ISBE with reviewing requirements for teachers and teacher candidates to ensure educators get the training and professional development they need to respond to trauma.  

• Reconvenes the Whole Child Task Force after five years to check on progress and implementation.  

Importantly, HB342 complements and strengthens other work also underway, including:   

Resilience Education to Advance Community Healing (REACH) 

The Resilience Education to Advance Community Healing (REACH) Statewide Initiative was launched in 2020 and provides training to Illinois educators, school mental health professionals, and community members on the impact of trauma on children and adolescents, crisis response strategies, educator self-care, and schoolwide policies and classroom practices to build resiliency among students.   

Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative 

Outside of the school setting, Governor Pritzker launched the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative in 2022 to evaluate and redesign the systems that support Illinois’ most vulnerable kids and adolescents. Recommendations include creating a central resource for families, improving coordination between departments, increasing capacity to serve more children and families, offering universal screening in schools and doctors’ offices, and offering incentives to mental health support staff to earn professional credentials.   

Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership  

The Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership (ICMHP) was created in 2003 after the Children’s Mental Health Act was passed. It is composed of each child-serving state agency and experts representing areas such as community mental health, education, and family advocates. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ICMHP developed a Children’s Mental Health Plan for 2022-2027 to address the needs of Illinois children, and their families. Some goals from the plan include increasing public awareness on all issues connected to child mental health and wellness, and creating a centralized, public-facing hub to streamline system navigation, resources, and funding for families. 

Further, grants complementing this work include: 

Community Partnership Grants totaling $86.4 million that fund partnerships between school districts and community health providers to address the trauma that students and educators have experienced during the pandemic.   

A $1 million mental health grant for four high-need school districts to increase access to mental health services. 

The impact of COVID-19 has spurred an unprecedented increase in the number of children and students in need of mental health support. The need is not new, but the extent and urgency of both the challenge and the awareness have given Illinois leaders an opportunity to step up, and they are doing just that. The work our state has undertaken in recent years is to be commended and must be sustained.  That said, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER II)— the source of resources for the REACH initiative and other state and local efforts to address trauma, SEL and mental health needs in schools and communities— are set to expire in September, 2024.  It is crucial that our state continue to take the necessary and systemic actions to support student well-being and a safe, supportive, and healing-centered K-12 education system overall in Illinois. We have come too far, and the work is too essential. 

Summer Q&A with Illinois Superintendent: Dr. Donn P. Mendoza, Round Lake Area School District #116

This summer, we will get to know more about our Equity First superintendents. Advance Illinois’s Equity First coalition is an alliance of superintendents across Illinois that advocate for public policy that promotes equity in public education for students. The group gathers to discuss education policy and school community issues to help inform Advance Illinois’ education policy agenda and statewide policy broadly.  

In this week’s blog we converse with Round Lake, Illinois superintendent Dr. Donn P. Mendoza from school district #116.

Why did you go into the education field?

I remember my second-grade teacher having a profound impact on my disposition toward school. As a result of her belief in me, I was able to imagine achieving success in whatever I decided to pursue in life. I went into education so that I could have that very same impact on others around me.  

Tell us about your school district. What are some accomplishments you want to highlight from your school district? What have been some of the challenges you’ve had or are addressing in your school district? 

Round Lake Area School District #116 is innovative in how we provide educational opportunities to our students. We were one of the very first Competency-Based Education (CBE) pilot school districts throughout the entire state. Supporting and implementing CBE practices provides the district with greater flexibility in enabling students to demonstrate learning. In addition to implementing Competency Based Educational practices, the school district employs a standards-based grading system district-wide, including at the high school level. We are also very proud to be only one of eight recipients in the entire state of a grant by the Capital Development Board recently, which will enable District#116 to significantly expand early childhood opportunities for families of the greater Round Lake Area. Challenges in our community continue to include closing the equity gap for students in our school community. 

How does EBF funding play a role in the success of the students you serve or the school district?

Round Lake School District #116 has benefitted significantly from the new evidence-based funding model such that we have been able to expand educational services at a level the likes of which could not have been achieved absent the new funding model. We have been able to add student support positions in the form of interventionists, specialists, counselors, and more. In addition, we have significantly expanded support structures for staff members in the form of mentoring, orientation and professional development/learning opportunities in areas of need determined by the school district and the staff members themselves. I would rank the school district’s professional development program among the best in the state and even the Midwest. EBF has also allowed us to improve the quality of the total educational experience in Round Lake, which includes the fine arts as well as STEAM opportunities.  

What resources and supports can further benefit your school? Or what resources/supports have made a positive difference? 

