The PWR Act established a new statewide system for transitional math and English instruction that increases high school seniors’ college readiness and reduces remedial education needs. Successful completion of transitional instruction provides students with guaranteed placement into college-level courses at Illinois community colleges and accepting Illinois universities.
Our Role
EdSystems launched and managed the interagency process that led to uniform transitional math competencies and policies and a statewide implementation plan shared in the Statewide Transitional Math Competencies and Policies guide. Under this plan, all school districts in Illinois are expected to implement transitional math instruction by no later than the 2022–23 school year.
EdSystems led a parallel effort to launch transitional English across the state. In early 2021, the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Community College Board, and Illinois Board of Higher Education adopted the Statewide Transitional English Course Parameters, Competencies, and Policies (read the announcement).
EdSystems continues to support implementation efforts, including:
- A transitional English advisory group that meets monthly to discuss learnings and further build out the resource hub to share statewide resources and sample units from Illinois communities.
- Coordination of evaluations of transitional math and interagency conversations to use the findings to promote continuous improvement.
- Collaboration with ROE 47 to plan and promote transitional math and English summits.
To support local implementation of transitional instruction, EdSystems engaged in conversations with established Local Advisory Panels across the state to develop a guidance document that includes best practices and learnings for communities to utilize and adapt in their local course review processes.
Project Resources
- Transitional English Course Parameters, Competencies, and Policies
- Transitional English Resources
- Transitional Math Resources
- Transitional Math Competencies and Policies
- Transitional Math Website
- Transitional Math Implementation in Illinois: Investigating Secondary and Postsecondary Implementation and Data Utilization
- Illinois University Participation in Transitional Math
- Local Advisory Panels for Transitional Instruction: Processes, Promising Practices, and Lessons Learned
