From the Desk—Back to School 2023: 5 Things to Look Out for in Illinois Education and Care

From early childhood through higher education, this past year was a big year in Illinois education. First, the FY24 budget represents historic investment in our birth-to-20 education system. While we did not get everything we asked for, across early childhood education and care, K-12, and post-secondary the General Assembly delivered over $1 billion in new education funding. That is a powerful investment in our state’s future! New legislation was signed that expanded access, strengthened student and educator supports, and advanced equity in our education system. Some highlights include implementation of key elements of the state’s Whole Child Task Force recommendations, expansion of full-day kindergarten to all districts in the next three years, additional increases to MAP, and efforts to smooth the transition from 2- to 4-year institutions.   

As we now pivot to look at the year ahead, there are a few issues and activities that could prove monumental for Illinois. Here are five things to watch for in Illinois education this year:  

1. A road map for adequate, equitable, and sustainable funding for Illinois’ 4-year public universities. 

The data is clear: post-secondary degrees matter and have a direct impact on an individual's future earnings and our state's economy. Yet, in Illinois, we both underfund and inequitably fund higher education. This pattern has pushed college out of financial reach for many families and driven down overall enrollment, especially for students who have been historically underrepresented in higher education. While recent reinvestments have made some progress, we still have no clear idea how much a degree should cost, and no real system for ensuring that state dollars follow student and institutional need. Indeed, the current system largely consists of individual institutions pleading their case to the General Assembly. But the stage is set for serious change-- soon, the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding is set to release a set of comprehensive recommendations that we expect to include specific data-driven criteria and approaches to adequately, equitably, and stably fund public universities in Illinois. If adopted, this would be a game changer for Illinois, setting us up to be a national leader in ensuring institutions of higher education have sufficient funding and resources to support all students, especially students of color, low-income students, and first-generation students, to enroll, persist, and graduate. As the country considers the implications of the Supreme Court decision this summer to curtail the use of race in college admissions, it is vital that our state continue to champion policies that center the needs of students who have been historically marginalized, and those who we demonstrably need to serve better. 

2. Actions to address and mitigate the impact of the federal stimulus cliff.  

As a state, Illinois has, across sectors, received over $107 billion in federal pandemic relief since March 2020, with $8 billion of that going to Illinois schools to and through this school year. These funds have been a lifeline for students, families, schools and communities, providing vital supports and resources to respond to immediate pandemic-related needs, and to support longer-term recovery and renewal. While some funds have already started to expire, this is the last full school year in which education-related pandemic relief dollars will be available, leaving state agencies and school districts with difficult decisions to make regarding what programs, services, and positions to continue or cut. As we prepare for these challenging conversations, let us work hard to a) use data to inform decision-making, b) listen to students and families about what’s working and what is needed, and c) ensure there is transparency and public dialogue around the process. Learning renewal is ongoing—and we cannot expect to simply and easily cut all the work being funded with federal stimulus dollars. Instead, we must carefully and strategically consider what is right for Illinois students, what will support them adequately and equitably, and where it is appropriate to find state or local dollars to keep programs going. 

3. Efforts to mitigate the impact of short-term fluctuations in tax revenues on Evidence-Based Funding. 

In six of the last seven years, the General Assembly has approved increases to the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula—investing more than $1.8 billion in new tier funding overall. These investments, combined with growth in local resources, have helped dramatically reduce the number of students attending severely underfunded school districts in Illinois.1 However, some of this progress may be short-lived. In recent years, one district revenue source, the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax (CPPRT), has significantly, but temporarily increased, driven largely by reductions in tax exemptions, influxes in federal stimulus dollars and increased spending during the pandemic. This increase in CPPRT revenue is providing a momentary bump to adequacy for many districts -- making our system appear much better funded than it was a year ago. While it is terrific for districts to receive these funds in the short term, it seems clear that the revenue increase is temporary. Indeed, K-12 districts are expected to see a total of $660 million fewer dollars coming from this funding source in FY24. However, because EBF calculations use lagging data, FY24 EBF data does not accurately reflect the real drops in resources that districts are feeling right now, or our state’s actual overall gap to full funding. 

