Leading with Literacy

Common Core State Standards Resource List

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Welcome to the Education Issues Page!

The role of the Education Issues Director is to track both state and national issues related to children’s education, including the work of the Illinois State Board of Education and the Department of Education. The director provides information to the state board members and local units regarding these issues and assists in developing legislation policies for the Illinois PTA. Through this website and the monthly newsletters the director will share updates as available. As director it is my goal to INFORM, AGITATE and ACTIVATE our membership around the pressing issues of the day. Through close collaboration with other committee chairs particularly the Legislative and Resolutions committees we will work to create a clear presence for PTA on issues affecting the education of children in Illinois.

Cynthia M. Flowers
Education Issues Director
Illinois PTA   cinflwrs2@aol.com

Illinois School Report Card Information:

The work of the Family, Youth and Community Engagement Committee (FYCEC) was celebrated at the bill signing of the Illinois School Report Card legislation preceding the January 24, 2012 meeting of the full P20 Council. It was reported that this legislation has become a national model, largely due to the inclusive and comprehensive process resulting in a report card designed to be "user friendly" for parents, families and community members. The 60 focus groups conducted across the state were unprecedented so kudos and thanks to all FYCEC members who participated and facilitated.
     Please note the attachments providing information about the new Illinois School Report Card. The new report card is organized to help parents understand how a school or district is performing in three key areas: (1) student outcomes, (2) student progress, and (3) the school environment. There is more to be done, however. It is critical that additional outreach and training be available to parents and families so when the new report card is issued in October of 2013, it can be utilized in a collaborative and constructive way.

                          FYCEC Report                                 School Report Card - Example            
           Report Card Legend            Report Card Fact Sheet

The materials developed by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and used in the facilitation of the focus groups provide valuable background information on why the report card is needed, how the metrics are defined and how to access the multiple levels of available data. The FYCEC committee will be reviewing that material and working to develop a training module to be widely available in a train the trainer model to ensure each school community can maximize the use of data to support good outcomes for their students.
    Additional information on this process will be provided as materials are reviewed and a draft module developed. Additional participation is invited and welcome. We expect to convene around this work over the summer to finalize training materials and develop a dissemination plan.                                       Family, Youth, and Community Engagement Committee Illinois P20 Council

What Parents Should Know About National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)

Education Issues Resource Sites