Illinois
U.S.
Rank
Score:
62%
Grade:
D
Rank:
#37
Despite life-saving opportunities created by charter schools here, there are few states where charter schools encounter as many fights from labor unions and their friendly politicians, especially in Chicago.
Law passed: 1996
Most recently amended: 2019
Number of charter schools: 140
Number of charter students: 64,049
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? Yes
Virtual charters allowed? Yes
AUTHORIZERS: Local districts or the state board of education. Prior to July 1, there was a semi-independent State Charter School Commission, which was added when districts demonstrated they were unwilling to charter. However, the 2019 legislation abolished that and the ability for new charter school applicants to appeal district denials. All responsibilities were transferred to the state board of education. But the state board only authorizes schools on appeal that are either denied by the local board, applications transferred to the board by two or more districts when an applicant proposes being jointly authorized, or charter schools that are initiated from local residents.
GROWTH: Only 120 schools are permitted statewide, with a maximum of 70 in Chicago, and growth has come to a screeching halt. The 2019 legislative changes will further harm the growth of charter schools in Illinois. Considering that 94% of charter students in Illinois are students of color, 15% are special education students, and 85% qualify for free or reduced lunch, hampered growth will undoubtedly have a negative impact on students in the state.
OPERATIONS: The teachers unions have created a highly regulatory environment in the state, and is relentless in working to unionize them. The Chicago teachers contract includes a provision that creates a moratorium on new charter schools, as well. While charters receive blanket waivers from regulations affecting districts, the law allows districts to impose their own regulations on the charters they authorize. Chicago Public Schools, in particular, heavily regulates the schools it authorizes.
EQUITY: Funding is not equitable in Illinois, but a 2017 law increased the funding for charter schools here, to a minimum of 97% and no more than 103% of the funding that districts receive (the previous minimum was 75%). Charters must apply for state grants distributed to school districts. Additionally, the state board can charge up to 3 percent of a school’s revenue for administrative fees. Charter Schools in Illinois do not receive per-pupil facilities funding. In 2019 a $34 million appropriation in capital funding was made to several charter schools in Chicago as part of the state’s capital bill.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#13
Choice hit the land of Lincoln in 2018, when a modest tax credit scholarship was created. Current Gov. Pritzker is not a fan and proposed slashing its funding in his 2021 budget. The program survived, but remains under threat.
Law enacted: 1999 and 2017
Number of programs: 2
Statewide Participation: 7,000
Types of programs: Tax Credit Scholarship, Individual Tax Credit/ Deduction
Tax-Credit Scholarship
Invest in Kids Program
Illinois’s tax-credit scholarship program for low-income and middle class families launched in 2018. Under this program, individuals and businesses that donate to qualified Scholarship Granting Organizations receive a 75% income tax credit. For students to be eligible, household incomes must not be above 300% of the federal poverty level. In 2021 lawmakers extended the program sunset by one year, despite Gov. Pritzker’s efforts to cut the tax credit amount that businesses and individuals receive by half. There are currently approximately 26,000 students on the waiting list. The Legislature will revisit whether to kill the program next year.
Education expenses (not a choice program)
Tax Credits for Educational Expenses
Illinois’ individual tax-credit/ deduction program began in 2000 to help families pay for education expenses. The maximum benefit is $750.
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#19
Serving in high needs areas and student outcomes do not factor into compensation, but the state does have reasonably high content knowledge requirements.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 77%
General Teacher Preparation 82%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 75%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 88%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 58%
Alternate Routes 80%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 82%
Hiring 85%
Retaining Effective Teachers 79%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 78%
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 58%
Score:
62%
Grade:
D
Rank:
#37
Despite life-saving opportunities created by charter schools here, there are few states where charter schools encounter as many fights from labor unions and their friendly politicians, especially in Chicago.
