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    AN ACT concerning education.

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

 
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    Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended  by 
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adding Section 2.24 as follows:
 
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    (110 ILCS 805/2.24  new)
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    Sec. 2.24. College and Career Readiness Pilot Program.
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    (a)  The General Assembly finds that there is a direct and 
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significant link between students being academically prepared 
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for college and success in postsecondary education. Many 
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students enter college unprepared for the academic rigors of 
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college and require noncredit remedial courses to attain skills 
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and knowledge needed for regular, credit coursework. 
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Remediation lengthens time to degree, imposes additional costs 
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on students and colleges, and uses student financial aid for 
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courses that will not count toward a degree.  All high school 
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juniors take the Prairie State Achievement Examination, which 
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contains the ACT college assessment exam. ACT test elements and 
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scores can be correlated to specific course placements in 
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community colleges. Customized ACT test results can be used in 
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collaboration with high schools to assist high school students 
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identify areas for improvement and help them close skill gaps 
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during their senior year. Greater college and career readiness 
 


 






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will reduce the need for remediation, lower educational costs, 
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shorten time to degree, and increase the overall success rate 
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of Illinois college students.
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    (b) Subject to appropriation, the State Board shall create 
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a 3-year pilot project, to be known as the College and Career 
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Readiness Pilot Program.  The goals of the program are as 
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follows:
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        (1)  To diagnose college readiness by developing a 
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    system to align ACT scores to specific community college 
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    courses in developmental and freshman curriculums.
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        (2)  To reduce remediation by decreasing the need for 
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    remedial coursework in mathematics, reading, and writing 
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    at the college level through (i)  increasing the number of 
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    students enrolled in a college-prep core curriculum, (ii) 
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    assisting students in improving college readiness skills, 
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    and (iii) increasing successful student transitions into 
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    postsecondary education.
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        (3)  To align high school and college curriculums.
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        (4)  To provide resources and academic support to 
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    students to enrich the senior year of high school through 
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    remedial or advanced coursework and other interventions.
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        (5)  To develop an appropriate evaluation process to 
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    measure the effectiveness of readiness intervention 
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    strategies.
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    (c)  The first year of the program created under this 
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Section shall begin with the high school class of 2008.
 


 






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        (1)  The State Board shall select 4 community colleges 
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    to participate in the program based on all of the 
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    following:
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            (A)  The percentage of students in developmental 
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        coursework.
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            (B)  Demographics of student enrollment, including 
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        socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, and 
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        enrollments of first-generation college students.
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            (C)  Geographic diversity.
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            (D)  The willingness of the community college to 
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        submit developmental and introductory courses to ACT 
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        for analysis of college placement.
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            (E)  The ability of the community college to partner 
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        with local high schools to develop college and career 
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        readiness strategies and college readiness teams.
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        (2)  The State Board shall work with ACT to analyze up 
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    to 10 courses at each participating community college for 
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    purposes of determining student placement and college 
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    readiness.
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        (3)  Each participating community college shall 
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    establish an agreement with a high school or schools to do 
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    all of the following:
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            (A)  Create a data-sharing agreement.
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            (B)  Create a Readiness Prescription for each 
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        student, showing all of the following:
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                (i)  The readiness status for college-level 
 


 






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            work.
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                (ii)  Course recommendations for remediation or 
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            for advanced coursework in Advanced Placement 
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            classes or dual credit and dual enrollment 
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            programs.
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                (iii)  Additional academic support services, 
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            including tutoring, mentoring, and college 
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            application assistance.
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            (C)  Create college and career readiness teams 
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        comprised of faculty and counselors or advisers from 
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        the community college and high school, the college and 
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        career readiness coordinator from the community 
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        college, and other members as determined by the high 
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        school and community college. The teams may include 
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        local business or civic leaders.  The teams shall 
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        develop intervention strategies as follows:
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                (i)  Use the Readiness Prescription to develop 
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            a contract with each student for remedial or 
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            advanced coursework to be taken during the senior 
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            year.
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                (ii)  Monitor student progress.
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                (iii)  Provide readiness support services.
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            (D)  Retest students in the spring of 2008 to assess 
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        progress and college readiness.
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        (4)  The State Board shall work with participating 
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    community colleges and high schools to develop an 
 


 






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    appropriate evaluation process to measure effectiveness of 
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    intervention strategies, including all of the following:
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            (A)  Baseline data for each participating school.
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            (B)  Baseline data for the Illinois system.
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            (C)  Comparison of ACT scores from March 2007 to 
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        March 2008.
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            (D)  Student enrollment in college in the fall of 
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        2008.
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            (E)  Placement of college and career readiness 
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        students in developmental and regular courses in the 
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        fall of 2008.
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            (F)  Retention of college and career readiness 
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        students in the spring semester of 2009.
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        (5)  The State Board shall work with participating 
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    community colleges and high schools to establish 
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    operational processes and a budget for college and career 
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    readiness pilot programs, including all of the following:
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            (A)  Employment of a college and career readiness 
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        coordinator at each community college site.
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            (B)  Establishment of a budget.
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            (C)  Creation of college and career readiness 
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        teams, resources, and partnership agreements.
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    (d)  The second year of the program created under this 
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Section shall begin with the high school class of 2009.  In the 
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second year, the State Board shall have all of the following 
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duties:
 


 






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        (1)  Analyze courses at 3 new community college sites.
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        (2)  Undertake intervention strategies through college 
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    and career readiness teams with students in the class of 
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    2009.
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        (3)  Monitor and assist college and career readiness 
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    graduates from the class of 2008 in college.
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    (e)  The third year of the program created under this 
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Section shall begin with the high school class of 2010.  In the 
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third year, the State Board shall have all of the following 
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duties:
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        (1)  Analyze courses at 5 new community college sites.
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        (2)  Add college and career readiness teams at 3 new 
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    sites (from year 2 of the program).
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        (3)  Undertake intervention strategies through college 
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    and career readiness teams with students of the class of 
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    2010 at 7 sites.
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        (4)  Monitor and assist students from the classes of 
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    2008 and 2009 in college.