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SUPPORTS AND INTERVENTIONS IN ILLINOIS SCHOOLS: PARTICIPATION, PREPARATION, AND WHAT COMES NEXT

December 20, 2016 Meeting Summary and Next Steps

Supports and Interventions for Illinois Schools: Meeting Summary and Next Steps

1 partnersforeachandeverychild.org

Contents A Convening to Support District Engagement ............................................................................2

Why Supports and Intervention? ........................................................................................2

What We Heard ...................................................................................................................................3

Feedback on Engagement Efforts: This Convening ........................................................3

Feedback for Moving Forward in Illinois: ESSA Implementation ................................4

A Model for Meaningful Engagement ............................................................................................7

Living up to Our Principles ..................................................................................................7

Next Step: Moving Forward ..............................................................................................................9

Appendix A: Convening Process Detail ..................................................................................................... 10

Appendix B: Convening Agenda (Brief) ..................................................................................................... 12

Appendix C: Attendee List ........................................................................................................................... 14

Appendix D: Timeline of Illinois State Plan Development .................................................................... 15

Appendix E: Partners for Efforts in Illinois .............................................................................................. 16



Co-Conveners: Advance Illinois Consortium for Education Change Illinois Federation of Community Schools Partners for Each and Every Child

In collaboration with ISBE

A Convening to Support District Engagement

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has embraced both the requirement under ESSA and the spirit of intent that meaningful engagement with a range of stakeholders throughout the processes of policy planning and implementation is essential to ensure the best possible state level planning and outcomes for all Illinois students. In collaboration with Partners for Each and Every Child (Partners for), ISBE and state-level advocates and experts have participated in a process of ongoing and meaningful engagement, with an eye toward continuous improvement (for a timeline of engagement efforts toward the development of the ISBE ESSA consolidated state plan, please Appendix C).

As a part of this process of engagement,1 Partners for collaborated with a group of Illinois advocacy organizations to convene district leaders in Illinois’ highest-need districts to begin a conversation around comprehensive and targeted support and intervention strategies under ESSA.

Why Supports and Intervention?

The ISBE state plan must include information on assessments, a statewide system of support, long-term and interim goals, and accountability. Within the multiple, intersecting threads of this work, a balance must be achieved between policy and implementation. In the case of accountability, design work and policy negotiations must move from general abstractions—such as a system to identify and support schools in needs of comprehensive or targeted improvement—to concrete specifications that are educative, equitable, and non-punitive for schools and districts.

To be sure, decisions made over the next several months can and will modify aspects of Illinois’ state plan, and it is ISBE’s intention to make the best possible decisions, put forth Illinois’ best thinking on all aspects, and move forward in this spirit of continuous improvement. It is with this spirit of evidence-based thinking, collaboration, and continuous improvement that Illinois intends to design a system of support and improvement for struggling schools, and that Partners for has endeavored to build the

1 For more information about Partner for work in Illinois, see Appendix D



capacity of the state board to do so.

As part of this series of efforts, Partners for is supporting ESSA implementation at the district level by facilitating district participation in state-level decision-making, and by helping to prepare local agencies to meet the policy and engagement requirements under ESSA and according to the specifics of consolidated state plans as they are written and approved. (See page 2 for a simple timeline outlining this effort)

Convening Goals: Partners for, along with a core set of our Illinois partners, convened a set of local leaders in Illinois districts likely to be identified for support and improvement in order to solicit their specific feedback on the state plan under development, and to begin the conversation about support and improvement strategy and the collaborative approach toward improvement. To ensure the success of this event, it was important to Partners for to:

1. collaborate with local partners to ensure that this convening was informed by different perspectives;

2. convene these local leaders along with expertise from the advocacy and research communities to ensure that the conversation was well-informed; and

3. collaborate with ISBE to ensure that they could receive feedback on the draft plan and directly communicate an intention of collaboration and support to districts leaders.

What We Heard

Feedback on Engagement Efforts: Lessons from This Convening

Regarding the Convening itself in content and form, participants provided additional valuable feedback, including the following:

1. Invested Leadership – There was consensus that hearing from ISBE directly on ESSA implementation and the state plan drafting process was highly valuable.

