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Illinois Center for School Improvement
provides support of student performance
By Dick Spohr, Interim Director
Illinois Center for School Improvement
It is my pleasure to introduce the Illinois Center
for School Improvement (Illinois CSI) to you.
Illinois CSI is a partnership between the Illinois
State Board of Education (ISBE) and American
Institutes for Research (AIR). Illinois CSI’s mission is
to lead the delivery of high-quality, research-based
statewide system of support services designed to
raise student performance by increasing district-level
capacity for exceptional teaching and learning. In
collaboration with ISBE, AIR, Regional Offices of
Education/Intermediate Service Centers (ROEs/
ISCs), and other statewide education associations,
Illinois CSI will begin
services to districts and
schools later this year.
Many districts
and schools have
received Statewide
System of Support
(SSoS) services in
the past, such as
capacity-building
coaching
and
access to local and
statewide
professional
development.
Many of these
services
will
continue to be
available in the
future.
Through
SSoS’s
existing
local
delivery
system established
in partnership with
ROEs/ISCs, Illinois
CSI will develop and coordinate an array of services
to ensure all districts will have access to consistent,
high-quality support for maximizing student
achievement through effective leadership, use of
data and assessments, and implementation planning.
All districts will have access to a set of Illinois CSI
foundational services and aligned resources created
to support their efforts to advance continuous
improvement plans, implement Common Core State
Standards, close achievement gaps, and focus on
instructional excellence. Through Illinois CSI, your
leadership team also will be provided with easy
access to timely and relevant professional
development
and expertise.
Many
of
these
foundational
Illinois
CSI
resources will
become
immediately
available on our
pon
its launch in
October. Other
services,
particularly on-
site coaching
and access to a
District
Leadership
Team Learning
Network, will be
provided
to
some districts based on criteria developed by ISBE.
In the coming weeks, ISBE will be notifying districts
of Illinois CSI services they may access. Illinois CSI
staff will contact districts that are eligible to receive
additional services to request an opportunity to
provide more information and determine how we may
best meet their needs.
“All districts will have access to
a set of Illinois CSI foundational
services and aligned resources
created to support their efforts
to advance continuous improvement plans,
implement Common Core State Standards, close
achievement gaps, and focus on instructional
excellence. Through Illinois CSI, your leadership
team also will be provided with easy access to
timely and relevant professional development and
expertise.”
- Dick Spohr,
Interim Director, Illinois CSI
