Fourteen community colleges from around Illinois have made the commitment to reform their developmental education programs as a part of the Partnership for College Completion’s second cohort of the Illinois Developmental Education Equity in Action Network (IDEEA).
Launched in December 2023, IDEEA is a two-year program that provides community colleges and universities with technical assistance and expert guidance to update their developmental education programs to align with the Developmental Education Reform Act (DERA).
PCC will continue to collaborate with Illinois-based Almy Education to provide intensive coaching and technical assistance to all participating colleges and universities in the areas of math, English and systems-level change.
“The IDEEA Network is how we take state policy and turn it into actionable steps for our institutions so they can best serve their students and communities,” said Rebecca Popelka, PCC Director of Institutional Partnerships. “Our state has made progress since DERA was passed, and these 14 institutions are doubling down on making college equitable and accessible for all who decide to attend.”
The second cohort institutions are:
- College of DuPage
- College of Lake County
- Harper College
- Highland Community College
- Illinois Valley Community College
- John A. Logan College
- Joliet Junior College
- Kankakee Community College
- Kishwaukee College
- Rend Lake College
- Richland Community College
- Rock Valley College
- Southwest Illinois College
- Waubonsee Community College
PCC is the expert on developmental education reform in the state, and in February 2026 published, “PCC’s Second Progress Report on Reforming Developmental Education in Illinois.” Since DERA’s passing in 2021, enrollment in developmental education courses has declined and enrollment in the corequisite model has led to improved student outcomes, representing clear successes. However, equity and compliance challenges persist throughout the state’s higher education system due to inconsistent implementation practices across institutions.
For more on the IDEEA Cohort, click here.