Today we focus on building workforce capacity to support multilingual learners in Illinois early childhood settings, from our new report created in partnership with @latinopolicyforum.org and 13 community-based childcare organizations. Read more at go.illinois.edu/ECE_ML

There is still time to make your voice heard about the state's new attainment goal! There are six sessions coming up in August/September. For more information and to RSVP, see www.ibhe.org/AttainmentWG...

We are continuing to elevate our new report on multilingual learners in Illinois early childhood settings, from a partnership with @latinopolicyforum.org and 13 community-based childcare organizations. Today's focus is instructional practices. Read more at go.illinois.edu/ECE_ML

Over the next week, we'll be uplifting findings from our new report on multilingual learners in Illinois early childhood settings, derived from a partnership with @latinopolicyforum.org and 13 community-based childcare organizations. Read more at go.illinois.edu/ECE_ML

This week, IWERC helped gather and synthesize feedback in Galesburg and Bloomington/Normal about the state's new postsecondary attainment goal. These conversations are shaping how the state's working group defines credentials of value and measures successful attainment of those credentials.

What does high-quality instruction for young multilingual learners look like? What are the challenges in providing it? Learn more in our new report! dpi.illinois.edu/applied-rese...

Multilingual Learners in Early Childhood in Illinois

Multilingual Learners in Early Childhood in Illinois

dpi.illinois.edu

IWERC's director Meg Bates chaired a panel discussion at the Early Childhood Research Alliance of Chicago (EC*REACH) conference on early childhood workforce. The panel featured initiatives related to training, mentorship, and professional learning.

What does opportunity look like in your community? This summer, IWERC is supporting the Illinois State Attainment Working Group in regional stakeholder engagement sessions on a new postsecondary attainment goal for 2040. Please join the conversation: www.ibhe.org/AttainmentWG....

Yesterday, Latino Policy Forum and IWERC held an event to discuss research and policy related to multilingual learners in early childhood. We shared findings from our work with 13 childcare organizations on improving identification and services to young multilingual children.

Today, IWERC released a report on the current state of early childhood services in Illinois for multilingual learners! This report is part of a collaboration with Latino Policy Forum and thirteen Illinois childcare organizations. Read more: dpi.illinois.edu/applied-rese...

Multilingual Learners in Early Childhood in Illinois

Multilingual Learners in Early Childhood in Illinois

dpi.illinois.edu

Congrats to our colleagues at the Illinois State Board of Education on releasing the Illinois Comprehensive Numeracy Plan! IWERC was proud to support the agency in incorporating feedback from diverse stakeholders across the state into the plan. Learn more here: www.isbe.net/Pages/Illino...

Illinois Comprehensive Numeracy Plan

isbe.net

Please join us one week from today to discuss multilingual learners!

Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative@iwerc.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Join us and @latinopolicyforum.org on June 24th to discuss and launch our study of multilingual learners in early childhood! Learn more here: bit.ly/4wV6EuY

The Dual Language listening tour continues, with recent stops in DeKalb and Lombard. IWERC is honored to support Illinois State Board of Education in this important work, and there's still time to give your feedback! Two stops left: Chicago and Virtual. Learn more here: www.isbe.net/Pages/Dual-L...

The IWERC team was honored to present our research on equity in CS education and economic outcomes to City Colleges of Chicago's Tech Advisory Council meeting on Industry Trends. IWERC has been closely following the work City Colleges has been doing around workforce equity and alignment in tech.

Congrats to IWERC’s Stephanie Werner and Ying Chen on receiving an exemplary paper award from the ACM RESPECT Conference! Their paper explored how to measure equity in CS using statewide data. Read the paper here: dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...

Join us and @latinopolicyforum.org on June 24th to discuss and launch our study of multilingual learners in early childhood! Learn more here: bit.ly/4wV6EuY

The Early Childhood Multilingual Learner Research-Practice Launch Event

The Latino Policy Forum and the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative at the University of Illinois invite you to the Illinois Early Childhood Multilingual Research-Practice Partners...

bit.ly

New publication! From IWERC's CS ed team, this paper shows how states can use longitudinal data to understand successes and points of growth for equitable CS education. Catch IWERC researchers at #RESPECT2026 this week presenting this work! Read more: dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...

