About Us

The Illinois P-20 Council was established by the legislature in 2009 to foster collaboration among state agencies, education institutions, local schools, community groups, employers, taxpayers, and families, and to collectively identify needed reforms to develop a seamless and sustainable statewide system of quality education and support. The "P" in our name represents Preschool and "20" stands for grade 20, education after college. We meet quarterly as a Council, and more frequently in committees, to develop a framework to improve the alignment of all our education systems, so that a child's path is smooth from early learning to kindergarten, through high school, and on to career education or college.

The mission of the Illinois P-20 Council is to deliberate and make recommendations to the Governor, Illinois General Assembly, and state agencies for developing a seamless and sustainable statewide system of quality education and support, from birth through adulthood, to maximize students’ educational attainment, opportunities for success in the workforce, and contributions to their local communities.

Our goal is to increase the proportion of Illinoisans with high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by the year 2025. Today, only about 51 percent of the state's nearly 7 million working-age adults (25-64 years old) hold some form of post-secondary degree or credential attainment.