• Recommendations: ISBE should continue to be directly involved, where possible, in engagement efforts with district leaders and local stakeholders, particularly to promote collaboration among diverse sectors of the education community. This should include State Board presence at regional or local convenings with local leaders and stakeholders, and more direct access for district leaders to state agency staff via a direct email or phone line for support. It will also be important to consider this direct support for state-level policy efforts outside of the implementation of ESSA.

2. Transparency and Better Technical Packaging – It was clear from the table discussions that the Student Growth Accountability Modeling process remained unclear.

• Recommendations: Decisions made at the state level around the student growth and proficiency metrics will need to be communicated more clearly to district leaders, as well as all stakeholders. It will be important to invest in communications support in representing decisions around student growth – and other data metrics – for a wide audience, and it would be useful to host a webinar or other live event to allow for questions to support further clarification.



3. Strategic Expert Participation – The “Experts” in the room were highly valuable at the table discussions, but the “Expert Panel” felt less useful to a number of participants.

• Recommendations: Content experts should be included in discussions moving forward, and should be used more strategically to provide resource and expertise to a local context. It may also be useful to better communicate with district leaders the importance of partnerships with, and collaboration among, district and school leadership and research/advocacy organizations, including the opportunity for capacity-building.

4. Deeper Content around specific strategies – Many participants wanted more information about “Braided Funds,” a key strategy in the state plan, with sensitivity to the important attention to and support for groups of students that might get lost in the interest of consolidation.

• Recommendations: State-level expectations about spending must be highly transparent. Additionally, stakeholder input on how to most effectively “braid” funds to best support students will be essential. Because implementation of funding strategy is administratively complicated to both understand and communicate in a transparent way to local communities, there should be an explicit effort on the part of the state to include districts in local workshops to support the use of needs assessments and funding decision-making, including the braiding of funds.

Feedback for Moving Forward in Illinois: Support and Intervention

Attendees participated in strong discussion about capacity, strategy, and collaboration, focusing on the district level need for capacity-building and collaboration, and a strong desire to move away from a relationship with the state that encourages competition and consequences. In general, participant input centered around the following recommendations:

• Capacity-building around the substance and process requirements under ESSA - Local leaders and community members expressed the desire for:

a. Assessment: A variety of assessment options for local diagnostics (e.g. an assessment “toolbox”); better use and accessibility of assessment data

• Recommendation: Both as a part of the consolidated state plan and potentially as part of state efforts following submission, ISBE should consider a pilot program for district collaboration around diagnostic assessments to support the development of a locally-relevant and evidence-based suite of assessments.

a. Data: Assistance gaining access to, interpreting, presenting, and using available data for more positive results for students.

• Recommendation: Use of available and new data will be essential for local implementation of ESSA that is responsive to student and school need. ISBE should consider investing in technology that supports data interpretation and should engage with district and school leaders in a collaborative process of understanding data implications – for example, through a series of convenings, materials, and/or online resources, with the opportunity for questions and feedback.

a. Local Engagement: Support for local engagement efforts moving forward with ESSA implementation



• Recommendation: ISBE should provide local agencies and school leaders with explicit common resources to support meaningful engagement efforts, including technical assistance for how to solicit useful feedback, incorporate feedback, and implement local planning with an explicit commitment to continuous improvement.

• Cultivation of an informed support strategy – Local leaders and community members expressed the desire for:

a. Evidence-Based Practices: A provider or a centrally-supported network of providers (including district leadership) to compile evidence-based practices and support their use/implementation in context; Better use of social-emotional learning and other additional indicators used to better understand student needs.

• Recommendation: ISBE should consider the efforts of the national community schools movement and take full advantage of the opportunities within ESSA to support the implementation of community partnerships in schools.2 It will also be important to engage with local leaders to provide assistance in the implementation of these strategies. Collaborate with advocate groups to help with these efforts. In a general sense, ISBE should support innovative programming to respond to critical root causes for students, which would implicate needs assessment data and understanding.

b. Leadership: Support for effective professional development, hiring and retaining effective teachers, and leaders-training-leaders strategies for school improvement.

• Recommendation: ISBE should look to incorporate state strategies for educator equity to support high-need districts, including providing best practices and supporting local collaboration. Additionally, leadership structure and professional development at the local level should be demonstrated at the state level.

