Duckworth, Durbin Announce $3 Million For Illinois State Board of Education

[WASHINGTON, D.C.]— U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $3,000,000 in Competitive Grants for State Assessments for the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). This funding will allow ISBE to create innovative assessments for Spanish language arts students in grades 9 and 10, as well as significantly expand educator professional learning and parent/student engagement activities.

“This infusion of federal support for Spanish-speaking students will contribute to more inclusivity in our state’s education system,” said Duckworth. “With these resources, the Illinois State Board of Education will be better equipped to meet the needs of so many high schoolers and their families, while helping more of Illinois’s young people succeed in school and beyond.”

“Today’s students are tomorrow’s future – it is critical that our assessments are equitable and allow students to show their knowledge," said Durbin. “This investment will allow educators to meet the needs of more students and engage families, and I look forward to seeing the positive outcome from these inclusive assessments.”

English-learner (EL) students are the country’s fastest growing students demographic, but the least likely to graduate. ISBE’s implementation of these high-quality assessments will provide valuable information for educators, students, and to help close the gaps in student opportunities and improve outcomes for EL students. Along with developing the new assessments for students in grades 9 and 10, ISBE will engage up to 150 educators across the state in intensive, year-long learning activities to help them better understand the new assessments and strategies to improve the success of Spanish-dominant high school students.

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