Advance Illinois Statement on the Illinois State Board of Education FY25 Budget Recommendation

Today the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approved and sent to Governor Pritzker recommendations for the FY25 Budget. In the face of budget constraints, Advance Illinois commends ISBE's proposal, which underscores its dedication to enhancing K-12 and early education in Illinois. This proposal serves as a solid road map for investments Illinois must undertake to meet the comprehensive needs of every child and student in the state generally, and in the ongoing aftermath of COVID disruptions.  

Ensuring Illinois’ educator pipeline is well supported from recruitment to preparation and retention is crucial to student learning, so we are thrilled to see ISBE’s continued support for state-funded programs and appreciate the agency’s interest in leveraging state dollars to sustain key programs that were launched with federal stimulus dollars (ESSER III). These include the state’s teacher and principal mentoring programs and affinity groups for teachers of color. Such targeted and ongoing investments are critical to help ensure all children and students have access to diverse, well-prepared, and well-qualified educators. Furthermore, ISBE has proposed a $35M allocation to support newcomers, support badly needed at the local level. Illinois continues to struggle to fill bilingual and ESL teaching positions – an issue only heightened by the increase in English learners coming into the state. We appreciate ISBE’s proposal and hope to see the state continue to strengthen and grow its bilingual workforce. 

We applaud the state’s goal of expanding access to high-quality early childhood education and care for all Illinois children. Through the Smart Start initiative announced this time last year, along with the ongoing work to move to a single early childhood agency, Illinois is working to achieve its vision of quality, equitable, and easy-to-navigate early learning and care. We support ISBE’s recommendation of an additional $75 million for the Early Childhood Block Grant – funding that would help state-funded preschool reach an additional 5,000 children and narrow access gaps across the state.  

We are also pleased to see ISBE’s response to recommendations from the Whole Child Task Force and its commitment to addressing the impact the past four years have had on students academically, socially, and emotionally. We applaud the Board for proposing an investment of $18M in state dollars for the REACH program and Social & Emotional Learning hubs – programs at risk of closing in the absence of federal funding.  And we appreciate ISBE setting aside additional funds to craft a strong Childhood Adversity Index – a tool that can help identify community and student needs, and that we expect other states will replicate. 

Finally, ISBE’s proposal of a $350 million increase for Evidence-Based Funding for Illinois’ K-12 represents a much-needed investment in our public education system and the students it serves.  That said, our state must go further. More than 1.3 million students in Illinois remain in underfunded districts; and they are disproportionately students from low-income households and students of color. While data shows our students are rebounding, our schools are still clearly recovering from the impacts of the pandemic. Chronic absenteeism numbers remain too high, proficiency rates are still too low, and the disparities in progress and outcomes remain across lines of poverty and race. As the expiration of the last round of federal stimulus funds is imminent, we applaud ISBE for stepping up to continue many federally-funded programs with state resources. But make no mistake, the loss of over $4 billion in ESSER III funding is stark—meaning local leaders will have to make hard decisions on whether and how to continue critical post-COVID supports. EBF represents the most powerful tool we have to equip schools to address these needs. So while we appreciate ISBE making good on the state’s commitment to add at least $350M a year into EBF, we hope the Governor and legislators will do everything in their power to push for up to $550M – an increase that reflects the skipped budget year in FY21, real and ongoing inflationary pressures, and ongoing and serious student needs.  

We thank ISBE for its work and its commitment in pushing for important investments in Illinois’ students and children through its budget recommendation in a tight budget year. As we look to Governor Pritzker’s budget address in late February, we urge him to keep front of mind the diverse complexities and possibilities of every Illinois student and child, and the investment they need to succeed and thrive. He has proven himself a champion of children and education. In lean budget times, our students need that leadership even more keenly.  

Advance Illinois Statement on the 2023 Illinois State Report Card

Today, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released its 2023 Illinois Report Card. There is good news on several key measures and encouraging signs that students are continuing to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  That said, two areas of caution: First, most would agree that we should seek to exceed pre-pandemic performance, which generally underperformed the nation and included unacceptable equity gaps.  Second, persistent disparities across lines of race, ethnicity, and family income, a continued decline in college enrollment numbers, and troubling rates of chronic absenteeism and teacher attendance make it clear there is more work ahead. 

