LM april 2021 final hi

NewsInBrief

P-20Council ReleasesRecommendations The P-20 Council has released the Learning Renewal Guide to provide school districts with reliable, proven ideas to develop solutions that work best for their communities. The guide was developed through extensive stakeholder engagement, in collaboration with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), and the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development (GOECD) and support from A Better Chicago and Advance Illinois. The Learning Renewal Resource Guide details 12 strategies— each supported by research, stakeholder feedback, and case studies—that districts and higher education institutions should consider to equitably address the pandemic’s short- and long- term impacts. Each of the 12 strategies contain underlying initiatives, implementation guidance, and estimated costs and impacts. Altogether, the guide envisions a road to renewal that starts with maximizing in-person learning opportunities for students through a reimagined school calendar and includes investments to identify and meet each student’s individual needs from preschool through college and career.

The Illinois State Board of Education shared the following information in State Superintendent Dr. Carmen Ayala’s Weekly Message. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) communicated its intent to make waivers available for accountability but not for assessments on Feb. 22, 2021. The accountability waiver request template published by ED allows states to waive two sets of requirements—accountability calculations and the reporting of those calculations. ISBE submitted its waiver request on April 1, 2021; the request was approved by ED on April 6, 2021. Illinois is not required to: • Issue annual summative designations using 2021 data. • Factor the 95% participation requirement into academic achievement calculations. • Measure progress toward long-term goals and interim targets using 2021 data. Illinois must still: • Report the list of schools identified for support in 2021. • Report on chronic absenteeism. • Maintain the identification status of previously identified schools for 2021–22. • Require previously identified schools implement their support and improvement plans and receive appropriate supports and interventions. Approved IllinoisAccountability Waiver Information

InRemembrance

We are sad to share William Ronald Lynn “Ron” Gray passed away April 6 at the age of 77. Dr. Gray was the former superintendent at Meridian School District #101, located in the IASA Shawnee Region.

Ron Gray

ISDLAF+MonthlyUpdate Click here to view the most current ISDLAF+ rates, economic indicators and general economic news brief. To obtain additional information regarding this IASA sponsored service, contact Dr. Donald E. Weber, Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations/ISDLAF+ at 630–657–6435. To check daily rates, visit the ISDLAF+ website at www.isdlafplus.com.

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LM April 2021