HR0582 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0582 LRB102 22398 MST 31538 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Illinois employers report the increasing need for secondary and postsecondary graduates with essential and technical employability skills necessary to succeed in high-demand and growing occupational areas; and

WHEREAS, Regional college and career readiness systems develop essential and technical employability skills that are transferable to numerous careers and allow students to explore career options and find a pathway while still in the K-12 system; and

WHEREAS, Access to high-quality systems and programming varies extensively across Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Aligning support from State agencies, school districts, postsecondary education providers, employers, and other public and private organizations will lead to the development and implementation of a robust and coordinated college and career readiness system in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Career and Technical Education (CTE) links academic learning directly to workplace competencies through hands-on learning, career exploration, on-site instruction, and credentialing to give students a jump-start on their postsecondary education or meaningful career; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly enacted the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act in 2016 to launch four evidence-based strategies to prepare more students for meaningful career opportunities by supporting postsecondary and career planning, promoting and incentivizing competency-based learning programs, reducing remedial education rates, increasing alignment between K-12 and postsecondary education systems, and implementing college and career pathway systems; and

WHEREAS, The Dual Credit Quality Act and Education and Workforce Equity Act were built from existing State policy to emphasize strategic opportunities for alignment between secondary, postsecondary, and workforce education that promotes equitable access and accelerates student progression through robust college and career pathway coursework and systems; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) has published Perkins Model Programs of Study to define strategies for systems alignment and student acceleration in accordance with the principles of the State Perkins Plan, the State Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Plan, the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act, the Dual Credit Quality Act, the Education and Workforce Equity Act, and other State policies; and

WHEREAS, According to the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS USA) data using 2019 American Community Survey estimates, significant gaps in postsecondary attainment for Illinois adults age 25+ persist across demographic groups, with 29.4% of Black adults and 19.7% of Latinx adults possessing an associate degree or higher compared to 46.6% of their white peers; the Lumina Foundation estimates that an additional 8.2% of Illinois adults have a sub-associate postsecondary degree or credential, resulting in an overall attainment rate of 55.2%; and

WHEREAS, Individuals with a postsecondary credential, whether it is a college degree or technical certificate, are more likely to be employed and on average can earn 62% more than peers with a high school diploma; and

WHEREAS, The State has demonstrated a commitment to addressing equity gaps in access and attainment through the State Perkins Plan, Higher Education Strategic Plan, Every Student Succeeds Act State Plan, and the Education and Workforce Equity Act, which reiterates the charge to the P-20 Council to update the State's postsecondary attainment goals to include equity-focused targets aimed at closing gaps in postsecondary attainment; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has initiated an external evaluation of the State's Education for Employment (EFE) CTE funding system to assess its efficiency and efficacy; and

WHEREAS, The State's education and workforce agencies have demonstrated a commitment to seeking opportunities for greater alignment across governance and funding structures that will incentivize greater alignment and integration of secondary and postsecondary education; and

WHEREAS, Emerging State activities, policies, and plans present a valuable chance for Illinois to consider how college and career readiness systems and structures can incentivize greater alignment and enhance student experiences in equitably accessing and progressing along robust college and career pathways; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the P-20 Council is urged to convene a geographically representative College and Career Readiness (CCR) Funding and Governance Task Force and produce a report addressing:

(1) Local and national best practices pertaining to regional college and career readiness system governance and funding, including the roles of regional partners including secondary districts, community colleges, and employers;

(2) Recommendations for a regional college and career readiness governance model inclusive of Career and Technical Education, the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act, the Dual Credit Quality Act, and the Education and Workforce Equity Act and addressing the State's equity-based postsecondary attainment targets;

(3) Recommendations to ensure the State's Career and Technical Education fund disbursement methodology supports the State's CTE vision as outlined in the State's Perkins V plan to "empower and support all students to achieve their life and career goals through an aligned, equitable, and high-quality career pathway system"; and

(4) Recommendations to clarify and affirm the role of regional college and career readiness systems in addressing State goals as outlined in State agency plans, including the State Perkins Plan, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plan, the Higher Education Strategic Plan, and any plan emerging from the P-20 Council's work to meet the requirements of HB2170; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the CCR Funding and Governance Task Force should be comprised of representatives from, at a minimum, secondary education districts, community college, university, and statewide professional teachers' association(s), statewide school management association(s), EFE system leadership, Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs), employers and/or industry groups, local workforce boards, State education and workforce agencies, local and national advocacy and research organizations with relevant expertise; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the CCR Funding and Governance Task Force should meet at the call of the Illinois P-20 Council, which should provide administrative and other support to the task force through a committee focused on college and career readiness; members of the task force should serve without compensation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That ISBE is urged to report to the P-20 Council the findings of their external evaluation of the EFE system upon completion for the P-20 Council's task force to consider in addition to their own research; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the P-20 Council is urged to present its findings and recommendations for governance or funding improvements necessary to provide equitable and high-quality college and career readiness preparation across Illinois on or before October 31, 2022 to the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Employment Opportunity, the Illinois P-20 Council, the General Assembly, the Illinois Asian American Legislative Caucus, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus, and the Illinois Women's Caucuses; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the P-20 Council is urged to dissolve the CCR Funding and Governance Task Force after it submits its report.