Illinois’ State Attainment: Stakeholder Survey

Thank you for your engagement in shaping the 2040 Illinois State Attainment Goal. This survey comes from the Illinois State Attainment Working Group, which was established through Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order 2026-03 to develop a 2040 postsecondary attainment goal for degrees and credentials of value.

The Working Group will recommend a statewide goal, though recommendations will also address the feasibility and role of regional, institutional, and/or other disaggregated goals.

This survey will help to refine how Illinois sets its attainment goal by better understanding your vision for a statewide goal, understanding of value, and priorities for implementation. Your input will also ensure that Illinois’ goal reflects a diverse set of perspectives across Illinois’ education and workforce landscape.

Estimated completion time: 15 minutes

About Value-Centered Attainment
Postsecondary attainment refers to the percentage of Illinois adults who have earned a credential beyond high school, where "credential" includes degrees, certificates, and industry-recognized certifications. State attainment includes residents that received credentials from postsecondary institutions in the state, as well as those that moved into the state (in-migration) with a credential.

Including considerations of “value” in this process intends to draw clear lines between education attainment and economic benefit for both individuals and the state. Value will be defined during the Working Group process –informed by stakeholder feedback.

An Illinois value-centered attainment goal can serve as a North star to guide policy and strategy, drive economic mobility, and empower strategic partnerships.

Background

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* 1. What is your primary stakeholder category?

State Attainment Working Group Member

Higher Education Institution (2-year)

Higher Education Institution (4-year)

K-12 Education

Government Agency Representative

Employer/Industry Representative

Community Organization/Non-profit

Policymaker

Other

Statewide Goal

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* 2. How ambitious should Illinois be in setting its next numeric value-centered attainment goal?

Maintain a steady space of growth (incremental progress)

Set an aggressive target to lead nationally

Balance between ambition and achievability

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* 3. Please rank order, by importance level, the following potential motivators underlying a state attainment goal:

Defining Value

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* 4. In your view, what makes a credential most “meaningful” to Illinois learners? Please select the top 3 most important items to you:

	1 - Top most important	2 - Second most important	3 - Third most important
Leads to high-paying, in-demand jobs	Leads to high-paying, in-demand jobs 1 - Top most important	Leads to high-paying, in-demand jobs 2 - Second most important	Leads to high-paying, in-demand jobs 3 - Third most important
Leads to earning more than the cost of education	Leads to earning more than the cost of education 1 - Top most important	Leads to earning more than the cost of education 2 - Second most important	Leads to earning more than the cost of education 3 - Third most important
Is affordable to pursue	Is affordable to pursue 1 - Top most important	Is affordable to pursue 2 - Second most important	Is affordable to pursue 3 - Third most important
Aligns with short-term job opportunities	Aligns with short-term job opportunities 1 - Top most important	Aligns with short-term job opportunities 2 - Second most important	Aligns with short-term job opportunities 3 - Third most important
Aligns with long-term job opportunities	Aligns with long-term job opportunities 1 - Top most important	Aligns with long-term job opportunities 2 - Second most important	Aligns with long-term job opportunities 3 - Third most important
Offers real, job-relevant skills	Offers real, job-relevant skills 1 - Top most important	Offers real, job-relevant skills 2 - Second most important	Offers real, job-relevant skills 3 - Third most important
Is relevant across multiple occupations and/or industries	Is relevant across multiple occupations and/or industries 1 - Top most important	Is relevant across multiple occupations and/or industries 2 - Second most important	Is relevant across multiple occupations and/or industries 3 - Third most important
Can be combined with other education or built upon over time	Can be combined with other education or built upon over time 1 - Top most important	Can be combined with other education or built upon over time 2 - Second most important	Can be combined with other education or built upon over time 3 - Third most important
Supports the needs of society or my community	Supports the needs of society or my community 1 - Top most important	Supports the needs of society or my community 2 - Second most important	Supports the needs of society or my community 3 - Third most important
Aligns with my personal goals and sense of purpose	Aligns with my personal goals and sense of purpose 1 - Top most important	Aligns with my personal goals and sense of purpose 2 - Second most important	Aligns with my personal goals and sense of purpose 3 - Third most important
Other (please specify below)	Other (please specify below) 1 - Top most important	Other (please specify below) 2 - Second most important	Other (please specify below) 3 - Third most important

Other (please specify)

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* 5. What do you consider the biggest priorities for advancing postsecondary value in your region or community? (Check all that apply)

Alignment to local employer needs

Improving cross-sector collaboration

Coordination with other regions to develop statewide pathways

Closing regional equity gaps

Communicating postsecondary value to students

Other (please specify)

Implementation

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* 6. In 2009, the P-20 Council adopted a statewide postsecondary attainment goal that 60% of adults would hold a high-quality postsecondary credential by 2025. What best describes your familiarity with and use of the previous attainment goal?

I was not aware of the goal

I was aware of the goal, but it did not influence my work or organization

I was generally aware of the goal and occasionally referenced it in conversations, planning, or decision-making

The goal informed some strategies, priorities, or initiatives within my work or organization

The goal was a significant driver of strategies, policies, investments, or partnerships within my work or organization

Other

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* 7. What is needed for a future goal to be a significant driver of strategies, policies, investments, or partnerships?

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* 8. What barriers do you expect in the implementation of a new statewide goal?

Limited awareness or understanding

Lack of shared ownership

Misaligned incentives and policies

Difficulty translating the statewide goal into actional regional or local strategies

Uneven access to education and workforce training opportunities

Difficulty sustaining momentum

Insufficient state and federal investments

Other (please specify)

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* 9. Please rank which stakeholders are most important to understand and buy-into a state attainment goal in order to make progress?

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* 10. What supports or strategies would help your agency, institution, school, or organization advance the statewide attainment goal?

Final Thoughts

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* 11. Do you have any additional considerations or factors you would like the Working Group to keep in mind when developing a statewide value-centered attainment goal and credentials of value definition?