Bipartisan Education Policy and Advocacy Organization, Advance Illinois, Releases New Report Looking at the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Education in Illinois

The State We’re In 2022: A Look at the Impact of COVID-19 on Education in Illinois, focuses on the impact of the global pandemic within early childhood, K-12, and higher education during the 2020-2021 school year. 

Contact: 
Taryn Williams 
Eucarol  Juarez 
communications@advanceillinois.org 

CHICAGO, IL (August 4, 2022) – Today, Advance Illinois released its report, The State We’re In 2022: A Look at the Impact of COVID-19 on Education in Illinois. This edition of The State We’re In focuses on the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Illinois school communities during the 2020-2021 school year. The report looks at notable changes in student enrollment, access to instruction and student supports, academic progress, and social-emotional well-being by examining data from early childhood through higher education according to region, ethnicity, language, household income, and learning style.  

“Any way you slice it, COVID-19 has had a profound effect on education and care across Illinois and throughout the country,” said Robin Steans, president of Advance Illinois. “Despite heroic and creative efforts from teachers, families, and leaders at every level, the reality is that the pandemic has amplified existing inequities across lines of race, income, geography, and educational need.” 

While the report is sobering, Steans suggests that the news should not be demoralizing, but serve as a call to arms for ongoing investment and focus. “This report sheds light on the work needed in the coming years to overcome the significant educational disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also spotlights places where concerted effort mitigated serious challenges.”  

The edition is unlike previous editions of The State We’re In. Typically, a biennial publication, this report will not contain national comparisons, but will focus on Illinois-specific information, given changes to data quality and availability, as well as COVID-19's massive disruptions to the context in which meaningful data exists.  

The report examines four key areas including enrollment, K-12 equitable access to instruction, student well-being, and K-12 academic outcomes. Among the findings in the report:  

• Enrollment: Nearly every level of education in Illinois saw declines in enrollment that exceeded historical trends and cannot be explained by demographic shifts. This was especially pronounced for early learners (ages birth through 5) and students enrolled in community colleges. 

• Equitable Access to Instruction: Inequitable access to digital infrastructure posed a barrier for K-12 students in remote learning environments, contributing to growing race-based disparities in attendance and inequities in access to high quality classroom instruction. 

• Support and Resources for Students’ Well-Being: Disruptions to schooling left significant gaps in K-12 students’ social-emotional development, putting pressure on already inadequate staffing of counselors, social workers, and psychologists.  

• K-12 Academic Outcomes: Although there are critical gaps in the data, available information suggests that K-12 proficiency on standardized assessments and 9th grade On-Track rates declined substantially. 

The report also highlights just a few of the valiant efforts of state and local leaders, who worked creatively to address critical issues - expanding access to laptops, finding creative ways to expand internet and broadband access, taking bold steps to stabilize the state’s system of early childhood education and care, and finding measures to support student well-being.   

Steans adds, “we salute the many heroes around the state who have navigated this once-in-a-century event, and look forward to working with them, not just to respond to ongoing needs, but to use this moment to learn and grow as we support the next generation to reach its full potential.” 

Readers can access the full 2022 edition of The State We’re In report here or by visiting advanceillinois.org.  

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About Advance Illinois 
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career, and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy and advocacy. To learn more, visit advanceillinois.org. 

Closing Funding Equity Gaps in Illinois’ Education System

A new report by Advance Illinois analyzes how the Evidence-Based Funding Formula is closing glaring funding equity gaps in the state’s school districts

Contact:
Taryn Williams
José L. García
communications@advanceillinois.org

CHICAGO, IL – Today, Advance Illinois released its report Investing in Illinois’ Students: An Analysis of Evidence-Based Funding and the Path to Equity, Student Success, & Long-Term COVID-19 Recovery. The report takes an in-depth look at how the Evidence-Based Funding Formula has impacted education resource equity in Illinois and reveals the remaining gaps between current funding levels and full, adequate funding. 

The report is based on school funding data from the years following the 2017 passage of theEvidence-Based Funding formula (EBF) that ensures new state dollars flow to students and school districts that need them most. As a part of the 2017 passage of EBF, Illinois pledged to invest sufficient state funds to get all districts to at least 90 percent of full funding within 10 years. Despite this commitment, EBF was flat-funded in FY21 and could be flat-funded in FY22 for a second year in a row, permitting equity gaps to widen and worsen over time and undermining this critical state pledge.  

“The findings in the report tell us that EBF is beginning to shrink equity gaps, but there is still a long way to go to fill remaining equity gaps and reach adequate funding,” said  Robin Steans, president of Advance Illinois. “The research makes clear that significant and sustained investments in education improve student outcomes, so it is crucial for the state to stay the course on its commitment.”  

Data show that EBF has already begun to close equity gaps, but progress is only possible when the state invests at least $350 million through the formula each year. 

“The data in the report clearly highlight why the state must keep its promise of investing at least $350 million in our schools through EBF each year,”said Melissa Figueira, senior policy advisor at Advance Illinois.“The state cannot depend entirely on federal pandemic relief funds for EBF as that would only momentarily fill a gap and does not permit the deeper and sustainable programmatic and staffing investments schools need for long-term improvements.” 

