Ensuring Success in School Task Force Report


Illinois Public Act 95-0558, enacted into law in 2007, required the Illinois State Board of Education to create the Ensuring Success in School Task Force. In light of the growing dropout and push-out crisis in Illinois, this task force was charged with developing policies, procedures, and protocols to be adopted by school districts for addressing the educational and related needs of elementary and secondary students who are parents, expectant parents, or survivors of domestic or sexual violence to ensure their ability to stay in school, stay safe while in school, and successfully complete their education.

The Ensuring Success in School Task Force held five public hearings in 2008 and 2009 in Quincy, Elgin, Springfield, Mount Vernon, and Chicago, Illinois, collecting written and oral testimony from students, parents, advocates, school personnel, and other service providers. The task force also held meetings where experts shared their knowledge, researched best policies and practices in Illinois and other states, and discussed the issues with students, their parents, educators, advocates, service providers and others.  

Wendy Pollack, director of the Women’s Law and Policy Project at the Shriver Center, is a member of the Ensuring Success in School Task Force and was deeply involved in the work of the task force, including the report to the Illinois General Assembly. The Ensuring Success in School Task Force Final Report to the Illinois General Assembly is below. For your convenience, we divided the report into smaller parts: the executive summary; the report itself with a table of contents; the appendix, which includes an extensive annotated bibliography; and the full report, including the appendix.