Participants will review preliminary results from this year’s EL Consortium datasets and hear from fellow consortium districts about how they are using data to drive program decisions, set goals, and monitor student growth. They will also learn best practices for maximizing the impact of EL programs and services while connecting with districts across the state that share a commitment to improving outcomes for English Learners.
Illinois Consortium to Advance English Learner Program Effectiveness
Winter Meeting - January 9, 2026
Date: January 9, 2026
Time: 12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: East Leyden High School
The Illinois consortium to advance English learner program effectiveness is a grassroots effort of over 100 school districts across Illinois. The goal of the Consortium is to better understand the impact of EL programming on English proficiency, improve program quality, and to advocate for changes to state policy.
Photo: Jean Barbanente, Superintendent of DuPage High School District 88 and the lead representative for the Consortium speaking at Fall EL Consortium event.
Consortium Objectives
As a community, we believe that local flexibility of EL programming is necessary to maximize student success. To that end, we have come together on behalf of students to assemble the necessary data sets to improve our practices, strengthen our programs, and advocate for more appropriate state policy. Our three objective are:
1
To quantify the impact that various EL/Bilingual program models are having on English proficiency growth within local school districts.
2
To aggregate data across school districts to scientifically document what program models are most effective.
3
To cultivate a professional learning community among EL professionals to share practices in the spirit of continuous quality improvement.
Why participate?
In order to accomplish our goals, we need to work together as a community to document the impact of EL programming on local school districts and students. The EL Consortium will help leaders accurately analyze students’ outcomes disaggregated by program model, years in the program, grade level, school, etc. Districts will have the capability to drill down on the data to determine appropriate next steps and necessary program adjustments. Participating in the Consortium also provides districts local evidence of what is working for students in their community.
What is ECRA's role?
As the Consortium began to take shape, it became apparent that we needed a trusted and capable data and research partner to help us accomplish our goals. ECRA has been a strategic partner to Vision 2030 and works with hundreds of local school districts across Illinois. They were the obvious choice given their deep understanding of Illinois education policy and their unmatched expertise related to data science and research.
Dr. John Gatta, CEO of ECRA Group describing the research process at an EL Consortium event.
How is the work of the consortium aligned with Illinois Vision 2030?
One of the overarching themes of Vision 2030 is to reform the mandate process to allow more local decision making and flexibility. EL related mandates are impacting school districts financially and operationally, with limited statewide evidence that said mandates are universally good for students. Vision 2030 advocates for reviewing existing requirements to make sure the benefits align with the financial and operational realities schools face. This is exactly what we are trying to accomplish with the consortium by raising awareness of EL program model effectiveness.
Enroll in Consortium
Participation Options and Pricing Structure
Districts may choose from two levels of participation:
Option 1
- Custom District Analysis and Consortium Analysis
- View Sample Reports:
- Access to the consortium network, including meetings and professional learning webinars
Option 2
- Data-only option without district-level analysis
- Districts will receive a copy of the aggregate results across all participating districts
Pricing Structure
- Option 1 $1,000 plus $1/student per year
- Option 2 $1,000 per year
Participants commit to a three-year agreement to support ongoing analysis and monitoring. Districts will be invoiced annually. Option 1 pricing is based on total district enrollment.
Exclusive Offer for Current ECRA Clients
Districts currently using ECRA’s School Improvement solution may enroll in the consortium at no additional charge.
Join Us in Advancing EL Outcomes Across Illinois
At ECRA, we are committed to helping districts make evidence-based decisions that lead to positive student outcomes. We are excited to collaborate with the Illinois Consortium and district partners across the state to advance English Learner achievement.
