093_SB0381

 
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 1        AN ACT concerning education.

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

 4        Section 5.   The  School  Code  is  amended  by  changing
 5    Section 1D-1 and adding Section 2-3.51a as follows:

 6        (105 ILCS 5/1D-1)
 7        Sec. 1D-1.  Block grant funding.
 8        (a)  For   fiscal   year   1996   and  each  fiscal  year
 9    thereafter, the State Board of Education  shall  award  to  a
10    school   district   having  a  population  exceeding  500,000
11    inhabitants  a  general  education   block   grant   and   an
12    educational  services  block grant, determined as provided in
13    this  Section,  in  lieu  of  distributing  to  the  district
14    separate  State  funding  for  the  programs   described   in
15    subsections  (b)  and  (c).   The provisions of this Section,
16    however, do not apply to any federal funds that the  district
17    is  entitled  to receive.  In accordance with Section 2-3.32,
18    all block grants are subject to an audit.   Therefore,  block
19    grant receipts and block grant expenditures shall be recorded
20    to the appropriate fund code for the designated block grant.
21        (b)  The  general education block grant shall include the
22    following programs: REI Initiative, Summer Bridges, Preschool
23    At Risk, K-6 Comprehensive Arts, School Improvement  Support,
24    Urban   Education,   Scientific   Literacy,  Substance  Abuse
25    Prevention,  Second  Language  Planning,  Staff  Development,
26    Outcomes and Assessment, K-6  Reading  Improvement,  Truants'
27    Optional Education, Hispanic Programs, Agriculture Education,
28    Gifted  Education, Parental Education, Prevention Initiative,
29    Report  Cards,  and   Criminal   Background   Investigations.
30    Notwithstanding  any other provision of law, all amounts paid
31    under  the  general  education   block   grant   from   State
 
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 1    appropriations  to  a  school  district  in  a  city having a
 2    population   exceeding   500,000   inhabitants    shall    be
 3    appropriated  and  expended by the board of that district for
 4    any of the programs included in the block grant or any of the
 5    board's lawful purposes.
 6        (c)  The educational services block grant  shall  include
 7    the  following  programs:  Bilingual,  Regular and Vocational
 8    Transportation,  State  Lunch  and  Free  Breakfast  Program,
 9    Special Education (Personnel, Extraordinary,  Transportation,
10    Orphanage,   Private  Tuition),  Summer  School,  Educational
11    Service   Centers,   and   Administrator's   Academy.    This
12    subsection  (c)  does  not  relieve  the  district   of   its
13    obligation  to  provide the services required under a program
14    that is included within the educational services block grant.
15    It is the intention of the General Assembly in  enacting  the
16    provisions  of this subsection (c) to relieve the district of
17    the  administrative  burdens  that  impede   efficiency   and
18    accompany   single-program  funding.   The  General  Assembly
19    encourages the board to pursue mandate  waivers  pursuant  to
20    Section 2-3.25g.
21        (d)  For   fiscal   year   1996   and  each  fiscal  year
22    thereafter, the amount of the district's block  grants  shall
23    be  determined  as  follows: (i) with respect to each program
24    that is included within each block grant, the district  shall
25    receive an amount equal to the same percentage of the current
26    fiscal  year  appropriation  made  for  that  program  as the
27    percentage of the appropriation received by the district from
28    the 1995 fiscal year appropriation made for that program, and
29    (ii) the total amount that is  due  the  district  under  the
30    block  grant  shall  be the aggregate of the amounts that the
31    district is entitled to receive  for  the  fiscal  year  with
32    respect  to  each  program  that is included within the block
33    grant that the State  Board  of  Education  shall  award  the
34    district  under  this  Section  for that fiscal year.  In the
 
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 1    case of  the  Summer  Bridges  program,  the  amount  of  the
 2    district's block grant shall be equal to 44% of the amount of
 3    the current fiscal year appropriation made for that program.
 4        (e)  The district is not required to file any application
 5    or  other claim in order to receive the block grants to which
 6    it is  entitled  under  this  Section.  The  State  Board  of
 7    Education  shall make payments to the district of amounts due
 8    under the district's block grants on a schedule determined by
 9    the State Board of Education.
10        (f)  A school district  to  which  this  Section  applies
11    shall  report  to  the State Board of Education on its use of
12    the block grants in such form and detail as the  State  Board
13    of Education may specify.
14        (g)  This  paragraph  provides for the treatment of block
15    grants under Article  1C  for  purposes  of  calculating  the
16    amount  of  block  grants  for a district under this Section.
17    Those block grants under Article 1C are,  for  this  purpose,
18    treated  as  included  in the amount of appropriation for the
19    various programs set  forth  in  paragraph  (b)  above.   The
20    appropriation  in  each  current  fiscal  year for each block
21    grant under Article 1C shall be treated for these purposes as
22    appropriations for the individual program  included  in  that
23    block grant.  The proportion of each block grant so allocated
24    to  each  such program included in it shall be the proportion
25    which  the  appropriation  for  that  program  was   of   all
26    appropriations  for such purposes now in that block grant, in
27    fiscal 1995.
28        Payments to the school district under this  Section  with
29    respect   to  each  program  for  which  payments  to  school
30    districts generally, as of the date of this amendatory Act of
31    the 92nd General Assembly, are on a reimbursement basis shall
32    continue to be made to the district on a reimbursement basis,
33    pursuant to the  provisions  of  this  Code  governing  those
34    programs.
 
