Thought Leadership

Thought Leadership

Navigating Progress: College and Career Readiness in 2023

We dive into the latest release of the Illinois Report Card, revealing dynamic shifts in CTE outcomes and a wave of opportunity in dual credit enrollment. We share our perspective on the data shaping the future of college and career readiness for Illinois students.

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Thought Leadership

Social Capital Is the Fundamental Outcome of Work-Based Learning

The key outcome of work-based learning is social capital, and building this valuable asset starts with being able to guarantee this outcome for all students. As a determinant factor in social mobility and overcoming socioeconomic barriers, social capital prepares students for their futures.

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Thought Leadership

Launch-ing Into Policy Innovation for Postsecondary Access and Success

Alongside state and local leaders from across Illinois, we have been engaging in a design thinking process as innovation cohort participants of the Launch initiative. Through this process, we are working to identify systems-level barriers to equitable access and outcomes and develop innovative solutions for pressing challenges in postsecondary transitions and success.

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Advancing Racial Equity

Placing Our Big Bets Through 2025 and Beyond

EdSystems is coalescing around five new goals, which we call our Big Bets, to ensure that our state’s education and workforce systems truly lessen racial inequities and lead to tangible progress for our Black and Latinx students that have for far too long been underserved by these systems.

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Thought Leadership

What Do the New Policies around Dual Credit Mean?

Over the past few months, the Illinois Community College Board and Higher Learning Commission each published sets of rules for public feedback that will shape dual credit implementation in Illinois. How? Read our thoughts and public comment to ICCB:

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Thought Leadership

Shifting the Narrative Student Voice Accomplishments

Chicago Public Schools’ CBE pilots has released “Shifting Chicago Narratives,” a four-part series of student-produced videos aimed at shifting the narrative from a focus on all that students lost through the pandemic to what they gained.

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Advancing Racial Equity

Equitably College, Career, and Monopoly Ready

From Senior Fellow Ginger M. Reynolds, PhD: I admit that the phrase “college and career ready” gives me pause, particularly with respect to students who aren’t well served through our current system. I like the analogy of Monopoly…”

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Thought Leadership

New Career & Technical Education Rules Build from Years of College & Career Readiness Innovation

New rules ensure alignment of CTE to existing policy frameworks such as the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act and that implementation embodies the spirit and intent of the articulated State Plan components. This clarified focus on college and career, with an emphasis on quality and equity, will ensure that Illinois’ students are empowered to succeed.

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