• Support for a collaborative versus competitive environment – Local leaders and community members expressed the desire for more information and collaborative support for implementation of best-practice and innovation, but also increased flexibility and customization to local context, including:

a. Needs Assessment: Better and more thoughtful needs assessment without over-reach and with better resources for evaluation of the assessment

• Recommendation: ISBE should inform district use of needs assessments and related data as an opportunity for collaboration and support at the local level. It may be useful to provide districts with best practice tools and templates, and ISBE should look to national efforts around needs assessment implementation and data to support efforts based on local context (e.g. Urban vs. rural schools).

b. Community Partnerships: State support for the use of community partnerships and local collaboration (e.g. Community Schools; TA for local engagement)

• Recommendation: ISBE should encourage local partnership and cross-district collaboration through explicit funding, technical assistance, and communications investments. It may be useful for the state to support evaluation and research efforts

2 See Partners for’s draft resource: partnersforeachandeverychild.org/Publications/P4_OppBrief_CS_10.20.16.pdf

http://partnersforeachandeverychild.org/Publications/P4_OppBrief_CS_10.20.16.pdf



to find and track best practices in order to facilitate greater communication across districts.

c. Terminology: competition and intervention should become collaboration and support.

• Recommendation: Where possible, ISBE should use language that supports schools and districts. IL-EMPOWER is an excellent start. However, it is our recommendation that the state not allow language to dwarf the expectations for schools and high stakes for students.



A Model for Meaningful Engagement

Partners for strives to support meaningful engagement according to a set of five Principles. These principles were written in collaboration with our National Partners in order to guide the development of a comprehensive and integrated system of engagement such that:

1. Equity and Excellence should be held as inseparable endeavors; 2. Engagement efforts should include diverse groups of stakeholders; 3. An essential framework of engagement should be continuous improvement; 4. Stakeholder engagement should be supported that is well informed; and 5. Consensus should be achieved pragmatically.

Living up to Our Principles

Principle 1: Hold stakeholder engagement and the pursuit of equity and excellence as inseparable endeavors that must be practiced and reflected throughout the full decision-making and implementation process.

● This principle speaks to one of the main purposes of the meeting – informing the Illinois ESSA State Plan, and supporting school, district, and community leadership in the development of comprehensive and targeted support and intervention plans. Not only did ISBE want to have active participation in this convening and use it as a way to meaningfully engage stakeholders prior to the next plan draft, but they also reflected it by being fully present throughout the meeting in order to learn from stakeholders about what they think some of the immediate and cumulative impact of the school improvement reforms will be on their districts and schools. In turn, stakeholders were fully engaged throughout the meeting and felt empowered to provide feedback to ISBE.

Principle 2: Include diverse groups of stakeholders, with a commitment to engaging historically excluded voices. Such a commitment goes beyond a more diverse invite list, and considers the structures, norms, timelines, languages, etc. that may unintentionally elevate some voices over others.

● A small but diverse group of co-convenors really drove the convening programming and design. These planning committee members represented advocacy organizations across the state and had specialized, local, knowledge of state policy and practice. As such, they were incredibly helpful in compiling the participant list based on our desired targets. The goal was to invite a mixed group of state and local stakeholders with a focus on district leaders from the highest need districts as well as association, advocacy, and civil rights organizations. Names were placed on the list based on co-convenor and state input, and Partners-for’s knowledge of additional stakeholder groups and partners. In order to attract a more diverse net, a stipend was offered to some invited guests. Sensitivity to meeting time (date and length of day) was taken into account, but largely based on when the state would be available and able to commit to a full day.

Principle 3: Support stakeholder engagement that is well informed by developing and distributing necessary background information and by offering preliminary thoughts about key decision points and implications for program resource allocation, assessment and accountability.



● Communication about meeting time, process, logistics was made in advance of the meeting via the save-the-date and periodic email updates. An agenda, pre-reading material, expert and facilitator bios, and additional school improvement resources were provided on a user-friendly, online platform for participants to view at their convenience. Pre-reading materials were limited in scope and targeted to take into account participant schedules and the likelihood that they would actually read the material. Attendees were asked to prepare by having familiarity with two documents and having an understanding of the following:

○ What is your unique district profile (demographics, etc.)?

○ What are the barriers to maximizing interventions and supports that you believe are hindering progress in your district/community (i.e., teachers, counselors, resources, etc.)?

○ What would you do to address these issues if you were in ISBE's seat? Specifically, what would you want to put in an intervention program, and what are the supports you would provide (blue sky and practical)?