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 1        (h)  Notwithstanding  any  other  provision  of  law, any
 2    school district receiving a block grant  under  this  Section
 3    may  classify  all or a portion of the funds that it receives
 4    in a particular fiscal year from any block  grant  authorized
 5    under this Code or from general State aid pursuant to Section
 6    18-8.05  of  this Code (other than supplemental general State
 7    aid) as funds received in connection with any funding program
 8    for which it is entitled to receive funds from the  State  in
 9    that  fiscal year (including, without limitation, any funding
10    program referred to  in  subsection  (c)  of  this  Section),
11    regardless  of  the  source  or  timing  of the receipt.  The
12    district may not classify more funds  as  funds  received  in
13    connection  with  the  funding  program  than the district is
14    entitled to receive in that fiscal  year  for  that  program.
15    Any classification by a district must be made by a resolution
16    of  its board of education.  The resolution must identify the
17    amount of  any  block  grant  or  general  State  aid  to  be
18    classified  under  this  subsection  (h) and must specify the
19    funding program to which the  funds  are  to  be  treated  as
20    received   in   connection  therewith.   This  resolution  is
21    controlling as to  the  classification  of  funds  referenced
22    therein.   A certified copy of the resolution must be sent to
23    the State Superintendent of Education. The  resolution  shall
24    still  take  effect  even though a copy of the resolution has
25    not been sent to the State Superintendent of Education  in  a
26    timely  manner.   No classification under this subsection (h)
27    by a district shall affect the  total  amount  or  timing  of
28    money  the  district  is entitled to receive under this Code.
29    No classification under this subsection  (h)  by  a  district
30    shall  in  any  way  relieve  the district from or affect any
31    requirements that otherwise would apply with respect  to  the
32    block  grant  as  provided  in  this  Section,  including any
33    accounting of funds  by  source,  reporting  expenditures  by
34    original  source  and  purpose,  reporting  requirements,  or
 
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 1    requirements of provision of services.
 2    (Source:  P.A.  91-711,  eff.  7-1-00;  92-568, eff. 6-26-02;
 3    92-651, eff. 7-11-02.)

 4        (105 ILCS 5/2-3.51a new)
 5        Sec. 2-3.51a.  Reading improvement grants.
 6        (a)  Beginning with the 2003-2004 school year, the  State
 7    Board  of  Education,  from a separate appropriation made for
 8    the purposes of this Section, shall make reading  improvement
 9    grants  to  school  districts in order to improve the reading
10    and study skills of students in kindergarten through  twelfth
11    grade.  The State Board may use up to 2% of the appropriation
12    for  the purpose of providing teacher training and retraining
13    in the teaching of reading.  The  remaining  funds  shall  be
14    distributed to school districts as follows:
15             (1)  Up  to the first $5,000,000 in new funds in the
16        2003-2004 school year shall be distributed  to  districts
17        serving  grades  7  through  12.   Of the funds allocated
18        under this paragraph (1), 70% shall be distributed on the
19        basis of each district's share of the prior year's best 3
20        months average daily attendance in those grades  and  30%
21        shall  be  distributed  on  the  basis of each district's
22        share  of  the  prior  year's  number   of   economically
23        disadvantaged (ESEA Title I) pupils in those grades.
24             (2)  The  remainder  of  the  appropriation shall be
25        distributed to  districts  serving  kindergarten  through
26        grade  6.    Of  the funds allocated under this paragraph
27        (2), 70% shall  be  distributed  on  the  basis  of  each
28        district's  share  of  the  prior  year's  best  3 months
29        average daily attendance in those grades and 30% shall be
30        distributed on the basis of each district's share of  the
31        prior  year's  number of economically disadvantaged (ESEA
32        Title I) pupils in those grades.
33        Grants shall be prorated as necessary for  the  2003-2004
 
