Below are the sources used to create the IL Education Facts & Data images and presentation.
- Illinois Secretary of State
Illinois Blue Book – Chronology
Office of the Illinois Secretary of State
https://www.ilsos.gov/content/dam/publications/illinois-bluebook/chronology.pdf - Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)
Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act
Illinois State Board of Education
https://www.isbe.net/Pages/EvidenceBasedFunding.aspx - Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (CTBA)
Significant Dates in Illinois School Finance
Center for Tax and Budget Accountability
https://www.ctbaonline.org/reports/significant-dates-illinois-school-finance - U.S. Congress
Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114–95)
United States Congress
https://www.congress.gov/114/plaws/publ95/PLAW-114publ95.pdf - Illinois General Assembly (ILGA)
Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5)
Illinois General Assembly
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ILCS/details?ActID=1005&ActName=School+Code.&ChapAct=105+ILCS+5%2F&Chapter=&ChapterID=17 - National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): Students
U.S. Department of Education
https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/students/ - Illinois Policy Institute
Illinois Lowers Standards, Making More Students Seem Proficient
Illinois Policy Institute
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-lowers-standards-making-more-students-seem-proficient/ - National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
Illinois State Profile – Mathematics (2024)
U.S. Department of Education
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile/overview/IL - Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)
Illinois State Report Card Data
Illinois State Board of Education
https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Illinois-State-Report-Card-Data.aspx - National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
Illinois State Profile – Score Comparisons (2024)
U.S. Department of Education
https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile/overview/il?cti=PgTab_OT&sub=MAT&chort=1&year=2024R3&st=MN&sfj=NP&sj=IL - Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS)
2024-2025 Educator Shortage Report
IARSS
https://iarss.org/2024-2025-educator-shortage/ - Mississippi State Treasury
The Mississippi Miracle Explained
Mississippi State Treasury
https://treasury.ms.gov/2025/10/20/the-mississippi-miracle-explained/ - Alliance for Learning Innovation *ALI Coalition)
How State and Federal R&D Investments Helped Make the Mississippi Miracle Possible
ALI Coalition
https://www.alicoalition.org/success-story/how-state-and-federal-rd-investments-helped-make-the-mississippi-miracle-possible/ - Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)
Effectiveness of Early Literacy Policies When Statewide Efforts Support Them
SREB
https://www.sreb.org/post/effectiveness-early-literacy-policies-when-statewide-efforts-support-them - Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB)
Unfunded vs. Funded Mandates Fact Sheet (2023)
Illinois Association of School Boards
https://www.iasb.com - Illinois Report Card
Illinois State Board of Education
https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/ - Illinois State Board of Education
Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) Basics
Illinois State Board of Education
https://www.isbe.net/Documents/EBF-Basics.pdf - Illinois Policy Institute
Back to School In Chicago: Fewer Than 1 in 3 Students Read at Grade Level
Illinois Policy Institute
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/back-to-school-in-chicago-fewer-than-1-in-3-students-read-at-grade-level/ - WIFR News
Illinois State Board of Education Adopts New Proficiency Benchmarks for Students
WIFR
https://www.wifr.com/2025/08/14/illinois-state-board-education-adopts-new-proficiency-benchmarks-students/ - Evanston RoundTable
Illinois Board of Education Lowers Proficiency Scores
Evanston RoundTable
https://evanstonroundtable.com/2025/09/16/illinois-board-education-lowers-proficiency-scores/ - Capitol News Illinois
Report Offers Mixed Review of Educational Progress in Illinois
Capitol News Illinois
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/report-offers-mixed-review-of-educational-progress-in-illinois/