Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street • Springfield, Illinois 62777-0001
www.isbe.net
James T. Meeks
Chairman
Tony Smith, Ph.D.
State Superintendent of Education
FACT SHEET
DISTRICT PROGRESS & SUPPORTS
August 2015, ISBE Division of Public Information
The new Statewide Balanced Accountability Measure and the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE)
flexibility waiver to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)
have provided Illinois with a new state-developed plan to guarantee
that all students are on track for success after graduating from high
Future Outlook:
school. This plan focuses support for the neediest students, provides
Adopting a Statewide
public information on the professional practice of each school and
Balanced Accountability
Measure
district, and gives districts greater flexibility in the use of their federal
(HB 2683)
Title I Part A funds. Our waiver recognizes that local districts and
school leaders know their students’ needs best and gives them the
freedom to apply federal funds to the programs and services they
determine will most help their students learn and show improvement.
The waiver also provides for tiered levels of intervention and support
through the Statewide System of Support (SSOS).
ISBE worked with educational leadership groups this spring to
jointly write and support the new Illinois Statewide Balanced
Accountability Measure described in House Bill 2683, which was
signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner in July. This accountability system will
use a deeper, more descriptive process to report on the progress
that our schools and districts are making toward all students
graduating college and career ready. In 2015-16, the first phase will
be implemented with a report on student outcomes as required in
ISBE’s NCLB flexibility waiver and then the professional practice
components will be phased in over the next two years. The
professional practice portion focuses on the degree to which a
school district is implementing evidence-based, best professional
practices and showing continued improvement.

In 2015-16,
accountability will be
based completely on
student performance
using the federal MMI
and AMOs.

In 2016-17, ISBE will
start phasing in the
professional practice
portion -- which
includes compliance,
evidence-based best
professional practice,
and contextual
improvement -- in pilot
districts.

The 2014-15 school year is serving as the baseline year for
establishing the metrics against which student progress will be
measured in the future. The metrics for student progress will be
determined using a Multiple Measures Index (MMI), which will then
be used to set Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) for each school and district.
By 2021-22, the
Balanced Accountability
Measure must be fully
implemented in all
districts.
The Multiple Measures Index consists of two metrics – Academic Success and Equity. Academic Success
measures college and career readiness for all students by examining achievement through state assessment
scores, measuring student growth from year to year, and attaining sufficient four- and five-year graduation rates.
Equity focuses on the same measures but looks specifically at our NCLB subgroup’s performance on those
measures. Subgroups include race/ethnicity, low-income students, students with Individualized Education
Programs, and Limited English Proficient students.
Once the MMI is established, Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOS) will be calculated. AMOs are new,
differentiated targets for schools and districts that measure the degree to which schools and districts are
progressing toward having all students considered college and career ready. These objectives or targets will be
first used in 2016-17 and will be based on the MMI results reported this fall from the spring 2015 statewide
assessment.
Schools and districts will receive their AMOs this fall on the Illinois Report Card. Upon receiving AMOs,
schools and districts will be expected to reduce the gap between their current percentage of college and careerready students and 100 percent by half in six years, with even steps each year. For example, if a school has 64
percent of its students deemed college and career ready, the school is expected to reduce the gap in half (by 18
percentage points) by increasing the percentage of students who are college and career ready by 3 points each
year over a six-year period until a total of 82 percent of students is considered college and career ready. Starting
in 2016-17, schools and districts that do not reach their AMOs yearly will be required to submit a plan for
reaching their objectives and engage in foundational services and other supports.
Foundational and other support services, from general to more intensive, are available to school districts
via the Statewide System of Support from ISBE, their Regional Offices of Education/Intermediate Service
Centers (ROE/ISC), and the Illinois Center for School Improvement (CSI).
Tier I: Foundational Services are available to ALL districts. These services include:

Access to the Ed Leaders Network through the Illinois Principal’s Association (IPA) gives all schools
access to short, focused webinars by experts on topics that are most important for Illinois educators.

ISBE Content Area Specialists have created nationally recognized resources available on the
Professional Learning Series website at www.ilclassroomsinaction.org/. Resources for ELA and math
classroom teachers include the Model Math Curriculum Resources and Illinois Writing Matters resources.

ROE/ISC delivery of Foundational Services for all districts statewide in seven topic areas means that all
Illinois educators can attend no-cost workshops or networking sessions that use ISBE-approved content
and resources created by our Content Area Specialists. Topic areas include Balanced Assessment,
Continuous Improvement Planning, Family Engagement, Teacher Evaluation, and the Illinois Learning
Standards in English language arts, mathematics and science.
Tier II: Focus Services are provided to districts that have the lowest-performing student subgroups that are
contributing to the statewide achievement gap. ISBE recently received approval of its list of districts that have
been identified to receive Focus Services for the upcoming school year. The Illinois CSI staff will work with these
districts starting this fall. Illinois CSI is currently developing data analysis, coaching, and leadership supports
designed to provide districtwide solutions for low-achieving student subgroups.
Tier III: Priority Services are given to the lowest 5 percent of Title I or Title I-eligible schools or to schools that
have a graduation rate of less than 60 percent. Districts in need of Priority Services were identified when the
waiver was approved last spring, so the upcoming school year (2015-16) is the second of three years of service.
Illinois CSI works with these schools to implement turnaround principles and practices that will improve the
academic achievement of students.
ISBE’s focus on promoting autonomy in districts and strengthening community engagement will ensure that
local districts have the supports they need to make the right decisions for their students and communities. For
more details about Foundational, Focus, and Priority services, visit www.illinoiscsi.org/districtservices and
www.foundationalservices.org.