Continuation of funding the new EBF model on an annual basis is the most critical need in terms of available resources. 

Fun fact about yourself: 

During my first principalship in the late 1990's, one of the second-grade teachers in the school was my actual second grade teacher. This was the individual I referenced in the previous question above about why I chose the education profession. 

Summer Q&A with Illinois Superintendent: Dr. Suzanne Johnson, U-46

This summer, we will get to know more about our Equity First superintendents. Advance Illinois’s Equity First coalition is an alliance of superintendents across Illinois that advocate for public policy that promotes equity in public education for students. The group gathers to discuss education policy and school community issues to help inform Advance Illinois’ education policy agenda and statewide policy broadly.  

In this week’s blog we converse with Elgin, Illinois superintendent Dr. Suzanne Johnson from school district U-46. 

Why did you go into the education field?

As a passionate educator, I strive to create educational opportunities and outcomes for diverse student populations via differentiated and robust instruction while building student autonomy. 

Tell us about your school district. What are some accomplishments you want to highlight from your school district? What have been some of the challenges you’ve had or are addressing in your school district? 

School district U-46 is a Dual Language district providing Dual Language programming for students PreK - 12th grade. Our Dual Language students experience great success on the AP Spanish Language and Composition test. Additionally, I am proud of our work to implement play-based full-day kindergarten for all students across the school district. Our current focus and collective effort is that we will not locate deficits in our students, but rather seek out deficits in our systems that generate our results. Each of our systems must be measured and improved. It is our moral imperative to change until all our systems measurably work for all children in school district U-46. 

How does EBF funding play a role in the success of the students you serve or the school district?

I believe EBF assures equity by explicitly allocating additional resources to areas of greater need, and address climate and culture issues by establishing structures and guidelines for strong, positive communication among all district stakeholder groups. EBF provides more resources to support equitable resources at all levels for all students. EBF has also supported interests to increase primary learning opportunities thereby impacting student achievement. EBF strives to allocate funds based on need rather than enrollment alone. 

What resources and supports can further benefit your school? Or what resources/supports have made a positive difference? 

Additional support for early learners would impact our school district positively. 

Fun fact about yourself: 

I am a graduate of school district U-46, and I have spent my entire career in U-46. 

Summer Q&A with Illinois Superintendent: Larry Lovel, CUSD #176

This summer, we will get to know more about our Equity First superintendents. Advance Illinois’s Equity First coalition is an alliance of superintendents across Illinois that advocate for public policy that promotes equity in public education for students. The group gathers to discuss education policy and school community issues to help inform Advance Illinois’ education policy agenda and statewide policy broadly. 

In this week’s blog we converse with Campbell Hill, Illinois superintendent Larry Lovel from Trico CUSD #176.

Why did you go into the education field? 

I was inspired to pursue a career in education by both my parents, and past teachers, and coaches who made a significant impact on my life.

Tell us about your school district. What are some accomplishments you want to highlight from your school district? What have been some of the challenges you’ve had or are addressing in your school district? 

Within the past seven years, our school district has made significant strides in the areas of student support services and course offerings. The district has added two full-time English Language specialists and a bilingual aide to support our Spanish and K'iche speaking families. And within the past seven years, we have added the following full-time teaching positions K-12 Art, HS Industrial Arts, K-5 Intro to Technology, 6-8 interventionist, two additional teachers for kindergarten /first grade to reduce section sizes, a social worker at the elementary school, a junior high social worker, and an additional junior high Special Education teacher. All these positions were identified as a significant need based on student enrollment trends, student survey data, and parent survey data.  Lower than average teacher salaries, and rampant teacher shortages remain significant challenges for our district. Many of these newly added positions had to be created through grass roots or grow our own efforts at the local level. Without those efforts, many of these newly hired positions would have remained "wish list" items on our district's long range strategic plan. 

How does EBF funding play a role in the success of the students you serve or the school district?

EBF funding was a significant catalyst for positive change in our small rural school district. All new programs, positions, or course offerings are directly connected to the change in the way Illinois schools are funded. As a first year superintendent, I inherited a district with: deficit spending patterns, financial gaps created by years of state proration, a stagnant local economy, minimal growth in property values, and low morale. From my third year to present day, the district has resurrected past programs, added invaluable staff members, and has significantly increased learning opportunities for our students. EBF has had a tremendous and positive impact on our district, on our students, and on our community. 

What resources and supports can further benefit your school? Or what resources/supports have made a positive difference? 

Advocacy for EBF must continue and OUR voices must continue to be shared because there is STILL MUCH to be done and gains to be made. Additionally, legislators must continue to be made aware that many districts, like Trico, are just NOW providing the services and educational programs that it once did in the late 1990's. We are on the right path; however, we are not where we need to be or could be ...just yet. 

