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) are not solely responsible for creating a more diverse workforce. Districts, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and policymakers all play a critical role, but the programs that prepare our teachers need to take concrete steps to recruit and retain more teacher candidates of color to reach more equitable outcomes for students in Illinois. The agency last fall released the Illinois State Board of Education 2020-2023 Strategic Plan, which is built upon three goals -- student learning, learning conditions, and elevating educators. These are held together by ISBE’s responsibility to tirelessly pursue educational equity for all students. One critical component of the Strategic Plan is increasing the number of diverse educators who are attracted to the profession. The agency has set a target to increase the percent of candidates of color enrolled in EPPs by 15 percentage points from 30 percent to 45 percent over the next three years. Starting in 2022-23, all EPPs will be required to set enrollment targets for recruiting and retaining candidates of color and to share their strategy for meeting their targets as a part of the annual program reporting process. The agency will coordinate the Diverse Pipeline Pilot, a cohort of EPPs that have volunteered to participate in the initiative during the 2021-22 school year to inform the process. The pilot programs will work in structured cohorts with their peers and receive guidance and feedback from members of the DRLT Network Review Team.
-
Sept. 23: Kick Off Meeting
-
Oct. 15: Peer Collaborative Meeting #1
-
Nov 15: Peer Collaborative Meeting #2
-
Dec 15: Peer Collaborative Meeting #3
-
Jan 18: Peer Collaborative Meeting #4
-
April 8: Peer Collaborative Meeting #5
-
April 1 - May 31: EPPs submit final plans, along with feedback on process and implementation.
