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The 2023 Illinois Career and Technical Education Report is submitted in compliance with Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 435/2e, which requires a written career and technical education (CTE) report to be issued to the governor annually. This report describes the establishment of and delivery of CTE in Illinois, the existing condition of Illinois CTE based on school year 2022-23 data (FY 2023), and the future developments and recommendations for CTE in our state as required by Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 435/2e. Further, this report provides an update on the police academy program in Illinois as required 105 ILCS/5/22-83. The work of the Gender Equity Advisory Committee and other ISBE initiatives also are referenced within the report.

Charter schools are public schools governed by an independent board of directors that come into existence through a contract with an authorized public chartering agency. This report, known as the Illinois Charter School Biennial Report, provides legislators, policymakers, educators, and the general public with information regarding the state of Illinois' charter schools. In compliance with Section 27A-12 of the Charter Schools Law [105 ILCS 5/27A-12], it contains information that: (1) compares the academic performance of charter school students to the performance of their peers in traditional public schools; (2) analyzes whether or not exemption from certain regulations allows charter schools to better meet their stated goals and objectives; and (3) recommends any changes to the Charter Schools Law. This report also includes authorizer-specific information for each school district authorizer in the state, including: (1) the authorizer's strategic vision for chartering and progress toward achieving that vision; (2) the status of each authorizer's charter school portfolio; and (3) the authorizing functions provided by the authorizer to the charter schools under its purview, including its operating costs and expenses. [For the 2019-2020, 2020-2021 report, see ED618454.]

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is committed to the cognitive, linguistic, and socio-emotional development of all children in Illinois. ISBE's Multilingual/Language Development Department is focused on ensuring that students with diverse linguistic repertoires and those who may benefit from additional support have equitable access to academic instruction in English. These students also must be provided with access to all educational opportunities to which they are entitled. Section 105 ILSC 5/14C-3 requires that one of two types of programs be provided for all preK-12 English learners (ELs) to help them become proficient in English. The two options are a Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) program and a Transitional Program of Instruction (TPI). Pursuant to 105 ILCS 5/2-3.39, this report delineates state data on English learners. Data for this report were extracted by the ISBE Data Strategies and Analytics Department from the SY 2021-22 Student Information System Enrollment, EL Record Data, and I-Star Student Approval Data. The data values were calculated based on the 2022 Report Card Snapshot. [This report was produced by the Illinois State Board of Education's Multilingual Department and the Data Strategies and Analytics Department. For the 2020-21 report, see ED624087.]

As required in 105 ILCS 5/2-3.47a, the Illinois State Board of Education shall develop and maintain a continuing comprehensive strategic plan for elementary and secondary education. The 2020-2023 Strategic Plan consists of goals for equity, student learning, learning conditions, and elevating educators. The Strategic Plan leverages the wide range of talents and interests of ISBE staff, practicing educators, and stakeholders and considers how best to support agency work during and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This report provides an update on the status of the 2020-2023 Strategic Plan, including: (1) Highlights of from the work of the strategic plan during 2023; (2) Information on the extension of 2020-2023 Strategic Plan through FY 2024 while the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan is in development; and (3) The process for the creation of the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. [For "ISBE Strategic Plan: 2021-2022 Annual Status Report," see ED624088. For "Illinois State Board of Education 2020-2023 Strategic Plan," see ED624118.]

This report describes the establishment of and delivery of Illinois Career and Technical Education (CTE), the existing condition of Illinois CTE based on fiscal year 2022 data, and the future developments and recommendations for CTE in our state as required by Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 435/2e. Further, this report provides an update on police academy program in Illinois as required 105 ILCS/5/22-83. The work of the Gender Equity Advisory Committee and other ISBE initiatives are also referenced within the report. [For the 2021 report, see ED618581.]