The promising news:  

• Following steep setbacks in reading and math proficiency during the height of pandemic in 2021, student proficiency in English Language Arts has continued to rebound, especially in the middle grades, and most notably for 8th grade students. While this is good news, (1) both reading and math remain below pre-pandemic levels, with math proficiency showing little sign of recovery, (2) proficiency levels remain below pre-pandemic levels in both ELA and Math, and (3) troubling disparities across income and race continue.   

• High school graduation rates largely held steady from SY21-22 to SY22-23, but continue to exceed pre-pandemic levels by 1.6%.   

• As importantly, the SY22-23 9th grade on track rates (strong predictors of high school graduation three years later) held steady, and continue to surpass pre-pandemic levels, suggesting graduation rates will remain stable at these higher rates for future cohorts.   

These highlights are cause for celebration and are a credit to the hard work of our schools and educators to support students in making up lost ground caused by the pandemic. Still, as the report card makes plain, we have largely not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, and racial, ethnic, and income disparities across these and other measures – disparities that widened during COVID – require ongoing attention and investment. 

• While almost all student groups saw progress in 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA), Black students saw the largest percentage point increase in rates of proficiency, helping to shrink disparities that widened during the pandemic. Still, Black students as well as Latinx students continue to fall behind their white peers when it comes to both Math and ELA proficiency. 

• Although 9th grade on track rates stayed relatively stable, gaps remain among student groups. While Black student 9th grade on track rates have increased significantly--from 74.5% pre-pandemic in 2019 to 78.9% in 2023--that rate falls significantly short of the state average. 

• And while high school graduation rates remained relatively the same from 2022, and Black and Latinx graduation rates have increased from 2019 to 2023, significant gaps remain among student groups. Graduation rates were 7.5% lower for Black students (80.1%), 16% for students with disabilities (78.7%), and 4.9% for Latinx students (85.5%). Furthermore, students’ SAT scores remain stubbornly low at pre-pandemic levels with significant gaps by race.  

On top of this, many students and in particular Black students, continue to be missing a significant portion of the school year. While there was a small improvement in chronic absenteeism, of about 1.5 percentage points—29.8% in SY21-22 and 28.3% in SY22-23– nearly a third of all Ilinois students are missing critical instruction time. This is deeply troubling. It is even more so when we discover even higher rates of chronic absenteeism among Illinois’ Black students and students from low-income households. This is unacceptable, and we are grateful for ISBE’s investments in its Regional Offices of Education, SEL hubs, community partnerships and other programming meant to address this crisis. 

Aligning with what we’re seeing nationally, and with pre-pandemic trends, college enrollment continued to decline amid the pandemic, with just 65% of the class of SY20-21 enrolling in a 2- or 4-year college after graduation, down from 73.5% for the Class of 2017.  

Our recent report, The State of Our Educator Pipeline, 2023, report, showed concerning teacher attendance rates in SY21-22. Sadly, while rates were low in SY21-22 (66%), they fell in SY22-23 to 64.4%. Put another way, fewer than two-thirds of our teachers were in attendance for at least 95% of school days. As Illinois deals with a shortage of substitutes to cover for teachers who are out, this is of significant concern – both in terms of supporting our teachers, and in terms of the impact this trend has on students. The extent of staffing challenges for this most recent year will come into sharper focus when unfilled positions data is released in January of 2024. 

Today, we appreciate ISBE’s acknowledgement of the persisting challenges and where they are rooted: underinvestment in the very school districts that need resources the most – districts that disproportionately serve students from low-income households, Black and Latinx students, and students with disabilities, and districts that saw disproportionate impacts from COVID. Fortunately, since 2018, the Evidence-based Funding formula has—with the exception of one year—directed new state dollars to the districts farthest from the adequate level of funding needed to ensure all students have access to quality education experiences. What’s more, we applaud ISBE for the measures and programs it has put in place to accelerate student recovery and do so equitably. But it is clear that more support and more investment from our state, for our students, our teachers, and our schools is urgently needed to support academic outcomes that exceed pre-pandemic levels.  

We celebrate schools for the progress to date as they dig in to further engage, educate, and support students in this current academic year, but we also call on state leaders and elected officials to heed the alarms embedded in this data: more must be done. 

