ISBE Update December 2021

Equity Journey Continuum
In January, all Illinois school districts will be able to preview their Equity Journey Continuum data. The tool allows districts to view their data through an equity lens, helping to identify gaps in student achievement, access to opportunities, and supports with the goal of providing improved outcomes for students.

The data will place each district on a Step 1 (large gaps) through Step 4 (minimal gaps) equity continuum in the areas of student learning, learning conditions, and elevating educators. The step-level data will be displayed on the 2022 Illinois School Report.

Assessment System Feedback Wanted
The state board of education is requesting feedback on potential improvements to the state’s assessment system. A survey is available for districts and stakeholders to help identify priorities and possible future assessment options.

Half-Day to Full-Day Kindergarten Intent to Change
School districts planning to initiate a change from half-day kindergarten to a full-day program must notify ISBE of the intent to change by March 1. The Evidence-Based Funding formula calculates a districts adequacy target based on average student enrollment and English Learner enrollment. A half-day kindergarten student is assigned a value of 0.5, while a full-day kindergarten student is assigned a 1.0 value within the formula.

Districts that plan to change to full-day kindergarten for the 2022-2023 school year must provide ISBE with a board resolution expressing the intent to change to a full-day schedule and the associated meeting minutes from when the resolution was approved. These documents should be submitted to sff@isbe.net.