College & Career Pathways

Project

Community College Pathway Equity and Currency

To help encourage learners to complete the rigorous requirements and earn the College and Career Pathway Endorsement (CCPE) opportunity, as well as matriculate into postsecondary pathways, EdSystems is supporting the development of equity-centered strategies alongside incentives or currency that will help students and their families.

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I-WIN Events

Supporting Young Women in Manufacturing

On Tuesday, May 23, 10–11 a.m., learn about best practices, community models, and resources for supporting young women to pursue experiences in manufacturing. This session will also share insights and feedback gathered from female high school and college students on what they want to see in these efforts.

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News

Introducing Launch: Equitable and Accelerated Pathways for All

EdSystems is excited to announce our selection as one of 11 states participating in Launch: Equitable & Accelerated Pathways for All. Launch is a national college and career pathways initiative that strives for every learner to have access to and succeed in high-quality and equitable pathways.

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News

2022 In Review

2022 marked the tenth anniversary of Education Systems Center at NIU. Our portfolio–and the team supporting the work–has expanded significantly in the past decade, and more growth is on the horizon.

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Project

Future of Learning Coalition

The Future of Learning Coalition is an alliance working to advance an innovation ecosystem for equitable, student-centered education in Illinois to better prepare future-ready young people and empower them to realize their greatest potential.

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Resource

Scaling Education Pathways in Illinois: Student Voices Evaluation

This study, conducted by the P-20 Research and Data Collaborative at Northern Illinois University for Education Systems Center, focuses on understanding the perspectives of high school students who were currently enrolled in education pathways as part of the Scaling Education Pathways in Illinois initiative.

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Project

Community College CBE Pilot Project

Together with the Illinois Community College Board, we are supporting a cohort of community colleges to develop competency-based education programs in both welding and industrial maintenance.

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Resource

HB3296/Public Act 102-0917 Brief

An brief on HB3296/Public Act 102-0917, signed into law on May 27, 2022, that advances the Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework and the College and Career Pathway Endorsements.

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News

EdSystems Joins Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Accelerate ED, Launches Accelerated Model Pathways for Information Technology

EdSystems is proud to announce our participation in Accelerate ED: Seamless Pathways to Degrees and Careers, an initiative that seeks to blur the lines between high school and higher education and career learning experiences, allowing students to earn a career-aligned credential or degree by the end of one additional year after high school.

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Project

Scaling Transformative Advanced Manufacturing Pathways (STAMP)

Through a community of practice and technical assistance to regional teams, STAMP serves secondary students enrolled in manufacturing pathways that articulate to community college programs and employment opportunities, with a particular focus on under-represented students with one or more barriers to education, training, and employment.

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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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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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I-WIN Events

WBL Continuum in Manufacturing

This convening focused on experiences along the work-based learning continuum in the manufacturing sector, with guest presenters from Ridgewood High School and the Illinois Manufacturer’s Association.

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News

2021 in Review

As we look back on 2021, we remain hopeful that change is possible and is, indeed, happening here in Illinois.

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I-WIN Events

WBL Continuum in Education

I-WIN’s November community of practice on November 16 focused on experiences along the work-based learning continuum in the Education sector.

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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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News

An Initial Analysis of Scaling Education Pathways in Illinois

An analysis of the initial implementation of the Scaling Education Pathways in Illinois initiative, with input from the first cohort of collaboratives. It was undertaken to understand how the components of the education pathway were being executed in practice and to collect promising practices and lessons learned.

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Resource

Scaling Education Pathways Initiative (SEPI) Analysis

EdSystems developed this analysis of the initial implementation of SEPI with input from the first cohort of collaboratives. It was undertaken to understand how the components of the education pathway were being executed in practice and to collect promising practices and lessons learned.

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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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Resource

Middle-Skills Pathways in Chicago

Explore EdSystems’ deep landscape analysis of existing middle-skills pathways in Chicago that lead to industry credentials and degrees associated with priority occupations. To date, we have completed five analyses in the sectors of Education/Childcare, Health Sciences, Information Technology, Manufacturing, and Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics.

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News

Working Toward a Thriving Illinois

EdSystems applauds the adoption of the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s new 10-year strategic plan, A Thriving Illinois: Higher Education Paths to Equity, Sustainability, and Growth.

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Resource

Career Development Experience Toolkit Companion Piece

The purpose of this extension is to explore career development experiences and provide resources to address the needs of stakeholders outside of a traditional high school setting including workforce development organizations, community-based organizations, and alternative high schools. This companion piece targets these organizations and employers in order to serve youth more inclusively.

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News

Expanding the Law and Public Safety Pathway in Rockford

The support Rockford Public Schools receives from Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University, thanks to the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, is helping to drive aligned college and career pathways forward, including the Law and Public Safety pathway.

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A high school student looks up while taking notes in class
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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A collection of report covers for the State of Illinois Model Programs of Study Guides
Resource

Illinois Model Programs of Study Guides

The Illinois Model Programs of Study Guides provide guidance and exemplars for local districts to adopt or customize as they develop programs of study; establish a framework for State agencies; identify priority dual credit courses; define the competencies that should be sequenced across the course sequence; and identify entry points for employers to support coursework and related experiences.

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Resource

I-WIN Resources

Explore resources to support innovative and equitable work-based learning opportunities, including a statewide resource bank of team-based challenges.

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Exterior of Ridgewood High School
News

Ridgewood H.S. First in IL to Award College & Career Pathway Endorsement

As students across the state return to school, many high school students are now working towards earning a College and Career Pathway Endorsement. Ridgewood High School, located in the Chicago suburbs and a leader in the pathways approach, was the first in Illinois to award the College and Career Pathway Endorsements to Class of 2020 graduates who successfully completed the Education and Manufacturing and Engineering pathways.

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60 by 25 Network Impact Report Cover
Resource

60 by 25 Network Impact Report

This report captures the impact of the Illinois 60 by 25 Network from 2013–2020. Communities in the Network 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.

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