Bridges to Postsecondary

Thought Leadership

Illinois Students on PaCE to Thrive

The Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) framework, which empowers districts and students by guiding quality college and career advising and development, is a model for the nation. Here’s why.

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News

Illinois Math Badging Initiative: A Journey Toward Inclusive Education

What if there was a way to make math education more inclusive, engaging, and responsive to students’ needs? The Illinois Math Badging Initiative is about improving math outcomes while engaging and empowering students to demonstrate their learning in a variety of contexts. Check out our lessons learned in our first two years.

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News

New Report Highlights Recommendations for Supporting Justice-Impacted Students at Elgin Community College

In partnership with Elgin Community College (ECC), we investigated the unique needs of their justice-impacted students. Our research highlights the students’ heightened vulnerability to barriers and the college’s resources. In a new report, we release detailed findings and suggestions to ECC so they can take their next steps in serving justice-impacted students.

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News

Highlights from Governor Pritzker’s Proposed Budget

Governor JB Pritzker presented his proposed 2024–25 budget on February 21, which maintains largely stable funding for K-12 and higher education with notable increases for Career and Technical Education (CTE) and the Monetary Award Program (MAP), building on the past several years of progress and extending several impactful initiatives.

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News

Illinois Education and Career Success Network: 2023 In Review

In 2023, the Illinois Education and Career Success Network continued to expand its reach and impact through thoughtful convenings, growing the Network, engagement with students, new supports and funding opportunities for Leadership Communities, re-launching the data dashboard, and exploring policy and practice with the Policy Committee.

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Project

Youth Apprenticeship

Youth apprenticeships at EdSystems offer a unique blend of hands-on experience, networking with industry professionals, and postsecondary planning.

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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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News

Math Badging Receives Illinois Educators’ Seal of Approval

The Illinois Math Badging Initiative (IMBI) is piloting an alternative credentialing in math that allows for equitable student outcomes and certifies student learning through a variety of methods. Teach Plus Illinois assembled a group of math educators to understand how IMBI will alter the delivery of math and to provide suggestions to schools for supporting teachers.

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News

EdSystems Releases an Initial Evaluation of Transitional Math Implementation in Illinois

In an era where mathematics forms the backbone of our society, Illinois has taken a significant step toward enhancing college readiness through the implementation of transitional math. Now, EdSystems is releasing a study conducted by researchers from Northern Illinois University which investigates initial implementation, along with a Quick Takes which highlights key findings.

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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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Project

Elgin Community College Second Chance

EdSystems is applying its experience and knowledge of long-term system building efforts to support Elgin Community College as it seeks to better serve its students with experiences in the carceral justice system.

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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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Resource

Transitional Math Resources

Recordings of professional learning sessions for administrators, teachers and counselors to help prepare for implementation of transitional math and state portability submission.

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Project

Illinois Math Badging Initiative

In partnership with XQ Institute and Student Achievement Partners, EdSystems is launching an initiative to create an Illinois high school math badging system as an alternative credentialing mechanism wherein students can certify learning gained through a broad range of sources including coursework, independent study, summer school, and work-based learning.

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Project

Postsecondary Leadership Series

In support of the OneGoal team and their Postsecondary Leadership Series, the EdSystems team is providing two primary services: capacity-building for OneGoal staff and advising for partner-facing content relating to college and career pathways, early college credit, transitional instruction, work-based learning, and data.

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Resource

Transitional English Resources

Access resources created or vetted by the Statewide Advisory Group that align with the Statewide Course Parameters, Competencies, and Policies document to support new and established Transitional English courses to meet the requirements to apply for statewide portability.

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Project

Chicago Equity-Centered Innovation Forum

The Chicago Equity-Centered Innovation Forum promotes models of personalized instruction, competency-based approaches, performance assessments, project-based learning, and other emerging innovations that provide promising education frameworks.

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News

Expanding Supports for College and Career Readiness: State Adoption of Transitional English Course Parameters, Competencies, and Policies

To increase the number of high school graduates placed into college-level reading and communications courses without the need for remediation, the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Community College Board, and Illinois Board of Higher Education have adopted the Statewide Transitional English Course Parameters, Competencies, and Policies.

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Project

Greater Peoria Essential Abilities and Knowledge (GPEAK)

To help stabilize and grow the local economy, community partners in Peoria are working with EdSystems to design and implement GPEAK, which translates the state’s ten competencies into a practical system to prepare individuals for meaningful and fulfilling careers.

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Project

PWR Act

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.

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Podcast

Systems Sessions: Illinois’ Dual Credit Landscape

Our first series dives into the work behind the development of the Model Partnership Agreement (MPA) and how it is being implemented in communities. Systems Sessions explores big, current issues in education policy through conversations with the EdSystems team, State policymakers, and community leaders who are on the ground leading this work.

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Project

Transitional Instruction

EdSystems leads the interagency efforts to define statewide transitional instruction competencies, policies, and implementation plans.

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