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Dual Credit Think Tank – Update and Survey 

This summer, the Dual Credit Think Tank consistently engaged in work following the legislative session based on the goings-on with HB5020, including June and July meetings that identified topics and questions for legislators, and the Legislative Webinar on August 1.

Now, a survey regarding dual credit has been developed based on not only the August 1 webinar but also the conversations that took place during the June and July Think Tank meetings. This survey has two key purposes:

• The results of this survey will inform communications from the Dual Credit Think Tank to policymakers about what is important to the field, both school districts and postsecondary institutions, for continued efforts around HB5020 or around new legislative proposals.

• The results of this survey will also inform the Illinois P-20 Network for developing time-sensitive and needed professional learning opportunities to support school districts, postsecondary institutions, and regions with their efforts to develop dual credit programming for students.

While the survey is anonymous, we optionally request that participants complete the final section with your organization’s information. In that event, survey responses will still be kept confidential, but this additional data will allow us to engage in more detailed and complex analyses that include demographic and funding data from other sources. 

Please complete this survey by Friday, September 6, 2024, and please share the link to the survey widely with other school districts and postsecondary institutions. We hope to have responses from organizations in communities throughout the state. 

Advanced Coaching and Leadership Workshops

Do you value the efforts of the Illinois P-20 Network to support organizations throughout Illinois with solving complex issues of policy and practice in education? With bridging the gaps in our educational systems? With building community among high-quality and creative educators from across Illinois to solve problems locally and statewide? 

The Illinois P-20 Network seeks to meet the increasing demand with increasing capacity while also maintaining expert levels of knowledge and high-quality service. From answering questions via email to setting up short Zoom meetings on topics ranging from career and college readiness to educator engagement to instructional coaching to instruction and assessment, we are excited to partner with organizations across Illinois. Having a consistent revenue stream to support this work is critical for the sustainability of the Illinois P-20 Network and will help us meet increasing demand in these and other areas of need. 

To continue (and expand) the current efforts of the Illinois P-20 Network, today we are launching Partner Plus. This is not only an opportunity to support the Illinois P-20 Network – but it also offers specific benefits for your organization, including free customized partner services and discounts on attending professional development workshops! 

The Schools We Need Now Book Launches

The book lays out a “Mental Health Action Plan” that can guide educators to re-envision schools through the lens of health and wellness. It also provides school-based examples of prevention, intervention, and postvention steps for creating a healthy school culture. 

ISACorps – Positions Still Vacant

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is working to fill remaining vacancies for the ISACorps™ Community Outreach Worker position. This is a full-time salaried opportunity in public service to the state with extensive training, career development support, and tuition waivers for Illinois public universities. These ISACorps positions are an incredibly important component of Illinois’ statewide system of the transition from high school to postsecondary. ISACorps Community Outreach Workers also support students and their families with successful completion of the FAFSA and the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid. 

Positions are available with a start date in August 2024 in the following areas:

The job description and application can be found on the ISAC website. Questions can be directed to Renee.Martinez@illinois.gov. 

Educational Coaching Network – Newsletter Launch, Free Coaching Conversations, and 2024-2025 Workshops 

The Educational Coaching Network (ECN) will be launching a free monthly Newsletter next week! The ECN Newsletter will include coaching tips and resources in addition to updates and reminders about ECN events. To sign-up for the ECN Newsletter (and to share it with others), please visit this link: https://niucpe.activehosted.com/f/49 

As was announced in our last Newsletter, this year, ECN is also adding free Coaching Conversations – online sessions for participants to connect and converse between key workshops. These sessions are designed to allow those attending ECN workshops to come back to those topics after some time and some practice in their own environments to further debrief and apply their learning. For more information on ECN this year, visit our Educational Coaching Network website: https://p20network.niu.edu/ecn 

Announcing the SkillsUSA Illinois Apprenticeship Landscape Analysis 

This study will provide a comprehensive view of apprenticeships across industries and communities throughout Illinois. While the study itself is targeting a focus on youth apprenticeships that are U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeships, to truly understand this landscape, the study will also ask questions across the Work-Based Learning Continuum. 

This study will be based on existing governmental data, existing non-governmental data, and we will be conducting a statewide survey of employers and educators to complete the gaps that exist in the collected data. We will need the help of school districts, postsecondary institutions, area career centers, and Education for Employment (EFE) system directors to accomplish this task in both completing the survey and sharing it with business and community partners.  

The goal of the study is to provide a comprehensive overview of what apprenticeships exist across Illinois, where they are geographically, in what type of career fields, the conditions of the apprenticeships, and who current apprentices are. 

Look for more information to be shared later in the coming months along with the link to the survey! 

Illinois Postsecondary Profiles Webinar – New Features Rolling Out 

On Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at 2 PM, a free webinar will be hosted by the Illinois Postsecondary Profiles (IPP) team in collaboration with the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. This webinar will feature What’s New with the IPP.  

IllinoisPostsecondaryProfiles.com is a unique website that offers unparalleled views into postsecondary data across Illinois. Developed over the past five years by the Illinois Interactive Report Cards office at Northern Illinois University with the three state agencies listed above, the website allows users to explore student data, postsecondary programming, and to explore data through an equity lens. 

For webinar information, simply email iirc@niu.edu and request the webinar’s Zoom information by this coming Tuesday morning, August 27, 2024. 

US Department of Education Power Your Future Challenge 

The U.S. Department of Education has launched its Power Your Future Challenge — the second challenge in its annual CTE Momentum series to prepare high school students for rewarding careers and increase access to career and technical education.  

They invite teams to submit action plans that will advance the use of clean energy in local schools and communities. Submissions are due by November 19, 2024. 

You are receiving this message because you have previously attended a P-20 Network Meeting and/or have been on previous P-20 Network emails. We encourage you to forward this email to others in your organization, such as principals, assistant principals, and department chairs by using the Forward to a Friend link below. Others can subscribe by simply completing this very short form.

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Illinois P-20 Network
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