Did you know that ISBE has created a Resource Guide to support teacher's efforts to implement Asian American history into the classroom? Check out this TEAACH Act resource guidePDF Document as a platform to better implement the TEAACH Act now!​​

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The Illinois State Board of Education curated the following free resources to assist districts, teachers, and parents. The intent is to provide free or temporarily free learning resources for teachers and parents to support student learning. These resources do not represent an endorsement or recommendation of curriculum or eLearning systems.​​

Alternatives to Dissection of Animals – Public Act 91-771 & 90-566

​The Dissection Alternatives Act was enacted in 2000 as a way to encourage districts to make available and use alternatives to dissection when those alternatives are appropriate and can provide an educational experience that is equal or superior to the traditional use of dissection.

To learn more about this state policy and to read recommended actions for school districts, see the Dissection Alternatives fact sheet​PDF Document.

Computer Science and Computer Literacy – Public Act 101-0654

  • Public Act 101-0654

  • ​Computer Literacy

    Beginning with the 2022-23 school year, all school districts shall ensure that students receive developmentally appropriate opportunities to gain computer literacy skills at each grade level K-12. Additionally, students entering ninth grade in the 2022-23 school year and each school year thereafter must participate in one year of a course that includes intensive instruction in computer literacy, which may be English, social studies, or any other subject and that may be counted toward the fulfillment of other graduation requirements.

    “Computer literacy” is broadly defined as one’s knowledge of and ability to use computers and related technologies efficiently and effectively. More specifically, computer literacy includes knowing what constitutes a computer, the uses and applications for computers, and the impact of computers on society.​

  • Computer Science

    Beginning with the 2023-24 school year, all school districts that maintain any grades 9-12 shall provide an opportunity for every high school student to take at least one computer science course aligned to rigorous learning standards of the Illinois State Board of Education.

    “Computer science” means the study of computers and algorithms, including their principles, their hardware and software designs, their implementation, and their impact on society. Computer science does not include the study of everyday uses of computers and computer applications, such as keyboarding or accessing the internet.

    ISBE convened a work group to provide the field with supplemental resources to support educators in teaching computer science.

    A listing of the courses from the Illinois State Course Catalog that are designated as computer science and information on qualifications for teachers of those courses has been developed.

Media Literacy- Public Act 102-0055

Public Act 102-0055 amends the Illinois School Code to ensure that students in every public high school in Illinois develop 21st-century skills for inquiry and critical thinking to better navigate the current information landscape.

Beginning with the 2022-23 school year, every public high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction on media literacy, including instruction on how to access information, analyze and evaluate media messages, create media, and reflect on media consumption as well as the social responsibility of engaging with media of all forms.

The Illinois Media Literacy Coalition is a group of educators and scholars passionate about the practice of media literacy and driven by the passage of Illinois Public Act 102-0055. For more current resources and information regarding media literacy, visit their website at https://ilmlc.org/.​​​

TEAACH - Public Act 102-0044

​The Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act amends the Illinois School Code to ensure that students in every public elementary and high school in Illinois learn about the contributions of Asian Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States.

Beginning with the 2022-23 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Asian American history, including the history of Asian Americans in Illinois and the Midwest, as well as the contributions of Asian Americans toward advancing civil rights from the 19th century onward.

ISBE convened a work group to create a one-page document and supplemental educational resources to assist educators in providing instruction on Asian American history.

Safety Education Resources

Writing-Intensive Courses

Illinois graduation requirements include two years of Writing-Intensive courses.

  • One year must consist of year-long English Language Arts courses with content that primarily focuses on writing.
  • One year may be an additional year-long English Language Arts course OR a course identified as writing intensive in another subject area.

For a course to be considered writing-intensive, it should:

  • ​strive to improve student writing skills
  • assign regular and integral writing tasks
  • align and evaluate writing tasks to the Illinois Learning Standards
  • emphasize the importance of feedback in the writing process for students to improve their writing skills
  • incorporate all aspects of the writing process when applicable, including research​​

Additional Tools

​Additional Tools to consider for continuing education and e-learning:

Also, all educators in Illinois have free access to EdLeaders Network to continue work on their own professional learning during this time.​

***According to the team at the EdLeaders Network, these is  a considerable influx of districts and individuals seeking access to ELN.  Due to the volume of requests, uploading staff, and granting access to the Learning Management System is taking longer than usual. Additionally, because of a larger than normal number of users wanting taking advantage of ELN, responding to support tickets is taking longer than usual. As they work through the queue of both uploading staff and support tickets, they appreciate your patience and understanding.***

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