 Meanwhile, even with the temporary gains we are seeing in FY24 adequacy, most of the state’s students—more than 1.3 million children— are still in underfunded districts (below 90% of full funding). We need to make good on having missed a year of increased funding during the pandemic, mitigate the impact of declining CPPRT revenue, help districts manage inflationary costs, and commit to growing EBF investments to make sure we’re on a path to ensure every student enrolled at an Illinois public K-12 school can access a quality education.  

4. New information about the impact of the pandemic on the educator pipeline. 

More and more data are becoming available on the impact the pandemic has had on students and schools. Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, there has been much discussion, but limited data shared, about the anticipated impact of this event on the educator workforce. This fall, Advance Illinois will release a report that takes a look at the full breadth and diversity of our educator pipeline, addressing topics from recruitment and supply of new educators, to retention of veteran teachers and leaders. The aim of this report is to explore the early impact of the pandemic, unpack areas where the state has made progress, and highlight what challenges and considerations should be top of mind as the state moves forward. Following this report, ISBE will release additional data this year in its annual State Report Card and its Educator Supply and Demand Report. Lots to look forward to - stay tuned! 

5. Further progress in creating a more equitable and effective system of early childhood education and care. 

In Illinois, as well as throughout the nation, access to essential, high-quality programs and services for young children remains out of reach for many families. State funding and allocation of limited early childhood education and care dollars has resulted in a patchwork quilt of programming and supports. The direct impact of this can be seen in statewide kindergarten readiness data: As the most recent data suggests, less than a third of incoming kindergartners entered school fully prepared. One of the major barriers is the complex way the state administers early childhood programs, a governance structure that spans three different agencies and creates a system that is hard for providers and families to navigate. We commend the state for its recent efforts, and its investments to strengthen and expand Illinois’ Birth-5 system. With recommendations from the Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding laying a path forward for the system, and year one of Illinois’ Smart Start program making deeply needed investments, we see a lot of promise and opportunity ahead. As state leaders and advocates champion and invest additional resources and pilot new, more strategic and equitable ways for distributing funding, the time is now to prioritize growing and stabilizing the workforce and rethinking governance so we can better align programs, resources, and policies. Moving to a single agency will provide greater coherence and accountability for the state and is good for children, families, providers, and schools.  

Illinois has much to be proud of and celebrate, but we cannot rest. Looking ahead, there is more to do. We must work together to address challenges and opportunities and make Illinois a stronger, better state for the children and students who depend on us.   

From The Desk—On the 103rd Legislative Session: A Tremendous Vote of Confidence for the Next Generation, But No Time to Let Up

Last week the General Assembly adjourned the 103rd Session and there is much to discuss and celebrate! The session included historic investment in education and endorsement of Smart Start Illinois, a multi-year vision for early childhood and care that stems from recommendations made by the Governor’s Early Childhood Funding Commission. At a time when state houses across the country are telling programs and schools what they can and can’t do and taking steps to make classrooms less accessible and inclusive, Illinois’ legislature showed a commitment to expanding access, increasing transparency, supporting equity and inclusion, and leveraging evidence-based practices in classrooms and programs. Below we spotlight some key outcomes, along with our hope that Illinois continues to build on this commitment to equity and quality and stay on course toward becoming the best state in the nation to raise and educate a family.

FY24 Budget 
As we shared in our initial statement, the FY24 budget represents historic investment in our birth-to-20 education system. Throughout the legislative session, the collective voices of parents, educators, students and residents throughout the state raised up what is needed—and they were heard!  While we did not get everything we asked for, across early childhood and care, K-12, and post-secondary the General Assembly delivered over $1 billion in new education funding. That is a powerful investment in our state’s future! Starting with our youngest children, the budget included almost $300 million in new funds for education and care from birth to Pre-K, $350 million in new tier funds for our K-12 Evidence-Based Funding (EBF), more than $55 million new dollars to strengthen and diversify our educator pipeline, and an almost $215 million increase to support higher education institutions and scholarships. Thank you to the Funding Illinois’ Future Coalition, the Minority Teachers of Illinois champions, the We, The Village Coalition, the Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding, and the many advocates who raised their voices! 

