Section 1.85  School and District Improvement Plans; Restructuring Plans

Section 2-3.25d of the School Code requires each district to revise the school improvement plans of any of its schools that are placed on academic early warning or academic watch status and to revise the district's improvement plan if it is placed on academic early warning or academic watch status.  Similarly, restructuring plans are required for schools that remain on academic watch status after a fifth annual calculation.  As used in this Section, "NCLB" refers to Public Law 107-110, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 USC 6301 et seq.).

a)         A revised school improvement plan shall be submitted to the local school board (and to the local school council in a district operating under Article 34 of the School Code) no later than three months after the district's receipt of notification regarding the school's status.  During the 45-day period following its submission to the local board and prior to the board's final approval, each plan shall undergo a peer review process designed by the district.

1)         In school districts with a population of 500,000 or fewer, revised school improvement plans shall be required to cover the two school years following the assessment necessitating the plan and to:

A)        incorporate strategies based on scientifically based research and an analysis of State and local assessment data and other information that will strengthen the core academic subjects in the school and address the specific academic areas in which the school's performance has been deficient (NCLB, Section 1116(b)(3)(A)(i));

B)        include information about the extent to which all students in the grade levels chosen by the district pursuant to Section 2-3.63 of the School Code are achieving in the fundamental learning areas;

C)        adopt policies and practices concerning the school's core academic subjects that have the greatest likelihood of ensuring that all subgroups enrolled in the school will meet the State's proficient level of achievement not later than the end of the 2013-14 school year, including:

i)          specific, measurable steps to be taken,

ii)         a timeline for these activities, and

iii)        a budget for these activities (NCLB, Section 1116(b)(3)(A)(ii));

D)        include professional development activities for at least the staff providing services in the academic areas in which the school's performance has been deficient (NCLB, Section 1116(b)(3)(A)(iii));

E)        incorporate a teacher mentoring program (NCLB, Section 1116(b)(3)(A)(x));

F)         establish specific annual, measurable objectives for continuous and substantial progress by each subgroup of students enrolled in the school that will ensure that all such subgroups will make adequate yearly progress and meet the State's proficient level of achievement not later than the 2013-14 school year (NCLB, Section 1116(b)(3)(v));

G)        describe how the school will provide written notice about the identification to parents of each student enrolled in each school, in a format and, to the extent practicable, in a language that the parents can understand (NCLB 1116(b)(3)(A)(vi));

H)        specify the responsibilities of the school and the school board under the plan, including the internal and external technical assistance to be provided by the district, technical assistance requested of ISBE, and, if applicable, the district's fiscal responsibilities under Section 1120A of NCLB (NCLB, Section 1116(b)(3)(A)(vii));

I)         include strategies for promoting effective parental involvement in the school (NCLB, Section 1116(b)(3)(A)(viii));

J)         incorporate, as appropriate, activities before school, after school, during the summer, and during any extension of the school year (NCLB, Section 1116(b)(3)(A)(ix)); and

K)        include a process for monitoring progress and revising the plan as needed.

2)         In school districts operating under Article 34 of the School Code, school improvement plans shall comply with the requirements set forth in Section 34-2.4 of the School Code and, if applicable, the requirements set forth in Section 1116 of NCLB.

3)         Each newly established school shall be required to have a school improvement plan in place by the beginning of its second year of operation.  School improvement plans for new schools shall conform to the requirements of subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this Section, as applicable.

b)         A new or revised district improvement plan shall be submitted to the local school board no later than three months after the district's receipt of notification regarding its status.  The district improvement plan shall be required to cover the two school years following the assessment necessitating the plan and to:

1)         incorporate scientifically based research strategies that strengthen the core academic program in schools served by the district (NCLB, Section 1116(c)(7)(A)(i));

2)         identify actions that have the greatest likelihood of improving the achievement of participating children in meeting the State's student academic achievement standards (NCLB, Section 1116(c)(7)(A)(ii));

3)         address the professional development needs of the instructional staff serving the district (NCLB, Section (c)(7)(A)(iii));

4)         include specific measurable achievement goals and targets for each subgroup of students, consistent with adequate yearly progress (NCLB, Section 1116(c)(7)(A)(iv));

5)         address the fundamental teaching and learning needs in the schools of the district and the specific academic problems of low-achieving students, including a determination of why the district's prior plan failed to bring about increased student academic achievement (NCLB, Section 1116(c)(7)(A)(v));

6)         incorporate, as appropriate, activities before school, after school, during the summer, and during any extension of the school year (NCLB, Section 1116(c)(7)(A)(vi));

7)         specify any requests to ISBE for technical assistance related to the plan and the district's fiscal responsibilities, if applicable, under Section 1120A of NCLB (NCLB, Section 1116(c)(7)(A)(vii));

8)         include strategies for promoting effective parental involvement in the district's schools (NCLB, Section 1116(c)(7)(A)(viii)); and

9)         include a process for monitoring progress and revising the plan as needed.

c)         For purposes of compliance with Section 2-3.25d of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/2-3.25d], the requirement for collaboration with "outside experts" in the development of revised school and district improvement plans shall be met through the involvement of a school support team as defined in NCLB, Section 1117(a)(5), or by involving one or more other individuals who would qualify as members of a school support team pursuant to that definition.

d)         Each revised school or district improvement plan shall be submitted to the State Superintendent on the business day next following the date of its approval by the local board, using the electronic format made available for this purpose.  The State Superintendent shall verify that each plan contains each of the elements set forth in subsection (a) or subsection (b) of this Section, as applicable. 

e)         Section 2-3.25d of the School Code requires the development of a restructuring plan for a school that remains on academic watch status after a fifth annual calculation.  Each required restructuring plan shall be approved by the local school board no later than six months after the district's receipt of notification regarding its status. 

Each school restructuring plan shall indicate that the district is undertaking one or more of the following actions in the affected school:

1)         reopening the school as a public charter school, consistent with Article 27A of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/Art. 27A];

2)         replacing all or most of the school staff, which may include the principal, who are relevant to the school's inability to make adequate yearly progress;

3)         entering into a contract with an entity, such as a private management company, with a demonstrated record of effectiveness, to operate the school as a public school;

4)         implementing any other major restructuring of the school's governance that makes fundamental reform in:

A)       governance and management, and/or

B)        financing and material resources, and/or

C)       staffing.

f)         Failure by a school district to develop, submit, revise, or implement its school and district improvement plans or school restructuring plans as required by Section 2-3.25d of the School Code shall affect the district's recognition status (see Section 1.20(b) of this Part).

(Source:  Amended at 31 Ill. Reg. 5116, effective March 16, 2007)