Law passed: 1996
Most recently amended: 2019
Number of charter schools: 140
Number of charter students: 64,049
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? Yes
Virtual charters allowed? Yes
AUTHORIZERS: Local districts or the state board of education. Prior to July 1, there was a semi-independent State Charter School Commission, which was added when districts demonstrated they were unwilling to charter. However, the 2019 legislation abolished that and the ability for new charter school applicants to appeal district denials. All responsibilities were transferred to the state board of education. But the state board only authorizes schools on appeal that are either denied by the local board, applications transferred to the board by two or more districts when an applicant proposes being jointly authorized, or charter schools that are initiated from local residents.
GROWTH: Only 120 schools are permitted statewide, with a maximum of 70 in Chicago, and growth has come to a screeching halt. The 2019 legislative changes will further harm the growth of charter schools in Illinois. Considering that 94% of charter students in Illinois are students of color, 15% are special education students, and 85% qualify for free or reduced lunch, hampered growth will undoubtedly have a negative impact on students in the state.
OPERATIONS: The teachers unions have created a highly regulatory environment in the state, and is relentless in working to unionize them. The Chicago teachers contract includes a provision that creates a moratorium on new charter schools, as well. While charters receive blanket waivers from regulations affecting districts, the law allows districts to impose their own regulations on the charters they authorize. Chicago Public Schools, in particular, heavily regulates the schools it authorizes.
EQUITY: Funding is not equitable in Illinois, but a 2017 law increased the funding for charter schools here, to a minimum of 97% and no more than 103% of the funding that districts receive (the previous minimum was 75%). Charters must apply for state grants distributed to school districts. Additionally, the state board can charge up to 3 percent of a school’s revenue for administrative fees. Charter Schools in Illinois do not receive per-pupil facilities funding. In 2019 a $34 million appropriation in capital funding was made to several charter schools in Chicago as part of the state’s capital bill.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#13
Choice hit the land of Lincoln in 2018, when a modest tax credit scholarship was created. Current Gov. Pritzker is not a fan and proposed slashing its funding in his 2021 budget. The program survived, but remains under threat.
Law enacted: 1999 and 2017
Number of programs: 2
Statewide Participation: 7,000
Types of programs: Tax Credit Scholarship, Individual Tax Credit/ Deduction
Tax-Credit Scholarship
Invest in Kids Program
Illinois’s tax-credit scholarship program for low-income and middle class families launched in 2018. Under this program, individuals and businesses that donate to qualified Scholarship Granting Organizations receive a 75% income tax credit. For students to be eligible, household incomes must not be above 300% of the federal poverty level. In 2021 lawmakers extended the program sunset by one year, despite Gov. Pritzker’s efforts to cut the tax credit amount that businesses and individuals receive by half. There are currently approximately 26,000 students on the waiting list. The Legislature will revisit whether to kill the program next year.
Education expenses (not a choice program)
Tax Credits for Educational Expenses
Illinois’ individual tax-credit/ deduction program began in 2000 to help families pay for education expenses. The maximum benefit is $750.
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#19
Serving in high needs areas and student outcomes do not factor into compensation, but the state does have reasonably high content knowledge requirements.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 77%
General Teacher Preparation 82%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 75%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 88%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 58%
Alternate Routes 80%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 82%
Hiring 85%
Retaining Effective Teachers 79%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 78%
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 58%
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#27
When the pandemic started, it was evident that internet connectivity for students in Chicago was seriously lacking, especially in low-income neighborhoods. As a result, the city launched a new revolutionary $50 million initiative called Chicago Connected that is primarily privately funded by the philanthropic community, and will give 100,000 students access to free broadband internet for the next four years.
Individual school district technology plans are no longer required in Illinois. The School Technology Revolving Loan Program was started in 1999, and since then, more than $87 million in loans has been given to school districts.
The Learning Technology Center is an Illinois State Board of Education program that supports technology integration and digital learning in all public K-12 schools.The Center’s focus areas are: network and technology infrastructure, student data security and safety, and equity and access.
Illinois Virtual School is a statewide virtual school that opened in 2001 and serves middle and high school students. In 2018, over 6,600 students were enrolled in online courses. Illinois Virtual School does not grant diplomas but serves as a supplemental program. IVS courses are open to public, private and homeschool students, and educators are offered professional development courses.