Equity Analysis of Statewide Longitudinal High School CS Coursework Data: An Application of the CAPE Framework | Proceedings of the 2026 Conference on Research on Equity and Sustained Participation in...

dl.acm.org

The IWERC team has been traveling the state to support Illinois State Board of Education in the development of Dual Language guidance. IWERC is supporting the synthesis of stakeholder feedback on draft guidance. To learn more about the plan, see www.isbe.net/Pages/Dual-L...

IWERC's Shereen Oca Beilstein and Meg Bates presented evaluation findings at Illinois State Board of Education's Teacher Vacancy Grant summit yesterday in Springfield. The IWERC team enjoyed hearing from school leaders and ISBE staff about their lessons learned from the program.

ICYMI! IWERC continues to plan next steps for its partnership with Institute for Racial Justice, Loyola University Chicago.

Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative@iwerc.bsky.social · 3mo ago

IWERC was proud to co-host an event with Institute for Racial Justice, Loyola University Chicago on Black Student Success in Illinois. This convening engaged diverse stakeholders in discussing Black student experiences from cradle to career. Learn more here: go.illinois.edu/BlackStudentSuccess

Coming up this Wednesday...please join us!

Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative@iwerc.bsky.social · 3mo ago

IWERC's director, Meg Bates, will be speaking at the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition's May ISTConversations event on May 13 from 3-5pm! Please register here: luma.com/u4qy6pea #ISTConversations #MentorshipMatters #STEMeducation #lnnovationExcellence

IWERC's director, Meg Bates, will be speaking at the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition's May ISTConversations event on May 13 from 3-5pm! Please register here: luma.com/u4qy6pea #ISTConversations #MentorshipMatters #STEMeducation #lnnovationExcellence

ISTConversations: Codifying Quantum Talent for Workforce Development · Luma

Join the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) for the May installment of ISTConversations as we explore the research methodology used to outline…

luma.com

IWERC's team participated in a recent meeting of the Illinois Higher Education Futures Table. We shared different ways of measuring credentials of value and received valuable feedback on how higher education leaders think about value in their work with students and surrounding communities.

IWERC was proud to co-host an event with Institute for Racial Justice, Loyola University Chicago on Black Student Success in Illinois. This convening engaged diverse stakeholders in discussing Black student experiences from cradle to career. Learn more here: go.illinois.edu/BlackStudentSuccess

IWERC's research with @uchiconsortium.bsky.social was cited in a recent @chalkbeat.org article on changes to TRIO programs. Our research showed that the bachelor's degree is the best pathway to economic mobility for students from low-income backgrounds. www.chalkbeat.org/2026/04/24/c...

Workforce or college access? Inside the fight brewing over the mission of a $1.2 billion federal program.

The Talent Search program funds college tours, counseling, and other work designed to make higher education more accessible. The Trump administration wants it to focus on workforce training instead. A...

chalkbeat.org

IWERC was honored to be mentioned in this thought-provoking piece on the future of federal investments in education research. Research-practice partnerships are a critical part of producing actionable, relevant, and impactful research for the public good. www.brookings.edu/articles/reb...

Rebuilding IES to amplify the impact of education research on student outcomes | Brookings

Leaders of AEFP discuss the state of education policy research and the future of the Institute of Education Sciences.

brookings.edu

IWERC's director, Meg Bates, talked about 2-year to 4-year transfer in Illinois on the latest episode of Trust Talks, a podcast from The Chicago Community Trust. Listen at the link below! www.cct.org/stories/trus...

Trust Talks, The Podcast – Episode 25: Transforming College Transfer Pathways in Illinois - The Chicago Community Trust

In Illinois, nearly 80 percent of community college students say they plan to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree, yet only about 35 percent actually…

cct.org

IWERC's director is presenting today at the PFA/PFAE administrators conference hosted by Early Childhood Professional Learning (ECPL) and Illinois State Board of Education. She will share IWERC's synthesis of early childhood workforce research around quality, compensation, and working conditions.

IWERC was pleased to have its evaluation of the Teacher Vacancy Grant mentioned in the Illinois State Board of Education's weekly message. We will be speaking at the Teacher Vacancy Grant Summit in May about this work. To learn more and register for the Summit, see www.isbe.net/Pages/Weekly...

The IWERC team has been traveling the state to support Illinois State Board of Education in gathering feedback to revise the Illinois Comprehensive Numeracy Plan. It is a great privilege to visit schools and communities across Illinois. Learn more about the plan here: www.isbe.net/Pages/Illino...