Public Act 096-0421
 		





SB0613 Enrolled
LRB096 06678 NHT 16762 b






    AN ACT concerning education.

 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
represented in the General Assembly: 



 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
Children's Low-cost Laptop Act.
 
    Section 5. Policy and purpose.  The General Assembly finds 
that the decreasing cost of computer technology makes it 
possible today to equip more children than ever before with 
21st century learning tools. The dramatic expansion of low-cost 
computing options and the worldwide reliance on computer 
technology for commerce, education, information, and social 
interaction makes it ever more important to introduce computing 
skills to students at an early age. Accordingly, the State 
Board of Education shall establish a pilot project whereby 
schools will provide a low-cost laptop computer to each 
student, teacher, and relevant administrator in a 
participating school and implement the use of educational 
software and computer skills training in order to improve 
academic achievement and the progress measures listed in 
subsection (a) of Section 20 in this Act.
 
    Section 10. Definitions.   In this Act:
    "Primary school" means any school with students in third, 
fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grade.
    "Low-cost laptop" means a portable personal computing 
device suitable for use among primary school-aged children, 
under $400 in initial cost or with a financed cost of under 
$250 per year.


    "State Board" means the State Board of Education.


 
    Section 15. Pilot project; Children's Low-cost Laptop 
Fund. 


    (a) Subject to an appropriation made specifically for this 
purpose, the State Board shall provide for the administration 
of a low-cost laptop pilot project.  The pilot project shall be 
for a period of at least 2 years. In administering the pilot 
project, the State Board shall:
        (1) select participating primary schools;
        (2) coordinate a statewide grant program for selected 
    schools to purchase and distribute laptop computers and 
    other technologies;
        (3) define the conditions for the distribution and use 
    of grant funding;
        (4) monitor project implementation; and
        (5) evaluate the project.
    (b) The State Board may also use, for the purposes of the 
pilot project, any public or private gift, grant, or donation 
deposited into the State Board of Education Special Purpose 
Trust Fund under Section 2-3.127a of the School Code.  Pilot 
project funds must be used for the following:
        (1) to purchase low-cost laptop computers;
        (2) for network infrastructure to support wireless 
    access points, cables, and routers;
        (3) for replacements for any of the following low-cost 
    laptop components: batteries, power cords, or other 
    software and hardware;
        (4) for professional development and technical support 
    for participating teachers; for the purposes of this item 
    (4), "professional development" means the training of 
    certified teaching professionals in the integration of 
    low-cost laptop computers into the classroom curriculum;


        (5) to support necessary staff positions at the State 
    Board; and
        (6) to evaluate the pilot program's effectiveness.
    The State Board may not allocate more than $100 million for 
the pilot project. The pilot project must be implemented as 
long as funds are available under this Section to support the 
participation of at least 3 schools.
 
    Section 20. Program participation requirements. 

A school 
may apply to the State Board to establish a low-cost laptop 
pilot project grant for the entire school or for a particular 
grade or classroom or classrooms.
    The State Board shall select up to 300 schools to 
participate in the pilot project. At least one-third of the 
participating students shall be located in the City of Chicago; 
at least one-third shall be located in the area that makes up 
the counties of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, and that 
portion of Cook County that is

located outside of the City of 
Chicago; and at least one-third shall be located in the 
remainder of the State.


    The State Board shall select the participating schools for 
the pilot project based on need. In selecting participants, the 
State Board shall consider each school's:
        (1) free and reduced lunch eligible student 
    population;
        (2) access to educational technology resources; and
        (3) performance on standardized tests required by the 
    State Board.
 
    Section 25. Reporting. 


    (a) The school board of each participating school  shall 
send an annual progress report to the State Board no later than 
September 1 of each year that the school is participating in 
the pilot project. The report must include the project's effect 
on:
        (1) performance on standardized tests required by the 
    State Board;
        (2) school costs;
        (3) attendance rates;
        (4) teacher performance and retention;
        (5) parental involvement in education;
        (6) community support for the school; and
        (7) student technology proficiency.
    (b) With guidance from the State Board, each participating 
school shall determine how the low-cost laptops are purchased, 
assigned, maintained, and retained.
 
    Section 30. Repeal. This Act is repealed on August 31, 
2012.
 

    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.