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS 

The report, Investing in Illinois’ Students: An Analysis of Evidence-Based Funding and the Path to Equity, Student Success, & Long-Term COVID-19 Recovery: 

• Explains the significance of the EBF formula and how it equitably distributes funds to the districts that need it most; 

• Spotlights data on why adding state funding through the EBF formula each year is the most effective way to close historic and persistent funding gaps and provide all students with a high-quality education; and 

• Displays how COVID-19is creating additional expenses for school districts and how federal resources are helpful for disaster recovery, but are not a substitute for state funding 

Another year of flat funding for EBF would cause ripple effects that would be felt by individual students, homeowners, communities and the state’s economy as a whole. The need is urgent, and the time is now for state leaders to step up for Illinois’ students and fund the EBF formula. 

For more details and insights, download Investing in Illinois’ Students: An Analysis of Evidence-Based Funding and the Path to Equity, Student Success, & Long-Term COVID-19 Recovery. 

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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy advocacy. To learn more, visit advanceillinois.org.

Illinois Students, Parents and Caregivers Share the Challenges of Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

A new report from Advance Illinois highlights the various experiences of students and their families during the pandemic and how state leaders can better serve them in the years ahead.

Contact:
Taryn Williams
José L. García
communications@advanceillinois.org

CHICAGO, IL – Today, Advance Illinois released its report, Education in a Pandemic: Learning from Illinois Students & Caregivers to Plan for the Road Ahead. The report encapsulates what Illinois’ school communities – including students, parents and caregivers – are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic and what they will require in the long term to recover and rebuild.

“The findings in this report make it abundantly clear that in the years to come, students will need unprecedented academic, social and emotional supports to master the knowledge and skills to succeed in college, career and beyond in the wake of this pandemic,” saidAdvance Illinois President Robin Steans. “Our state must craft and employ along-term plan that equitably addresses these needs. We are looking forward to working with advocates and state leaders - including legislators, the governor’s office and the Illinois State Board of Education - to ensure student needs are met.”

With the help of community partners, Advance Illinois organized focus groups and conversations with over 120 students, parents and caregivers from cities, suburbs and rural areas acrossIllinois. 

“It was important to hear from those who have been directly impacted by school disruptions, as our goal was to put together a report that has the potential to inform and shape policies intended to combat the challenges brought on by the current public health crisis,” said Advance Illinois Director of Community Engagement Jessica Ramos. “It was truly a village effort.” 

THREE KEY THEMES EMERGED FROM FOCUS GROUP CONVERSATIONS 

As students, parents and caregivers shared their experiences and expectations for the years ahead, three themes emerged throughout the conversations:  

• Significant support to address students’ social-emotional needs — All focus groups shared worries about the impact of isolation and trauma and called for increased school-based counseling and mental health supports. 

• Dedicated time and resources to ensure strong academic progress in the coming years — Parents asserted the importance of knowing how their students were performing and progressing in relation to grade-level standards, while students worried about whether they will be academically prepared for what’s next. 

• Lack of resources will cause students to fall behind — Participants expressed concern that inequities in access to resources will cause some students to fall behind in their classes, damaging their chances of gaining the skills and knowledge necessary to continue on to college and career. 

RECOMMENDATIONS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ILLINOIS’ STUDENTS 

These conversations can help provide actionable recommendations for education partners and state leaders to consider as the work to equitably serve the students and families of Illinois in the wake of this pandemic. The recommendations are: 

• Invest in Resource Equity — Investing both state and federal dollars equitably will be key to ensuring Illinois public schools have the resources and supports needed to address the increased academic and social-emotional needs of students in the wake of COVID-19.   

• Treat Academic and Social-Emotional Learning as Two Halves of the Whole Child — A state plan and distribution of resources to enable recovery from the current crisis must meaningfully address both subject-matter mastery and building trauma-responsive schools. 

• Create a Comprehensive Recovery and Rebuilding Approach that Takes the Long View — Because this crisis will require focus and decisive action over the next several school years, state leaders should work with diverse stakeholders to develop a bold and comprehensive long-term plan for educational recovery and building back better.  

• Prioritize Clarity and Consistency — State leaders and advocates must understand the impact of this pandemic on student learning and well-being in order to effectively support Illinois’ students and families in the process of recovery. 

Make Up for Lost Time— As Illinois schools and communities renew and rebuild, students deserve additional time and supports to address this unparalleled social-emotional, mental health and academic crisis in a thoughtful, research-based manner.

This report is part of Advance Illinois’ commitment of keeping students at the center of the organization’s policy and advocacy work. Advance Illinois stands ready to collaboratively work with state leaders and education partners to help ensure a successful future for every Illinois student.

For more details and insights, download Education in a Pandemic: Learning from Illinois Students & Caregivers to Plan for the Road Ahead. Follow us on Twitter. 

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About Advance Illinois
Advance Illinois is an independent policy and advocacy organization working toward a healthy public education system that enables all students to achieve success in college, career and civic life. Since its founding in 2008, Advance Illinois has become a nationally recognized thought leader in education policy advocacy. To learn more, visit advanceillinois.org.