In addition to community voice, Advance Illinois’ work is guided by research and data. Accordingly, we think it is powerful that across the education continuum, and thanks to the work of the Early Childhood Funding Commission, EBF, and the Illinois Commission on Equitable Public University Funding, Illinois is getting a clearer picture of what it truly costs to adequately and equitably fund education and meet the needs of children, students and families—while also paying our workforce at rates commensurate with their value. We use that information to guide our advocacy, and it is clear that legislators responded. Our one disappointment is that calls to increase funding for EBF by $550 million were not met. Given the ongoing post-pandemic needs facing students and schools across the state, and given the fact that the state did not increase EBF in FY21, the need was—and continues to be—urgent. And so our collective advocacy will continue.  

Legislative Highlights 

This year the General Assembly managed through an extraordinary volume of education-related bills. Of those that passed, the vast majority helped advance access, improve transparency, equity and inclusion, and worked to address needs in the educator pipeline. Here are a few highlights:    

Expanding Access  

Historically, offering kindergarten was optional for Illinois districts, and there was no expectation that full-day programs be provided. While the overwhelming majority of districts offer kindergarten (including full-day), HB2396 ensures that kindergarten will be available to all families, requiring that a full-day kindergarten option be offered in all districts by the 2027-28 school year. Additionally, SB2243 requires the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to, among other things, create a statewide Literacy Plan and provide resources and supports for districts and schools to increase access and implement evidence-based, culturally-inclusive core reading instruction programs. To expand access and participation in higher education, SB2288 requires improvements to Illinois’ 2- to 4- year articulation process (supporting the transferability of credits across schools) and, importantly, adds the education major to the Illinois Articulation Initiative.  

Improving Transparency & Strengthening Student Supports  

HB0342 advances a number of recommendations from the Whole Child Task Force. Specifically and among other things, the bill requires the State Report Card to include data on the number of counselors, social workers, and nurses available at the school and district level, and charges ISBE with creating a new “adversity index” to better understand student and family exposure to trauma. SB2031 establishes an Expanded High School Snapshot Report to provide greater transparency on the range of coursework available at high schools across the state, and more data on student participation in advanced coursework. Finally, SB2240 provides greater transparency to high school districts on their students’ community college remediation data. Taken together, these transparency efforts will help improve awareness, inform policy discussions, impact resource allocation decisions, and support ongoing improvement efforts. 

Elevating Equity and Inclusion 

Senate Bill 90 requires school districts to create a policy on discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or national origin. Pending appropriations, it also requires ISBE to create a data collection system to report on allegations of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation against students.  HB1633 requires that Native American History be taught in Illinois schools, and SB1787 establishes the Rural Education Advisory Council to advise ISBE on the experiences and needs of students and educators in rural settings. 

Supporting our Educator Pipeline  

This year we saw efforts to make it easier for substitutes to consistently support a classroom (HB3442), steps to launch a pilot to increase the availability of endorsements (HB2442), and action to provide relief for Golden Apple Scholars, Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver, and Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship recipients who go back into eligible classrooms after initially not meeting their service requirements (HB3498). In addition, SB1488 establishes a taskforce to make recommendations for an objective and consistent teacher performance assessment as part of the Illinois teacher licensure process. Finally, HR 62 calls on ISBE to create a portal to help potential educators navigate entry into the profession, and to access available scholarships and waivers.  

At the same time, SB1872 shortens the time for teachers to be eligible for tenure and reduces the time that principals and coaches have to support early career teachers before making tenure decisions – a decision that will likely place additional pressure on the educator pipeline. We are optimistic that research currently underway into the implementation of Illinois’ educator evaluation system and led by the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC), will identify strengths and opportunities that will inform any subsequent policy action. Going forward the state should continue to ensure that all teachers receive the feedback and support they need to be effective educators for all students.     

Budget Implementation Bill (BIMP)

In true Springfield fashion, the budget implementation bill (also known as the BIMP) included some impactful legislative changes and requirements.  These included: 

• Providing the authority and some parameters to launch the Governor’s Smart Start Illinois and Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program, as well as establishing The Imagination Library of Illinois Fund.  

• Codifying an increase of the maximum grant award for Illinois’ signature grant program, MAP, from $8,508 to $10,896. 

• Requiring that FY24 early childhood construction grants go to school districts exclusively, and not also to eligible community–based programs. 

• Codifying into law the current income eligibility threshold (225% of the Federal Poverty Level) for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). 

