College & career readiness in Illinois
Illinois' PWR Act created the PaCE framework — grade-by-grade postsecondary and career expectations from 8th grade on — plus College and Career Pathway Endorsements and a FAFSA graduation requirement.
PaCE — Postsecondary and Career Expectations
The PaCE at a glance
The moving parts every Illinois counseling team is tracking today — usually across spreadsheets, PDFs, and a filing cabinet.
Work-based learning & financial aid in Illinois
Work-based learning
Pathway endorsements require career development experiences (including two team-based challenges or 60 cumulative hours of supervised career development) — real WBL is written into the law.
FAFSA & financial aid
FAFSA/Alternative Application completion is a graduation requirement (with a waiver) — schools track it senior year.
Atlara ↔ PaCE
PaCE benchmarks by grade
Atlara's plan frameworks mirror PaCE's grade-by-grade expectations and check themselves off from student activity.
Pathway endorsement hours
WBL placements and hour logs accumulate toward the endorsement's career development experience requirements.
FAFSA requirement, handled
Senior FAFSA/waiver status is a live dashboard, not an April scramble.
Family engagement
PaCE expects family involvement from 8th grade — the family portal delivers it.
Policy details above are a planning summary, not legal guidance — confirm current requirements with the Illinois State Board of Education.