Public Act 100-0421
 
SB1223 EnrolledLRB100 07839 MLM 17908 b


  
    AN ACT concerning education.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  


 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended  by changing  the 
heading of Article  14A and Sections 14A-15, 14A-25, and 14A-35 
and  by adding Sections 14A-17 and 14A-32 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/Art. 14A heading)
ARTICLE 14A.  GIFTED AND TALENTED CHILDREN  AND CHILDREN ELIGIBLE 
FOR ACCELERATED PLACEMENT


(Source: P.A. 94-151, eff. 7-8-05; 94-410, eff. 8-2-05.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/14A-15)
    Sec. 14A-15. Purpose. The purpose of this Article is to 
provide encouragement, assistance, and guidance to school 
districts in the development and improvement of educational 
programs for gifted and talented children and children eligible 
for accelerated placement as defined in Sections Section 14A-20 
and 14A-17 of this Code.  School districts shall continue to 
have the authority and flexibility to design education programs 
for gifted and talented children in response to community 
needs, but these programs must comply with the requirements 
established in Section 14A-30 of this Code by no later than 
September 1, 2006 in order to merit approval by the State Board 
of Education in order to qualify for State funding for the 
education of gifted and talented children, should such funding 
become available.

(Source: P.A. 94-151, eff. 7-8-05; 94-410, eff. 8-2-05.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/14A-17 new)
    Sec. 14A-17. Accelerated placement. For purposes of this 
Article, "accelerated placement" means the placement of a child 
in an educational setting with curriculum that is usually 
reserved for children who are older or in higher grades than 
the child.  "Accelerated placement" under this Article or other 
school district-adopted policies shall include, but need not be 
limited to, the following types of acceleration: early entrance 
to kindergarten or first grade, accelerating a child in a 
single subject, and grade acceleration.
 
    (105 ILCS 5/14A-25)
    Sec. 14A-25. Non-discrimination. Eligibility for 
participation in programs established pursuant to this Article 
shall be determined solely through identification of a child as 
gifted, or talented, or eligible for accelerated placement. No 
program or placement shall condition participation upon race, 
religion, sex, disability, or any factor other than the 
identification of the child as gifted, or talented, or eligible 
for placement.

(Source: P.A. 94-151, eff. 7-8-05; 94-410, eff. 8-2-05.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/14A-32 new)
    Sec. 14A-32. Accelerated placement; school district 
responsibilities.
    (a) Each school district shall have a policy that allows 
for accelerated placement that includes or incorporates by 
reference the following components:
        (1) a provision that provides that participation in 
    accelerated placement is not limited to those children who 
    have been identified as gifted and talented, but rather is 
    open to all children who demonstrate high ability and who 
    may benefit from accelerated placement;
        (2) a fair and equitable decision-making process that 
    involves multiple persons and includes a student's parents 
    or guardians;
        (3) procedures for notifying parents or guardians of a 
    child of a decision affecting that child's participation in 
    an accelerated placement program; and
        (4) an assessment process that includes multiple 
    valid, reliable indicators.
    (b) Further, a school district's accelerated placement 
policy may include or incorporate by reference, but need not be 
limited to, the following components:
        (1) procedures for annually informing the community 
    at-large, including parents or guardians, about the 
    accelerated placement program and the methods used for the 
    identification of children eligible for accelerated 
    placement;
        (2) a process for referral that allows for multiple 
    referrers, including a child's parents or guardians; other 
    referrers may include licensed education professionals, 
    the child, with the written consent of a parent or 
    guardian, a peer, through a licensed education 
    professional who has knowledge of the referred child's 
    abilities, or, in case of possible early entrance, a 
    preschool educator, pediatrician, or psychologist who 
    knows the child; and
        (3) a provision that provides that children 
    participating in an accelerated placement program and 
    their parents or guardians will be provided a written plan 
    detailing the type of acceleration the child will receive 
    and strategies to support the child.
    (c) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to 
determine data to be collected regarding accelerated placement 
and a method of making the information available to the public.
 
    (105 ILCS 5/14A-35)
    Sec. 14A-35. Administrative functions of the State Board of 
Education for gifted and talented children programs.

    (a)    The State Board of Education must designate a staff 
person who shall be in charge of educational programs for 
gifted and talented children.  This staff person shall, at a 
minimum, (i) be responsible for developing an approval process 
for educational programs for gifted and talented children by no 
later than September 1, 2006, (ii) receive and maintain the 
written descriptions of all programs for gifted and talented 
children in the State, (iii) collect and maintain the annual 
growth in learning data submitted by a school, school district, 
or cooperative of school districts, (iv) identify potential 
funding sources for the education of gifted and talented 
children, and (v) serve as the main contact person at the State 
Board of Education for program supervisors and other school 
officials, parents, and other stakeholders regarding the 
education of gifted and talented children.
    (b)   Subject to the availability of funds for these 
purposes, the State Board of Education may perform a variety of 
additional administrative functions with respect to the 
education of gifted and talented children, including, but not 
limited to, supervision, quality assurance, compliance 
monitoring, and oversight of local programs, analysis of 
performance outcome data submitted by local educational 
agencies, the establishment of personnel standards, and a 
program of personnel development for teachers and 
administrative personnel in the education of gifted and 
talented children.


(Source: P.A. 94-151, eff. 7-8-05; 94-410, eff. 8-2-05.)
 

    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 
2018.