HJ0005eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0005 Engrossed LRB096 07979 NHT 18083 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 5

WHEREAS, While the School Code authorizes school boards to suspend and expel students if they are found guilty of gross disobedience or misconduct, there are no statewide policies and procedures for school boards to follow in order to carry out their duties; and

WHEREAS, There is a correlation between the number of students suspended, expelled, and truant and high school dropout rates; numerous studies have shown that the main reasons students dropped out of school often focused on being bullied at school, a lack of interest in school, behavioral problems, family problems, and financial problems; and

WHEREAS, The increasing number of students who are suspended, expelled, and truant is of great concern in the African-American and Hispanic communities; according to the State Board of Education, a total of 3,451 students were expelled during the 2006-2007 school year; of this number, 39% (1,359) were Caucasian, 43% (1,467) were African-American, and 12% (511) were Hispanic; and

WHEREAS, During the same school year, Chicago Public Schools had a total of 549 students expelled, with 79% (436) of them African-American, 15% (81) Hispanic, and 1.6% (9) Caucasian; and

WHEREAS, For public school districts in selected townships (Bloom, Rich, Bremen, and Thornton) of south suburban Cook County (referred to as "the Townships"), the numbers were just as alarming; both Caucasian and Hispanic students made up 10.4% (14) of students expelled, while African-American students made up 79.2% (107) of expelled students; and

WHEREAS, This issue is not restricted to the Chicago area; the total numbers of students expelled during the 2006-2007 school year for selected downstate counties were as follows: Champaign County had a total number of 18 students expelled for the 2006-2007 school year, with 13 of them being African-American; in Peoria County, 231 students were expelled, of which 68% (156) were African-American, 0.1% (3) were Hispanic, and 29% (68) were Caucasian; a total of 74 students were expelled in Sangamon County, with 65% (47) being African-American and 32% (24) Caucasian; and in Winnebago County, 186 students were suspended, of which 55% (103) were African-American, 25% (47) were Caucasian, and 14% (26) were Hispanic; and

WHEREAS, The total number of students suspended statewide during the 2006-2007 school year was 174,930; of this number, 31% (54,550) were Caucasian, 49% (84,995) were African-American, and 17% (30,306) were Hispanic; and

WHEREAS, Chicago Public Schools had a total of 45,288 students suspended (1,721); 4% of the students suspended were Caucasian, 72% (32,715) were African-American, and 20% (9,131) were Hispanic; and

WHEREAS, Within the Townships, 7,437 students were suspended; of this number, 83% (6,199) were African-American, 8% (610) were Caucasian, and 7% (544) were Hispanic; and

WHEREAS, Totals for selected downstate counties were as follows: Champaign County suspended 1,993 students during the 2006-2007 school year; 36% (717) were Caucasian, over half, 57% (1,143), were African-American, and 2.8% (56) were Hispanic; in Sangamon County, a total of 2,981 students were suspended; 45% (1,344) were Caucasian, 50% (1,508) were African-American, and 0.7% (22) were Hispanic; in Winnebago County, 6,848 students were suspended; of this number, 36% (2,476) were Caucasian, 47% (3,210) were African-American, and 13% (873) were Hispanic; and 4,274 students were suspended in Peoria County; within Peoria County, Caucasian students made up 25% (1,059) of those suspended, while African-American students made up 71% (3,056) of those suspended and Hispanic students made up 2% (101) of those suspended; and

WHEREAS, The total number of truant students statewide for the 2006-2007 school year was 392,058; the number of truant students in the Chicago Public Schools was 71,789; the total number of truancies within the Townships was 13,270; in downstate Illinois, Champaign County had 6,595 truant students, Peoria County had 8,918 truant students, Winnebago County had 25,032 truant students, and Sangamon County had 7,356 truant students; and

WHEREAS, According to the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU's) report on "Best Practices for Dismantling the School to Prison Pipeline", students who are suspended or expelled are far more likely than other students to drop out of school, and these students are 3 times more likely to be incarcerated than their peers; and

WHEREAS, In May 2003, The Illinois African-American Family Commission interviewed 119 detainees at Cook County Jail; of the detainees, 61% were male, 39% were female, 82% were between the ages of 17 and 29, 14% were between the ages of 30 and 39, 4% were between the ages of 40 and 49, 78% were Black, 12% were Hispanic, 7% were White, and 3% were Other; the results from that study showed that most of those interviewed had low levels of education; indeed, 10% reported that they had dropped out of elementary school, 69% reported that they had dropped out of high school, 20% had received a high school diploma, and 1% had graduated from college; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the School Success Task Force, consisting of the following members:

(1) one member appointed by the President of the Senate;

(2) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(3) one member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(4) one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives;

(5) one member of the Governor's staff, appointed by the Governor;

(6) one member appointed by the Joint Chair of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus;

(7) one member appointed by the Joint Chair of the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus;

(8) one member from each of the following State agencies and commissions appointed by their respective director or secretary:

(A) the Department of Children and Family Services;

(B) the Department of Human Services;

(C) the State Board of Education;

(D) the Department of Corrections;

(E) the Department of Juvenile Justice;

(F) the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity;

(G) the Board of Higher Education; and

(H) an organization in this State representing African-American families;

(9) 4 public members, including a representative of a community-based organization serving school-age children appointed by the Governor and 3 public members appointed by the Governor and representing the interests of child welfare advocates, education personnel, community-based organizations, faith-based institutions, criminal justice advocates, parents, and students; and

(10) one member appointed by the head of a statewide organization representing either school board members or school administrators; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall meet initially at the call of the Speaker and the President and that members of the Task Force shall select a chairperson at that initial meeting; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education shall provide staff and administrative support to the Task Force; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall examine issues and make recommendations related to current State Board of Education policies regarding suspensions, expulsions, and truancies, including without limitation the following:

(1) studying how current State Board policies impact student's statewide;

(2) studying how school districts create, interpret, and administer their own disciplinary policies;

(3) hearing testimony from school officials, parents, students, and community-based providers on the effects of suspension and expulsion policies; and

(4) studying annual reports on the number of children who reenroll in school after being suspended and expelled, by age, race, and education level; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall identify different strategies and approaches to help educators work effectively with the families of students of color, promote professional development and other learning opportunities that will equip school personnel with the skills and knowledge necessary to reduce factors that often contribute to suspensions, expulsions, and truancies, and support community-based organizations and parents in their ongoing efforts to encourage youths to adopt and practice positive social behaviors that will allow them to be successful in school and in their communities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall hold public hearings in every legislative district it deems necessary and shall report its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly before December 31, 2010; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Human Services, the State Board of Education, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois African-American Family Commission, and Link & Option Center, Inc.