Fun fact about yourself: 

I met my wife in college while working on a political campaign. 

3 Reasons Why Advocacy Day Matters

This week, more than 100 educators, parents, students and district leaders traveled to the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield to advocate for increased investments in K-12 school districts during the Funding Illinois’ Future Advocacy Day. 

Coming from across Illinois, champions for equitable access to high-quality education gathered to raise awareness about the need for increased K-12 investments and meet with their legislators to talk about how the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula has made an impact on their school and communities. As part of the day-long event, advocates also rallied together in the Capitol Rotunda to show their presence and share their stories as well as hear from legislative supporters Rep. Carol Ammons, Sen. Adrienne Johnson, and Rep. Laura Faver Dias.

On Funding Illinois’ Formula Advocacy Day in Springfield, Advocates in Springfield that day included parents, teachers, students, and leaders from Noble Schools, Morton East High School, Corazon Community Services, Faith Coalition for the Common Good, Illinois PTA, Teach Plus, West 40, and superintendents from Vienna and Riverton. 

The experience was empowering and energizing and served as a reminder for why Advocacy Day—which many groups gather for each spring—is so important.

In the toolbox of activities advocates employ throughout the year to drive change on the issues they care about, Advocacy Day is an important way to help effect it at the state as well as at the local and federal levels. For us, Advocacy Day is first and always about ensuring every Illinois student has access to high-quality education.

Advocacy Day as a day of action is important for an array of reasons, including those unique to the individual. Here are few that come quickly to mind for us:

Issues Awareness Building By Community Stakeholders

Advocacy Day is an effective strategy for raising awareness about important issues as well as raising awareness about the groups and individuals who care about them, live and in-person when possible. When we come together to advocate for a particular cause, we can generate media attention and even more public interest in an issue. Both of these are critical for building even more momentum and political will for change.

What’s more, on Advocacy Day, the logistical details of traveling to the state capitol, meeting with legislators in-person, and connecting with others who care about an issue, are in many cases lifted off individual advocates’ shoulders and instead coordinated by an organizer. Planned Advocacy Days essentially open the door for more people who care about an issue to come to the table to participate and elevate their voices to drive change with barriers to access such as transportation, food, and scheduling addressed.

Make it stand out

During the Funding Illinois’ Formula Advocacy DAY 2023, educators, parents, students, organizers, and more convened in the state capitol Rotunda for a rally raising awareness about the need for increased Evidence-based Funding (EBF) formula investments and heard from fellow advocates, lawmakers, a school district leader.

In-Person Time Influencing Legislators
When advocates get to meet with elected officials and other decision-makers, they can share their personal experiences and concerns and well-researched points for why a particular policy change is needed. These meetings are also helpful for relationship building between advocates and legislators, which can be important for future advocacy efforts.

Practice, Practice, Practice
By attending legislator meetings and participating in other advocacy activities, students, parents, educators and other community members gain valuable knowledge learning more about the policymaking process and practical experience advocating for issues that matter to them.

After three years of not being able to rally in-person in support of EBF investments, we were thrilled to partner with advocates to make the roadtrip to Springfield and elevate our voices with others for the cause. Everyone has a story to share and advocacy day is the perfect opportunity to share that story with legislators. When people most impacted by decisions others make have an opportunity to influence and advocate for change, that is what democracy looks like. 

Our Students Deserve a Quality Education. We Need Increased Investment in EBF.

We, the Advance Illinois Educator Advisory Council, believe every child across the state of Illinois deserves the opportunity to realize their full potential.

We commend Governor Pritzker for his commitment to our children, as his recommended FY24 funding request for the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula will continue to close the access to quality education gap between school districts.  However, as educators, we believe that greater EBF funding will better support us and our school community as we continue to meet our students’ urgent and complex needs. As school support staff and educators,  we work to ensure that every student within our schools has access to the vital resources they need to achieve their full educational potential. Unfortunately, not all schools can afford necessary services, materials, and additional support; further dividing our students’ collective access to a high-quality education.

Therefore, we urge the Illinois General Assembly to invest at least $550 million in EBF for FY24. We are at a critical juncture in our path towards recovering from the pandemic. Every student across Illinois deserves the opportunity to realize their full potential. That will not be possible without fully staffed schools with adequate resources, especially enrichment and intervention opportunities for students with the greatest need. The most significant measurable difference between schools that have adequate  resources and those that do not is funding. Due to significant education under-funding, our urban and rural students lack the support they need to thrive. At the same time, students in fully-funded districts have better support systems in place, with training for educators and school staff, full time social workers and nurses, classroom assistants, additional academic support staff, etc.. 