Principle 4: Focus on continuous improvement as an essential paradigm/framework for engagement, including reflection on key decisions and implementation, as well as on the stakeholder engagement process itself.

● The meeting content and design was driven by a continuous improvement frame. “Meaningful engagement” means long term activity; this is the beginning of something that ISBE is interested in and we’re planning to support in the coming years. There are long-term, systemic, changes that need to happen. Content was chosen with a continuous improvement frame, and a desire to foster meaningful engagement, in mind. Goals were made very clear and time was taken to ensure that the goals, session descriptions, learning objectives, and questions for discussion were aligned. Conversations were structured so that there was minimal “presentation” and more table time. In the afternoon, there was a more interactive component where participants were able to walk around and observe the responses of other tables. There was also an opportunity for reflection at the end of the meeting.

Principle 5: Seek to build consensus pragmatically; effective collaboration doesn’t always mean full consensus.

● The tone of openness, flexibility, and transparency was set up front by State Superintendent Tony Smith. Discussions were thoughtful and respectful. Feedback received – both on evaluations and in-person or via email – was incredibly positive. In general, participants were not used to working so closely with stakeholders at different ends of the spectrum and appreciated the opportunity to discuss these important issues. They also appreciated the role ISBE played in being open and willing to listen to feedback and share the state’s vision and rationale for various policy decisions related to accountability and school improvement.



Next Step: Moving Forward

As these pages describe, this collective effort—the first in a series efforts to implement meaningful engagement and solicit ongoing, local and community input focused on informing the Illinois ESSA State Plan, and supporting school, district, and community leadership in the development of comprehensive and targeted support and intervention plans. Partners for will work with these original co-conveners, and an expanded group, and with ISBE and district leaders to identify and coordinate a small, yet broad, set of organizing partners in hosting the series of convenings to support local implementation of the new law, including the components of the completed state plan. This includes:

● Feedback to ISBE regarding State implementation efforts under ESSA: Gather input from local community and education leaders and incorporate this feedback into the design of the Partners for LEA toolkit.

● Systems of Accountability: Learn more about and participate in strengthening ISBE’s statewide system of support (IL-EMPOWER); Participate in strategy-building for local collaboration;

● Local Capacity-Building: Build capacity of LEA, local community, and education leaders to support a comprehensive, collaborative approach to long term engagement and implementation of the local plan, with specific attention to the development of school improvement plans;

● Investment in Continuous Improvement and Collaboration at the local level: Develop and showcase a collaborative system of implementation and support that is both rigorous and sensitive to the way resources are distributed and to the implementation of evidence-based practices.

EXPANDING THE PARTNERSHIPS: With the intention of inclusivity, and recognizing the need for greater capacity both in the production of these efforts and moving forward in building coalitions in the state, Partners for plans to partner with Advance Illinois, the Illinois Federation of Community Schools, Teach Plus, the Consortium for Educational Change, the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, Latino Policy Forum, and the Ounce of Prevention Fund in the interest of the spring convening series and the development of the Illinois Toolkit.

BUILDING ISBE’s CAPACITY Further, it is our intent to support this coalition of partners in their own participation in, and development of, engagement efforts – including ISBE – through models such as this one, and through ongoing collaboration with local stakeholders throughout implementation of ESSA. Where possible, Partners for will continue to support ongoing efforts to collaborate and build state and local capacity to better meet the needs of Illinois students.



Appendix A: Convening Process Detail

Process

Meeting Design: The meeting design allowed for two breaks plus a lunch. Content was limited to three specific areas: 1. accountability decisions at the state level; 2. implementation of identification, interventions, and supports in districts and schools; and 3. LEA responsibilities under ESSA. Session format provided for less presentation and more time for table discussion. In the afternoon, there was a more interactive component where participants were able to walk around and observe the responses of other tables. There was also opportunity for reflection at the end of the meeting.

Content for the convening was chosen based on the following criteria:

1. A strong equity component; 2. Impact on a variety of stakeholders in terms of policy development, planning and

implementation; 3. Varying stages and layers of implementation; 4. Relevance to districts; and 5. A need for greater attention to the topic

Planning: Co-convenors met weekly to discuss agenda, participant list, and any updates from the previous week. The scope of co-convenors’ responsibility was specific to meeting design, programming and content. The project manager was responsible for updating/editing the documents and lists; and managing logistics for the meeting.

