Bridging the Gap is a companion document to a series of three regional workshops, hosted by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and facilitated by the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC). The workshops served as “train-the-trainer” sessions intended to equip participants with information necessary to launch or enhance local secondary-to-postsecondary alignment efforts. The sessions explored alignment approaches related to implementing the New Illinois State Learning Standards Incorporating the Common Core (hereafter, referred to as the Common Core) in English language arts and mathematics. The Common Core Knowledge and skills students must acquire within their K–12 education to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing college courses and in workforce training programs.
This Toolkit provides supplemental support for workshop participants as they return to their respective institutions and host local alignment meetings. The aim is for educators at both the secondary and postsecondary levels to not only increase familiarity with the Common Core, but also to use them as the foundation for creating curricula aligned to college and career readiness expectations. The ICCB, IBHE, and ISBE believe that successful implementation of the Common Core, through meaningful local secondary-postsecondary partnerships, will ensure that students move successfully along a college and career readiness trajectory and arrive prepared for postsecondary programs.
Authors: Educational Policy Improvement Center