We cannot continue to accept the reality that some students have more resources than others simply because of where they live in Illinois. We are the 6th largest economy in the country. We can and must do better!

We believe that an investment in EBF of at least $550 million for FY24 will send a message to our students that their access to a quality education is a priority for our state’s leaders.

Advance Illinois’ Educator Advisory Council

Amanda Dunakin

Bob Chikos

Crysta Weitekamp

Evelyn Sanchez

Freeda Pirillis

Jacob Carlson

Kellyn Sirach

Laura Jordan

Lorenzo Rubio

Megan Zamora

Monica Boehle

Precious Allen

Rebecca Wattleworth

Summer Butler

Teresa Eden

William (Bill) Polasky

Thank you, Dr. Ayala, for Your Commitment to Equity and Students

As we and others reflect on Dr. Carmen Ayala’s contributions to Illinois schools, we want to celebrate her abiding commitment to equity throughout her career and as State Superintendent. Dr. Ayala has championed culturally-responsive curriculum, transformed hiring strategies wherever she has worked, fought for equitable funding, and pushed to strengthen and increase the diversity of our state’s educator workforce. Her equity continuum speaks volumes.   

On Dr. Ayala’s last day as State Superintendent of Education, we want to spotlight her work to diversify the educator pipeline. When she stepped into her role at ISBE, she made elevating educators a central tenet of the agency’s strategic plan. At a time when teacher shortages could have worsened due to COVID-19, the need to prioritize recruiting excellent educators to support and engage students and drive learning and achievement couldn’t have been greater. Dr. Ayala and her team put into action both short-term and systemic strategies to increase the recruitment of teachers of color, increase the teaching workforce overall, and ensure every teacher had improved preparation to support student learning. 

Marshalling both state and federal Elementary and Secondary School Relief (ESSER) funds as well as key partnerships, Dr. Ayala and her team have implemented a set of comprehensive strategies to support educators at multiple points in the pipeline, including: 

… Increasing investments in Illinois’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) Education Career Pathways program and Educator Rising to engage and support high school students with an interest in the teaching profession, supporting them to take steps into that career path and earn credentials to smooth their entry into the field—and earn more scholarship dollars along the way! 

... Launching a statewide teacher mentoring program to support new educators in their first two years of teaching; 

... Creating grants to cover tuition for current educators to earn bilingual licensure;  

… Funding school districts to enhance recruitment and retention of special education teachers; 

… Working with Educator Preparation Programs to recruit more diverse candidates into their programs and the field; 

… In partnership with ROE 51 and Teach Plus, creating affinity groups for teachers of color, to increase the system’s support and retention of minority teachers; 

… Advocating for additional funds for the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula so that districts have a stable source of state funds to hire, develop, and compensate educators;  

Importantly, this work is making a real difference!  

The state has been adding teaching positions without increasing its vacancy rate. And while vacancies in high-need areas and positions continue, and we need to increase the number of candidates competing for positions, this is good news.  

And just recently, the Education Trust, a national civil rights organization, recognized Illinois as a national leader in teacher diversity policies. According to EdTrust, our state is leading in three of five areas critical to a comprehensive approach to teacher diversity: having established clear goals, collected and made transparent actionable data at the state and district level, and established targeted recruitment programs and policies.   

The recent public recognition of Illinois’—and Dr. Ayala’s—leadership is as encouraging as it is deserved. Congratulations to the many leaders who have worked to strengthen and diversify the state’s teaching force, and thank you, Dr. Ayala, for your unswerving commitment to equity and children throughout your tenure as State Superintendent.

Celebrating Five Years of Evidence-Based Funding Formula Success, A Teacher’s Perspective

In August 2017, Illinois adopted the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula. This was a significant step toward equitable and adequate funding for Illinois’ K-12 students. Prior to the enactment of EBF, Illinois had the most regressive school funding system in the nation -- under which higher poverty districts, on average, received less per pupil state and local funding than the lowest poverty districts in the state. The EBF transformed this system by introducing a formula that calculates education costs based on individual student needs and distributes new state dollars to districts furthest from full and adequate funding. In the last 5 years, $1.57 Billion in new state dollars has flowed through the EBF formula, successfully driving the vast majority of new funds to highest need districts in the state, including districts with high proportions of students from low-income households, English Learners and students of color. While we still have a way to go, five years into implementation, we can celebrate that EBF has successfully begun to close resource equity gaps across Illinois.

