JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

ISAC Communiqué

Volume 31, Number 4C
  April 2022

Messages sent to: Multiple Subscription Groups
  ISAC Communiqué

Note: In an effort to provide our Counselor partners with important operational details and information regarding training events in as timely a manner as possible, distribution of the ISAC Communiqué has transitioned to a monthly schedule starting with this edition.

Welcome to the April 2022 electronic ISAC Communiqué, which is a compilation of e-Messages sent through ISAC's e-Messaging service throughout April.

The articles in this electronic Communiqué have been organized according to the Counselor Subscription groups to which the messages were distributed.

Questions?

Questions regarding information in this electronic Communiqué can be directed to School Services at 866.247.2172 or at ISAC.schoolservices@illinois.gov. On occasion, you may be directed to a specific contact person or area; when this occurs, we will provide the appropriate information in the individual article or message.


MULTIPLE SUBSCRIPTION GROUPS


Reminder: Parchment Preview Webinar (May 11th)
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators and High School Counselors/Teachers on April 27, 2022.

.jpg

Are you wondering if you should make the switch from paper to electronic transcripts? If so, don't miss the upcoming Parchment Preview webinar that ISAC will host, in collaboration with Parchment, at 10 a.m. (CT) on Wednesday, May 11th.

During this 45-minute webinar, attendees will learn about the ISAC Transcript Exchange through Parchment, including how to navigate the student and administrator dashboards and gain efficiencies by switching from paper to electronic transcripts. You will also hear directly from a principal regarding how their high school and students have benefited from utilizing the Exchange process.

The ISAC Transcript Exchange provides the opportunity for high school students to request that transcripts be sent electronically to the college(s) of their choice, the Common App, and other organizations requesting transcripts (e.g., scholarship providers and third-party verifications). ISAC's Transcript Exchange is available to all public and private high schools and districts at no cost.

Current students can request that transcripts be sent electronically to destinations worldwide, free of charge. Alumni are also able to use Parchment for transcript requests that include a transcript fee. To protect the privacy and confidentiality of transcript data, documents are sent through a secure transcript service in compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

This webinar is offered at no cost to counselors, school administrations, and members of the public. Registration is free but required. To register for this webinar, visit our website at www.isac.org/pd/webinars.html.

To learn more about the ISAC Transcript Exchange, visit the website at www.isac.org/transcript-exchange. For questions on ISAC's Transcript Exchange, contact Lenore Smith at Lenore.Smith@illinois.gov.

Note: ISAC will not be offering Continuing Education (CE) credits or Professional Development hours (PD) for this webinar.


Please Give Us Your Feedback – 2022 Illinois PaCE Symposium
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations and Public Libraries on April 25, 2022.

Illinois PaCE Symposium

Thank you for attending the 2022 Illinois Postsecondary & Career Expectations (PaCE) Symposium! We hope that you all enjoyed learning from educators across the state on how schools and districts are implementing PaCE to strengthen their postsecondary readiness efforts. We welcome your feedback by completing our symposium survey by Friday, May 20, 2022. We are asking for your overall feedback to assist us in planning future PaCE symposiums.

PaCE Symposium Recap

  • Share whether you are implementing a PaCE Framework. If you haven't already done so, please complete the PaCE Implementation Survey to indicate whether your school or district is implementing a PaCE Framework. This allows us to know how many schools are implementing PaCE in Illinois. If you are implementing a customized PaCE framework, please share a copy of your framework with us by e-mailing it to isac.pace@illinois.gov.
  • Check out the recordings and resources from the general and breakout sessions on our Illinois PaCE Symposium page!
  • Share your feedback. Please complete our Symposium Feedback Survey to share your thoughts on the overall experience.


Last Call to Register for the Illinois PaCE Symposium
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations and Public Libraries on April 19, 2022.

The Illinois PaCE Symposium begins in less than two days!
Don't forget to register!