Illinois has four school districts that are members of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, helping over 40,000 students in the state gain access to digital learning. The League of Innovative Schools is a network of school leaders in 114 districts in 34 states that aim to enhance and scale digital learning opportunities for students across the nation.
Bandwidth: “98.7% of students in Illinois can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds. But there is still work to be done. 25,813 students still need more bandwidth for digital learning.”
Illinois legislature enacted the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act in 2016, which helps students prepare for their future by offering a Postsecondary and Career Expectations framework. The Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act was amended in 2018 to create the Competency-Based High School Graduation Requirements Pilot Program, which allows high school students to earn credit in non-traditional ways and learn through real-world learning experiences. The pilot is currently in 25 school sites, representing 47 districts in the state.
Illinois’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic was lacking. While communicating early about closures and providing remote learning guidelines on March 27, guidelines lowered expectations for learning.
For example, it said that “… all students, families, schools, and districts are diverse, and [that the state supports] remote learning that meets local needs and, to the greatest extent possible, minimizes the negative impact this unprecedented moment has on our students’ educational trajectories.” This fell short of encouraging continuous learning for all students, and as a result many students in Illinois did not receive instruction for many weeks.
Another example of the cost of limited expectations is seen in Chicago, where the district plan only called for the following engagement: “the recommended daily academic engagement is one hour for preschool, 90 minutes for kindergarten through second grade, two hours for third through fifth grades, three hours for sixth through eighth grades, and 4 ½ hours for ninth through 12th grades.”
Most Illinois public schools are offering hybrid learning for the fall, with Chicago Public Schools opting for going fully remote amidst brewing union protests.
Fast Facts
4th Grade Math Proficiency:
8th Grade Math Proficiency:
12th Grade Math Proficiency:
4th Grade Reading Proficiency:
8th Grade Reading Proficiency:
12th Grade Reading Proficiency:
Graduation Rate:
Average SAT Score:
Average ACT Score:
Public School Enrollment:
Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:
Average Student Funding:
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#27
When the pandemic started, it was evident that internet connectivity for students in Chicago was seriously lacking, especially in low-income neighborhoods. As a result, the city launched a new revolutionary $50 million initiative called Chicago Connected that is primarily privately funded by the philanthropic community, and will give 100,000 students access to free broadband internet for the next four years.
Individual school district technology plans are no longer required in Illinois. The School Technology Revolving Loan Program was started in 1999, and since then, more than $87 million in loans has been given to school districts.
The Learning Technology Center is an Illinois State Board of Education program that supports technology integration and digital learning in all public K-12 schools.The Center’s focus areas are: network and technology infrastructure, student data security and safety, and equity and access.
Illinois Virtual School is a statewide virtual school that opened in 2001 and serves middle and high school students. In 2018, over 6,600 students were enrolled in online courses. Illinois Virtual School does not grant diplomas but serves as a supplemental program. IVS courses are open to public, private and homeschool students, and educators are offered professional development courses.
Illinois has four school districts that are members of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, helping over 40,000 students in the state gain access to digital learning. The League of Innovative Schools is a network of school leaders in 114 districts in 34 states that aim to enhance and scale digital learning opportunities for students across the nation.
Bandwidth: “98.7% of students in Illinois can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds. But there is still work to be done. 25,813 students still need more bandwidth for digital learning.”
Illinois legislature enacted the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act in 2016, which helps students prepare for their future by offering a Postsecondary and Career Expectations framework. The Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act was amended in 2018 to create the Competency-Based High School Graduation Requirements Pilot Program, which allows high school students to earn credit in non-traditional ways and learn through real-world learning experiences. The pilot is currently in 25 school sites, representing 47 districts in the state.
Illinois’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic was lacking. While communicating early about closures and providing remote learning guidelines on March 27, guidelines lowered expectations for learning.
