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Friday, Sept. 28—9:30am
CLOSING GENERAL SESSION
Keynote Speaker
Q&Awith State
Superintendent
Dr. Tony Smith
ON ESSA, EBM
AND MORE
By Jason Nevel
IASA Assistant Director of Communications
2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Sept. 26–28, 2018
—Springfield, IL
th
aren’t. It’s not as much as it used to be about competition.
Now with evidenced-based funding, everyone is
interconnected.
The last piece on my mind is something that doesn’t take
a lot of money but matters a whole bunch. How we talk to
and talk about our kids and families.
IASA:
What is the No. 1 mission ISBE is attempting
to accomplish with its ESSA plan?
Dr. Smith:
It’s really about coordinated services and
supports for every community so that all of our kids are
meeting the board goals. We have a series of goals
that include:
• All kindergartners are assessed for readiness.
• Ninety percent or more of third-grade students are
reading at or above grade level.
• Ninety percent or more of fifth-grade students meet or
exceed expectations in math or science.
• Ninety percent or more of ninth-grade students are on
track to graduate with their cohort.
• Ninety percent or more of students graduate from high
school ready for college and career.
Illinois State Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith will be one of the
featured speakers during the closing session of the IASA Annual
Conference. His speech is titled, “What our new funding and
supports mean for strengthening every school community in
Illinois.”
IASA spoke with Smith about his planned remarks for the
conference, ESSA implementation, the teacher shortage,
Early Childhood Block Grant, state assessments and the
new ISBE Superintendent’s Hotline.
Below is an edited and condensed version of that conversation.
IASA:
What will be the focus of your speech at IASA
Annual Conference September 26–28 in Springfield?
Dr. Smith:
This year in particular, I will talk about the work we’re
doing with (ESSA) implementation. We’ve been doing pretty
remarkable planning work. There’s been significant change in
terms of policy environment and now we are really shifting into
implementation. I’m going to focus on what does it mean to be
working in new and different ways.
I also plan to talk about how the new funding system has given
us a new way to look at where resources are and where they
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