Chicago Public Schools second-grade teacher Precious Allen reflects on what funding in her respective district looked like before EBF, what funding has meant over the course of the last five years and why fully funding the EBF formula is important for the schools and students in the district.

Precious Allen

District: CPS/Charter, 2nd Grade Teacher

In addition to state funds, my school’s funding is based on PCTC (per capita tuition) and federal grants (Title I, Title II, & Title IV as well as Special Education-IDEA funds).

EBF Funding has supported our diverse learning student population. It has been very helpful to get resources that the school needs to make education more equitable. EBF has allowed my district to support families with additional funds that support the academic and social emotional needs of our students.

With EBF, my charter school network has been able to fund 1-to-1 paraprofessionals that support our Diverse Learners in a general education setting. We were also able to hire clinicians to service students with special needs and provide resources for our families. Our paraprofessionals and clinicians are key stakeholders in my school’s effort to partner with families and outside resources for the continued development of our Diverse Learners.

Our students' needs have been better addressed because we now provide them with more essential support services, including a variety of supports that cater to the families. Our students have received services from occupational and physical therapists and speech pathologists ; essential resources that students have greatly benefited from. It has enhanced their learning experience at our school and allowed them to become more confident and self-aware.

Currently, the biggest need in my district, that a fully funded EBF would provide, is additional whole child and wrap-around support for students and their families that need it. It's vital that we continue to support our diverse learning community and give them the necessary tools and support to help them reach their full potential.

EBF has been instrumental in providing support for children. This funding provides services that are not usually available to children in low-income and/or diverse learning communities. Funds are disbursed equitably, which is what our country needs in order to truly live up to its creed. Being the land of opportunity means that everyone should have a chance to put their best foot forward and this is the critical opportunity that EBF provides.

We encourage you to read these two other perspectives highlighting the significance EBF has had on IL students and our state.

Celebrating Five Years of Evidence-Based Funding Formula Success, A Superintendent’s Perspective

In August 2017, Illinois adopted the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula. This was a significant step toward equitable and adequate funding for Illinois’ K-12 students. Prior to the enactment of EBF, Illinois had the most regressive school funding system in the nation -- under which higher poverty districts, on average, received less per pupil state and local funding than the lowest poverty districts in the state. EBF transformed this system by introducing a formula that calculates education costs based on individual student needs and distributes new state dollars to districts furthest from full funding. In the last 5 years, $1.57 Billion in new state dollars has flowed through the EBF formula, successfully driving the vast majority of new funds to the highest need districts in the state, including districts with high proportions of students from low-income households, English Learners and students of color. While we still have a ways to go, five years into implementation, we can celebrate that EBF has successfully begun to close resource equity gaps across Illinois.  

Blueford USD #318 Superintendent Dr. Shane Gordon reflects on what funding in his district looked like before EBF, what funding has meant over the course of the last five years and why fully funding the EBF formula is important for the schools and students in the district.  

Dr. Shane Gordon 

District: Bluford USD #318, Superintendent  
 

Before the passage of the Evidence-Based Funding formula, the Bluford school district experienced an incredibly difficult time toward the end of the previous funding approach during the years of proration. There were years in which the district had to sell tax anticipation warrants and sell working cash bonds to have enough money to pay bills and process payroll. In the spring of 2014, toward the end of the previous funding approach, the district implemented layoffs (Reductions In Force) of nine teachers, which accounted for approximately 27 percent of the teaching staff. The funding situation was so bad that in August 2015, the district had $26.77 in the Education fund (a general fund the district uses).  

The passage of the Evidence-Based Funding formula has brought many positive changes to the Bluford Unit School District 318. The establishment of a base-funding minimum allows for long-term planning and investments and the district feels confident that evidence-based programs and staffing that have been added are sustainable because of this reliable funding source. The district was able to make several investments which align with the model evidence-based cost factors. We invested in additional staffing at the lower elementary level to decrease class sizes. The district has also invested in instructional coaching for new teachers as well as investments in instructional technology, curriculum enhancements, and professional development.  

 
Prior to the passage of the Evidence-Based Funding model, there was one computer cart that had to be shared between six different grade levels. Since its passage we are now able to ensure that every student has access to computer technology, including access to a device whenever they need it. Additionally, we have been able to reintroduce elementary physical education, a full-time art teacher, K-12 music classes, and add a social worker. It had been expected of teachers to figure out how to successfully weave these aspects into their lesson planning, but it is no longer necessary.  Having these programs has enhanced our students’ overall educational experience. 