In accordance with the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) Act, the Illinois State Board of Education conducted an evaluation of the Competency-Based Education Pilot Program during the 2021-22 school year using external evaluators who analyzed data collected from school districts participating in the program. This report includes a summary of the evaluation and the Superintendent's recommendation to continue the pilot program for a minimum of three years.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is committed to the cognitive, linguistic, and socio-emotional development of all children in Illinois. ISBE's Multilingual Department is focused on ensuring that students with diverse linguistic repertoires and those who may benefit from additional support have equitable access to academic instruction in English. Data for this report were extracted by the Data Strategies and Analytics Department at the Illinois State Board of Education from the SY 2020-21 Student Information System Enrollment, EL Record Data, and I-Star Student Approval. The data values were calculated based on the 2021 Report Card Snapshot. This report provides statistics regarding: (1) English Learners (EL) Enrollment per Type of Program; (2) Endorsements of Teachers Serving EL; (3) EL Student Enrollment by County; (4) EL Student Count by Language; (5) EL Student Count by Grade and Race/Ethnicity; (6) EL Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); (7) EL Student Count by Instructional Design; (8) EL Student Performance on ACCESS; and (9) EL Students Performance on State ELA and Math Assessments. [This report was produced by the Illinois State Board of Education's Multilingual Department and the Data Strategies and Analytics Department. For the 2019-20 report, see ED618683.]

After almost two years of uncertainty and unparalleled challenges for students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators across the state, the Illinois State Board of Education continues to look to their Strategic Plan for clarity and confidence in helping them navigate toward their agency's vision as they look past the COVID-19 pandemic. This annual status report describes their progress toward implementing the Strategic Plan in the 2021-2022 academic year. For each of the following goals, a table describing "where we started," activities and accomplishments, and what's next is included: (1) Equity goal; (2) Student learning; (3) Learning conditions; and (4) Elevating Educators. [For "ISBE Strategic Plan: 2020-2021 Annual Status Report," see ED624115. For "Illinois State Board of Education 2020-2023 Strategic Plan," see ED624118.]

This report, submitted in compliance with 105 ILCS 5/1A-4E, provides a discussion of the overall condition of education in Illinois. Information is included concerning student and teacher demographics; data on teacher and administrator licensure; federal, state, and local resources; and other data on Illinois education. The 2021 Condition of Education finds: (1) The fiscal year 2022 General Funds budget for preK-12 education was $9.2 billion, of which $7.6 billion was appropriated for Evidence-Based Funding (EBF)--an increase of $362.1 million over FY 2021. FY 2022 marked the fifth year of implementation of EBF, which directs increases in state funding to the districts in the greatest financial need; (2) The 2020-21 school year started at the height of the pandemic, and fewer than 10 percent of Illinois students had access to fully in-person learning. While more and more students returned to in-person learning as the school year progressed, the wholly or partially remote environment had a significant impact on student enrollment; (3) The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every aspect of education in Illinois--temporarily in some ways and lasting in others. ISBE's Strategic Plan, adopted in November 2020, provides a roadmap for Illinois public schools through 2023 and defines the steps the agency will take to provide each and every child in the state with safe and engaging schools, excellent teachers, and equitable learning opportunities; and (4) Remote learning took a serious toll on student performance and academic achievement. One in five Illinois students was chronically absent last year, missing 10 percent or more of the school year (with or without a valid excuse)--a 21 percent increase over 2019. [For the "Illinois State Board of Education 2020 Annual Report," see ED618647.]

School districts throughout the country have faced increasing challenges with recruiting and retaining beginning STEM teachers. In 2017, turnover rates for mathematics and science teachers were 90% greater in the top quartile of schools serving students of color than in the bottom quartile. A RAND Corporation 2021 survey found nearly one in four teachers, many of them STEM teachers, said they were likely to leave their jobs by the end of the 2020-21 school year. The shortage of qualified STEM teachers perpetuates the socioeconomic achievement gap and threatens the nation's ability to compete globally. This brief provides resources that highlight examples of strategies, programs, and initiatives that assist states, local education agencies, and school districts with addressing the shortage of certified STEM teachers. [For the other briefs in the series, see ED624965, ED624966, ED624967, ED624968, ED624970, and ED624971.]

Special education teachers ensure equitable access to education for 7.2 million public school students with disabilities. According to the January 2022 results of the National Center for Education Statistics school survey, 45% of responding schools reported that special education was identified as the teaching area with the most vacancies. This brief provides resources that highlight examples of strategies, programs, and initiatives that help states, local education agencies, and school districts address the shortage of certified special education teachers. [For the other briefs in the series, see ED624965, ED624966, ED624967, ED624968, ED624970, and ED624972.]

Rural school districts throughout the country face increasing challenges with recruiting and retaining beginning teachers due to job demands that include a lack of mentoring, lower salaries than their urban and suburban counterparts, geographic isolation, requirements to take on additional nonteaching duties, and teaching assignments that include multiple subjects and grade levels. This brief provides resources that highlight examples of strategies, programs, and initiatives that assist states, local education agencies, and school districts with addressing the shortage of certified teachers who commit to teaching in rural school districts. [For the other briefs in the series, see ED624965, ED624966, ED624967, ED624968, ED624971, and ED624972.]

