Public Act 097-0911
 
SB3259 EnrolledLRB097 19781 AMC 65047 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 adding Section 
26-17 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/26-17 new)
    (Section scheduled to be repealed on November 2, 2012)
    Sec. 26-17. The Commission for High School Graduation 
Achievement and Success.
    (a) The General Assembly recognizes that the compulsory 
school age is one piece of the education spectrum.  There is a 
great need to help children succeed in school and reach high 
school graduation.  The Commission for High School Graduation 
Achievement and Success is hereby created to study the issue of 
high school graduation in this State, with the goals of 
increasing educational attainment, increasing high school 
graduation rates, and ultimately improving the workforce in 
this State.  The Commission is tasked to examine and evaluate 
the following:
        (1) graduation rates in this State;
        (2) this State's mandatory attendance age;
        (3) alternative educational programs currently being 
    used in this State, including which are the most 
    successful, why they are successful, and whether they can 
    be used by other school districts in this State;
        (4) the funding structures and options for these 
    alternative programs;
        (5) alternative educational programs being used in 
    other states and whether they would be successful in school 
    districts in this State; and
        (6) the effect that high school graduation has upon the 
    job outlook for individuals.
    (b) The alternative educational programs in this State that 
are to be studied by the Commission under subsection (a) of 
this Section shall include, but are not be limited to, the 
following:
        (1) alternative schools, regional safe schools, 
    truancy alternative programs, and dual credit/dual degree 
    programs;
        (2) the Shared Learning Infrastructure, online 
    courses, and other technology alternatives;
        (3) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 
    (STEM) Learning Exchanges;
        (4) the Illinois Pathways Initiative;
        (5) Accelerating Opportunity Grants; and
        (6) the Truants' Alternative and Optional Education 
    Program.
    (c) The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House 
of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the Senate, and the 
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives shall each 
appoint one member to the Commission.  The State Superintendent 
of Education shall appoint one representative from the State 
Board of Education to the Commission.
The Governor shall 
appoint a chairperson of the Commission.  In addition, the 
Commission shall be comprised of the following members 
appointed by the Governor within 30 days after the effective 
date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly:
        (1) one member appointed to represent intermediate 
    service centers;
        (2) one member appointed to represent regional offices 
    of education;
        (3) one representative of an association representing 
    suburban school districts;
        (4) one representative of an association representing 
    large unit school districts;
        (5) one representative of a statewide association 
    representing school boards;
        (6) one representative of a statewide association 
    representing principals;
        (7) one representative of a statewide association 
    representing administrators;
        (8) one representative of a statewide association 
    representing school business officials;
        (9) one representative of an organization representing 
    an alternative education program;
        (10) one representative of a statewide association 
    representing teachers;
        (11) one representative of a different statewide 
    association representing teachers;
        (12) one representative of an association representing 
    urban teachers;
        (13) one member appointed to represent parents or a 
    parent organization;
        (14) the chairperson of the Chicago Board of Education 
    or his or her designee; and
        (15) the chairperson of the Illinois P-20 Council or 
    his or her designee.
Any additional members the Commission sees fit to appoint may 
be done so by the chairperson of the Commission.
    (d) The Commission may begin to conduct business upon the 
appointment of a majority of voting members.
    (e) The Office of the Governor, with help from the Illinois 
P-20 Council and research provided by the State Board of 
Education, shall provide administrative support to the 
Commission.
    (f) Members of the Commission shall receive no compensation 
for their participation on the Commission.
    (g) In addition to any other applicable laws and 
administrative rules, all aspects of the Commission shall be 
governed by the Freedom of Information Act, including 
exemptions as provided in Section 7 of the Freedom of 
Information Act, as well as the Open Meetings Act.  This Section 
shall not be construed so as to preclude other statutes from 
applying to the Commission or its activities.
    (h) The Commission shall submit a final report of its 
findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General 
Assembly on or before November 1, 2012.  The Commission may 
submit other reports as it deems appropriate.
    (i) The Commission is abolished on November 2, 2012, and 
this Section is repealed on November 2, 2012.
 

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