• Directing ISBE, for a second year in a row, to work outside of the EBF formula and provide “Significant Loss” grants to certain eligible districts that may see a significant drop in their local contribution, a direction made on top of legislative changes designed to systemically ease the impact of dramatic changes in local revenues. Absent consultation with the Professional Review Panel (created to oversee the new EBF formula), this one-time grant was extended for another year.  

Conclusion 

All told, this session was marked by a budget that reflected and prioritized students, with a focus on equity and access. It is worth pausing to appreciate all those involved in getting to these key decisions and worth celebrating the General Assembly’s vote of confidence in the next generation and those who work tirelessly to educate and support them. But amidst the celebration, we cannot rest. Looking ahead, even more will be required of us to ensure that Illinois truly becomes the best state in the nation to raise and educate a family. As communities across the country grapple with culture wars that impact teaching and learning, we are reminded that Illinois is not immune to these tensions. We applaud the good work in motion to advance an equitable and high-quality system of education and care, and re-commit ourselves to the important work ahead. 

In partnership,  

Robin

rsteans@advanceillinois.org

From the Desk of Robin Steans—6 Recommendations from Experts for Transforming Illinois’ Early Childhood Education and Care System

This spring, we had the opportunity to host and co-host a number of events across the state for legislators, state leaders, advocates, district, school, and program leaders, teachers and other interested stakeholders on how Illinois can create an Equitable Early Childhood System for Illinois – and boy, did we learn a lot.  

Joined by national experts Linda K. Smith, the Director of the Bipartisan Center’s Early Childhood Development Initiative and Dr. Dan Wuori, Senior Director of Early Learning at the Hunt Institute at all events, and Deputy Governor of Education Martin Torres and Emnet Ward, HR Director and Interim CEO of Eyes on the Future Child Development Center at our 11th Annual Legislative Education Forum, we discussed the current national and state early learning environment, where Illinois stands against the 2021 Funding Commission recommendations and potential opportunities and considerations for the Governor’s Smart Start Initiative and efforts to expand access to preschool and child care.  While there were many helpful considerations and lessons from other states, six key recommendations from the experts and presenters stood out:  

1. Set quality as a goal from the beginning. Decades of research have shown the importance of a child’s first years of life and the positive impact that quality early learning experiences have, not only on children’s success in school, but throughout their lifetime. Yet, rarely do states and communities center quality as an initial or central objective for their early childhood and care programs as they look to expand or reform their system. Too often, quality becomes something that the state will focus on “next” once the foundation and systems are launched, and/or in favor of increasing numbers and slots.  The experts vehemently cautioned against this. They urged Illinois to be explicit and tireless in anchoring all policies, funding, and redesign in quality programming for all children from the beginning. This includes ensuring such efforts as quality staffing and compensation levels, full-day versus half-day preschool, and more. 

2. We need to think about Governance, Funding Mechanisms, and Quality all at the same time. The current early childhood business model is fundamentally broken. State and Federal resources are insufficient – resulting in childcare deserts, poverty level wages for early childhood staff, and program quality as an afterthought or add on. While this isn’t unique to Illinois, our current policies and practices reinforce a flawed status quo. As Illinois advances policy and investment in our early childhood education and care system, it is vital to understand that we cannot meaningfully address access and wage issues without first fixing the business model of childcare.  This includes working on “supply”—teachers, facilities, supports—not just “demand”—expanding slots; transforming how we allocate funding to be more equitable, adequate, and stable; rethinking our fractured governance model; and focusing on education pipeline and compensation systems.  

3. Inclusive, extensive, and ongoing engagement matters. The state needs to engage parents and families to better understand what they want and need for their children not just what we think they need. Furthermore, we cannot solely focus these efforts on the urban and suburban context, we must engage and include rural areas. This engagement needs to start early and span from planning to design and development to implementation. For meaningful change to occur, the state needs to listen to those impacted.   

4. Establish timelines that we can be held accountable to as a state. The ambitious early childhood plan under discussion in Illinois is truly transformative and exciting, and we have made tangible progress in the past few years. Yet, for the state to tackle the major system improvements it aspires to make, there must be a clear multi-year plan - with clear leadership and external accountability around timelines and benchmarks. While one suggestion was to have legislative deadlines - similar to what US Congress did for the Department of Defense childcare system - other approaches like a public-private blueprint were discussed.  

