102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB3845

 

Introduced 1/21/2022, by Sen. Adriane Johnson

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/22-90

    Amends the School Code. In regard to the Whole Child Task Force, requires that the goals of the Task Force must also include (i) ensuring that historically disadvantaged males, including African American students and other students of color, receive academic equity and achieve academic excellence by considering whether to require that every school district's strategic plan focus on historically disadvantaged male students, including African American students and other students of color, as a specific student group to ensure educational equity and (ii) considering whether to establish a dedicated office within the State Board of Education to focus on the achievement of academic excellence and equity for historically disadvantaged males, including African American students and other students of color. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB3845LRB102 21812 NHT 35054 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 changing Section
522-90 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/22-90)
7    (Section scheduled to be repealed on February 1, 2023)
8    Sec. 22-90. Whole Child Task Force.
9    (a) The General Assembly makes all of the following
10findings:
11        (1) The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed systemic
12    inequities in American society. Students, educators, and
13    families throughout this State have been deeply affected
14    by the pandemic, and the impact of the pandemic will be
15    felt for years to come. The negative consequences of the
16    pandemic have impacted students and communities
17    differently along the lines of race, income, language, and
18    special needs. However, students in this State faced
19    significant unmet physical health, mental health, and
20    social and emotional needs even prior to the pandemic.
21        (2) The path to recovery requires a commitment from
22    adults in this State to address our students cultural,
23    physical, emotional, and mental health needs and to

 

 

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1    provide them with stronger and increased systemic support
2    and intervention.
3        (3) It is well documented that trauma and toxic stress
4    diminish a child's ability to thrive. Forms of childhood
5    trauma and toxic stress include adverse childhood
6    experiences, systemic racism, poverty, food and housing
7    insecurity, and gender-based violence. The COVID-19
8    pandemic has exacerbated these issues and brought them
9    into focus.
10        (4) It is estimated that, overall, approximately 40%
11    of children in this State have experienced at least one
12    adverse childhood experience and approximately 10% have
13    experienced 3 or more adverse childhood experiences.
14    However, the number of adverse childhood experiences is
15    higher for Black and Hispanic children who are growing up
16    in poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the number
17    of students who have experienced childhood trauma. Also,
18    the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted preexisting
19    inequities in school disciplinary practices that
20    disproportionately impact Black and Brown students.
21    Research shows, for example, that girls of color are
22    disproportionately impacted by trauma, adversity, and
23    abuse, and instead of receiving the care and
24    trauma-informed support they may need, many Black girls in
25    particular face disproportionately harsh disciplinary
26    measures.

 

 

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1        (5) The cumulative effects of trauma and toxic stress
2    adversely impact the physical health of students, as well
3    as their ability to learn, form relationships, and
4    self-regulate. If left unaddressed, these effects increase
5    a student's risk for depression, alcoholism, anxiety,
6    asthma, smoking, and suicide, all of which are risks that
7    disproportionately affect Black youth and may lead to a
8    host of medical diseases as an adult. Access to infant and
9    early childhood mental health services is critical to
10    ensure the social and emotional well-being of this State's
11    youngest children, particularly those children who have
12    experienced trauma.
13        (6) Although this State enacted measures through
14    Public Act 100-105 to address the high rate of early care
15    and preschool expulsions of infants, toddlers, and
16    preschoolers and the disproportionately higher rate of
17    expulsion for Black and Hispanic children, a recent study
18    found a wide variation in the awareness, understanding,
19    and compliance with the law by providers of early
20    childhood care. Further work is needed to implement the
21    law, which includes providing training to early childhood
22    care providers to increase their understanding of the law,
23    increasing the availability and access to infant and early
24    childhood mental health services, and building aligned
25    data collection systems to better understand expulsion
26    rates and to allow for accurate reporting as required by

 

 

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1    the law.
2        (7) Many educators and schools in this State have
3    embraced and implemented evidenced-based restorative
4    justice and trauma-responsive and culturally relevant
5    practices and interventions. However, the use of these
6    interventions on students is often isolated or is
7    implemented occasionally and only if the school has the
8    appropriate leadership, resources, and partners available
9    to engage seriously in this work. It would be malpractice
10    to deny our students access to these practices and
11    interventions, especially in the aftermath of a
12    once-in-a-century pandemic.
13    (b) The Whole Child Task Force is created for the purpose
14of establishing an equitable, inclusive, safe, and supportive
15environment in all schools for every student in this State.
16The task force shall have all of the following goals, which
17means key steps have to be taken to ensure that every child in
18every school in this State has access to teachers, social
19workers, school leaders, support personnel, and others who
20have been trained in evidenced-based interventions and
21restorative practices:
22        (1) To create a common definition of a
23    trauma-responsive school, a trauma-responsive district,
24    and a trauma-responsive community.
25        (2) To outline the training and resources required to
26    create and sustain a system of support for

 

 

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1    trauma-responsive schools, districts, and communities and
2    to identify this State's role in that work, including
3    recommendations concerning options for redirecting
4    resources from school resource officers to classroom-based
5    support.
6        (3) To identify or develop a process to conduct an
7    analysis of the organizations that provide training in
8    restorative practices, implicit bias, anti-racism, and
9    trauma-responsive systems, mental health services, and
10    social and emotional services to schools.
11        (4) To provide recommendations concerning the key data
12    to be collected and reported to ensure that this State has
13    a full and accurate understanding of the progress toward
14    ensuring that all schools, including programs and
15    providers of care to pre-kindergarten children, employ
16    restorative, anti-racist, and trauma-responsive
17    strategies and practices. The data collected must include
18    information relating to the availability of trauma
19    responsive support structures in schools as well as
20    disciplinary practices employed on students in person or
21    through other means, including during remote or blended
22    learning. It should also include information on the use
23    of, and funding for, school resource officers and other
24    similar police personnel in school programs.
25        (5) To recommend an implementation timeline, including
26    the key roles, responsibilities, and resources to advance

