Schools develop partnerships with businesses, civic organizations, and other community groups to promote participation in children's education and to maximize the resources available to support learning. Research confirms that community involvement is an essential component of student achievement. The University of Illinois has conducted a four year study to evaluate Illinois Learning Standards Implementation. As a result, Levels of Implementation have been developed.

Illinois is currently identifying schools that are successfully implementing community-wide support for the Illinois Learning Standards. These model schools will become resources to assist other schools in the state in their quest toward successful standards implementation.



The Evaluation of the Implementation of Illinois Learning Standards Project was a four-year endeavor funded by the Illinois State Board of Education to assess the extent to which local districts are implementing Illinois Learning Standards (ILS), to identify factors which enhance or inhibit implementation, and to investigate the relationship between ILS implementation and student achievement. This professional development module is a result of this study.