Illinois

The Student Council lead the creation of “sensory hallways” at Western Branch Middle School in Chesapeake, Va.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona looks on as Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks with reporters after touring Access Hawthorne Family Health Center, which is offering COVID-19 vaccines at 3040 S. Cicero Ave. in Cicero, as part of the Department of Education's "Return to School Road Trip" events in the Chicago area, Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 21, 2021.
Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP
States During Site Visit From Cardona, Illinois Governor Defends Vaccine, Testing Policies
“The testing regimen is there in order to make sure that they’re not entering the institution where they work and spreading COVID-19.”
Karen Ann Cullotta, Chicago Tribune, September 22, 2021
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3 min read
Principal Andrea Harper hugs a student as Harper and Superintendent Kent P. Scribner greet students on the first day of school Monday, Aug. 16, 2021, at T.A. Sims Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas.
Principal Andrea Harper hugs a student as she and Superintendent Kent P. Scribner greet students on the first day of school at T.A. Sims Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas. The Fort Worth district's mandate for universal masking to combat COVID-19 is the subject of a legal battle with the state.
Yffy Yossifor/Star-Telegram via AP
School & District Management Principals Bear the Brunt of Parental Anger, Staff Fatigue as COVID Drags On
As the face of their schools, principals are front and center in battles over masks, quarantines, and other hot-button COVID issues.
Andrew Ujifusa, September 10, 2021
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10 min read
Illustration of students reading with pie chart.
Getty
States From Our Research Center Map: A-F Grades, Rankings for States on School Quality
Here’s a map showing grades for all the states on this year’s Quality Counts summative report card, on which the nation gets a C overall.
EdWeek Research Center, September 1, 2021
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1 min read
Illustration of students reading with pie chart.
Getty
States Nation Gets a 'C' on Latest School Quality Report Card, While N.J. Again Boasts Top Grade
A slight increase in this year's Quality Counts score isn't enough to boost the nation's school system above last year's middling grade.
Sterling C. Lloyd & Alex Harwin, September 1, 2021
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8 min read
Illustration of students reading with pie chart.
Getty
States From Our Research Center State Grades on K-12 Achievement: 2021 Map and Rankings
Examine the grades and scores that states and the nation earned on K-12 achievement, along with how they scored on a host of indicators.
EdWeek Research Center, September 1, 2021
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1 min read
Image of a face mask on school notebook.
Steven White/iStock/Getty
States Infographic Which States Ban Mask Mandates in Schools, and Which Require Masks?
To better understand where school districts can and can't require masks, Education Week is tracking state-level school mask mandates.
Stacey Decker, August 20, 2021
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1 min read
Image of a dial that assesses problems, dangers, risks, and liabilities.
iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance Why Failing to Require Masks Could Cost Districts Millions Later
Some insurance providers are threatening to cancel districts' coverage this school year—particularly if they break statewide mask mandates.
Mark Lieberman, August 20, 2021
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9 min read
A business person convinces colleagues by presenting a plan.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and Getty Images
School & District Management Opinion Critics Complain My District Doesn’t Really Need Relief Aid. If They Only Knew…
District expenditures have ballooned in the pandemic, but many critics expect the opposite. How can leaders set the record straight?
Theresa Rouse, July 15, 2021
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2 min read
070921 AAPI Bill Illinois AP BS
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker answers questions during a news conference at the Illinois State Capitol on May 22, 2020, in Springfield, Ill.
Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP
Social Studies Illinois Becomes First State to Require Teaching Asian American History in Public Schools
The law is the latest in a series of new requirements the governor has signed that aim to make the teaching of history more inclusive.
Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, July 9, 2021
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3 min read
Conceptual image of a school door with projected shadows of students.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week (Images: iStock/Getty)
School & District Management Enrollment Data: How Many Students Went Missing in Your State?
America's public school system lost more than 1.4 million students during the coronavirus pandemic, according to an Education Week analysis.
Eesha Pendharkar & Maya Riser-Kositsky, July 2, 2021
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1 min read
Pre-kindergarten teacher Sarah McCarthy works with a student at Dawes Elementary in Chicago on Jan. 11, 2021. Chicago Public Schools has launched an initiative aimed at reengaging at-risk students and ensuring they’re back in the classroom once the city’s public schools fully reopen in the fall.
Pre-kindergarten teacher Sarah McCarthy works with a student at Dawes Elementary in Chicago on Jan. 11, 2021. Chicago Public Schools has launched an initiative aimed at reengaging at-risk students and ensuring they’re back in the classroom once the city’s public schools fully reopen in the fall.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP
Student Achievement Chicago Is Spending Millions to Get Students Back on Track After COVID-19
Targeting more than 100,000 students, Chicago Public Schools has launched an initiative aimed at reengaging at-risk students.
Karen Ann Cullotta, Chicago Tribune, July 1, 2021
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4 min read
Johnny Rivera discusses an algebra problem with classmates at iLEAD Academy in Carrollton, Ky.
Johnny Rivera discusses an algebra problem with classmates at iLEAD Academy in Carrollton, Ky.
Pat McDonogh for Education Week
Mathematics What the Research Says Doubling Down on Algebra Can Pay Off in College, But Who Your Peers Are Matters, Too
A new study links taking extra-long algebra classes in early high school to a higher likelihood of earning a college degree years later.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 28, 2021
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3 min read
Students participate in class outside at the Woodland Pond School, a private school located near Bangor, Maine. Maine experienced one of the nation's largest drops in student enrollment this school year, according to an EdWeek analysis.
Students participate in class outside at the Woodland Pond School, a private school located near Bangor, Maine. Maine experienced one of the nation's largest drops in student enrollment this school year, according to an EdWeek analysis.
Photo courtesy of Woodland Pond School
School & District Management More Than 1 Million Students Didn't Enroll During the Pandemic. Will They Come Back?
Education Week analyzed state data to gather a more comprehensive understanding of this year's enrollment loss.
Eesha Pendharkar, June 17, 2021
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6 min read
An arrangement of Oxycodone pills in New York, pictured on Aug. 29, 2018. A new study shoots down the notion that medical marijuana laws can prevent opioid overdose deaths. Chelsea Shover of Stanford University School of Medicine and colleagues reported the findings Monday, June 10, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The painkiller Oxycodone is among the opioids implicated in a health crisis that has school districts joining with states and municipalities in seeking damages from drug manufacturers.
Mark Lennihan/AP
Law & Courts The Opioid Crisis Hit Schools Hard. Now They Want Drug Companies to Pay Up
School districts have collectively spent at least $127 billion on services for students affected by opioid addiction, recent court filings say.
Mark Lieberman, June 15, 2021
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12 min read
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