This report describes the establishment and delivery of Illinois career and technical education (CTE), the existing condition of Illinois CTE based on fiscal year 2021 data, and the future developments and recommendations for CTE in the state as required by Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 435/2e. Illinois CTE focuses on providing equitable…

TransferBOOST (Bachelor's Opportunity Options that are Straightforward and Transparent) is a multi-year state-level initiative developed to provide students with affordable, quality, well-supported two- to four-year pathways. Affordability matters a great deal for transfer students, but it has typically not been understood or prioritized. The IHEP…

TransferBOOST (Bachelor's Opportunity Options that are Straightforward and Transparent) is a multi-year state-level initiative developed to provide students with affordable, quality, well-supported two- to four-year pathways. On average, 43 percent of credits are lost nationwide through the transfer process. Recognizing that today's students…

The funding of public education in many states, especially Illinois, is characterized by inequity. The reality is that students across the state are subject to a disparity in fiscal resources between those attending schools in the wealthiest and poorest districts. The cause of this dilemma is threefold. First, Illinois has a school finance scheme…

Providing access to robust connectivity is critical to ensuring today's students are college and career ready. As such, federal, state, and district-level leaders have dedicated a significant amount of time, effort, and resources toward improving our schools' external broadband access, including both Internet access and wide area network (WAN).…

This study focused on the federal and Illinois State the reform legislation titled the Performance Evaluation Reform Act and Senate Bill 7. The Performance Evaluation Reform Act or "PERA" was created from collaboration between stakeholders as Illinois competed in a federal competition titled "Race to the Top." The legislation…

Some researchers believe that collaboration between schools and community stakeholders--including families, educators, community organizations, and businesses--is the key to improving public education. However, broad and inclusive community-school partnerships are rare. Instead, we frequently hear about friction between communities and their…

America's K-12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a…

This is a watershed era in education as the states and the nation move from the old equity and adequacy of minimums and basic skills to the new equity and adequacy of excellence in education and proficiency outcomes for all children and at all schools. This is being driven by the requirements of the knowledge society, global economy, and…

The Illinois Supreme Court has permitted the General Assembly to create a system of public school funding that is widely disparate and disadvantageous to students in school districts with low-property wealth. In this Article, I argue that the court has not adequately considered the nexus between the Uniformity of Taxation provision and the…

This is the report of the Illinois State Scholarship Commission, a governor-appointed body of seven persons, responsible for the administration of nine state authorized and funded aid programs for Illinois postsecondary students. The aid programs of the ISSC, combined with institutional and Federal aid and with the funds expected from parents and…

This report begins with a summary of its major points which include: (1) expansion of higher education opportunities in Illinois, (2) elimination of financial problems as barriers to higher education, (3) increasing tuition only for those who can afford it, (4) increasing tuition gradually so that the impact on attendance patterns can be assessed,…

This paper (1) defines the concept of equalization as it has been used in school finance, (2) examines some selected problems in the measurement of the concept of equalization, and (3) applies the concept of equalization to current State educational fiscal policy matters. The definitional problems are investigated by posing what are believed to be…

Contents of these hearings include: a statement prepared for the Senate Select Committee on Equal Educational Opportunity, submitted by the National Committee for Support of the Public Schools; "Future Direction for School Financing, a Response to Demands for Fiscal Equity in American Education," a monograph prepared by the National…

This document consists of a series of papers by different authors on the subject of school finance and equal educational opportunity. The papers discuss equalizing educational opportunity by means of a resource equalizer or guaranteed valuation grants-in-aid; the impact of changing school finance on metropolitan areas; and three types of…