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Division Descriptions

Administrative Services • Assessment • Budget & Financial Management • Career & Technical Education • Curriculum & Instruction • Data Analysis and Progress Reporting • Data Systems • Early Childhood • Educator Certification • Educator and School Development • English Language Learning • External Assurance • Fiscal & Procurement • Funding & Disbursements • Fiscal Support Services • General Counsel • Grants & Programs • Governmental Relations • Human Resources • Internal Audit • Legislation • Nutrition Programs • Public Information • Regional Offices of Education Services • Rules • School Business Services • Special Education Services • Superintendent • Superintendent's Conference • Teaching & Learning Services • Technology Support • Waivers

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 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

Governmental Relations Department — 217-557-1485
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.

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 Division — 217-782-2237
Conducts internal risk analysis and audits.

Public Information Department — 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

Budget and Financial Management Division — 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 Division — 217-782-7970
Provides consolidated and comprehensive financial and compliance audit and monitoring services.

Fiscal and Procurement — 217-785-8777

Funding and Disbursements Division — 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.

General Counsel/Legal — 217-782-8535
Provides legal advice and services to the Agency, State Superintendent and State Board of Education.

Legal Division — 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.

Rules and Waivers Division — 217-782-5270
Develops administrative rules and processes waiver requests.

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

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 Division — 217-782-2491
Administers state and federal nutrition programs and the federal food commodities program.

Career and Technical Education Division — 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 Division — 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 Division — 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.

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.

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.

Assessment Division — 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 Division — 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 Division — 217-782-3950
Analyzes data for policy and planning; coordinates annual reporting on progress related to Board goals and legislative requirements.