Illinois PaCE Symposium

We can't wait to welcome you (virtually) to the first annual Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Symposium this Thursday, April 21! The Illinois PaCE Symposium will feature sessions designed to inform and inspire schools across the state to implement a postsecondary and career expectations framework that will support students on preparing for life after high school. For a complete list of sessions that will be offered during the symposium and to register, please visit the Illinois PaCE Symposium page. Here is a sneak peak of some of the sessions that will be offered:

Aligning Your Acronym PaCE Crosswalk to CCRI
11–11:50 a.m. (CT)

Connect the benchmarks from the On PaCE to Thrive framework to the Illinois State Board of Education required College and Career Readiness Indicator (CCRI) data collection. See the connections between the two and align your support of student career development to meet both. The first half of the presentation will focus on a crosswalk from the On PaCE to Thrive framework to the CCRI data collection. The second half of the presentation will feature a panel of four Career and Technical Education (CTE) System Directors sharing how their offices support the regional implementation of PaCE and CCRI.

Speakers:

Cassie Blickem, Director, Valley Education for Employment Systems (VALEES)
Nancy Awdziejczyk, Executive Director, Northwest Educational Council for Student Success
Amy Romito Kastory, Executive Director, NSERVE
Kaleb Smith, Director, Madison County CTE System

View Recording

Career Spark-JA Inspire: Collaborating with Employers to Help Educators Meet PaCE Framework Objectives Through an Interactive Work and Career Readiness Learning Experience
10-10:50 a.m. (CT)

In this session, we will share how a central Illinois in-person and virtual learning experience centered around a career expo is helping educators meet PaCE Framework objectives for grades 8-12 and helping employers promote high growth, high demand careers in the region. An overview will be presented as well as measurable outcomes from the past 5 years of the program, best practices, and lessons learned.

Speakers:

Angie Houck, Program Director, Junior Achievement of Central Illinois
Mary Pille, President, Junior Achievement of Central Illinois

View Recording

Leveraging Partnerships: High School, Area Career Center, and Education for Employment System
10-10:50 a.m. (CT)

Implementing the On PaCE To Thrive framework requires partnership. Schools, especially small and rural schools, cannot implement the framework alone. Learn how Sandwich High School, and other Indian Valley Vocational Center (IVVC) sending high schools, are leveraging their participation in an Area Career Center (ARC) and their membership in a VALEES or CTE System to maximize opportunities for students to meet PaCE benchmarks. Examples of joint regional efforts to support PaCE – including career roundtable breakfasts, college and career fairs, career exploration events, and much more – will be shared.

Speakers:

Cassie Blickem, Director, VALEES
Laura Edwards, Assistant Director, IVVC
Jennifer Docherty, Counselor, Sandwich High School
Ashley Norton, Counselor, Sandwich High School

View Recording

Symposium Tips
  • Register individually for each session then use your personal link (available in the calendar invite you'll receive once you register) to access each session via WebEx. If you registered for a session and did not receive a confirmation e-mail, please check your spam folder.
  • Join us for some fun activities to unwind and network with other educators from 2:15 – 2:45 p.m. (CT) by registering HERE.
  • Look for shared resources to be posted on the PaCE Symposium page.
  • Keep the conversation going after the symposium!


ISAC Transcript Exchange Final Transcript Webinar
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, and Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants on April 15, 2022.

.jpg

Final transcript season is here, and the Parchment team for ISAC Transcript Exchange is offering a webinar focused on helping you get through the end-of-year transcript processing. In addition to answering your questions, the webinar will cover:

  • Uploading Final Transcripts
  • The Parchment.com Student Ordering Experience
  • Matching & Processing Orders
  • The Benefits Of Using Your Custom Order Link

The webinar is being offered on Wednesday, April 27th at 12 p.m. Central Time, and you can register here. If you can't attend the webinar, please register anyway and you will be sent a recording after the webinar is over.

As a reminder, ISAC Transcript Exchange provides the opportunity for Illinois high schools to use the Parchment service at no cost to send transcripts electronically to the colleges of their current students' choice and to other organizations requesting transcripts (e.g., scholarship providers). To protect the privacy and confidentiality of transcript data, documents are sent through a secure transcript service in compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). If your school or district is not currently taking advantage of the ISAC Transcript Exchange and you would like to learn more about the service, please contact Lenore Smith from ISAC at Lenore.Smith@illinois.gov.


Just One Week Until the Illinois PaCE Symposium!
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations and Public Libraries on April 12, 2022.