5. Transformation needs external expertise and perspective. Transformation along the lines that the state is discussing can benefit from external expertise and perspectives because, in our speakers’ experience, this level of change is difficult to make from the inside alone. 

6. There is an opportunity for bipartisan partnership and support. In states across the country, early childhood education and care seems to be one of the few areas on which both Republicans and Democrats want to make progress.  Our speakers cited numerous polls demonstrating overwhelming popular support for early childhood programs, policies, and investments.  And while we have made important progress, we have a long way to go, including streamlining governance so we can be more strategic, effective and equitable. 

In recent years, Illinois has taken key steps in increasing its investments in the education and care of our young learners. Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, Governor JB Pritzker made nation-leading investments in the childcare sector, providing a lifeline to keep providers afloat through the pandemic and their doors open to provide essential support for working families. The Governor also convened the state’s first bipartisan Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding.  In 2021, this Commission released a set of recommendations for the development for a unified, equitable, and fully funded early childhood system in Illinois. And now, as the Governor enters his second term, he has made bold proposals to make preschool available to all families and close child care deserts – proposals that will certainly advance his vision of making Illinois the best state in the nation for families raising young children. It is essential that we listen to and learn from both external experts and internal stakeholders with lived experiences and knowledge to truly transform Illinois early childhood and care system and ensure Illinois continues its journey is providing every child in our state the opportunity for a high-quality early learning experience. 

We would like to thank our speakers and panelists for their insights, expertise and feedback. We would also like to thank the over 150 participants who turned out to events across the state – we hope you learned and benefited as much as we did. And finally, we would like to thank the many partners who helped make last week possible and such a stimulating success. 

From the Desk of Robin Steans – Supporting Students and Strengthening the Road to Recovery in 2023

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

After three difficult years, all signs point to the fact that Illinois has turned a corner. COVID-19 rates are down, and the latest Google COVID Community Mobility Report shows that most  forms of activity have returned to near normal relative to the pre-pandemic baseline. And despite all predictions to the contrary, the state is undeniably in a strong fiscal position. Revenue is up--in fact, General Revenue Funds for FY23 are predicted to be the highest they’ve been in the past 10 years--Illinois has paid down debt, and we are now adding to our rainy-day fund. But our outlook can be even stronger. 

As state leaders make key decisions on how to direct these increased resources, the research is clear: investments in education pay off. Better academic outcomes, enabled by adequate investments in education, translate to economic growth, increased earnings, and decreased unemployment. In fact, nationally, research has found that on average, every additional bachelor’s degree provides states with a net benefit of $2,500 per person per year in increased individual-level taxes and decreased consumption of social services. Additionally, a well-educated population is associated with increased civic engagement, volunteering, happiness, life satisfaction, and better health and wellness, as well as lower incarceration rates.  

There is no question that strengthening our state starts with investing and improving our birth- post-secondary education system. 

As we look ahead to 2023 and the 103rd legislative session, Advance Illinois will support this vision for a stronger Illinois. Our focus is on ensuring more stable, adequate and equitable education funding from cradle to career, prioritizing supports for the whole child, strengthening and diversifying the educator pipeline, and putting to work more relevant data to address the impact of years of disrupted learning and development. Our agenda is big, as is the need! 

STABLE, ADEQUATE & EQUITABLE FUNDING ACROSS THE BIRTH-POSTSECONDARY (B-20) CONTINUUM  

It is vital we take a birth-postsecondary (B-20) funding approach to ensure that every part of the education and care continuum is stably, adequately and equitably funded. Every step of our education system relies on the health and success of the previous steps. K-12 students thrive when they have had access to high-quality early childhood experiences. Post-secondary students persist at higher rates when they have had a strong K-12 education. And, all students perform better when they have access to quality educators and caregivers. 

This year, we will advocate for:  

Increasing state early childhood investments by at least 20 percent.  

While Illinois has begun new efforts to improve access and quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) over the last year, there is still much work to be done. The governor’s Early Childhood Funding Commission reports that we are underfunding ECEC by roughly $12 billion. Accordingly, the state needs a long-term plan that (a) puts us on a clear path towards fully funding the system, and (b) aligns state governance and funding systems to prioritize equity and access. In the meantime, we urge the state to increase state funding for ECEC by at least 20 percent in the FY24 budget. While, alongside our partners and the field, we look forward to developing a longer-term plan, including learning more about and engaging with Governor Pritzker’s plan to expand preschool access to all families in our state and eliminate child care deserts, we need to ensure we’re making bold steps now to close the multi-billion dollar gap to full funding.  