Attendees: Our goal was to invite a mixed group of state stakeholders with a focus on both district leaders from the highest need districts, and association, advocacy, and civil rights organizations. Names were placed on the list based on co-convenor and state input, and Partners for’s knowledge of additional stakeholder groups and partners.

Timing: The meeting was set at a time when co-convenors could ensure that ISBE (including the state superintendent) would be available for full participation. Also, the length of time for the day was a sensitive balance between the depth and importance of the content, and the attention spans of meeting participants.

Pre-reading materials: Materials were limited in scope and targeted to take into account participant schedules and the likelihood that they would actually read the material: First, to read the Accountability section of the Reader’s Guide, and second, to familiarize themselves with the District Guide. In addition to these materials, co-conveners and experts put together a list of informative supporting materials3 that were distributed to participants in advance of the convening for them to use before and (perhaps more importantly) moving forward.

3 http://partnersforeachandeverychild.org/DEC20_IL_Resources.html

Note: Meetings with the state were frequent and ongoing. Any updates from planning committee meetings were shared. The state had an opportunity to express concerns and/or limitations that would impact the content, tone, flow, design for the day. This input was incorporated in advance of the next planning meeting so that co-convenors could update and adjust accordingly.

Note: The meeting planning time frame was relatively short - 6 weeks - and this was not ideal.

http://www.partnersforeachandeverychild.org/Publications/P4_ReadersGuide-ISBEDraft2_12.5.16.pdf

http://www.partnersforeachandeverychild.org/Publications/P4_District%20Guide_12.11.16.pdf

http://partnersforeachandeverychild.org/DEC20_IL_Resources.html



Invitation: An invite-only Save-the-Date went out to invited guests approximately one month prior to the event with a specific request that invite extend to one guest or replacement, and a reminder went out approximately a week in advance as well.

Facilitation: On the day of the event, each table had carefully crafted “questions for discussion” that corresponded to each session topic and the learning objectives for those sessions. Note-takers were assigned to each table to ensure that conversations were captured; a whiteboard was also available if desired by table participants. To support facilitation and to inform the discussion with evidence-based practice, experts were selected and invited based on input from co-convenors and national network partners to participate in the afternoon panel and inform table conversation. The scope of experts responsibility was clearly defined and articulated, including a desire to keep the presentation brief and support table discussions.

Food: Food was catered for breakfast and lunch; two snacks provided and coffee/tea/water available throughout the day.

Evaluation: All attendees were asked to fill out a meeting evaluation at the end of the day. We received additional feedback from our Partners and co-conveners following the event.

Note: The room was structured so that there were a mix of representatives from each stakeholder group, a facilitator, an expert, and a state staff person - tables were pre-assigned and tried to take into account any sensitivities in relationship dynamics.



Appendix B: Convening Agenda (Brief)

8:00-9:00 am Registration and Breakfast 9:00 - 9:30 am Welcome, Introductions, Goals for the Meeting and Review of Agenda

Kedda Williams, Partners for Each and Every Child

PARTICIPATE: What is Happening with Accountability at the State Level?

9:30 - 10:30 am Setting the Stage – Accountability, Identification, and Differentiation This session will use the context of school improvement, including consideration of any impacts on decision-making at the state and district level, to evaluate three recommended approaches for the use of an academic growth indicator in the state accountability system. Presenters: Jason Helfer; Angela Foxall; Melina Wright; Rae Clementz, Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)

10:30-10:45 am BREAK

PREPARE: How will Identification and Intervention be Implemented? 10:45-12:00 pm Going Deeper Part A– Meaning and Implications of Identification and Intervention

Decisions The aim of this session will be to discuss and identify the various components of a school support and intervention system in Illinois, including: what supports and interventions will be available; who will implement these interventions and who will most benefit; when these supports and interventions will apply; how these supports and interventions will be implemented at a local level. Presenters: Jason Helfer; Angela Foxall; Melina Wright; Rae Clementz, The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)

12:00-1:00 pm Lunch and Q&A with State Superintendent Tony Smith

1:00-3:00 pm Going Deeper Part B – Interventions and Supports and the Barriers to Overcome

