What do students know about the College and Career Pathway Endorsement? What do they need in order to earn an endorsement and transition to college
The latest issue of NASBE’s State Education Standard features a deep dive into Illinois’ efforts to prepare students for postsecondary success, written by Policy Director Emily Rusca.
The Success Network Policy Committee’s 2025 Q2 meeting featured legislative updates, emerging findings from the College and Career Pathway Endorsement workgroup, and new resources.
The Illinois Education and Career Success Network is thrilled to announce Highland Region Pathways to Success and Chicago Southland Collaborative for Education as new Leadership Communities.
The Success Network’s annual conference featured national, state, and regional leaders sharing best practices and lessons learned for advancing equitable postsecondary attainment.
This webinar, hosted by the Success Network and presented by JFF, shared emerging national research and new tools that can support the development of pathways that lead not only to careers, but to connection and choice.
The Success Network hosted representatives from the Michigan College Access Network and the Michigan Department of Education to share their new toolkit for sharing the benefits of college in high school opportunities with students and families.
The Illinois Education and Career Success Network Policy Committee quarterly meeting featured presentations on chronic absenteeism and a student-led survey of student experience with college and career readiness opportunities.
At the Success Network Policy Committee’s annual data deep dive on January 23, 2025, we explored a range of college and career readiness and success metrics from Illinois data resources and beyond.
In 2024, the Illinois Education and Career Success Network supported Leadership Communities, launched innovative data tools, and advanced equitable education and career pathways for Illinois students. Explore more key highlights in this year in review.
Learn how students perceive work-based learning opportunities at their schools, what barriers they identify, and how conversations with counselors and administrators helped address those challenges.
The Illinois Education and Career Success Network Policy Committee’s meeting on December 11, 2024, included presentations on labor market information for use in college and career pathways, Illinois Report Card data, and career exploration for middle school students.
In this Success Network webinar, a panel of experienced transfer specialists shared best practices for institutional partnerships, promoting transfer opportunities, and supporting transfer student success.
Join us for the Illinois Education and Career Success Network Policy Committee’s quarterly convening on September 25, 2024.
The Success Network Dashboard redesign is complete, with the launch of six total views featuring 9th grade on track, CTE participation, early college course enrollment, high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment, and community college remediation data.
Discover key insights and recommendations on overcoming transportation barriers to work-based learning for Illinois students in the latest memo from the Success Network Policy Committee. This memo outlines student perspectives, district strategies, and systemic solutions to enhance access to work-based learning opportunities.
Watch the recording of the Illinois Education and Career Success Network Policy Committee’s quarterly convening on June 4, 2024.
On April 29, 2024, the Success Network hosted JFFLabs, who shared new insights into the ways in which AI will transform jobs that offer pathways to economic advancement – and actionable recommendations for the skills that will be augmented and elevated by AI.
Join the Success Network or a free webinar to learn how stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement can strengthen postsecondary success and impact the broader school community and culture.
Members of the Success Network Student Advisory Council and the Career and Technical Student Organization Student Board showcased research on dual credit and career and technical education courses statewide and offered recommendations for addressing barriers.
The Success Network Policy Committee meeting on March 20, 2024, included a walkthrough of the Success Network Dashboard’s new early college view and updated functionalities, the proposed budget, and emerging legislation.
On March 19, 2024, Genesys Works and Junior Achievement of Central Illinois, along with their high school partners, shared how they collaborate to design and implement inclusive and equitable experiences for students.
Join us Thursday, February 29, 2024, for the Illinois Education and Career Success Network’s 11th annual conference, themed Awareness to Action: Promoting Equity in Education and Careers. This year’s in-person, one-day conference will be held at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois.
The Success Network Policy Committee convened a workgroup to explore work-based learning transportation challenges and is now publishing the first of two memos, which shed light on the significant transportation-related barriers students face in accessing work-based learning opportunities. This resource identifies and analyzes challenges impacting in-school youth at the school district, local, and system levels.
The Success Network Policy Committee convened to look deeper into the Illinois Report Card 2022–23 data and other data surrounding the state’s P-20 pipeline.
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.
Review the recording and resources from the December 6, 2023 meeting of the full Success Network Policy Committee.
The number of school districts implementing College & Career Pathway Endorsements is increasing exponentially. To support statewide scaling, the Illinois State Board of Education has drafted a set of administrative rules that will soon be open for public comment. In this post, we examine the growth of the endorsement system and share our review of the pending rules, which point to a significant level of momentum in Illinois regarding college and career pathways.
On October 19, 2023, Success Network Leadership Communities shared lessons learned in implementing learning renewal efforts.
Review the recording and resources from the September 13, 2023 meeting of the full Success Network Policy Committee.
Review the recording and resources from the June 6, 2023 meeting of the full Success Network Policy Committee.
Review the recording and resources from the March 23, 2023 meeting of the full Success Network Policy Committee.
The Success Network Policy Committee reviewed data, including secondary measures and postsecondary transition measures at an annual data deep dive convening on January 25, 2023.
In 2022, the Success Network expanded its reach and impact through thoughtful convenings, engagement with students, new supports and funding opportunities for Leadership Communities, and the launch of a new policy committee.
Review the recording and resources from the December 14, 2022 launch meeting of the full Success Network Policy Committee.
Celebrating the Illinois Education and Career Success Network’s tenth anniversary, join us at the annual conference to be equipped and inspired to advance equitable postsecondary attainment across Illinois.
On February 28–March 3, 2022, the Illinois Education and Career Success Network delivered high-quality content to a record-setting attendance of 767 educators, administrators, policymakers, students, and leaders.
Illinois’ leading postsecondary attainment network announces a new name, the Illinois Education and Career Success Network.
Senior Program Manager of Competency-Based Education Damarr Smith of Chicago Public Schools and Senior Fellow Ginger Reynolds of EdSystems co-presented a session at Equity First: the annual conference of the Illinois Education and Career Success Network.
On September 28, 2021, the Illinois 60 by 25 Network Organizers and partners discussed strategies to engage adult learners to increase postsecondary attainment equity in Illinois.
Through the launch of the Illinois 60 by 25 Network Student Advisory Council, the EdSystems team is learning first-hand the importance of lifting up student voices as we design and refine resources and policies that support student success.
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.
To help combat the teacher shortage, Sauk Valley Community College is offering every student entering the college with a College and Career Pathway Endorsement (CCPE) a $100 credit. Sauk Valley is the first community college in the State to offer an award based on the CCPE.
Join us February 22–25, 2021, for “Forward Together – Navigating Uncertainty and Advancing to 60% by 2025,” a free, virtual conference.
This two-part Systems Sessions podcast series shares the background and work of the Illinois 60 by 25 Network.
Through collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Education Systems Center has released a Career Development Experience Toolkit aligned to the frameworks established in the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) Act and embedded within Illinois’ broader strategies around scaling high-quality career pathways and work-based learning.
Illinois Education and Career Success Network supports communities to increase meaningful and equitable postsecondary attainment and civic engagement.
To support Success Network Leadership Communities, the dashboard serves as a single stop for data to inform community decisions in advancement of equitable postsecondary attainment.
To support the implementation of College and Career Pathway Endorsements at the local level, EdSystems has awarded funding to sixteen 60 by 25 Network Leadership Communities.
On behalf of the Illinois 60 by 25 Network, EdSystems has awarded ten Leadership Communities grants of up to $14,000 each over two years to support implementation of the PWR Act.
To support the implementation of the PWR Act at the local level, Education Systems Center, on behalf of the Illinois 60 by 25 Network, awarded six Leadership Communities grants of $7,500 each.
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