Northern Illinois University’s P-20 Initiatives

Given the new reality that most citizens now need at least some post-secondary education to succeed in today’s workforce, policymakers and educators share important new obligations. We must supply all students with appropriate learning opportunities and coordinated programs that prepare them to succeed at each successive level. An integrated educational continuum ensures strength at all levels: universal access to quality pre-schools, mastery of reading skills by third grade and algebra by eighth, assurance that all educators are competent and current in their fields. In a P-20 system, education partners work together to improve links between interdependent parts of the system, especially transition points such as that between high school and college, where too many students currently need remediation. To these ends, NIU will provide leadership toward building a P-20 system, focusing our efforts on the three goals of raising student achievement, improving teacher quality, and creating seamless transitions across the system.

Annual Status Reports on NIU P-20 Initiatives

• Facts about Preparation and Professional Development of Educators at NIU
  
  
• College of Education, 2005 Annual P-20 Report
  
  
• College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, 2005 Annual P-20 Report
  
  
• College of Health and Human Sciences
  
  
• College of Liberal Arts and Science, 2005 Annual P-20 Report
  
  
• College of Visual and Performing Arts
  
  
• Outreach, 2005 Annual P-20 Report
  
  
• Provost’s Office, 2005 Annual P-20 Report 
  
  

Foundation for NIU P-20 Initiatives

• Partnerships 
• Special needs  
• Math, science, technology  
• Fine arts  
• Applied research  

Regional

Recommendations from Regional P-20 Summit

State

Recommendations from Illinois Deans P-20 Summit

National

Gordon Van de Water and Terese Rainwater, What is P-16? This guide for state legislators, published by Education Commission of the States, provides a thorough summary. It includes indicators of what would be different at the higher education and P-12 levels in a P-16 or P-20 system. http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/24/28/2428.htm

Gordon Van de Water and Carl Krueger, P-16 Education.
A brief and cogent summary of the importance, strengths, and challenges of P-16 systems. http://eric.uoregon.edu/publications/digests/digest159.html

The Education Trust offers strong support for development of local K-16 councils.
http://www.edtrust.org/main/main/localk16.asp