The Illinois Education and Career Success Network (“Success Network”) was established in 2013 by EdSystems, Advance Illinois, and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission in response to the P-20 Council’s goal for Illinois to increase the number of adults with high-quality college degrees and postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025. Originally named the Illinois 60 by 25 Network, the Success Network supports communities to increase meaningful and equitable postsecondary attainment and civic engagement. In 2015, we established the Leadership Community designation, which recognizes communities with systems in place to advance postsecondary attainment goals. The network’s name was changed in 2022 to reflect the shared purpose and vision beyond 2025.
Our Role
EdSystems supports 21 Leadership Communities from across Illinois. This includes fostering peer-to-peer learning through an annual conference, webinars, and regional meetings. Additionally, we offer technical assistance with collective impact and other strategies and provide the Success Network Dashboard, a mechanism for gathering and curating critical data.
The Success Network’s Leadership Communities are proof points for the state policies we develop. We use lessons learned from the communities to inform state policymakers on what’s working well and where more support is needed. EdSystems supports Leadership Communities in implementing strategies outlined in the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) Act, including College and Career Pathway Endorsements and transitional instruction.
In 2020, the Network Organizers created the Student Advisory Council (SAC) to collect student feedback on initiatives and identify areas where students need support navigating the education system. The SAC meets regularly to share perspectives, inform the Success Network’s efforts and statewide policy, deepen knowledge of educational equity issues, and enhance understanding of Illinois’ education policy and practice landscape.
