The Illinois Learning Standards (ILS) for math K-12 are designed to help students acquire
a deep, conceptual understanding of core math content through focus, coherence, and rigor. Focus shifts teaching/learning from a mile long and an inch deep model to a deeper, richer understanding of fewer concepts. Coherence ensures math connections are made between grade levels and builds logical progression. Rigor promotes the equal balance of conceptual understanding, application, and procedural skill and fluency.
Rigor:
where challenge exceeds skill level.
Transitional Math and the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) Act
The Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness (PWR) Act focuses on programming to help students transition to college and career. One of the components of the PWR Act is implementation of transitional math course work in high school.
It is estimated that nearly half of high school graduates who enter postsecondary education are recommended for remedial math courses. Statistics indicate that students who are placed in remedial math at the postsecondary level are less likely to be successful at completing college in their chosen path. The PWR Act deploys a number of strategies that enable, strengthen, and empower Illinois high school districts’ instructional leadership capabilities to benefit students in college and career transitions. One of those components is the implementation of fourth-year high school transitional math courses that have tremendous potential to reduce remediation and developmental education course work for high school students who plan to attend Illinois colleges.
ISBE fully supports Illinois high school districts in transitional math course implementation, which by law high schools must implement or officially opt-out by recommendation of the local school board. Please refer to the legislation for full details.
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TM Resources Now Available!
A curriculum workgroup convened this summer and created several resource documents. Use of these documents is optional. These documents are a model to demonstrate one way transitional math content can be developed to meet the goals of the pathways outlined in the policies and competencies document. It is the district’s responsibility to determine the order of competencies and unit theme alignment to best serve students within the specific transitional math pathways.
Sample unit maps are still under development and scheduled to be available in June of 2019. They will include curated and original tasks as well as summative tasks and capstone projects. Again, the unit maps being developed are samples and are not required for use. These model resources should help high schools assemble the information required by local school boards and/or curriculum committees to gain approval to offer transitional courses in the future.
- Quantitative Literacy and Statistics
- STEM
- Technical Math
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Transitional Math State Recommended Competencies and Policies
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PWR Act Transitional Math Frequently Asked Questions
Math Learning Standards
The Illinois Learning Standards (ILS) in math were adopted on June 24, 2010, pursuant an American education initiative in an effort to move learning towards a 21st century skills framework and to establish student readiness for entry into college and/or career. The standards are a result of collaborative efforts of the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and are part of the
23 Illinois Administrative Code 1 Appendix D.
The ILS for math are designed to help students acquire
a deep, conceptual understanding of core math content by adding focus, coherence, and rigor to learning. Focus is the study of a few key concepts; shifting teaching/learning from a mile long and an inch deep model to deeper understanding of fewer concepts. Coherence is making math connections between grade levels logical building on progression. Rigor is the equal balance of conceptual understanding, application, and procedural skill and fluency. These key shifts in math teaching and learning will focus on concept mastery and will allow students to build upon previous skills, create opportunities for deeper conceptual mathematical understanding and application.
View K-12 Math Standards (full version)
Professional Development
In education, research indicates teaching quality and school leadership are two of the most important factors in raising student achievement. For teachers and school district leaders to be as effective as possible, continuous professional learning geared to increase and expand content knowledge and enhance instructional skills is imperative to implement best educational practices. Educators’ commitment to continuous professional learning is monumental when it comes to student achievement. Superintendents, school administrators, directors, teacher leaders, and teachers share responsibility in professional development strategies and attainment proven to strengthen educators’ performance levels. LearningForward.org is an international association of educational leaders committed to the K-12
professional learning standards for educators and author of
Why Professional Development Matters.
Classrooms in Action is a small team of content specialists who develop K-12 resources for classroom teachers on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education. On this page you will be informed of resources in the various areas including the content areas, learning supports, technology, family engagement and more. Illinois has thousands of classroom teachers who work incredibly hard to educate our students in communities statewide. Their goal is to ensure all teachers have multiple ways to access resources.
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