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School leaders are equipped with research-based information, skills, and practices to lead districts, schools, and classrooms where each and every child receives significant opportunity for a fair, equitable, and high-quality education.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of School and District Improvement is to build the capacity of school leaders to implement and sustain effective school improvement practices t​hat improve student achievement and performance outcomes, especially in Illinois’ lowest and underperforming schools.

EQUITY STATEMENT

ISBE delivers responsive and tiered support to the lowest and underperforming schools in response to Illinois’ urgent and collective responsibility to achieve educational equity.  Program policies support evidence-based practices that include the diverse backgrounds and life experiences of all students and families to ensure fair, equitable, and high-quality educational opportunities for each and every child.​

• Planning Year Report (SY 2018-2019) December 2019
• Annual Evaluation Report (SY 2019-2020)​ January 2021
• Mid-Year Evaluation Brief (SY 2020-2021)​ May 2021
• Program Evaluation 2021 Principal Interviews/Case Studies September 2021
• Annual Evaluation Report (SY 2020-2021)​ - ​April 2022
• Annual Evaluation Report (SY 2023-2024) - April 2025​

The Every Student Succeeds Act requires State Education Agencies to conduct Resource Allocation Reviews (RARs) with districts that operate a significant number of schools identified for school improvement status via the Illinois Accountability System (§1111(d)(3)(A)(ii)). RARs provide an opportunity for district and school leaders to collaboratively explore current resource allocation patterns. ISBE’s selection process considers the percentage of schools in the district that are identified for Intensive, Comprehensive, or Targeted support. Facilitated conversations with these identified districts are designed to help teams probe resource allocation decisions and engage in thoughtful inquiry about the connection between resources and student achievement goals.

NEWS AND UPDATES

• Fiscal year 2025 state-led Resource Allocation Reviews will take place beginning in January 2025. ISBE will notify selected districts by or before December 15 that they will be required to participate. Explore the resources below to learn more about ISBE’s RAR program.
• Webinar for Newly Designated Schools – This webinar, produced by the District and School Improvement Department and presented November 6, provides a high-level overview of state-led RARS, beginning on Slide 12.
• Newly Designated SchoolsWebinar
• Newly Designated Schools WebinarPresentation
• ​ISBE’s RAR program provides district teams an opportunity to evaluate current resource allocation patterns in relation to four research-based standards for effective practices. Properties of Effective Resources Allocation Systems identifies and describes these four standards. An aligned rubric will be used to assess current processes and generate goals for improvement.
  
• Propertiesof effective RARs
• RARRubric

RESOURCES

• IL Interactive Report Card
• Accountability System and Annual Summative Designations
  
• Site-Based Expenditure Reporting​
  

​Over 300 schools that were first designated as Targeted, Comprehensive, or Intensive improved their annual summative designation from the 2023 report card to the 2024 report card. We would like to recognize these schools and congratulate them on the results of their school improvement efforts over the past year. Your hard work, dedication, and focus on continuous school improvement has not gone unnoticed!​

• School Improved Designations
  

This informational webinar introduces newly designated schools to the Statewide System of Support and outlines the requirements for districts and schools during the planning year of school improvement status.​

• FY2025 School Improvement Planning Year Grant
• Video Recordingof the Planning Year Grant Application Webinar
• Presentationof the Planning Year Grant Application Webinar​​
• FY 2025 Informational Webinar for Newly Designated Schools
  • FY2025 Informational Webinar for Newly Designated Schools Webinar Recording
  • FY2025 Informational Webinar for Newly Designated Schools Presentation
• FY2024 Informational Webinar for Newly Designated Schools
  • FY2024 Informational Webinar for Newly Designated Schools Webinar Recording
  • FY2024 Informational Webinar for Newly Designated Schools Presentation