Advance Illinois Applauds the Governor’s Decision to Launch a New Single Agency for Illinois’ Early Childhood and Care

With Governor Pritzker’s announcement today to bring governance of the state’s various and diverse early childhood programs under one agency, Illinois is taking a tremendous step forward in ensuring its youngest children and families have equitable access to high-quality programs and services.  In addition, the announcement that Ann Whalen, longtime Policy Director for Advance Illinois, an independent education policy and advocacy non-profit, will lead the transition suggests this important work will be in good hands.  

 “The Governor’s decision to appoint Ann Whalen to spearhead this critical project speaks volumes about how seriously he takes the responsibility to give early childhood the footing it needs to give every child a strong start,” said Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois. “We believe Ann will be a strong champion to lead this work.” 

 As the Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care (“the Commission”) outlined in its important 2021 report Ready Illinois: Simpler, Fairer, Better,  how Illinois funds and allocates limited early childhood education and care dollars has resulted in a patchwork quilt of programming and supports across the state. The way in which Illinois administers early childhood programs is part of the problem. Families and providers have to navigate as many as three different agencies that oversee different aspects of Illinois’ early childhood system of care. Today’s announcement of a single agency will enable the state to focus more thoughtfully and strategically on how best to serve young children. Advance Illinois applauds the Governor for continuing to implement Commission recommendations, and for his willingness to make structural and lasting changes that will benefit children and families well into the future. 

Today’s announcement comes on the heels of notable investments in Illinois’ earliest learners, including the launch of Smart Start Illinois, an initiative to expand access and services to more families and children; launch of the Illinois Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity, a coordinated state effort to strengthen the early childhood workforce; and the establishment of the Birth to Five regional and community infrastructure, a critical opportunity for families and providers across the state to identify local and regional needs and opportunities. 

 In conjunction with these investments, a single, unified early childhood agency allows the state to deepen its commitment to young children, and to do so in a way that addresses the needs of families and providers coherently and equitably. Advance Illinois celebrates the Governor for continuing his efforts to make Illinois the best state in the nation to raise families with young children, and we stand ready to support the administration and the General Assembly in transforming Illinois’ system of early childhood education and care system now and into the future. 

Advance Illinois Statement on Recent SCOTUS Rejection of Affirmative Action in College Admissions & Executive Action to Relieve Student Loan Borrowers

The data and research are clear: Our country has a long way to go to live up to its ideal of equal opportunity for all. We have persistent gaps in educational access, persistence and completion by race and ethnicity that drive and reinforce economic and health outcome disparities. While there is no single or easy answer to addressing these inequities, we believe the country took a step backward yesterday with the Supreme Court decision against race-conscious college admissions. This is compounded by today's decision to strike down the administration’s actions to cancel student debt for millions of Americans. We believe these decisions will have real and long-term implications in the ability of historically underrepresented minorities to access higher education, and for institutions of higher education to create opportunities for them. This not only hurts these student groups, but it is ultimately to the detriment of communities and the country at large.    

Advance Illinois will continue to work with partners and stakeholders to expand equity in Illinois, despite the constraints created by the Court’s decision against affirmative action in college admissions and executive actions. While we know these decisions make our work more challenging, we hope and trust that state and university leaders will continue to champion and use every tool at their disposal to advance equity and opportunity. Our collective future and well-being depends on ensuring all citizens have equitable access to education at all levels to reach their full potential.

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Advance Illinois Statement Regarding the FY24 State Budget

With FY24 Budget, Advance Illinois Applauds Lawmakers and Governor Pritzker for Continued Education Investments and Big Steps to Support Access, Equity, and Quality for Children, Students in Our State 

CHICAGO, IL (May 27, 2023)—We congratulate the Illinois General Assembly on passing a budget that prioritizes education and recognizes the ongoing, deep, and uneven impact the pandemic continues to have on learners of all ages. 

“While the budget does not contain everything we hoped for, it clearly and rightly prioritizes children, students, and families across the state,” said Robin Steans, President of Advance Illinois. "We applaud our elected officials for supporting young people of all ages, who continue to struggle with the academic and mental health tolls that come with years of disrupted learning.”  

