Sen. Rachel Ventura
Filed: 3/24/2023
 
 

 

 

 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2354




2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2354, AS AMENDED, 
3by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the 
4following:

 
5    "Section 5. The School Code is amended  by adding Section 
62-3.196 as follows:
 
7    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new)
8    Sec. 2-3.196. Science in Elementary Schools Working Group.
9    (a) The State Board of Education shall create the Science 
10in Elementary Schools Working Group. The State Board of 
11Education shall appoint science and health education 
12specialists, educators or former educators who teach or have 
13taught the subject of science or health, medical doctors, 
14doctors of osteopathy or osteopathic medicine, parents, 
15registered nurses, chiropractors, exercise physiologists, and 
16physical therapists to the Working Group. 
 
 
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1    The members of the Working Group shall serve without 
2compensation. 
3    (b) The State Board of Education shall provide 
4administrative support to the Working Group. 
5    (c) By June 1, 2024, the Working Group shall create a 
6crosswalk and alignment of the current Illinois Learning 
7Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards adopted by 
8the State Board of Education and the Illinois Learning 
9Standards for Science, with links to available resources so 
10elementary teachers have access to high quality, 
11age-appropriate, and free educational materials that are 
12centered on anatomy, physiology and nutrition to empower 
13students with the knowledge of their own bodies and to care for 
14their own health and well-being throughout their lives. 
15    (d) The Working Group shall focus its recommendations on 
16how to empower students with the knowledge to adequately 
17understand their own bodies and care for their own health and 
18well-being throughout their lives, with the idea that science 
19education is more human-centered. The Working Group shall 
20additionally focus on connecting this human-centered science 
21education with other sciences as students advance to other 
22areas of their science education, such as chemistry, biology, 
23and physics, taught at later grade levels. 
24    (e) The Working Group shall make recommendations to the 
25State Board of Education on updating its science standards by 
26December 31, 2025. By December 31, 2030, the State Board of 
 
 
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1Education shall review and provide updates as appropriate to 
2the crosswalk and alignment documents and elementary 
3storylines. The State Board of Education shall conduct these 
4reviews and provide these updates, at a minimum, of every 5 
5years thereafter. 

 
6    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
7becoming law.".