Teaching is a difficult profession under normal conditions. Before EBF, teachers at Bluford USD had to take on many additional responsibilities such as teaching physical education, art, music, and lunch duties. They were pushed to the limit. EBF has allowed the district to be properly staffed, which allows classroom teachers to do the job they were hired to do. Additionally, the work environment for teachers improved significantly, which has had a positive impact on the learning environment for our students.  

In our district, we need to be sure that existing funding is going to remain at the current level. It is great to be able to plan for additional funding, but reassurance that current levels of funding will remain in place without any type of proration is crucial to maintaining our existing programming. 

We encourage you to read these two other perspectives highlighting the significance EBF has had on IL students and our state.

SB815 Commission May Meeting Recap: Workgroups Assigned; Tennessee Presents Its Funding Model; Research Base for Adequacy Introduced

3-minute read

Established in 2021 by SB815, the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding charged with researching, modeling, and ultimately recommending specific criteria and approaches for an equity-based higher education funding model for Illinois’ public universities. Click here to Learn more about the passage of SB815 and creation of the Commission. 

In an effort to raise awareness about these public meetings and their progress, the Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding will share meeting recaps as soon as possible following each of the Commission’s remaining meetings.

During the May 25 virtual convening of the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding, members continued to discuss matters pertaining to creating an equitable funding model in Illinois. Commissioners discussed next steps for convening workgroups, and as part of the Commission’s continuing research into existing state models for equitably funding their public universities, the group heard a presentation on Tennessee’s approach to funding its institutions. Finally, the Commission began to learn more about the research base for a student centered adequacy model.

Tennessee Presentation 

As part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to research and learn about funding systems and models implemented in other states, Commissioners heard from Steven Gentile, Chief Policy Officer at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Gentile spoke with the group about his state’s funding model that was implemented in 2010 through the Complete College Tennessee Act that most notably shifted the state’s focus from enrollment-based funding to an outcomes-based model that is reviewed every five years. Under its current funding model, the state considers three “focus populations:” Adult Students, Low-Income Students, and Academically Underprepared Students. Tennessee does not differentiate when it comes to race or ethnicity in their metrics and uses a weighted formula based on how many students in the focus populations make progress toward and earn their degree at an institution. 

Commissioners followed Gentile’s presentation with questions—among them, from Commissioner and Chairman of the Illinois Board of Higher Education John Atkinson, who asked for the reasoning behind the specified focus populations. Gentile explained that the state felt this was the surest way to reach students from various backgrounds with the “academically underprepared” population focus aimed at ensuring institutions weren’t disincentivized from accepting students with low ACT scores. Commissioner Robin Steans, who is President of Advance Illinois, asked about whether the state had considered explicitly calling out race in the model. Gentile explained that the agency decided to focus on students from low-income households across all races.

Other Presentations

In addition to the presentation from Tennessee, Commissioners also heard more about the national higher education funding landscape and implications for Illinois. Martha Synder of HCM Strategists shared that as the state works towards this new funding model, it is important to note that any model should not be static—Commissioners will need to continue to review, evaluate and adjust to any unforeseen consequences and align more closely with state needs. 

Nate Johnson from Postsecondary Analytics  discussed the research base for defining “adequate” funding for public universities in Illinois, outlining some of the opportunities and challenges that will come with defining adequacy in higher education. He drew a connection between funding and outcomes, and the promise of proactive rather than reactive measures to improve student outcomes, using the CUNY ASAP program as a proven example of this kind of investment.

Three Workgroups and Jamboard Activity 

Following the three presentations, Commissioners then discussed the creation of the three workgroups that will meet throughout the summer to dive into Adequacy, Resources, and Technical Modeling. Roughly 10-12 Commissioners will comprise each of these groups that won’t make decisions, but will provide added, focused capacity to the Commission to elevate and understand funding components and considerations. The Adequacy and Resources work groups will meet once a month moving forward to continue on this work prior to the next full Commission meeting in September. 

Additionally, Commissioners participated in an interactive Google Jamboard Activity designed to get more perspectives from Commissioners as they work toward answering critical questions informing the work ahead including:

1. “What components or elements should be included when developing an adequate funding structure for public universities?”

2. “Other than state funding, what types of resources should be considered when addressing institutional adequacy and ability to equitably serve students?” 

Public Comment

Towards the end of the meeting, Commissioners also heard public comment from Maurine Magilocco, a former professor at Western Illinois University and current member of the Faith Coalition for the Common Good, as well as Jocelyn Bravo, an Outreach Specialist for Young Invincibles and recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

Magilocco spoke to the need to ensure university buildings are well-maintained to support student learning and the need for adequate funding for advising and counseling services. Magliocco added that students of color should have access to counselors and university faculty who look like them and can better assist their needs and backgrounds. 