For example, it said that “… all students, families, schools, and districts are diverse, and [that the state supports] remote learning that meets local needs and, to the greatest extent possible, minimizes the negative impact this unprecedented moment has on our students’ educational trajectories.” This fell short of encouraging continuous learning for all students, and as a result many students in Illinois did not receive instruction for many weeks.
Another example of the cost of limited expectations is seen in Chicago, where the district plan only called for the following engagement: “the recommended daily academic engagement is one hour for preschool, 90 minutes for kindergarten through second grade, two hours for third through fifth grades, three hours for sixth through eighth grades, and 4 ½ hours for ninth through 12th grades.”
Most Illinois public schools are offering hybrid learning for the fall, with Chicago Public Schools opting for going fully remote amidst brewing union protests.
4th Grade Math Proficiency:
8th Grade Math Proficiency:
12th Grade Math Proficiency:
4th Grade Reading Proficiency:
8th Grade Reading Proficiency:
12th Grade Reading Proficiency:
Graduation Rate:
Average SAT Score:
Average ACT Score:
Public School Enrollment:
Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:
Average Student Funding:
J.B. Pritzker (D)
First term began in 2019 (no term limit)
Gov. Pritzker, a billionaire who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth before being elected governor, abolished the state Charter School Commission in 2019 and threatened to cut the scholarship program for low-income students. He could hardly be less supportive of educational opportunities for Illinois families, which is interesting considering he attended a $60,000 boarding school in Boston. The wealthiest Governor in the country doesn’t seem to understand that not everyone can afford expensive tuition or a move to a district with top schools.
Illinois is an unfriendly, even hostile, environment for education opportunity. Both the House and Senate are Democrat-controlled and are anti-reform. Passage of the bill eliminating the Charter School Commission was a step the legislature took to try to halt growth of charter schools.
The Illinois Constitution contains both a Compelled Support Clause and a Blaine Amendment. The Illinois Supreme Court permitted some public support for children attending religious schools, though. “The Illinois Supreme Court has found that only direct, unrestricted payments of public funds to religious schools unconstitutional.”(Institute for Justice)
School report cards are easily accessible by clicking the Illinois Report Card button at the top of the Illinois State Board of Education homepage. Reports are presented in a clean dashboard where users can explore data by clicking on different tabs. Reports are a rich resource of meaningful information for parents by disaggregating data into academic progress, school environment, students, teachers, and administrators. There is also a useful feature to download and print the school “At-a-Glance” PDF. Educational options are easily accessible on the main page as well.
School board elections are not at the same time as general elections, which usually means lower voter turnout.
J.B. Pritzker (D)
First term began in 2019 (no term limit)
Gov. Pritzker, a billionaire who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth before being elected governor, abolished the state Charter School Commission in 2019 and threatened to cut the scholarship program for low-income students. He could hardly be less supportive of educational opportunities for Illinois families, which is interesting considering he attended a $60,000 boarding school in Boston. The wealthiest Governor in the country doesn’t seem to understand that not everyone can afford expensive tuition or a move to a district with top schools.
Illinois is an unfriendly, even hostile, environment for education opportunity. Both the House and Senate are Democrat-controlled and are anti-reform. Passage of the bill eliminating the Charter School Commission was a step the legislature took to try to halt growth of charter schools.
The Illinois Constitution contains both a Compelled Support Clause and a Blaine Amendment. The Illinois Supreme Court permitted some public support for children attending religious schools, though. “The Illinois Supreme Court has found that only direct, unrestricted payments of public funds to religious schools unconstitutional.”(Institute for Justice)
School report cards are easily accessible by clicking the Illinois Report Card button at the top of the Illinois State Board of Education homepage. Reports are presented in a clean dashboard where users can explore data by clicking on different tabs. Reports are a rich resource of meaningful information for parents by disaggregating data into academic progress, school environment, students, teachers, and administrators. There is also a useful feature to download and print the school “At-a-Glance” PDF. Educational options are easily accessible on the main page as well.
School board elections are not at the same time as general elections, which usually means lower voter turnout.