(105 ILCS 5/22-45)

Sec. 22-45. Illinois P-20 Council.

(a) The General Assembly finds that preparing Illinoisans for success in school and the workplace requires a continuum of quality education from preschool through graduate school. This State needs a framework to guide education policy and integrate education at every level. A statewide coordinating council to study and make recommendations concerning education at all levels can avoid fragmentation of policies, promote improved teaching and learning, and continue to cultivate and demonstrate strong accountability and efficiency. Establishing an Illinois P-20 Council will develop a statewide agenda that will move the State towards the common goals of improving academic achievement, increasing college access and success, improving use of existing data and measurements, developing improved accountability, fostering innovative approaches to education, promoting lifelong learning, easing the transition to college, and reducing remediation. A pre-kindergarten through grade 20 agenda will strengthen this State's economic competitiveness by producing a highly-skilled workforce. In addition, lifelong learning plans will enhance this State's ability to leverage funding.

(b) There is created the Illinois P-20 Council. The Illinois P-20 Council shall include all of the following members:

(1) The Governor or his or her designee, to serve as chairperson.

(2) Four members of the General Assembly, one appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, one appointed by the President of the Senate, and one appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.

(3) Six at-large members appointed by the Governor as follows, with 2 members being from the City of Chicago, 2 members being from Lake County, McHenry County, Kane County, DuPage County, Will County, or that part of Cook County outside of the City of Chicago, and 2 members being from the remainder of the State:

(A) one representative of civic leaders;

(B) one representative of local government;

(C) one representative of trade unions;

(D) one representative of nonprofit organizations or foundations;

(E) one representative of parents' organizations; and

(F) one education research expert.

(4) Five members appointed by statewide business organizations and business trade associations.

(5) Six members appointed by statewide professional organizations and associations representing pre-kindergarten through grade 20 teachers, community college faculty, and public university faculty.

(6) Two members appointed by associations representing local school administrators and school board members. One of these members must be a special education administrator.

(7) One member representing community colleges, appointed by the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents.

(8) One member representing 4-year independent colleges and universities, appointed by a statewide organization representing private institutions of higher learning.

(9) One member representing public 4-year universities, appointed jointly by the university presidents and chancellors.

(10) Ex-officio members as follows:

(A) The State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee.

(B) The Executive Director of the Board of Higher Education or his or her designee.

(C) The Executive Director of the Illinois Community College Board or his or her designee.

(D) The Executive Director of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission or his or her designee.

(E) The Co-chairpersons of the Illinois Workforce Investment Board or their designee.

(F) The Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity or his or her designee.

(G) The Chairperson of the Illinois Early Learning Council or his or her designee.

(H) The President of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy or his or her designee.

(I) The president of an association representing educators of adult learners or his or her designee.

Ex-officio members shall have no vote on the Illinois P-20 Council.

Appointed members shall serve for staggered terms expiring on July 1 of the first, second, or third calendar year following their appointments or until their successors are appointed and have qualified. Staggered terms shall be determined by lot at the organizing meeting of the Illinois P-20 Council.

Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments, and any member so appointed shall serve during the remainder of the term for which the vacancy occurred.

(c) The Illinois P-20 Council shall be funded through State appropriations to support staff activities, research, data-collection, and dissemination. The Illinois P-20 Council shall be staffed by the Office of the Governor, in coordination with relevant State agencies, boards, and commissions. The Illinois Education Research Council shall provide research and coordinate research collection activities for the Illinois P-20 Council.

(d) The Illinois P-20 Council shall have all of the following duties:

(1) To make recommendations to do all of the following:

(A) Coordinate pre-kindergarten through grade 20 (graduate school) education in this State through working at the intersections of educational systems to promote collaborative infrastructure.

(B) Coordinate and leverage strategies, actions, legislation, policies, and resources of all stakeholders to support fundamental and lasting improvement in this State's public schools, community colleges, and universities.

(C) Better align the high school curriculum with postsecondary expectations.

(D) Better align assessments across all levels of education.

(E) Reduce the need for students entering institutions of higher education to take remedial courses.

(F) Smooth the transition from high school to college.

(G) Improve high school and college graduation rates.

(H) Improve the rigor and relevance of academic standards for college and workforce readiness.

(I) Better align college and university teaching programs with the needs of Illinois schools.

(2) To advise the Governor, the General Assembly, the State's education and higher education agencies, and the State's workforce and economic development boards and agencies on policies related to lifelong learning for Illinois students and families.

(3) To articulate a framework for systemic educational improvement and innovation that will enable every student to meet or exceed Illinois learning standards and be well-prepared to succeed in the workforce and community.

(4) To provide an estimated fiscal impact for implementation of all Council recommendations.

(5) To make recommendations for short-term and long-term learning recovery actions for public school students in this State in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Illinois P-20 Council shall submit a report with its recommendations for a multi-year recovery plan by December 31, 2021 to the Governor, the State Board of Education, the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, and the General Assembly that addresses all of the following:

(A) Closing the digital divide for all students, including access to devices, Internet connectivity, and ensuring that educators have the necessary support and training to provide high quality remote and blended learning to students.

(B) Evaluating the academic growth and proficiency of students in order to understand the impact of school closures and remote and blended remote learning conditions on student academic outcomes, including disaggregating data by race, income, diverse learners, and English learners, in ways that balance the need to understand that impact with the need to support student well-being and also take into consideration the logistical constraints facing schools and districts.

(C) Establishing a system for the collection and review of student data at the State level, including data about prekindergarten through higher education student attendance, engagement and participation, discipline, and social-emotional and mental health inputs and outcomes, in order to better understand the full impact of disrupted learning.

(D) Providing students with resources and programs for academic support, such as enrichment opportunities, tutoring corps, summer bridge programs, youth leadership and development programs, youth and community-led restorative and transformative justice programs, and youth internship and apprenticeship programs.

(E) Providing students with resources and support to ensure access to social-emotional learning, mental health services, and trauma responsive, restorative justice and anti-racist practices in order to support the growth of the whole child, such as investing in community schools and providing comprehensive year-round services and support for both students and their families.

(F) Ensuring more time for students' academic, social-emotional, and mental health needs by considering such strategies as: (i) extending planning time for teachers, (ii) extending the school day and school year, and (iii) transitioning to year-round schooling.

(G) Strengthening the transition from secondary education to postsecondary education in the wake of threats to alignment and affordability created by the pandemic and related conditions.

(e) The chairperson of the Illinois P-20 Council may authorize the creation of working groups focusing on areas of interest to Illinois educational and workforce development, including without limitation the following areas:

(1) Preparation, recruitment, and certification of highly qualified teachers.

(2) Mentoring and induction of highly qualified teachers.

(3) The diversity of highly qualified teachers.

(4) Funding for highly qualified teachers, including developing a strategic and collaborative plan to seek federal and private grants to support initiatives targeting teacher preparation and its impact on student achievement.

(5) Highly effective administrators.

(6) Illinois birth through age 3 education, pre-kindergarten, and early childhood education.

(7) The assessment, alignment, outreach, and network of college and workforce readiness efforts.

(8) Alternative routes to college access.

(9) Research data and accountability.

(10) Community schools, community participation, and other innovative approaches to education that foster community partnerships.

(11) Tuition, financial aid, and other issues related to keeping postsecondary education affordable for Illinois residents.

(12) Learning recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chairperson of the Illinois P-20 Council may designate Council members to serve as working group chairpersons. Working groups may invite organizations and individuals representing pre-kindergarten through grade 20 interests to participate in discussions, data collection, and dissemination.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)