P-20 Network Newsletter — October 6, 2023

This year, the Fall Meeting of the Illinois P-20 Network will be held on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, from 9:30 AM until 1:30 PM at NIU Naperville. While we will spend a short period of time together at the beginning of the day to set the stage and to frame our work, the majority of the meeting will be spent as dedicated, in-person worktime for each of the following Illinois P-20 Network workgroups:

Dual Credit Think Tank
IPIE – Illinois Partnership of Educators for Inclusion and Equity
KEEP Illinois – Keeping Educators Engaged Professionally

For those who have been a part of these groups, we hope you can join us in person in Naperville on November 29. For those who have not, we look forward to having you join us for the first time to lend your voice to one or more of the workgroups. Everyone is not only welcome but encouraged to join us!

The day will conclude with a short sharing session and lunch. To help offset the costs of the in-person event, we are asking participants for a small registration fee of $30. Thank you for your understanding!

Student-Centered Coaching is an evidence-based instructional coaching model that shifts the focus from “fixing” teachers to collaborating with them to design instruction that targets student outcomes. Over six days throughout the year, this institute will take a deep dive into this coaching approach with expert Diane Sweeney. Diane is an educator, coach, author, and highly sought-after facilitator.

Institute Overview

November 29-30 – Core practices for Student-Centered Coaching, including using standards and evidence from students to anchor coaching as well as examining the impact of coaching styles.
February 7-8 – Focus on school culture and teacher engagement through teacher self-efficacy and school improvement.
April 10-11 – Exploration of reflective dialogue with opportunities for practice and problem solving.

This unique, year-long Institute format of paired days separated over time provides coaches the chance to reflect and start implementing Student-Centered Coaching in your local school context. All six sessions will be delivered in person at NIU’s Naperville campus with plenty of parking, food, and camaraderie to make everyone’s learning experience positive and memorable.

On November 11 and 12, Northern Illinois University will host its two-day Food Sustainability Innovation Challenge on-campus in DeKalb. This 24-hour event is free and open to all postsecondary students who are 18 years old and older. Meals, snacks, and a Huskie Hack t-shirt are all included. Students can register as individuals or as a team of 4-6.

Please share with your students and encourage a team of students to represent your institution at this fun and important event. Learn more and share this link: https://www.niu.edu/divresearch/innovation/challenge.shtml

Innovative schools and educators are being sought for phase two of the Agriculture Biology Curriculum Development Project Pilot, a collaboration of Illinois Science Teaching Association and Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers. The course uses storylining to help students identify phenomena and solve problems, is aligned with the Illinois Science Assessment, and is explicitly linked to the Next Generation Science Standards.

Writing teams have developed a semester of storylines that are being piloted currently in 10 Illinois high schools (phase one). Schools and teachers joining for phase two will receive access to the curriculum, professional development, and grant funds for implementation of the material. Participants will engage in a professional learning community to build capacities using storylining to explore biology in the context of agriculture.

The deadline to apply for phase two of the pilot is Dec. 8. Additional information and the application are here.

Is your organization looking to close equity gaps and ensure success for all students? Do you have ambitious school, district, or institutional improvement plans? Do you want to understand how to implement the College and Career Pathway Endorsements across your community?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, check out the Illinois P-20 Network’s YouTube Channel. We have videos designed for students and teachers/instructors and also for organizational leaders to consider and use strategically. There are nearly 100 videos on the Illinois P-20 Network’s YouTube channel that provide free and ready-to-use content for student learning and professional development.

ISBE and the NIU Illinois CTE Project Team invite you to participate in a special 1-hour online professional development opportunity on October 24 from 11 AM – 12 PM. Assessing the Essential Skills in the Finance and Business Services Career Pathway will share information and offer a simulation of three different assessments for Finance and Business Services teachers to use when incorporating the Cross-Sector Essential Employability Competencies (Essential Skills) in their curriculum. Join us by registering today!

P-20 Network Email Newsletter —
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P-20 Network Newsletters will typically come out every two weeks on Friday. The newsletters include updates on critical policy developments, professional development opportunities, success stories from the Network and much more.

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, department chairs by using the Forward to a Friend link below. Others can subscribe by simply completing this very short form.