This session will focus on identifying the recognized barriers to intervention, including how these barriers are manifested and the groups most impacted by these institutionalized obstacles to improvement. With these barriers in mind, this session will include strategies for overcoming these barriers, in part by identifying the resources needed to support effective interventions. Presenters: • Joanna Fox, Everyone Graduates Center/Hopkins • Stephen Frank, Education Resource Strategies (ERS) • Bethany Lyke, Illinois Center for School Improvement at AIR (CSI) • Sam Redding, Academic Development Institute (ADI)



3:00-3:15 pm BREAK

WHAT COMES NEXT: What are LEA Responsibilities Under ESSA? 3:15-4:15 pm Investment and Continuous Improvement in System of School Improvement

School improvement is not a one-time effort, but requires ongoing investment and deliberate, ongoing engagement among states, districts, and community members. To support a system of continuous improvement, schools and districts must connect their needs to resources and tools across the state and the nation. This session will discuss how local districts can begin to build a school improvement system and infrastructure, what districts can be doing with their schools, external stakeholders and partners to further the school improvement process, and how district stakeholders can best position themselves to move forward intentionally. Presenters: • Joanna Fox, Everyone Graduates Center/Hopkins • Stephen Frank, Education Resource Strategies (ERS) • Betheny Lyke, Illinois Center for School Improvement at AIR (CSI) • Sam Redding, Academic Development Institute (ADI) • Jason Helfer, Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) • Kedda Williams, Partners for Each and Every Child

4:15 pm - 4:30 pm Reflections, Appreciations and Closure



Appendix C: Attendee List

Ben Boer Advance Illinois Teresa Ramos Advance Illinois Kay Dugan Bensenville Carmen Ayala Berwyn North School District Jennifer Norrell Bloom Township District 206 Colleen Cicchetti Center for Childhood Resilience at Lurie Children's Hospital Sybil Dunlap Center for Childhood Resilience at Lurie Children's Hospital Tom Lenz Consortium for Educational Change David Osta Consortium for Educational Change Brenda Yoho Danville Rhonda Thornton Decatur Arthur Culver East St. Louis 189 Devon Horton East St. Louis 189 Shannon Mittleman Education Coalition of Macon County Gene Olsen Illinois Alliance of Special Educators Sara Bouchek Illinois Association of School Administrators Roger Eddy Illinois Association of School Boards Dean Langdon Illinois Association of School Boards Betheny Lyke Illinois Center for School Improvement Melissa Mitchell Illinois Federation for Community Schools Cynthia Riseman Illinois Federation of Teachers Jason Leahy Illinois Principals Association Tony Smith Illinois State Board of Education Jason Helfer Illinois State Board of Education Melina Wright Illinois State Board of Education Angela Foxall Illinois State Board of Education Amanda Elliott Illinois State Board of Education Diane Rutledge Large Unit District Association Karen Garibay-Mulattieri Latino Policy Forum Candace Moore Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Ben Martindale North Chicago School District Kedda Williams Partners for Each and Every Child Sophie Green Partners for Each and Every Child Sharon Kherat Peoria School District Richard Schroeder Rockford District 205 Jennifer Garrison Sandoval District 501 Larry McVey Springfield Jennifer Gill Springfield 186 Peg Agnos Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE) Tony Sanders U-46 Jennifer Frerichs USD 116/Urbana



Appendix D: Timeline of Illinois State Plan Development



Appendix E: Partners for Efforts in Illinois

In 2016, Partners for planned a series of separate and connected lines of educational equity efforts with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and with a core group of stakeholders representing organized labor, early childhood education advocates, tax and budget experts, and the civil rights community.

✓ A Webinar: ESSA in Illinois: The Implications for Equity

o On June 14, 2016, organizations from across the national education community participated in a live online conversation to explore the implications for equity and the role of stakeholders in the implementation of ESSA in Illinois. Panelists included State Superintendent Tony Smith, Partners for Chair Christopher Edley, and several National and state-based Partners [Ralph Martire, CTBA; Donna Harris-Aikens, NEA; Beth Antunez, AFT; Susie Saavedra, NUL; Sylvia Puente, Latino Policy Forum; Claire Voorhees, FEE; Leslie Finnan, AASA].

o In tandem with this event, Partners for released ESSA: Implications for Equity in Illinois, a document that lays out requirements under ESSA and what they might mean for Illinois.

