Illinois State Board of Education Responsibilities

The ISBE, local schools districts, local educators, and students will all collaborate to ensure a successful experience for students seeking to earn the Global Scholar Certificate.

The State Board and its members serve as the overseer of the Illinois Global Scholar Certificate. Some of their responsibilities include:
  • Reviewing all applications from local districts to award the GSC to graduating seniors.
  • Posting on its website by July 1 of each year a copy of the most recent Global Scholar Capstone Performance-based Assessment scoring criteria, indicators, and supporting material, including examples.
  • Prescribing a format for each participating school to successfully submit an annual report no later than 30 days after the end of the school year.
  • Providing examples of globally-focused service learning and global collaboration/dialogue experiences for students working to earn Illinois Global Scholar certification.
  • Providing parameters and requirements for training of all Global Scholar Committees at local districts
  • Providing parameters and requirements for the development of global education training for all district educators
All public school districts may apply to establish a Global Scholar Certificate program for their schools and award the certificate to qualifying high school students.  To be eligible to award the certificate, school district personnel must notify the Illinois State Board of Education by October 1st of each year.  In doing so, each applying district must ensure that the school district has:

  1. Established a Global Scholar Committee with at least two individuals as licensed professional educators.
  2. Provide Global Scholar Committee members with training developed by Illinois Global Scholar and the school district.  In accordance with the parameters established by the Illinois State Board of Education, this training shall include: 
    • Explanations and application of the EdSteps Global Competency Standards as designed by the Council of Chief State Schools Officers
    • Process steps to implement the certificate program in your district
    • Developing high quality, consistent scoring practices of student work
    • Process for developing global competence among district educators
    • Building a sustainable global education program in district schools

(NOTE: Implementation resources and training materials will be available on this site in 2018.)   

The GSC will be involved in all significant aspects of awarding the GSC. Some of the most important tasks are to:
  1. Review current curriculum and amend or create classes/extra curriculars in order to meet criteria of a “globally-focused class”. The committee will designate a course as globally-focused if the course addresses world issues, perspectives, concerns, or culture throughout the duration of the course.  The certificate requires that students take at least eight globally-focused courses.
  2. Approve all areas of student work as they progress towards achieving the certificate. The committee will collaborate with the student and educator involved.
  3. Provide the ISBE with all required documentation on the planning and implementation of the certificate program, including timelines, individuals on the GSC committee, any student or teacher surveys, and input and feedback from stakeholders.