JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

Illinois PaCE

Resource Materials

Below are the various resources available for students, families, and educators to support students in making an informed decision about college and career planning.

* Disclaimer *

  • PDF Customizable templates work best using Adobe Acrobat Pro or another PDF Editor.
  • We are working on making all customizable templates into Google Sheets versions. To access them, you will need sign in to your google account, click 'File' and 'Make a copy'. If you do not have an account, you can hit 'Download', and then select your preferred format.

Illinois PaCE Framework

Counselors, administrators, teachers, and other educators can use this document to identify what types of experiences and information a student should have to make the most informed decisions about college and career planning. The framework is made up of a middle school framework and a high school framework.

  • Middle School PaCE Framework Adobe Acrobat
    • Organized from 6th through 8th grade, the framework explains what a student should be exposed to and what a student should be supported to do at the end of each grade level relative to three key domains: Aspiration; Self-Advocacy; and Planning. These are fundamental experiences for a student to be able to interact with the high school framework.
  • High School PaCE Framework Adobe Acrobat
    • Organized from 9th through 12th grade, the framework explains what students should be supported to do and what they should know at the end of each grade relative to three key domains: Career Exploration and Development; Postsecondary Education Exploration, Preparation, and Selection; and Financial Aid and Literacy.

PaCE Framework Customizable Templates

Schools can use the templates below to create a PaCE-aligned framework to guide the college and career readiness efforts for their schools/district/organizations. These templates mirror the layout of the Illinois PaCE Framework, for both middle and high school. Each template is editable so that users can customize the benchmarks and include a logo.

Visit the PaCE Customized Framework Examples page to view customized PaCE frameworks from high schools/districts/organization across Illinois. If a school, district, or community would like their framework to be added, send a copy of the framework to [email protected]!

PaCE Implementation Process

We have developed a three-step implementation process for schools, districts, regions, and organizations to successfully implement a PaCE Framework. Below are the three steps and corresponding worksheets. Once you have gone through all three steps, we encourage you to continuously evaluate your progress. Re-evaluation is going through the three-step process again to determine if there are any additional gaps and focusing on new benchmarks to implement for the upcoming school year.

Click below on each step to view the corresponding worksheets and your next steps.

Step 1

Use the following set of worksheets when completing the first step of the PaCE implementation process, Take an Inventory. These worksheets directly align with the Illinois PaCE Framework; each worksheet focuses on one of the three domains.

The following set of worksheets are customizable, so that they can be edited to align with a customized PaCE framework.

Step 2

Use the following worksheet to complete the second step of the PaCE implementation process, Prioritize Gaps.

Step 3

Use the following worksheet to complete the third step of the PaCE implementation process, Action Plan.

Illinois Career Pathways Dictionary
In Illinois, career pathways are administered by many different entities. This website, developed by several state education and workforce committees, provides agreed-upon definitions to foster alignment across agencies, legal frameworks, and initiatives.

On PaCE to Thrive Community Guide Adobe Acrobat
This guide offers a process, including sample activities, for communities to cultivate college and career readiness using the PaCE Framework.

PaCE Crosswalk Adobe Acrobat
This crosswalk illustrates the overlap between the Illinois PaCE benchmarks, the College and Career Readiness Indicators (CCRIs), and the College and Career Pathway Endorsements (CCPEs).

PaCE Implementation Guide Adobe Acrobat
This resource provides extensive guidance to counselors, school district administrators, and other college-access professionals on best practices for adopting a PaCE Framework, garnering stakeholders' support, developing a plan for implementation, and more.

Illinois PaCE Student Checklist Adobe Acrobat
This checklist aligns directly with the benchmarks listed on the Illinois PaCE Framework. This resource can be used by students to help guide them through the college and career planning process from 9th – 12th grade. Check out what students have to say, in these videos created by members of the Student Advisory Council for the Illinois Education and Career Success Network.

  • Ashley Smith from John Hersey High School talks about the PaCE Student Checklist
    ashley
  • Karel Pene from Evanston High School displays the infographic classmates created summarizing what they felt were the most important aspects of the PaCE Student Checklist
    Karel
  • Joanna Renado from North Chicago High School shares resources available to students for postsecondary planning, including resources on the ISAC Student Portal, the Illinois Postsecondary Profiles tool, and the PaCE Student Checklist.
    Joanna