Education Systems Center (EdSystems) at Northern Illinois University works to deepen the impact of evidence-based policy and implementation practices in communities to ensure that students from historically marginalized communities have a clear, unambiguous path to college and high-quality career opportunities.
Advancing college and career readiness and success
Equitable: We prioritize the success of historically marginalized students and communities.
Systems-Centric: We align across secondary and postsecondary education and workforce systems for seamless transitions.
Evidence-Based: Our work is grounded in data and research, including stakeholder engagements, to inform continuous evaluation and improvement.
Bi-Directional: We work simultaneously at state and local levels to create lasting change. At the state level, we form and lead interagency collaborations that drive policy priorities and enable coordinated action. At the local level, we build regional networks that connect communities with policy frameworks to create local change and inform state policy.
EdSystems’ pillars of work ensure that policies are grounded in practice, practices are informed by evidence, and impact is measured and sustained across Illinois and beyond.
We support the development and implementation of policies that remove barriers and increase college and career access and success.
We work with communities to design, pilot, and scale innovative practices that improve student experiences and outcomes.
We generate and analyze critical data while leading networks and building field capacity to ensure that research translates into coordinated action and lasting change.