In 2019, 27 percent of newly enrolled undergraduate teacher candidates across Illinois identified as people of color. In the same year, only 18 percent of undergraduate education program completers identified as people of color, indicating an opportunity to improve enrollment and retention rates for candidates of color.
Educator preparation programs (EPPs), districts, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and policymakers all play a critical role. ISBE is working in partnership with EPPs to take concrete steps to recruit and retain more teacher candidates of color to reach more equitable outcomes for students in Illinois.
ISBE and EPPs conducted a diverse pipeline pilot in 2021 that informed work that is continuing and expanding to all EPPS by supporting them to consider methods they should use to ensure educator preparation programs have developed and implemented quality plans for increasing the diversity of their educators.
After the pilot, EPPs requested more support with developing and implementing recruitment and success plans. ISBE is partnering with American Institutes for Research (AIR) to continue efforts in developing comprehensive diverse educator recruitment and success plans.