Accelerating our path to fully-funding the Evidence-Based Formula. 

Five years into the implementation of the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula for K-12 schools, data shows that the formula is working to dramatically reduce the number of severely underfunded districts in our state. This represents meaningful progress, but the state has a long way to go with over half of Illinois’ students in districts still at or below 75% of adequacy. If we continue to add an additional $350 million each year in new funds (roughly the pace we’ve been going), it would take at least fifteen years to fully fund our schools. Parents, educators and local leaders from across the state have been raising their voices to share that Illinois students cannot wait that long. We must increase the minimum funding we add to EBF each year by at least $550M, and ensure our schools and students have a stable source funds, to get us to full funding in half the time. 

Restoring enrollment, investment, and equity in the state’s higher education system.  

Funding for higher education is fundamentally broken in Illinois. Current costs are pricing too many students out of college, especially students from low-income households and students of color. Moreover, institutions that support a high percentage of these same students are disproportionally harmed by current state funding structures. In the FY23 budget, Illinois made a significant commitment to higher education affordability by appropriating a $122 million increase for the Monetary Assistance Program (MAP), that for the first time in 20 years allowed us to support all eligible applicants. While this investment will have a substantial impact, on average, MAP still only covers 38% of public university tuition and fees. If we are serious about equitable access to post-secondary opportunities, we must increase the amount of individual grants; investing an additional $50M in MAP will build on recent progress and take us one step closer to putting college in reach for all students.      

Scholarships alone are not going to resolve our resource challenges in higher education. Decades of disinvestment have placed stress on our public universities and community colleges, impacting enrollment and programing. Therefore, in the near term, we are recommending a 7.5% increase in institutional funding that also prioritizes equitable distribution of these funds. In the long term, we are participating in the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding and Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding, to both raise awareness of these needs and help propose equity-oriented funding reform.   

HEALING-CENTERED ENVIRONMENTS  

Even before the pandemic began, the social, emotional, mental health, and trauma related needs of students in Illinois were not being fully met by school and community supports. For many students and staff, COVID-19 has only exacerbated these needs. As Illinois continues to take strides towards becoming a trauma-responsive state and leverages federal stimulus funds to invest in the resources and systems required to provide all of our young people with healing-centered communities, it’s vital that we articulate a long-term and systemic vison for this work. Last year, the Whole Child Task Force issued a set of comprehensive recommendations intended to support all schools and districts in becoming trauma-informed and healing-centered environments. This legislative session, we plan to help advance legislation that begins implementing the Task Force’s recommendations. 

STRONGER, MORE DIVERSE TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL PIPELINES  

The single most important role the state has is to ensure our students have well-prepared, capable educators, and that we give those educators the support and development they need as the world continues to throw them new and challenging curve balls. Illinois has been making thoughtful, coordinated investments to strengthen and diversify its educator pipeline, and that work has been paying off and is garnering national attention. Indeed, while Illinois continues to struggle with teacher shortages in certain subject areas and geographies, we are faring better than other states (thanks in large part to these concerted efforts). That said, these efforts must not only continue, but also expand – too many students in Illinois do not have access to fully certified, diverse teachers. Notably, the majority (about 54%) our state’s current educator pipeline investments come from short-term federal stimulus resources. As these funds begin to expire, it is critical that the state determine how to maintain and grow its comprehensive, coordinated, ambitious plan to build a stronger, more diverse educator pipeline – one that recruits and retains talented, diverse educators and closes gaps in high-need subjects and regions.  

We will continue to develop and advocate for a set of evidence-based strategies that address the entire educator pipeline from recruitment to preparation to placement and retention. This includes:  

• Supporting a $2.8 million increase (for a total of $7 million) for Minority Teachers of Illinois (MTI) scholarship in order to support more teaching candidates of color, including Black male and bilingual candidates (a modest increase for an outsized impact);   

• Developing and investing in a state infrastructure (such as a unified portal) to simplify access to financial aid and licensure information;  

• Evaluating the impact of Illinois’ 2017 minimum salary legislation on our teacher pipeline; and 

• Sustaining investments in early pathways, educator induction, mentoring and development for new teachers and leaders, and alternative pathways.  