Although the percentage of teachers of color in the workforce has grown significantly over the past 30 years, it still does not reflect the diversity of the national population or students. Teachers of color also have higher turnover rates than White teachers, highlighting the need for strategies to retain teachers of color as well as recruit more of them. All students, especially students of color, benefit from having teachers of color. These benefits range from increases in academic performance to improved social emotional and nonacademic measures. This brief provides resources that highlight examples of strategies, programs, and initiatives that assist states, local education agencies, and school districts with addressing the shortage of teachers of color. [For the other briefs in the series, see ED624965, ED624967, ED624968, ED624970, ED624971, and ED624972.]

An estimated 17% to 30% of new teachers in the U.S. leave the profession within their first 5 years of teaching. Some challenges that prompt new teachers to leave the field include stress, lack of appropriate support, and feeling unprepared to handle behavioral and academic issues among their students. Research supports the finding that teachers who receive appropriate supports stay in the teaching field at rates more than twice those of teachers who lack these supports. However, only a small number of teachers have access to these supports. This brief provides resources that highlight examples of strategies, programs, and initiatives that help states, local education agencies, and school districts address the shortage of newly certified teachers. [For the other briefs in the series, see ED624965, ED624966, ED624967, ED624970, ED624971, and ED624972.]

Teacher shortages disproportionally impact high need schools that can be hard to staff. However, effective teachers have an influential role in improving low-performing schools. Focusing on recruiting and retaining teachers to low-income and low-performing schools is crucial not only to closing achievement gaps, but also to ensuring that students in these schools have access to high-quality teachers. This brief provides resources that highlight examples of strategies, programs, and initiatives that assist states, local education agencies, and school districts with addressing the shortage of certified teachers who commit to teaching in low-income and low-performing districts. [For the other briefs in the series, see ED624965, ED624966, ED624968, ED624970, ED624971, and ED624972.]

Across the United States, many districts find themselves short on bilingual teachers. More than half of the states face a shortage of such teachers, with shortages most acute in states that provide bilingual education to the greatest numbers of English learners. Bilingual and dual-language education have proven to have a positive effect on the achievement of both English learner and non-English learner students. This brief provides resources that highlight examples of strategies, programs, and initiatives that help states, local education agencies, and school districts address the shortage of certified bilingual and second language teachers. [For the other briefs in the series, see ED624966, ED624967, ED624968, ED624970, ED624971, and ED624972.]

Region 9 Comprehensive Center (R9CC) and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) collaboratively collected and analyzed teacher workforce data to identify barriers for recruiting and retaining an effective and diverse teacher workforce. R9CC and ISBE used the Teacher Shortage Tool from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders to identify equity and diversity gaps within the teacher pipeline and created problem statements that characterize the teacher shortage in Illinois. R9CC conducted an extensive series of high school and college student focus groups and interviews with current and former teachers across the state to better understand the causes of these problem statements. Region 9CC analyzed the data and prepared this summary report to ISBE.

The Illinois State Board of Education crafted their Strategic Plan as a roadmap to equity, defining the steps their agency will take to improve and increase opportunities and supports for Illinois students, especially those in the greatest need. They adopted the plan in November 2020, nine months into a global pandemic that continues to shape the world today. Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, the agency, in partnership with educators, principals, administrators, parents, advocates, and students, accomplished a lot. The Strategic Plan also helped the agency maintain a laser-like focus on their goals as they addressed the impact of the pandemic. This report describes the agency's collective achievements that brought them closer than ever to reaching their goals in the areas of student learning, learning conditions, and elevating educators. [For "Illinois State Board of Education 2020-2023 Strategic Plan," see ED624118.]

This roadmap for Illinois public schools through school year 2022-23 defines the steps the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will take to provide each and every student in the state with safe and engaging schools, excellent teachers, and equitable learning opportunities. This plan reflects both the realities and uncertainties are faced today due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan is built around three goals, which focus on student learning, learning conditions, and elevating educators. These goals are held together by four principles that guide the work at ISBE -- equity, quality, collaboration, and community -- and the agency's responsibility to tirelessly pursue educational equity for all of their students in all of their classrooms, schools, and districts.