99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB6144

 

Introduced 2/11/2016, by Rep. John D. Anthony

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/10-20.58 new
105 ILCS 5/34-18.50 new

    Amends the School Code. Provides that the parents of at least 51% of students in a low-performing school may initiate reform measures at the school through the submission of a parent petition to the school board. Provides for submission of a notice of petition. Provides that the petition shall request that the school board fully intervene in the school and implement one of the following reform measures: (1) reopen the school as a charter school; (2) change the school leadership; (3) close the school and reassign students currently attending the school to another school at the appropriate grade level within the same school district; or (4) adopt a new school governance structure. Upon receiving a copy of a petition signed by the parents of at least 51% of the students in a low-performing school, requires the school board to implement the reform measures requested in the petition.


LRB099 15983 NHT 40300 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB6144LRB099 15983 NHT 40300 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections
510-20.58 and 34-18.50 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/10-20.58 new)
7    Sec. 10-20.58. Initiation of school reform by parent
8petition.
9    (a) In this Section, "low-performing school" means a public
10school designated as a low-performing school by the State Board
11of Education based on the following criteria:
12        (1) Among all students in that school to whom a State
13    assessment was administered under Section 2-3.64a-5 of
14    this Code, the percentage of students scoring in the
15    partially proficient range in both the language arts and
16    mathematics subject areas of the State assessments
17    exceeded 40% in each of the prior 2 school years.
18        (2) Among all students in that school to whom a State
19    assessment was administered under Section 2-3.64a-5 of
20    this Code, the percentage of students scoring in the
21    partially proficient range in either the language arts or
22    mathematics subject area of the State assessments exceeded
23    65% in each of the prior 2 school years.

 

 

HB6144- 2 -LRB099 15983 NHT 40300 b

1A school shall continue to meet the definition of
2"low-performing school" and the State Board of Education shall
3continue to designate the school as a low-performing school
4until such time as the percentage of students scoring in the
5partially proficient range in both the language arts and
6mathematics subject areas of the State assessments is less than
7or equal to the statewide percentage of students scoring in the
8partially proficient range.
9    (b) The parents of at least 51% of students in a
10low-performing school may initiate reform measures at the
11school under this Section through the submission of a parent
12petition to the school board. The petition process shall be as
13follows:
14        (1) A parent must submit a notice of petition notifying
15    the school that a petition is being formed. The State Board
16    of Education shall create a uniform notice of petition form
17    and shall make that form available on its Internet website.
18        (2) The petition shall request that the school board
19    fully intervene in the school and implement one of the
20    following reform measures:
21            (A) Reopen the school as a charter school.
22            (B) Change the school leadership, including
23        without limitation replacing the school principal and
24        any other staff who are relevant to the school's
25        designation as a low-performing school.
26            (C) Close the school and reassign students

 

 

HB6144- 3 -LRB099 15983 NHT 40300 b

1        currently attending the school to another school at the
2        appropriate grade level within the same school
3        district.
4            (D) Adopt a new school governance structure, which
5        may include without limitation requiring the school to
6        report to a turnaround office established by the school
7        board, hiring a turnaround leader who reports directly
8        to the State Board of Education, and entering into an
9        agreement with a person, a for-profit or
10        not-for-profit organization providing educational or
11        other services, or another school district for
12        alternative management of the school.
13        (3) After the parents of at least 51% of the students
14    in the school have signed the petition, the parent who
15    submitted the notice of petition shall submit copies of the
16    signed petition to the State Board of Education and the
17    school board.
18    (c) Upon receiving a copy of a petition signed by the
19parents of at least 51% of the students in a low-performing
20school as provided under subsection (b) of this Section, the
21school board must implement the reform measures requested in
22the petition.
 
23    (105 ILCS 5/34-18.50 new)
24    Sec. 34-18.50. Initiation of school reform by parent
25petition.

 

 

HB6144- 4 -LRB099 15983 NHT 40300 b

1    (a) In this Section, "low-performing school" means a public
2school designated as a low-performing school by the State Board
3of Education based on the following criteria:
4        (1) Among all students in that school to whom a State
5    assessment was administered under Section 2-3.64a-5 of
6    this Code, the percentage of students scoring in the
7    partially proficient range in both the language arts and
8    mathematics subject areas of the State assessments
9    exceeded 40% in each of the prior 2 school years.
10        (2) Among all students in that school to whom a State
11    assessment was administered under Section 2-3.64a-5 of
12    this Code, the percentage of students scoring in the
13    partially proficient range in either the language arts or
14    mathematics subject area of the State assessments exceeded
15    65% in each of the prior 2 school years.
16A school shall continue to meet the definition of
17"low-performing school" and the State Board of Education shall
18continue to designate the school as a low-performing school
19until such time as the percentage of students scoring in the
20partially proficient range in both the language arts and
21mathematics subject areas of the State assessments is less than
22or equal to the statewide percentage of students scoring in the
23partially proficient range.
24    (b) The parents of at least 51% of students in a
25low-performing school may initiate reform measures at the
26school under this Section through the submission of a parent

 

 

HB6144- 5 -LRB099 15983 NHT 40300 b

1petition to the board. The petition process shall be as
2follows:
3        (1) A parent must submit a notice of petition notifying
4    the school that a petition is being formed. The State Board
5    of Education shall create a uniform notice of petition form
6    and shall make that form available on its Internet website.
7        (2) The petition shall request that the board fully
8    intervene in the school and implement one of the following
9    reform measures:
10            (A) Reopen the school as a charter school.
11            (B) Change the school leadership, including
12        without limitation replacing the school principal and
13        any other staff who are relevant to the school's
14        designation as a low-performing school.
15            (C) Close the school and reassign students
16        currently attending the school to another school at the
17        appropriate grade level within the school district.
18            (D) Adopt a new school governance structure, which
19        may include without limitation requiring the school to
20        report to a turnaround office established by the board,
21        hiring a turnaround leader who reports directly to the
22        State Board of Education, and entering into an
23        agreement with a person, a for-profit or
24        not-for-profit organization providing educational or
25        other services, or another school district for
26        alternative management of the school.

 

 

HB6144- 6 -LRB099 15983 NHT 40300 b

1        (3) After the parents of at least 51% of the students
2    in the school have signed the petition, the parent who
3    submitted the notice of petition shall submit copies of the
4    signed petition to the State Board of Education and the
5    board.
6    (c) Upon receiving a copy of a petition signed by the
7parents of at least 51% of the students in a low-performing
8school as provided under subsection (b) of this Section, the
9board must implement the reform measures requested in the
10petition.