The Illinois PaCE Symposium is right around the corner!
Don't forget to register!

Illinois PaCE Symposium

The Illinois PaCE Symposium will feature breakout sessions designed to inform and inspire schools across the state to implement a postsecondary and career expectations framework that will support students on preparing for life after high school. For a complete list of sessions that will be offered during the symposium and to register, please visit the Illinois PaCE Symposium page. Here is a sneak peak of some of the sessions that will be offered:

Breakout Sessions:

Career Spark-JA Inspire: Collaborating with Employers to Help Educators Meet PaCE Framework Objectives Through an Interactive Work and Career Readiness Learning Experience
10-10:50 a.m. (CT)

In this session, we will share how a central Illinois in-person and virtual learning experience centered around a career expo is helping educators meet PaCE Framework objectives for grades 8-12 and helping employers promote high growth, high demand careers in the region. An overview will be presented as well as measurable outcomes from the past 5 years of the program, best practices, and lessons learned.

Speakers:

Angie Houck, Program Director, Junior Achievement of Central Illinois
Mary Pille, President, Junior Achievement of Central Illinois

View Recording

Setting Your PaCE
11-11:50 a.m. (CT)

This session illustrates how Evanston Township High School used PaCE to guide the structure and growth of post-high school planning programming for all pathways.

Speakers:

Beth Arey, College and Career Coordinator, Evanston Township High School
Michelle Vazquez, Post-Secondary Counselor, Evanston Township High School

View Recording

Aligning Your Acronym PaCE Crosswalk to CCRI
11–11:50 a.m. (CT)

Connect the benchmarks from the On PaCE to Thrive framework to the Illinois State Board of Education required College and Career Readiness Indicator (CCRI) data collection. See the connections between the two and align your support of student career development to meet both. The first half of the presentation will focus on a crosswalk from the On PaCE to Thrive framework to the CCRI data collection. The second half of the presentation will feature a panel of four Career and Technical Education (CTE) System Directors sharing how their offices support the regional implementation of PaCE and CCRI.

Speakers:

Cassie Blickem, Director, Valley Education for Employment Systems (VALEES)
Nancy Awdziejczyk, Executive Director, Northwest Educational Council for Student Success
Amy Romito Kastory, Executive Director, NSERVE
Kaleb Smith, Director, Madison County CTE System

View Recording

Networking Session:

Let's Network to Stay in Touch
2:15-2:45 p.m. (CT)

Come join us for some fun activities to unwind from a day of learning! This session will provide an opportunity to network and hold informal conversations between other educators. Attendees will have the opportunity to further collaborate and connect on initiatives occurring within their communities.

View Recording


Don't Forget: Packaging and Financial Aid Offers Webinar – Tuesday, April 19, 2022 | 1–2 p.m. (CT)
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations and Public Libraries on April 11, 2022.

Learn how you can help students understand the financial aid offers they receive from colleges!

Join us to learn how institutions use the process of packaging to create financial aid offers for students, how students can be responsible borrowers, and the steps students should take to understand and accept, or decline, their financial aid offers. Additionally, we will go over ISAC's Financial Aid Comparison Tool, available for students to compare financial aid offers.

This webinar is open to school counselors, college and career staff, college access professionals, and anyone else directly working to support students throughout the financial aid process! For details and registration, visit www.isac.org/pd/webinars.

Professional development (PD) hours and continuing education (CE) credits will be awarded to attendees at the rate of one unit per contact hour. Attendees interested in receiving these must attend the session in its entirety and complete the corresponding evaluation forms.

If you have questions, contact ISAC's Professional Development team at isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.


Learn How Electronic Transcripts Save Time & Money
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators and High School Counselors/Teachers on April 6, 2022.

ISAC Transcript Exchange – Parchment Preview
May 11th • 10 a.m. (Central)
.jpg

Are you wondering if you should make the switch from paper to electronic transcripts?

ISAC is pleased to announce our upcoming Parchment Preview webinar. During this 45-minute webinar, which is offered in collaboration with Parchment, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the ISAC Transcript Exchange through Parchment, including how to navigate the student and administrator dashboards and gain efficiencies by switching from paper to electronic transcripts. You will also hear directly from a counselor regarding how their high school and students have benefited from utilizing the Exchange. This webinar is the perfect opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the Exchange process.

