Division Descriptions



Agency General Information

100 N. 1st Street
Springfield, IL 62777
866/262-6663

100 W. Randolph
Suite 14-300
Chicago, IL 60601
312/814-2220

Agency Divisions


Administrative

Administrative Services —

Administrative services support the overall operations of the Agency by offering the following services: facility management and security; mail and messenger services; warehouse, receiving and delivery services; and print and copy services.

Board Services — 217-557-6626

Human Resources — 217-782-6434


Handles personnel functions, including but not limited to, employment, compensation, benefits, diversity, labor relations, personnel records and employee assistance. Provides a range of training and education opportunities to ISBE staff that will create a culture of continuous improvement in the agency.

Internal Audit — 217-782-2237


Conducts internal risk analysis and audits.

Public Information — 217-782-4648


Provides information to media, educators, legislators, stakeholders and the public; oversees teacher and school recognition programs; produces internal and external communications material; and designs and manages agency web site.

State Superintendent — 217-782-2221

Superintendent's Conference

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Fiscal Support Services — 217-782-0249

Budget and Financial Management — 217-782-0249


Coordinates consolidated fund management and budget/accounting functions throughout the Agency.

Data Systems — 217-782-4313


Designs, develops, and maintains automated data processing systems for Agency, regional offices and school district clients; provides systems analysis, computer programming, database design and administration, systems testing and evaluation, and user training.

External Assurance — 217-782-7970


Provides consolidated and comprehensive financial and compliance audit and monitoring services.

Fiscal and Procurement — 217-785-8777


Procurement Bulletins

Funding and Disbursements — 217-782-5256


Oversee the accounting, claims, vouchering and expenditure reporting of all state and federal grant funds to school districts and other service providers; approve and disburse all special education categorical program applications for state funding; via the Illinois Purchase Care Review Board, propose tuition and room and board rates for approval; oversee all pupil transportation and provision of service; process all claims for child nutrition; provide technical assistance for completing all public school calendars; process all federal A-133 Single Audits.

School Business Services — 217-785-8779


Collects and researches school district financial data, oversees school district reorganization, provides financial consulting and technical assistance to school districts and operates the health life safety program.

Technology Support — 217-782-4313


Supports Agency’s technology helpdesk services, networking, servers and video teleconferencing; coordinates mainframe processing and output; converts hardcopy data to electronic media for computer processing.

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General Counsel/Legal — 217-782-8535


Provides legal advice and services to the Agency, State Superintendent and State Board of Education.

Legal — 312-814-2236


Develops and reviews external agreements as appropriate. Provides advice to the Board and all agency divisions on various legal issues. Coordinates with the Office of the Attorney General on litigation against or on behalf of the agency. Issues legal opinions for Regional Education Offices upon request.

Governmental Relations — 217-782-6510


Provides policy development and agency planning based on data analysis, public reporting of performance in relation to legislative requirements and Board goals; Agency business planning and performance measures; gives special attention to school and district accreditation, state student assessments, school improvement and support for districts and schools in academic difficulty.

Rules and Waivers — 217-782-5270


Develops administrative rules and processes waiver requests.

Supervised by General Counsel
email: rules@isbe.net
email: waivers@isbe.net

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School Support Services for All Schools — 217-557-6763

Educator Certification — 217-557-6763


Processes and issues teacher, school service personnel, and school administrator certificates and paraprofessional letters of approval. Coordinates candidate testing for state certification. Administers the “Grow Your Own” Teachers Initiative (GYO): http://www.growyourownteachers.org/.

Educator and School Development — 217-782-2948


Ensures educator and school compliance with all relevant Illinois laws, rules and regulations. Specific functions of the Division include: granting recognition to nonpublic and charter schools; coordinating public school compliance with regional offices of education; granting certificates of approval to private business and vocational schools; implementing and monitoring the professional development and growth of Illinois teachers, administrators and school service personnel; ensuring educator compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act; and overseeing the approval and monitoring of university professional preparation programs for educator certificates.

Nutrition Programs — 217-782-2491


Administers state and federal nutrition programs and the federal food commodities program.

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Teaching and Learning Services for All Children — 217-782-0354

Educational Programs — 217-782-0354

Career and Technical Education — 217-782-4620


Develops and provides programs that infuse workplace and career preparation into the K-12 school curriculum by integrating with and complementing the Illinois Learning Standards; Coordinates partnerships with regional workforce entities and higher education, occupational skills standards and transition programs that smooth students' pathways from high school to advanced education and training. Works to promote agricultural education.

Early Childhood — 217-524-4835


Develops and provides materials and support for the Illinois Early Learning Standards and their use in early childhood programs, and for programs that focus on children from birth to eight years old, early intervention for at-risk students, pre-Kindergarten programs, early literacy, and partnerships among schools, communities and service providers.

English Language Learning — 312-814-3850


Supports programs for students (bilingual, immigrant, migrant, and refugee) acquiring knowledge and skills in the English language, including, but limited to: Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE), Transitional Programs of Instruction (TPI), Federal NCLB/Title III Language Instruction Programs for Limited English Proficient Students (LIPLEP) and Emergency Immigrant Education Program (IEP); Refugee Children School Impact Grant (RCSIG) and Migrant Education Program (MEP). DELL also sponsors a Visiting Teacher Exchange Program (VTEP) with the Spain Ministry of Education where additional teachers can be recruited by school districts for cultural exchanges and a Title II Bilingual Transition To Teaching (BTTT) alternative teacher training program.

Innovation & Improvement (formerly Grants & Programs)— 217-524-4832


Provides services and support to districts with schools in academic difficulty. Contact for public school choice information for schools in academic difficulty.  Contact for Summer Bridges program.

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Special Education and Support Services — 217-782-4870


Provides programs and services for students with specialized educational needs.

Special Education Services- Springfield — 217-782-5589


Assures that special education programs and services meet state and federal requirements; includes monitoring least restrictive environment compliance, administering due process system, providing mediation services, conducting compliant investigations, approving policies and procedures, conducting focused and comprehensive reviews, approving nonpublic special education facilities and other compliance functions. Provides technical assistance and training to school personnel, parents and others on the special education rules, processes and procedural safeguards. Provides support to local education agencies and parents to facilitate and improve services for special education-eligible students; conducts and coordinates technical assistance and professional development activities in special education program and service areas; administers the special education surrogate parent program; works with the State Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities and other advisory councils.

Special Education Services - Chicago — 312-814-5560


Provides monitoring and compliance resolution for District 299.  Oversees adherence to the Corey H. Settlement Agreement. Provides technical assistance and training to school personnel, parents and others on the special education rules, processes and procedural safeguards. Provides support to local education agencies and parents to facilitate and improve services for special education-eligible students; conducts and coordinates technical assistance and professional development activities in special education program and service areas.

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Standards & Assessments — 217-782-0354

Assessment — 217-782-4823


Administers the state student assessment system, including the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE), the Illinois Measure of Annual Growth in English (IMAGE), the Illinois Consumer Education Proficiency Test (ICEPT), the Illinois Alternate Assessment (IAA); and coordinates Illinois' participation in the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP).

Curriculum &Instruction — 217-557-7323


The Curriculum and Instruction Division is responsible for a wide array of state and federal grant programs and projects. Division staff develop and provide materials and guidance for the implementation of the Illinois Learning Standards, Reading First Program and various Technology Initiatives. Other division programs support and enhance quality learning for all Illinois students.

Data Analysis and Progress Reporting — 217-782-3950


Analyzes data for policy and planning; coordinates annual reporting on progress related to Board goals and legislative requirements.

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