COVID-19 LEARNING RENEWAL 

The state must continue to address ongoing immediate needs, but also focus on recovery and rebuilding plans.  Research continues to highlight the impact of the last three years on students, academically and emotionally. In addition, reports from the field outline the challenging instructional conditions affecting many students, especially students from low-income households, of color, English language learners, and with special learning needs. To attend to the significant needs in our state, Illinois B-20 systems have received billions in federal education relief funds to support recovery. In order to inform and strengthen ongoing rebuilding, the state should collect and make transparent data capturing student and staff needs, the distribution and use of federal relief funds, and the impact key interventions have had across Illinois. 

Illinois continues to have the 5th highest GDP in the nation, and our current outlook is undeniably strong. We can be even stronger. If we are going to weather future ups and downs in the economy and beyond, secure our economic future while tackling some of our most stubborn systemic inequities, we must prioritize education in 2023. Where we have taken informed, coordinated, and bold action, we have seen powerful progress. Let us continue that winning strategy, now more than ever. 

Robin M. Steans

rsteans@advanceillinois.org

From the Desk of Robin Steans, Sustaining and Improving Learning Renewal Efforts in Illinois

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

More than two years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education in Illinois in ways we never could have imagined. Since then, caregivers, educators, and state and local leaders have had to respond to this crisis with limited information about what impact the pandemic has had on the resources and supports students need. While we are still collectively building this understanding, the state is gaining useful data that can and should inform learning renewal priorities moving forward. 

In our latest report, The State We’re In 2022: A Look at the Impact of COVID-19 on Education in Illinois, Advance Illinois began to unpack the pandemic’s impact on students’ access to opportunities and resources during this unprecedented time. 

What Emerging Data is Telling Us 

The results were sobering, if not surprising. Nearly every facet of education—enrollment, academic instruction, social-emotional learning, and student well-being—was profoundly impacted by the pandemic. And while the data are limited, they highlight that these disruptions were not evenly felt. Further, it is clear that things are not ‘back to normal,’ and likely will not be for a long time: 

• High Quality early childhood programs help children prepare for and succeed in K-12 grades and beyond. The significant shifts we saw in early childhood enrollment (with some programs seeing decreases of up to 20%) will likely have an impact on academic and developmental readiness as children enter kindergarten in coming years. 

• Statewide, we lost tens of thousands of students from public and private K-12 schools, and we saw an unprecedented 14 percent decrease in community college enrollment in fall 2020. And while we hope to see numbers increase this fall, in fall 2021, community college enrollment and K-12 enrollment continued to decline rather than bounce back. 

• Declining attendance and assessment scores, though incomplete, reveal significant impacts on academic progress. In 2020-2021, chronic absenteeism – a predictor of later academic achievement and graduation – increased by 3 and 5 percentage points respectively in our elementary and middle schools, driven in large part by students from low-income households, Black and Latinx students, and English Learners. If left unaddressed, these academic gaps may persist or grow over time, worsening disparities educators have worked hard to reduce. 

• Coming out of the 2020-2021 school year, and on top of disrupted academic progress, lagging social-emotional skills have made teaching and learning significantly more challenging. Despite being back in-person, educators in Illinois described the 2021-2022 school year as perhaps the most difficult they have faced so far. 

• Finally, 9th Grade On-Track rates – a powerful predictor of high school graduation - dropped from 87% to 82% in 2021, warning that without intervention, we may soon see a drop in high school graduation rates.  

Illinois' Ongoing Response 

Families, teachers, districts, and agencies across the state launched a strong response to the COVID-19 pandemic from day one. From rapidly moving curriculum online, to mobilizing to distribute digital devices, to keeping early childhood providers afloat through emergency shutdowns and restricted enrollment, and much, much more, state and local leaders and educators led a robust response early in the pandemic.  As importantly, the state provided guidance to districts and educators across the continuum on research-based strategies to address COVID impacts. In the past year, Illinois continued the effort, launching an Early Childhood enrollment campaign, investing in the expansion of the REACH pilot to support trauma-responsive schools, and launching programs like One Goal and high impact tutoring opportunities across the state.  