The ISAC Transcript Exchange provides the opportunity for high school students to request that transcripts be sent electronically to the college(s) of their choice, the Common App, and other organizations requesting transcripts (e.g., scholarship providers and third-party verifications). ISAC's Transcript Exchange is available to all public and private high schools and districts at no cost.

Current students can request that transcripts be sent electronically to destinations worldwide, free of charge. Alumni are also able to use Parchment for transcript requests that include a transcript fee. To protect the privacy and confidentiality of transcript data, documents are sent through a secure transcript service in compliance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

This webinar is offered at no cost to counselors, school administrations, and members of the public. Registration is free but required. To register for this webinar, visit our website at www.isac.org/pd/webinars.html.

To learn more about the ISAC Transcript Exchange, visit the website at www.isac.org/transcript-exchange. For questions on ISAC's Transcript Exchange, contact Lenore Smith at Lenore.Smith@illinois.gov.

Note: ISAC will not be offering Continuing Education (CE) credits or Professional Development hours (PD) for this webinar.


Time Is Running Out – Submit Your Proposal
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admission Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations and Public Libraries on April 5, 2022.

CCE Conference Logo
Moving Forward Together

One of the things that makes the annual College Changes Everything® (CCE) conference so valuable to its participants are the interest sessions developed and led by dedicated educators and professionals like you. Please share your insights, experiences, and creative solutions by submitting an online session proposal form that showcases programs, services, resources, or partnerships impacting student success.

As we have a broad group of stakeholders who attend this annual conference, we encourage proposals that cover a wide range of themes related to college access and completion and career readiness such as, but not limited to: postsecondary education exploration, preparation, and selection; student retention, persistence, and completion; career exploration and development; education, business, and the economy; and college costs and affordability. Sessions should provide in-depth information, practical ideas, and specific strategies for the audience, and demonstrate and promote positive steps taken to address college access, completion issues, and career readiness and sharing of specific lessons learned. Please complete the online session proposal form (more information about interest session submission is available on the conference web page).

Deadline – Priority consideration will be given to completed session proposal forms submitted by April 8, 2022.

Please share the information in this email with colleagues in your organization and other partners.

2022 College Changes Everything Conference Planning Committee

  • Illinois Student Assistance Commission
  • Illinois Board of Higher Education
  • Illinois Community College Board
  • Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
  • Illinois State Board of Education
  • Illinois College Access Network
  • Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities
  • Advance Illinois
  • Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University
  • Generations Serving Generations
  • ACT Now
  • Women Employed
The College Changes Everything® Conference is sponsored
by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
Helping Illinois reach its Goal 2025: to increase the proportion
of adults in Illinois with high-quality college degrees and
postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025


CCE


If you work in public service and have student loans,
you might be eligible for a loan forgiveness program!

Join ISAC for free Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Webinars
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations and Public Libraries on April 5, 2022.

Recent temporary changes, including a limited waiver, to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program may benefit public sector and non-profit employees. Some of these changes offer benefits available for a limited time, so you don't want to miss out on this info!

Session Description:

Did you know that public service employees may be eligible for Federal Student Loan forgiveness? The PSLF program allows Federal Student Loan borrowers to apply for forgiveness if they are employed full time by a government, 501(c)(3) organization, or public-serving nonprofit, and meet other requirements.

If you want to learn more about PSLF or if you have applied for PSLF and been denied, this is the session for you. In this session, we will discuss the existing PSLF program as well as a new Limited Waiver for PSLF that will allow borrowers to receive credit for payments that previously did not qualify for PSLF. The Limited Waiver ends October 31, 2022, don't miss out!

April Webinar Dates:

April 11, 2-3 p.m.
April 19, 5-6 p.m.
April 23, 10-11 a.m.

Learn more and register: https://www.isac.org/pslf. For questions on the webinars, contact the Professional Development team at isac.pslf@illinois.gov.


Financial Aid Certification
Sent to Principals/Superintendents/Administrators, High School Counselors/Teachers, College Admissions Counselors, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange High School Participants, Illinois Electronic Transcript Exchange College Participants, Community Organizations and Public Libraries on April 4, 2022.