Bravo emphasized the need to make sure that the new funding model prioritizes students from underrepresented backgrounds so that everyone can have the opportunity to thrive while attending college in Illinois. 

Next Steps

While the next Commission meeting is scheduled for September 1, the Adequacy and Resources workgroups will be meeting throughout the summer. These meetings are open to the public. The groups will report on their work at the next meeting as well as hear from a student panel, other states, and university presidents.

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In the journey to the July 2023 deadline when the Commission makes its recommendations to the state, public comment about the urgent need for an adequate, equitable, and stable funding model for Illinois’ public universities will be crucial. 

Please join the next commission meeting in order to have your voice heard on this issue. In the meantime, you can also share this tweet and discuss why you believe higher education matters in Illinois on social media. 

SB815 Commission April 2022 Meeting Recap: Working Groups Proposed, Two More State Models Introduced

3-minute read

Established in 2021 by SB815, the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding charged with researching, modeling, and ultimately recommending specific criteria and approaches for an equity-based higher education funding model for Illinois’ public universities. Click here to Learn more about the passage of SB815 and creation of the Commission. 

In an effort to raise awareness about these public meetings and their progress, the Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding will share meeting recaps as soon as possible following each of the Commission’s remaining meetings.

During the April 22 virtual convening of the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding, members continued to discuss matters pertaining to creating an equitable funding model in Illinois. Commissioners deliberated how to collectively define what equitable, adequate, and stable funding will mean moving forward and introduced new plans for two working groups to help advance the work. As part of the Commission’s continuing research, the group heard presentations regarding Louisiana and Colorado’s funding models and paid close attention to how they addressed equity in their plans. 

Prior to the February meeting of the Commission, commissioners completed a survey where they set definitions for equitable, adequate, and stable funding. For the April meeting, Representative Carol Ammons led a discussion on the results of a follow-up survey given to commissioners to help ensure they have a shared language and understanding of key terms as they move toward the next phases of the commission. Commissioners planned to finalize and hold a formal vote on these definitions at the group’s May meeting.

Working Groups Proposed

The Commission also discussed preliminary plans to establish two working groups, focused on adequacy and technical modeling. The adequacy group will focus on  scope, resources, and conceptual frameworks,while those in the technical modeling group will focus on metrics, data analysis, modeling, and distribution approaches. The Commission co-chairs, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, Ammons, IBHE Chair John Atkinson, and Deputy Governor for Education Martin Torres, will select members for each of the groups prior to the next meeting. Ammons There is also the possibility that additional groups or subgroups will be formed, if needed to move the working groups forward.

More State Models Presented

As part of the Commission’s charge to review funding models used in other states, Commissioners spent a significant part of the meeting learning about funding models implemented for Louisiana and Colorado public universities. Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, Commissioner of Higher Education on the Louisiana Board of Regents, and Kaycee Gerhart, Director of Government Affairs at Metropolitan State University of Denver delivered presentations showing how their states are addressing stark inequities in degree completion along racial and income lines through reforming how funding is distributed.

As Louisiana works to reach its 60 percent postsecondary attainment goal for all state residents by the year 2030, Hunter Reed said the state has been taking actions to make its public universities more accessible and affordable including by allocating more funding to institutions through an outcome-based model that it began implementing in 2019. Hunter Reed shared that the Board of Regents plans to analyze and track degree completion and successful outcomes at state-funded institutions and among underrepresented student populations. 

Gerhart shared how Colorado revised its 2014 funding model to help institutions more equitably serve specific student populations by targeting more funding to colleges and universities serving first-generation students and other underrepresented populations. The revision of the model came as part of the state’s ongoing work to increase degree attainment to 66 percent by 2025. 

Following the presentations from Hunter Reed and Gerhart, commissioners discussed the importance of ensuring equity and historical context remain at the forefront of Illinois’ eventual funding model for its public universities. Sheila Caldwell, Vice President for Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer for the Southern Illinois University System, discussed the need for this focus in order to right the wrongs of the past and increase equity in higher education.

Commissioners also discussed what an equitable “hold harmless” provision could look like in Illinois, with concerns it could lead to prolonged inequity if implemented without additional investments into the system. Zaldwaynaka Scott, Esq., President of Chicago State University, said that the Commission must look at past disinvestments in higher education to ensure Illinois’ model addresses these historical inequities. Women Employed President and CEO Cherita Ellens said that in order to work toward equity, Illinois’s higher education system would need substantial reinvestment. Until a level of adequate and equitable funding is reached, she recommended that the bulk of new funding be prioritized for institutions that are disproportionately serving students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.

