Higher education in Illinois fulfills its responsibility to the State of Illinois through a tradition of quality teaching, research and service that both supports and works to improve Illinois' entire educational system from pre-school through college. This is a critical time for Illinois education. Closely linked to our children's performance are the needs for school improvement and to prepare and support highly qualified teachers, especially in fields such as special and bilingual education, mathematics and science, and in metropolitan Chicago as well as rural areas.

All of this occurs as our schools face increasing scrutiny, but amidst the worst budget crisis in memory. While more is expected of students today, more also is expected of teachers and school leaders, as well as higher education institutions that prepare them

The Illinois P-20 Education Collaborative was established as a cooperative effort among Illinois educators to improve teaching, learning, and achievement statewide. The Illinois P-20 Education Initiative developed an action plan that brought together college and university leaders in common purpose with leaders of the state's elementary and secondary schools to begin thinking and acting differently across the entire P-20 spectrum.