As the end of the 2021-22 school year approaches and students continue to navigate the steps in the financial aid process such as financial aid applications, verification, and offers, we are hosting a weeklong Financial Aid Certification (FAC) training to help you better support them! The certification is comprised of six sessions offered throughout the week from Monday, April 11 to Friday, April 15, 2022!

Each session offered will provide in-depth information about the financial aid process from beginning to end. Topics covered include how to apply for financial aid, an overview of financial aid applications, verification, professional judgment, and the steps students should take to understand, accept, or decline financial aid offers.

Attendees may receive a certification for each session. To be certified in each content area, attendees must score an 80% or higher on a post-session assessment. To learn more about each session and to register for one or more of these sessions, visit www.isac.org/pd/webinars.

Professional development (PD) hours and continuing education (CE) credits will be awarded to attendees at the rate of one unit per contact hour. Attendees interested in receiving these must attend the session in its entirety and complete the corresponding evaluation forms.

If you have any questions about the Financial Aid Certification, contact the Professional Development Staff at isac.outreachtraining@illinois.gov.

Return to Top


ISAC COMMUNIQUÉ


March 2022 ISAC Communiqué
Sent on April 1, 2022.

The latest edition of the ISAC Communiqué is now available for your review, and may be accessed via the Partner e-Messages & Newsletters section of the e-Library for Partners at isac.org. This electronic version of ISAC's newsletter is a compilation of information provided to Counselor partners via ISAC's e-Messaging service over the past quarter.

Topics covered in this electronic Communiqué include:

  • Deadline Extended – Submit Your Proposal
    (sent March 30, 2022)
  • New Webinars: FAFSA Completion Initiative & Recognition of Excellence
    (sent March 29, 2022)
  • There's Still Time to Submit Your Proposal
    (sent March 24, 2022)
  • Don't Forget: Parchment Preview Webinar (March 30th)
    (sent March 23, 2022)
  • Register Now for the Illinois PaCE Symposium!
    (sent March 21, 2022)
  • Reminder: Parchment Preview Webinar (March 30th)
    (sent March 16, 2022)
  • Don't Forget – Submit Your Proposal
    (sent March 14, 2022)
  • Registration Now Open for the Virtual Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Symposium
    (sent March 8, 2022)
  • Don't Forget: Verification and Professional Judgment Webinar – Tuesday, March 15, 2022 | 1–2 p.m. (CT)
    (sent March 3, 2022)
  • Join ISAC for Free Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Webinars
    (sent March 1, 2022)
  • 2022 CCE Conference: Save the Date & Call for Proposals
    (sent February 25, 2022)
  • Learn How Electronic Transcripts Save Time & Money
    (sent February 23, 2022)
  • ISAC Transcript Exchange Lunch & Learn
    (sent February 9, 2022)
  • Don't Forget: PaCE Implementation Leader Training: Wednesday, February 23 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m. (CT)
    (sent February 9, 2022)
  • Join ISAC for Free Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Webinars
    (sent February 3, 2022)
  • 2022-23 FAFSA Completion Initiative Updates
    (sent January 31, 2022)
  • Upcoming Important Dates from ISAC
    (sent January 28, 2022)
  • Postsecondary & Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework Webinars
    (sent January 13, 2022)
  • Don't Forget: Parchment Preview Webinar (January 19th)
    (sent January 12, 2022)
  • Spring Professional Development Webinars
    (sent January 5, 2022)
  • Reminder: Parchment Preview Webinar (January 19th)
    (sent January 5, 2022)
  • Increasing Shared Commitment through the Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectations (PaCE) Framework
    (sent January 4, 2022)
  • December 2021 ISAC Communiqué
    (sent January 3, 2022)

Electronic newsletters are available at the beginning of each quarter (January, April, July, and October), and are the compilation of information announced via an e-Message to any of the Counselor subscription groups during the previous quarter.

Encourage Your Colleagues to Sign Up for e-Messaging

ISAC's e-Messaging service is our primary means of communicating information to Counselor partners.

Encourage your colleagues who have not done so to subscribe through the Counselors e-Messaging sign-up page at isac.org today, so that they won't miss future announcements or updates from ISAC.

Return to Top