 

 

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1    this State toward a system in which every school,
2    district, and community is progressing toward becoming
3    trauma-responsive.
4        (6) To seek input and feedback from stakeholders,
5    including parents, students, and educators, who reflect
6    the diversity of this State.
7        (7) To recommend legislation, policies, and practices
8    to prevent learning loss in students during periods of
9    suspension and expulsion, including, but not limited to,
10    remote instruction.
11        (8) To ensure that historically disadvantaged males,
12    including African American students and other students of
13    color, receive academic equity and achieve academic
14    excellence by considering whether to require that every
15    school district's strategic plan focus on historically
16    disadvantaged male students, including African American
17    students and other students of color, as a specific
18    student group to ensure educational equity.
19        (9) To consider whether to establish a dedicated
20    office within the State Board of Education to focus on the
21    achievement of academic excellence and equity for
22    historically disadvantaged males, including African
23    American students and other students of color.
24    (c) Members of the Whole Child Task Force shall be
25appointed by the State Superintendent of Education. Members of
26this task force must represent the diversity of this State and

 

 

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1possess the expertise needed to perform the work required to
2meet the goals of the task force set forth under subsection
3(a). Members of the task force shall include all of the
4following:
5        (1) One member of a statewide professional teachers'
6    organization.
7        (2) One member of another statewide professional
8    teachers' organization.
9        (3) One member who represents a school district
10    serving a community with a population of 500,000 or more.
11        (4) One member of a statewide organization
12    representing social workers.
13        (5) One member of an organization that has specific
14    expertise in trauma-responsive school practices and
15    experience in supporting schools in developing
16    trauma-responsive and restorative practices.
17        (6) One member of another organization that has
18    specific expertise in trauma-responsive school practices
19    and experience in supporting schools in developing
20    trauma-responsive and restorative practices.
21        (7) One member of a statewide organization that
22    represents school administrators.
23        (8) One member of a statewide policy organization that
24    works to build a healthy public education system that
25    prepares all students for a successful college, career,
26    and civic life.

 

 

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1        (9) One member of a statewide organization that brings
2    teachers together to identify and address issues critical
3    to student success.
4        (10) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
5    the President of the Senate.
6        (11) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
7    the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
8        (12) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
9    the Minority Leader of the Senate.
10        (13) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
11    the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
12        (14) One member of a civil rights organization that
13    works actively on issues regarding student support.
14        (15) One administrator from a school district that has
15    actively worked to develop a system of student support
16    that uses a trauma-informed lens.
17        (16) One educator from a school district that has
18    actively worked to develop a system of student support
19    that uses a trauma-informed lens.
20        (17) One member of a youth-led organization.
21        (18) One member of an organization that has
22    demonstrated expertise in restorative practices.
23        (19) One member of a coalition of mental health and
24    school practitioners who assist schools in developing and
25    implementing trauma-informed and restorative strategies
26    and systems.

 

 

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1        (20) One member of an organization whose mission is to
2    promote the safety, health, and economic success of
3    children, youth, and families in this State.
4        (21) One member who works or has worked as a
5    restorative justice coach or disciplinarian.
6        (22) One member who works or has worked as a social
7    worker.
8        (23) One member of the State Board of Education.
9        (24) One member who represents a statewide principals'
10    organization.
11        (25) One member who represents a statewide
12    organization of school boards.
13        (26) One member who has expertise in pre-kindergarten
14    education.
15        (27) One member who represents a school social worker
16    association.
17        (28) One member who represents an organization that
18    represents school districts in the south suburbs.
19        (29) One member who is a licensed clinical
20    psychologist who (A) has a doctor of philosophy in the
21    field of clinical psychology and has an appointment at an
22    independent free-standing children's hospital located in
23    Chicago, (B) serves as associate professor at a medical
24    school located in Chicago, and (C) serves as the clinical
25    director of a coalition of voluntary collaboration of
26    organizations that are committed to applying a trauma lens

 

 

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1    to their efforts on behalf of families and children in the
2    State.
3        (30) One member who represents a west suburban school
4    district.
5        (31) One member from a governmental agency who has
6    expertise in child development and who is responsible for
7    coordinating early childhood mental health programs and
8    services.
9        (32) One member who has significant expertise in early
10    childhood mental health and childhood trauma.
11        (33) One member who represents an organization that
12    represents school districts in the collar counties.
13        (34) (31) One member who represents an organization
14    representing regional offices of education.
15    (d) The Whole Child Task Force shall meet at the call of
16the State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee,
17who shall serve as the chairperson. The State Board of
18Education shall provide administrative and other support to
19the task force. Members of the task force shall serve without
20compensation.
21    (e) The Whole Child Task Force shall submit a report of its
22findings and recommendations to the General Assembly, the
23Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, the State Board of
24Education, and the Governor on or before March 15, 2022. Upon
25submitting its report, the task force is dissolved.
26    (f) This Section is repealed on February 1, 2023.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21; 102-209, eff. 11-30-21
2(See Section 5 of P.A. 102-671 for effective date of P.A.
3102-209); 102-635, eff. 11-30-21 (See Section 10 of P.A.
4102-671 for effective date of P.A. 102-635); 102-671, eff.
511-30-21; revised 1-5-22.)
 
6    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
7becoming law.