(105 ILCS 5/Art. 14C heading) ARTICLE 14C.
TRANSITIONAL BILINGUAL EDUCATION
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(105 ILCS 5/14C-1) (from Ch. 122, par. 14C-1) Sec. 14C-1. The General Assembly finds that there are large numbers of children in
this State who come from environments where the primary language is other
than English. Experience has shown that public school classes in which
instruction is given only in English are often inadequate for the education
of children whose native tongue is another language. The General Assembly
believes that a program of transitional bilingual education can meet the
needs of these children and facilitate their integration into the regular
public school curriculum. Therefore, pursuant to the policy of this State
to ensure equal educational opportunity to every child, and in recognition
of the educational needs of English learners, it is the purpose of this Act to provide for the establishment of
transitional bilingual education programs in the public schools, to
provide supplemental financial assistance through fiscal year 2017 to help local school districts
meet the extra costs of such programs, and to allow this State through the State Board of Education to directly or indirectly provide technical assistance and professional development to support transitional bilingual education or a transitional program of instruction statewide through contractual services by a not-for-profit entity for technical assistance, professional development, and other support to school districts and educators for services for English learner pupils. In no case may aggregate funding for contractual services by a not-for-profit entity for support to school districts and educators for services for English learner pupils be less than the aggregate amount expended for such purposes in Fiscal Year 2017. Not-for-profit entities providing support to school districts and educators for services for English learner pupils must have experience providing those services in a school district having a population exceeding 500,000; one or more school districts in any of the counties of Lake, McHenry, DuPage, Kane, and Will; and one or more school districts elsewhere in this State. Funding for not-for-profit entities providing support to school districts and educators for services for English learner pupils may be increased subject to an agreement with the State Board of Education. Funding for not-for-profit entities providing support to school districts and educators for services for English learner pupils shall come from funds allocated pursuant to Section 18-8.15 of this Code. (Source: P.A. 99-30, eff. 7-10-15; 100-465, eff. 8-31-17.) |
(105 ILCS 5/14C-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 14C-2)
Sec. 14C-2. Definitions. Unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms used in this
Article have the following meanings:
(a) "State Board" means the State Board of Education.
(b) "Certification Board" means the State Teacher Certification
Board.
(c) "School District" means any school district established under
this Code.
(d) "English learners" means (1)
all children in grades pre-K through 12 who were not born in the United States, whose native tongue is a
language other than English, and who are incapable of performing ordinary
classwork in English; and (2) all children in grades pre-K through 12 who were born in the United
States of parents possessing no or limited English-speaking ability and
who are incapable of performing ordinary classwork in English.
(e) "Teacher of transitional bilingual education" means a teacher
with a speaking and reading ability in a language other than English in
which transitional bilingual education is offered and with communicative
skills in English.
(f) "Program in transitional bilingual education" means a full-time
program of instruction (1) in all those courses or subjects which a
child is required by law to receive and which are required by the
child's school district, which shall be given in the native language of
English learners who are enrolled in the
program and also in English, (2) in the reading and writing of the
native language of English learners who
are enrolled in the program and in the oral language (listening and speaking),
reading, and writing of English, and (3) in the history and culture of
the country, territory, or geographic area which is the native land of
the parents of English learners who are
enrolled in the program and in the history and culture of the United
States; or a part-time program of instruction based on the educational
needs of those English learners who do not
need a full-time program of instruction.
(Source: P.A. 98-972, eff. 8-15-14; 99-30, eff. 7-10-15.)
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