Moving Forward 

We cannot lose momentum now. The data makes clear that we must continue to rise to this once-in-a-century moment and maintain a long-term perspective. Moving into our third school year since the start of the pandemic, we urge the state to: 

• Develop and implement a statewide research agenda.  With federal relief funds in hand, state and local education leaders have been implementing a wide array of initiatives to meet students’ academic, social-emotional, and mental health needs. It is vital that we learn from efforts to date – not only to inform ongoing learning renewal work, but to learn and grow so that we can support the next generation to reach its full potential more effectively. The state should have a clear learning agenda, and use data to inform priorities. This involves continuing to develop our understanding of what students need as new data becomes available and maintaining investment in our state’s longitudinal data system.  

• Sustain effective learning renewal programs after federal funding lapses. All signs indicate that the impacts of the pandemic will continue to be felt far beyond the expiration of federal relief funding in 2024. Building on research and evaluation of existing learning renewal efforts, the state should be ready to identify areas that require continued investment and allocate funds to sustain programs that are making a difference for students. 

• Fully fund our B-20 education systems. Even before the pandemic hit, adequately and equitably funding education systems has proven to make a difference for kids. Illinois has made meaningful progress towards adequate funding with increases to the Early Childhood Block Grant, K-12 Evidence-Based Funding Formula, MAP grant, and institutional funding in higher education. The pandemic has only heightened the urgency of this work. While federal stimulus funds have helped state agencies and LEAs address immediate pandemic challenges, these funds are intended to be a targeted supplement to ongoing sustained investment in our programs and institutions. This year, we urge the state to increase funding for early childhood programs by 20% and invest no less than $550 million in new funds in the Evidence-Based Funding formula to support K-12 schools. In addition, we urge leaders to support a new, more equitable and sufficient funding approach to higher education.  These investments are critical to support long-term student growth and recovery. 

• Address lagging enrollment. The state has already launched a re-enrollment campaign to address dwindling numbers in Early Childhood programs. We urge the state to monitor and evaluate this program, and apply lessons learned to address re-enrollment of elementary and middle school students. A particular challenge in addressing K-12 enrollment is our inability to identify students who are being homeschooled. Creating statewide reporting requirements for families who homeschool would allow the Illinois State Board of Education to understand how many students who are not in our public and private schools are being homeschooled—and where students may be missing formal education entirely.  

• Continue to explore opportunities to use time and modality more flexibly. Students have missed crucial learning time, and providing staff and students with opportunities to make up for that time is a challenge. Districts across the state have been piloting new ways to use classroom and extended learning time. Let us learn from these efforts, not only to inform learning renewal, but also to improve our understanding of how to effectively accelerate learning for students. Similarly, we urge institutions across the B-20 continuum to identify and share areas where virtual options have made a difference and work to maintain or develop these efforts. 

• Implement recommendations coming out of the Whole Child Task Force. Student needs outside of the academic realm have only increased during the pandemic. The Whole Child Task Force has identified clear ways in which the state can better support the whole child, including adopting statewide definitions of trauma-responsive schools and districts, providing high quality training to district staff and community-based service providers, developing a community trauma index to better understand need and including student-to-support staff ratios in the Illinois State Report Card. Let us use this crisis to dramatically strengthen how we support our students. 

• Strengthen and diversify our educator pipeline. It is good news that over the past few years, districts have been able to add instructional and support positions – roles that were desperately needed pre-COVID, and even more so now. The challenge now is to continue to grow the pipeline to expand and fill these positions across the state, increasing students’ access to high quality teachers, counselors, social workers, and psychologists. Districts must continue to invest in recruitment and retention, but the state has a key role to play to grow and diversify our educator workforce by expanding high school pathways, creating real articulation between 2-year and 4-year programs, and deepening support for scholarships, innovative grow-your-own and program efforts, and ongoing induction and mentoring. 

We are on the road to recovery—but not ready to take our foot off the gas. Educators, communities, state, and local leaders have supported students in countless ways, but COVID disruptions have been far-reaching, and have exacerbated already deep inequities. It will take a long-term statewide effort to provide students, children, and families with equitable access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. Having come this far, Illinois is – and must remain – ready for the challenge. 

Robin Steans

President