Public Act 103-0979
 
SB3349 EnrolledLRB103 38145 RJT 68277 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 Section 
2-3.169 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.169)
    Sec. 2-3.169. State Global Scholar Certification.
    (a) The State Global Scholar Certification Program is 
established to recognized public and nonpublic high school 
graduates who have attained global competence. State Global 
Scholar Certification shall be awarded beginning with the 
2017-2018 school year. School district or nonpublic school 
participation in this certification is voluntary.
    (b) The purposes of State Global Scholar Certification are 
as follows:
        (1) To recognize the value of a global education.
        (2) To certify attainment of global competence.
        (3) To provide employers with a method of identifying 
    globally competent employees.
        (4) To provide colleges and universities with an 
    additional method to recognize applicants seeking 
    admission.
        (5) To prepare students with 21st century skills.
        (6) To encourage the development of a globally ready 
    workforce in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, 
    and mathematics), manufacturing, agriculture, and service 
    sectors.
    (c) State Global Scholar Certification confirms attainment 
of global competence, sufficient for meaningful use in college 
and a career, by a graduating public or nonpublic high school 
student.
    (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules as 
may be necessary to establish the criteria that students must 
achieve to earn State Global Scholar Certification, which 
shall minimally include attainment of 6 units of credit in 
globally focused courses, service learning experiences, global 
collaboration or and dialogue, and passage of a capstone 
project demonstrating global competency, as approved by the 
participating school district or nonpublic school for this 
purpose.
    (e) The State Board of Education shall do both of the 
following:
        (1) Prepare and deliver to participating school 
    districts or nonpublic schools an appropriate mechanism 
    for designating State Global Scholar Certification on the 
    diploma and transcript of a student indicating that the 
    student has been awarded State Global Scholar 
    Certification by the State Board of Education.
        (2) Provide other information the State Board of 
    Education deems necessary for school districts or 
    nonpublic schools to successfully participate in the 
    certification.
    (f) A school district or nonpublic school that 
participates in certification under this Section shall do both 
of the following:
        (1) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify 
    students who have earned State Global Scholar 
    Certification.
        (2) Make the appropriate designation on the diploma 
    and transcript of each student who earns State Global 
    Scholar Certification.
    (g) No fee may be charged to a student to receive the 
designation pursuant to the Section. Notwithstanding this 
prohibition, costs may be incurred by the student in 
demonstrating proficiency.
    (h) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules as 
may be necessary to provide students attending schools that do 
not offer State Global Scholar Certification the opportunity 
to earn State Global Scholar Certification remotely beginning 
with the 2026-2027 school year. These rules shall include, but 
are not limited to, a list of all school courses and course 
codes derived from the State Board of Education's Illinois 
State Course Catalog and Illinois Virtual Course Catalog that 
are designated as and qualify as globally focused coursework.
    If the provider of the online course determines and can 
demonstrate that a student meets all of the criteria required 
to earn State Global Scholar Certification, then the school 
district or nonpublic school shall designate that the student 
has earned State Global Scholar Certification on the student's 
diploma and transcript.
    A school district or nonpublic school shall provide, upon 
the request of a student, evidence to the student that the 
student has completed at least 6 globally focused courses 
required to earn State Global Scholar Certification for the 
student to submit to the provider of the online course.
    A student enrolled in a school district or nonpublic 
school that awarded State Global Scholar Certification prior 
to the 2026-2027 school year and offered a course to complete 
the capstone project requirement prior to the 2026-2027 school 
year may not earn State Global Scholar Certification remotely 
under this subsection (h). 
(Source: P.A. 103-352, eff. 7-28-23.)