Illinois PaCE: Resource Materials

Listed below are various resources available for students, families, and educators to support students' efforts in making the most informed decision about college and career planning, beginning in 8th grade and continuing through high school.

For Educators, Counselors, and Advisors

PaCE Information

• NEW RESOURCE: PaCE Implementation Guide 
  This new 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 Framework 
  Counselors, advisors, teachers and other educators can use this document to identify what types of experiences and information a student should have in order to make the most informed decisions about college and career planning. Organized from 8th through 12th grade, the Illinois PaCE 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 Template
  Counselors, administrators, educators, and other college access professionals can create a customized PaCE Framework using this template as a guide. The template mirrors the layout of the Illinois PaCE Framework and is editable so that users can customize the grade levels and benchmarks, and include a logo and title for their framework. This template can be used to create a formal framework that a school/organization can adopt to guide their college and career readiness efforts.
  
  Samples of customized PaCE frameworks from various Illinois high schools/organizations may be viewed at the Customized Framework Examples page of this website.
  
  If a school, district, or community would like their framework to be added, send a copy of the framework to isac.pace@illinois.gov.
  
  
• PaCE Crosswalk 
  This foldout document contains a full-size version of the Illinois PaCE Framework, as well as a table that illustrates the overlap between the Illinois PaCE benchmarks, the College and Career Readiness Indicators (CCRI), and the College and Career Pathway Endorsements (CCPE).
  
  
• PaCE Support Request Form
  High schools and other community organizations can use this form to request PaCE support from ISAC. Support options include: the PaCE Overview presentation and PaCE Framework Development Workshops.
  
  
• Illinois Career Pathways Dictionary
  In Illinois, career pathways are administered by many different entities. This document, developed by several state education and workforce committees, provides agreed-upon definitions to foster alignment across agencies, legal frameworks, and initiatives.

PaCE Implementation Process

Step 1: Take an Inventory

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 key domains.

• Career Exploration and Development Benchmarks 
• Financial Aid and Literacy Benchmarks 
• Postsecondary Education Exploration, Preparation, and Selection Benchmarks 

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

• Career Exploration and Development Benchmarks (customizable)
• Financial Aid and Literacy Benchmarks (customizable)
• Postsecondary Education Exploration, Preparation, and Selection Benchmarks (customizable)

Step 2: Prioritize Gaps

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

• Step 2: Prioritize Gaps 

Step 3: Action Plan

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

• Step 3: Action Plan 

For Students, Parents and Educators

• Illinois PaCE Student Checklist
  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 8^th - 12^th 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
  
• 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
  
• 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.