PWR Act

The Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) Act, signed into law in 2016, applies a student-centered and competency-based approach to support Illinois students in preparing for postsecondary education and careers. EdSystems staff and their partners led a multi-year process to develop and enact the PWR Act in close collaboration with a broad range of education and workforce stakeholders.

Our Role

The EdSystems team have spearheaded the implementation of the PWR Act’s four key strategies:

• Postsecondary & Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework
• College & Career Pathways Endorsements
• Transitional Instruction
• Competency-Based Learning

EdSystems continues to play a major role in PWR Act implementation, particularly supporting State and local implementation efforts on Transitional Instruction and the College and Career Pathway Endorsements. At a State level, EdSystems continues driving alignment of emerging State policy frameworks to the core components and principles of the PWR Act.

One key vehicle for EdSystems’ support at the local level has been through offering technical assistance and strategic grants to Illinois 60 by 25 Network Leadership Communities and other key districts across the state. As captured in the Impact Report released in summer 2020, the Network’s Leadership Communities are driving State policy implementation, deepening and validating collaboration by using the organizing principles of collective impact, increasing cross-sector collaboration, and enhancing leadership and governance structures within their communities.