The Northwest Educational Council for Student Success (NECSS) is a secondary and postsecondary regional educational collaborative. It brings together influential champions, provides resources to support planning processes, and has created an infrastructure to allow for collective impact. This partnership focuses on student success and opportunities, teacher qualifications and professional development, and enriching collaboration among all district partners and the local communities.
NECSS partners include Township High School Districts 211, 214, Community Unit School District 220, Harper College and Education for Employment (EFE) 070. Each entity plays a vital role in ensuring students are college and career ready at the secondary and postsecondary education levels. Consortium members work together structuring learning environments where all students have the opportunity to succeed educationally and acquire the knowledge and skills business and industry require.
Northwest Educational Council for Student Success (NECSS)
Harper College/EFE 70 regions
Equity for All
Continuing the equity work from FY22, the NECSS Equity for All task force will create and implement an action plan to interrupt systemic barriers around industry-recognized credential attainment, non-traditional pathway participation, and dual credit advisement to increase matriculation.
Regional Alignment
The NECSS Partnership’s dedication to the Power of 15 continues to show in the annual increase of credit hours earned across the region. Over 33% of 2021 graduating seniors earned 15 or more postsecondary credits. The structure of the partnership and commitment to creating opportunities for students have increased the percentage of students graduating with college credit from 67% to 80% since 2016.
The teacher shortage in Illinois is a growing concern, as districts across the state struggle to fill vacancies of those retiring or leaving the field. NECSS is in the third and fourth years of the CTE Education Pathway grants and is focused on recruiting traditionally underrepresented students into the teaching profession. To promote and celebrate the education pathways across the region, the NECSS Grant Committee will hold an education student summit focused on teacher equity in education and the importance of community reflection in the classroom. Students will hear from a keynote speaker, engage in small group discussions with educators across many sectors, and learn about opportunities within their district.
Congratulations to all the school districts who awarded College and Career Pathway Endorsements to 596 students in the Class of 2022. We’re thrilled to share that more than 500 of those students are from our Success Network Leadership Communities.
In the 2022–23 school year, NECSS offered the highest number of College and Career Pathway Endorsements, which demonstrate that a student is ready to pursue higher education or enter an in-demand career field.
The NECSS region issued 448 College and Career Pathway Endorsements to the Class of 2022, Barrington improves its work-based learning offerings, and D214’s educator prep program is featured on NBC Chicago.
D214 highlights work-based learning experiences for students in the law and culinary arts pathways.
Science and theater teachers from Hersey High School teamed up to create “John Hersey Medical Center,” in which Introduction to Heath Care students were doctors
Through the information collected on the NECSS Student Data Dashboard, the Equity for All taskforce seeks to analyze and identify achievement gaps of special populations.
Buffalo Grove High School students are named national INCubatoredu finalists, D214 student earns National Cyber Scholar honor, D220 is expanding its education pathway, and elected officials visit Wheeling High School’s METT pathway.
Golden Corridor Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (GCAMP) and Acme Industries partnered to bring real-world experiences to a Rolling Meadows High School manufacturing class. This virtual project
Culinary Arts Pathway serves up a learning buffet while Education Pathway winds through classroom experience.
Now several months into its second year, High School District 214’s apprenticeship program is building on the success of its inaugural year by branching out to serve more students in more fields.
Representatives from East St. Louis School District 189 and Township High School District 214 in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago shared how they have implemented trauma-informed practices in their districts in partnership with the Illinois Federation of Teachers and community partners.
Yennifer Velazquez, an Elk Grove High School grad, completed her first year of college with no student loan debt, thanks to Middle College! When Yennifer
In August 2014, members of the NECSS partnership embarked on the Power of 15 initiative. The mission of the Power of 15 is to ensure
High School District 214 hosted a Construction Trades Pathway Development Advisory Team in August.
District 214 has started 5 registered youth apprenticeships in 3 career areas: Cybersecurity, Automotive Technology, and HVAC.
NECSS hosted a summit on the Suburbanization of Poverty on Friday, November 9th at Harper College.
The framework provides counselors with a tool that indicates what is expected for students to ensure they are making progress on meeting college and career readiness standards.
Districts 211 and 214, working with partners in the Golden Corridor, the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition, and employers across the region, held the first Illinois Energy Efficient Vehicle Competition on May 8th.