Investing in Our Youngest Learners 

This winter, we joined partners from across the state’s early childhood community in celebrating the Governor’s historic plan for stabilizing and growing Illinois’ early learning and care system for the thousands of families who rely on its services, instruction, and supports. A child’s earliest developmental experiences are foundational to later success in school and life, so how well we support children’s care and development shapes our collective future. Accordingly, we applaud the General Assembly’s support for Smart Start Ilinois. Rooted in the recommendations set forth by the Commission on Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Funding, Smart Start Illinois takes a systemic approach to improving and broadening access to early childhood in our state. By expanding preschool, child care, early intervention, and home visiting, Smart Start will also work to fix issues that undermine the equity and sustainability of our early childhood systems. The legislature’s substantial investment for Smart Start and early childhood includes an additional  $74 million for the Early Childhood Block Grant, $170 million for the state’s child care system—including resources to increase workforce compensation—$40 million for Early Intervention, and $5 million for home visiting, as well as $50 million for early childhood capital improvements, $3 million for early childhood special education to expand work similar to that of the Early CHOICES pilot,  and $1.6 million for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, an initiative to provide free books to children birth to age 5. These investments mark important steps in strengthening the system at every point to ensure more children and families can access the education, care, and services they need.  

Wins for Higher Education 

In the FY24 budget, lawmakers once again invested at an historic level in the state’s Monetary Award Program (MAP). In affirming Governor Pritzker’s proposed $100 million increase for this need-based student financial aid program, our lawmakers have made it clear they understand that MAP is the state’s most valuable tool in making college more affordable and accessible to all Illinois students. Combined with PELL grants, this additional investment will allow nearly all community college students and as many as 40 percent of public university students at or below median income levels to complete their postsecondary education debt-free. What a powerful message to the next generation!  

What’s more, we applaud the General Assembly for including a 7 percent increase in institutional postsecondary funding—the largest increase to this expenditure in 20 years.  While there is more work to be done, this significant increase is a step in the right direction. This summer, the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding is set to make recommendations on how to create a more equitable, student-centered funding model for our public universities.  As a member of the Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding, we look forward to working with the General Assembly to ensure that higher education funding is not only adequate and stable, but that it equitably distributes state resources. 

Growing and Strengthening our Teacher Pipeline 

We applaud Illinois legislators for approving investments that will further strengthen our educator pipeline. Lawmakers heard and listened to advocates seeking greater investment in future teachers of color, and they delivered. They approved $8 million for the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship (MTI) to grow the state’s incoming pool of teachers, increasing the number of scholarship candidates by more than half. Research shows that having teachers of color improves test scores and attendance, and reduces suspension rates for students of color. The additional funds allocated to MTI will help hundreds more aspiring teachers of color receive financial support that will ultimately pay off in classrooms across the state. Additionally, investments in such programs as Golden Apple Scholars/Accelerators, principal mentoring, and Teach for America, along with the creation of a new Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program, will help support, strengthen, and expand proven programs and invest in new strategies on both the supply and demand side of the teacher shortage challenge.  

Supporting Our School Districts  

Since last fall, advocates have called for increased investments into the Evidence-based Funding (EBF) formula to accelerate Illinois’ steps toward fully funding every school district. This week, lawmakers approved an appropriation of $350 million for EBF, the minimum annual increase amount set forth when the formula was signed into law in 2017. Recognizing the unique complexity of this year’s budget environment and the decisions lawmakers had to make, we thank them for maintaining a steady eye on this priority and renewing their commitment to it. Because we know EBF works.  

In five of the last six years, the General Assembly has approved increases to the formula—investing nearly $1.6 million in new tier funding overall. This commitment has drastically reduced the number of underfunded school districts in Illinois. However, with over half of the state’s students—more than one million children—still in districts below 75% of full funding, we need to make good on having missed a year of increased funding during the pandemic, and need to commit to growing EBF investments to make sure every student enrolled at an Illinois public K-12 school can access quality education sooner. If Illinois continues at its current rate of adding $350 million additional dollars to EBF each year, the formula will not be fully funded in real inflation-adjusted terms for at least another 15 years.  That represents an entire generation of children. We can cut that time in half if Illinois increases its annual investment into EBF to at least $550 million a year. We can and must find a way to meet our students’ needs faster. 

We look forward to continuing to work alongside advocates and partners across the B-20 continuum and with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to advance education policy and investments that center equity and prioritize quality. Every Illinois student deserves a promising future, and that begins with the choices we make now.  

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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.