The Illinois State Board of Education is pleased to present the first edition of the adopted Illinois Learning Standards for elementary and secondary students. This document is called the first edition because the Board is committed to keeping the Standards current. The Board will hear questions and concerns relative to the Standards on an annual basis and consider updates to the document every three years.

These Standards were developed consistent with state law (Public Act 89-610) and are based on the thoughtful input of thousands of teachers, administrators, parents, employers, community leaders and representatives of higher education. Collectively, the statements in this document define what Illinois citizens believe all students should know and be able to do as a result of their public schooling.

Student achievement will be assessed relative to the Learning Standards. Results will be reported in terms of “exceeds expectation”, “meets”, “does not meet”, or “substantially does not meet”.

The next challenge will be to ensure that all Illinois students are prepared to meet these expectations. That means, at a minimum, aligning the learning conditions (e.g., curriculum, instructional materials, teacher knowledge and skills, assessment) in each school with these Standards; identifying and responding to problems in meeting the learning targets; and communicating in new ways with students, parents and our communities.