Work with community partners across the state to research and co-construct solutions to the most pressing issues in the cradle-to-career, education-to-workforce pipeline.
Illinois education and workforce development organizations have reliable, relevant, actionable research on which to base decisions.
IWERC’s research addresses field-initiated questions from across the state.
IWERC’s approach to research prioritizes equity, forges collaboration with practitioners, and seeks to uncover and extend successful practices.
IWERC sits at the center of both initiatives; it conducts research on early childhood, K-12, and postsecondary education, and examines the intersections of that research with job-readiness.
Modeled on other research-practice partnerships, like the Consortium on School Research at University of Chicago, IWERC’s agenda is driven by stakeholders across Illinois.
IWERC is working with state agencies, school districts, early childhood programs, colleges, workforce development initiatives, and other educational partners to research and solve critical issues.
IWERC’s work is overseen by an esteemed advisory board of experts in policy, research, and practice.
John Q. Easton (Chair)
UChicago Consortium on School Research
Jo Anderson
Consortium for Educational Change
Shauna Ejeh
Illinois Action for Children
Judy Erwin
Kivvit
Chris Koch
Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
Jeff Mays
City of Quincy
Matt Muench
P33
Elliot Regenstein
Foresight Law & Policy
Robin Steans
Advance Illinois
William Trent
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro
Latino Policy Forum