Using Panorama for Illinois 5Essentials Survey
Last updated: July 10, 2026
Panorama Education has been approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) as an alternative vendor for administering the 5Essentials Survey. This article outlines what Illinois districts need to know to ensure compliance when using Panorama, including survey requirements, administration details, reporting timelines, and eligibility rules.
If your district plans to use Panorama for the 5Essentials Survey, review the guidance below to ensure all state requirements are met.
Key Dates for 2026-27
Keep the following dates in mind when planning your survey administration.
Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
Submit Letter of Intent | September 15, 2026 |
Survey students, staff, and families | January 25 - March 19, 2027 |
Panorama submits data to ISBE | May 31, 2027 |
Overview: What Districts Are Responsible For
When a district opts to use Panorama as an alternative vendor, there are specific expectations around:
Survey content and topic selection
Who is surveyed and how surveys are accessed
Administration windows and login methods
Reporting timelines and response rate requirements
The sections below break these requirements down in detail.
Survey Content
Districts must ensure that the surveys they administer meet ISBE’s content rules for the 5Essentials framework.
Requirement | What this means for your district |
|---|---|
Required components | Districts must use at least one survey topic from at least two of the five 5Essentials components |
Required respondent groups | Surveys must be launched for students, staff, and family members |
Approved topics | Dig deeper into which Panorama topics are approved for each component here  |
Survey Rosters
The information below explains how survey rosters are provided and used for each respondent group when administering the 5Essentials Survey through Panorama.
Category | Requirement |
|---|---|
State-approved rosters | ISBE has provided Panorama with the approved staff and student rosters |
Roster coordination | Panorama will coordinate with each district to ensure the proper rosters are used |
Family survey access | Family surveys do not require a roster. A general survey link will be available for distribution to parents |
Survey Administration
The requirements below describe when surveys must be administered and how each respondent group accesses the survey.
Administration detail | Requirement |
|---|---|
Student access | Students will log in to the survey using the Student ID they use to access other surveys in Panorama |
Staff access | Staff receive an email with their unique survey link |
Family access | Family members access the survey via a general survey link |
Reporting Results
The requirements below explain how districts access survey results and how response rate data is reported to the state.
Category | Requirement |
|---|---|
Monitoring participation | During the survey window, districts can track response rates in Panorama |
State reporting | Response rate data from the surveys must be submitted to the state |
Data submission process | Panorama will submit this data on behalf of each district |
Need Help Along the Way?
Panorama is here to support your district throughout the 5Essentials Survey process.
If you have questions, need clarification, or run into technical issues, reach out to your Panorama team or contact support@panoramaed.com .
Our team is here to support before, during, and after the survey window!