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
TALKING POINTS
DISTRICT PROGRESS & SUPPORTS
August 2015, ISBE Division of Public Information

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) worked with educational leadership groups in spring
2015 to jointly write and support the new Illinois Statewide Balanced Accountability Measure
described in House Bill 2683. 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 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) flexibility waiver and then the
professional practice components – the degree to which a school district is
implementing evidence-based, best professional practices and showing continued
improvement – will be phased in over the next two years.

Illinois’ flexibility waiver consists of a state-developed plan to prepare students for college and
careers, focus on supports to the neediest schools and districts, and support effective teaching and
leadership. Our plan under the waiver also gives districts greater local control in using federal Title
1 Part A funds and making decisions to improve student progress.

The 2014-15 school year is 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 and Annual Measurable Objectives for each school and district.

The Multiple Measures Index (MMI) consists of two metrics:
o 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.
o Equity ─ focuses on the same metrics but looks specifically at NCLB subgroup
performance on those metrics.

Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) are new, differentiated targets for schools and districts that
measure the degree to which schools are making progress toward all students being 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 will be expected to reduce the gap between their current percentage of students
who are considered college and career ready and 100 percent by half in six years, with even steps
each year.
 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 are considered college and career ready.
 Starting in 2016-17, schools that do not reach their AMOs annually will be required to
submit a plan for reaching their objectives and engage in Foundational Services and
other supports.

All districts can utilize support services from ISBE, their Regional Offices of Education/
Intermediate Service Centers (ROE/ISC), and the Illinois Center for School Improvement (Illinois
CSI) to help meet their progress goals.

Foundational Services are available to all districts and include:
o Access to the Ed Leaders Network through the Illinois Principal’s Association (IPA),
which gives all schools access to short, focused webinars by experts on topics that
are most important for Illinois educators. More information is available at
www.ilprincipals.org/professional-development/ed-leaders-network.
o ROE/ISC delivery of Foundational Services in seven topic areas – including Balanced
Assessment, Continuous Improvement Planning, and Teacher Evaluation – 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.
Two new topics were added in 2015 – Illinois Learning Standards in science and
Family Engagement. For more information, visit www.foundationalservices.org

ISBE has recently received approval of a list of districts that will receive Focus Services for the
upcoming school year. These districts have the lowest-performing student subgroups that are
contributing to the statewide achievement gap. The supports and interventions from Illinois CSI will
provide districtwide solutions for these students.
o Starting this fall, Illinois CSI will work with these districts. Data analysis, coaching, and
leadership supports are currently being developed. More information can be found at
www.illinoiscsi.org.

Districts in need of Priority Services are the lowest 5 percent of Title I or Title I-eligible schools or
have a graduation rate less than 60 percent. These districts were identified when the waiver was
approved in spring 2014, so the 2015-16 school year will be the second of three years of service
for priority schools. Priority Services are being offered by Illinois CSI.
o Illinois CSI works with these districts to strengthen the practices of their district leadership
teams to guide the district through best practices, such as deeper data analysis and
curriculum alignment. Priority schools first completed a district needs assessment and
those results are driving their work in turnaround strategies that will improve the academic
achievement of students. More information is available at www.illinoiscsi.org.

By turning our focus to promoting autonomy in districts and strengthening community engagement,
Illinois can ensure that local districts have the supports they need to make the right decisions for
their students and communities.