The Commission plans to continue this discussion in the next meeting and hear about Tennessee’s model for funding its public institutions.

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In the journey to the July 2023 deadline when the Commission makes its recommendations to the state, public comment about the urgent need for an adequate, equitable, and stable funding model for Illinois’ public universities will be crucial. 

Please join the next commission meeting on May 25 in order to have your voice heard on this issue. In the meantime, you can also share this tweet and discuss why you believe higher education matters in Illinois on social media. 

Now Is the Time to Transform How Higher Education is Funded in Illinois

3-minute read

Five years ago, Illinois made history when the K-12 evidence-based funding formula was passed. As a member of the Faith Coalition for the Common Good as well as a member of the Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding, I actively fought to reform the existing funding formula because I was committed to helping Illinois prioritize the equitable funding of schools. I believe it is now time to bring that same commitment to higher education. With the creation of the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding, Illinois has an opportunity to create a transformative funding model that can help our great public institutions thrive.

Roughly a decade's worth of disinvestment in higher education and an inequitable distribution of funding has resulted in increased tuition and fee costs and decreased affordability. Data have shown the significant impact this has on enrollment and completion gaps, particularly for Black and Latinx students and students from low-income households.

Equitably and adequately serving students while funding public universities means addressing the needs of the students, all the students. Some schools draw students from more privileged backgrounds than others, and their students arrive with laptops; at other schools, students only have their phones, and struggle to pay for books. At both, students often work two jobs, just to pay for basic personal necessities. At some universities, students and teachers must function with inadequate equipment, sometimes in unhealthy surroundings. The stress for students can be overwhelming, yet Advising and Counseling Centers are often understaffed, with few if any professional staff for students who look like them. Any kind of new funding formula should address these kinds of inequities and others I saw as a Professor of English at Western Illinois University.

Until Illinois makes adequate, equitable, and stable investments that keep pace with evolving student needs, it’s contributing to unrealized student potential. As the commission reviews the data and listens to experts and advocates from the field, I urge them to define adequacy based on what students and institutions actually need and to fund requests based on that definition.

Illinois still has a way to go to make up for past neglect, so now is the time to fund a model that will support our institutions and allow our students to prosper and thrive.

Authored by Maurine Magliocco, member of the Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding

Our Districts Need Fully Funded Schools

4 minute read

As superintendent of Vienna School District 13-3, I have witnessed the essential strides that the K-12 Evidence-Based Funding formula (EBF) has and will continue to make towards re-establishing fundamental educational opportunities for students around the state and in our community of Vienna. Because of this, it is critical that the Illinois General Assembly prioritize an investment of at least $350M into EBF in the FY23 budget.

Illinois needs to get back on track and make an allocation of at least $350M into EBF for FY23. School is one of the most important things that we engage with collectively as a community. We must unapologetically make funding EBF a priority to address these inequities and adequately invest in students across our state. 

The Evidence-Based Funding formula data continues to serve as solid evidence as to how far each school district in the state is from adequate funding, whether they fall below or exceed full funding for their schools. For example, some school districts’ are funded as high as 256% of adequacy while others are funded at 50%. Clearly, this data reveals a major equity gap, but the good news is that when fully funded, EBF is our best tool to close that gap.

Although Vienna is in the bottom 10% of adequately funded schools, we have witnessed our adequacy number increase from 52% to 63%  in the past 4 years. Clearly, we are still not fully funded; however, as proven by our increased adequacy number, continued state investments can close the equity gap amongst districts.

With the Evidence Based Funding Formula being in its fifth fiscal year of implementation, we have gained ground, but are still in recovery mode in many ways. The extreme burden that the old funding formula had placed us under created many situations in which we had to cut and/or reduce funding for programs and offerings for students. Additionally, we had delayed many routine and capital maintenance related items. This continuous battle has led us to a major teacher shortage. For instance, a few years ago we would post a teaching position and receive about 20 applicants in a week and double the next week. Now, we only get a few applicants a week. While this teacher shortage crisis affects everyone, it disproportionately affects inadequately funded schools.

Also, it is important to note that last year EBF did not experience any growth in new funds, however, in Vienna, we were in school 5 days per week, with over 90% of our students in person and the remaining students participating via remote counting full educational services. Meaning that our school funding crisis was exacerbated.

As a representative from one of the least adequately funded school districts in the state, I urge Illinois to ensure fair and adequate investment in students across our state by including at least $350 million in additional funding through the Evidence-Based Funding formula in FY23. School is one of the most important things that we engage with collectively as a community. We must unapologetically make funding EBF a priority to address these inequities and adequately invest in students across our state.

Josh Stafford is superintendent of Vienna School District 13-3