✓ Reader’s Guides for Drafts 1 and 2 of the ISBE ESSA State Plan4

o Partners for worked with ISBE to develop a Reader’s Guide for their draft ESSA State Plan in September (Reader’s Guide for Draft 1) and in December (Reader’s Guide for Draft 2), that included the content of the State Plan, the requirements under ESSA addressed by that content, and additional resources for further learning.

✓ Official Submission: Stakeholder Engagement in Illinois; Partners for ‘public comment’

o Partners for commented on the ISBE ESSA Draft Plan to support, inform, and extend ISBE’s stakeholder engagement and feedback efforts around the development of the Illinois State Plan and for the process of ESSA implementation.

✓ Opportunity Brief: Leveraging ESSA: Policy Opportunities for English Learners in Illinois

o In partnership with the Migration Policy Institute, the Latino Policy Forum, Partners for developed this document to explore the policy opportunities that states might leverage to better support English learners in Illinois.

✓ Launching Engageforschools.org in Illinois: Online Platform

o EngageforSchools.org is an online engagement platform that houses the reader’s guide for the Illinois ESSA state plan and offers the opportunity for stakeholders to participate in surveys or submit formal comments directly to ISBE on part or all of the draft plan.

4 ISBE Press Release for Draft 1: partnersforeachandeverychild.org/Publications/PRESSRELEASE_Reader's Guide-ISBE-ESSAStatePlanDraft1_9.1.2016.pdf ISBE Press Release for Draft 2: isbe.state.il.us/news/2016/dec9.htm

http://partnersforeachandeverychild.org/Publications/P4_Summary_IL%20ESSA%20Webinar.pdf

http://partnersforeachandeverychild.org/Publications/P4_IL%20Read%20Ahead_6.9.16.pdf?

http://partnersforeachandeverychild.org/Publications/P4_IL%20Read%20Ahead_6.9.16.pdf?

http://partnersforeachandeverychild.org/Publications/P4%20_Reader%27sGuide-ISBE-ESSAStateDraftPlan1_9.1.16.pdf

https://www.isbe.net/Documents/ESSA-Illinois-State-Plan-draft-2-reader%27s-guide.pdf

https://www.isbe.net/Documents/ESSA-Illinois-State-Plan-draft-2-reader%27s-guide.pdf

http://partnersforeachandeverychild.org/Publications/P4%20_IL_ISBELetter_ShldrEng_update_12.1.16.pdf

http://partnersforeachandeverychild.org/Publications/P4_IL_LeveragingESSA_ELL_10.19.16.pdf

http://partnersforeachandeverychild.org/Publications/P4_IL_LeveragingESSA_ELL_10.19.16.pdf

http://www.engageforschools.org/



✓ ISBE Student Growth Modeling Project (October through January)

o Partners for ran a Technical Steering Committee about student growth metrics in accountability with ISBE and a group that included participants in the P-20 Council, the state’s Accountability Working Group, and national experts. More specifically, the ISBE Student Growth Modeling Project set out to support ISBE on analyzing several different approaches to measuring student academic growth providing:

▪ Analytical support and background information on Student Growth

▪ Key decision points to be addressed as part of a comprehensive accountability model; Considerations for further/future decisions to be made

▪ A growth measures modeling analysis purpose and process, findings and related questions from the preliminary modeling of the requested statistical treatments

▪ Potential school level implications for student growth as modeled by Illinois student/school PARRC data

✓ Convening: Supports and Interventions in Illinois (December 2016) 5

o Along our Illinois Partners, Partners for produced a statewide convening on supports and interventions for Illinois schools. The meeting advanced a series of centrist, equity-focused options for improving service delivery in Illinois’ neediest school districts, and the convening served as an example of meaningful stakeholder engagement among state officials, local district leaders, union membership, advocacy organizations, and civil rights groups.

✓ Continued and ongoing support for our Illinois Partner Network (participating organizations and their networks) as they engaged with ISBE throughout the ESSA planning and implementation process, as they participated in statewide educational oversight committees convened by the Illinois state legislature, and as they advanced their own educational equity-focused work in areas around the state. To advance all of these efforts, we engaged and leverage our National Network on state issues specific to their expertise.

5 Informational Materials provided can be found at partnersforeachandeverychild.org/DEC20_IL_Resources.html

http://partnersforeachandeverychild.org/DEC20_IL_Resources.html