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 1    school year to ensure that the grant for each school district
 2    shall  be  no  less than the grant that the district received
 3    during  the  2002-2003  school   year   under   the   Reading
 4    Improvement Block Grant Program.
 5        Program funds shall be distributed to school districts in
 6    2  semi-annual installments, one payment on or before October
 7    30 and one payment on or before April 30, each year.
 8        (b)  A grant shall be awarded  to  each  school  district
 9    submitting  an approved application on a form provided by the
10    State Board of Education.  The application  shall  include  a
11    proposed  assessment  method for measuring the reading growth
12    of students who receive direct instruction as a result of the
13    funding and the impact of  staff  development  activities  on
14    student  growth  in  reading.   Such  methods may include the
15    reading portion of the Illinois Standards Achievement Testing
16    Program.  At the end of each school year, the district  shall
17    report  performance  of  progress results to the State Board.
18    Districts not demonstrating  performance  progress  using  an
19    approved  assessment method shall not be eligible for funding
20    in the third or  subsequent  years  until  such  progress  is
21    established.
22        (c)  Grants  shall  be  used to hire reading specialists,
23    reading teachers, and reading aides in order to provide early
24    reading intervention in  kindergarten  through  grade  2  and
25    programs  of continued reading support for students in grades
26    3 through 12 who need continued  assistance  in  learning  to
27    read   or   in  maintaining  reading  achievement.   Programs
28    provided with grant funds shall not replace quality classroom
29    reading  instruction,  but  shall  instead  supplement   such
30    instruction.    Therefore, funds may be used for professional
31    development for classroom teachers, administrators, and other
32    appropriate staff members on the teaching of reading.   Funds
33    used  for  instruction and staff development must be based on
34    scientifically based reading research and best practices that
 
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 1    demonstrate student growth in reading achievement.   In  this
 2    Section,  the  term  "scientifically  based reading research"
 3    means the application of rigorous, systematic, and  objective
 4    procedures  to  obtain  valid  knowledge  relevant to reading
 5    development, reading instruction, and  reading  difficulties.
 6    The term includes research that employs systematic, empirical
 7    methods  that  draw  on  observation  or experiment, involves
 8    rigorous data analysis that is adequate to  test  the  stated
 9    hypotheses  and  to  justify  the  general conclusions drawn,
10    relies on measurements or observational methods that  provide
11    valid   data  across  evaluators  and  observers  and  across
12    multiple measurements and observations, and has been accepted
13    by  peer-reviewed  journal  or  approved  by   a   panel   of
14    independent  experts through a comparably rigorous, objective
15    and scientific review.
16        Grants shall be used as follows:
17             (1)  In kindergarten  through  second  grade,  funds
18        shall  be  used  to  establish  short-term tutorial early
19        reading intervention programs for  children  who  are  at
20        risk of failing to learn to read.  The programs shall (i)
21        focus on scientifically based research and best practices
22        with  proven long-term results, (ii) identify students in
23        need of help no later than the  middle  of  first  grade,
24        (iii)  provide  ongoing  training  for  teachers  in  the
25        program,   (iv)  focus  instruction  on  strengthening  a
26        student's  phonemic  awareness,  phonics,  fluency,   and
27        comprehension skills, (v) provide a means to document and
28        evaluate   student  growth,  and  (vi)  provide  properly
29        trained staff.
30             (2)  In grades 3 through 6, funds shall be  used  to
31        establish   programs   of   support   for   students  who
32        demonstrate a need for continued assistance  in  learning
33        to  read  and  in maintaining reading achievement.  These
34        programs shall (i) focus on scientifically based research
 
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 1        and best practices with proven  long-term  results,  (ii)
 2        provide  ongoing  training  for  teachers and other staff
 3        members  in  the  program,  (iii)  focus  instruction  on
 4        strengthening   a   student's   phonics,   fluency,   and
 5        comprehension skills in grades 3 through 6, (iv)  provide
 6        a  means to evaluate and document student growth, and (v)
 7        provide properly trained staff.
 8             (3)  In grades K through 6, funds shall be  used  to
 9        provide  classroom  reading materials for students.  Each
10        district shall allocate up to 10% of the funds  for  this
11        purpose if the appropriation exceeds $92,000,000.
12             (4)  In  grades 7 through 12, funds shall be used to
13        establish programs  of  support  for  students  who  need
14        continued   assistance   in   learning  to  read  and  in
15        maintaining reading achievement.   These  programs  shall
16        (i)  focus  on  best  scientifically  based  research and
17        practice with  proven  long-term  results,  (ii)  provide
18        ongoing  training for teachers and other staff members in
19        the program, (iii) focus instruction on  strengthening  a
20        student's  comprehension  of  informational and technical
21        text and study skills, (iv) provide a means  to  evaluate
22        and  document  student progress, and (v) provide properly
23        trained staff.
24             (5)  Funds shall be  used  to  provide  a  long-term
25        professional  development program for classroom teachers,
26        administrators, and other appropriate staff.  The program
27        shall (i) focus on scientifically based research and best
28        practices with proven long-term results, (ii)  provide  a
29        means to evaluate student progress in reading as a result
30        of  the training, (iii) and be provided by approved staff
31        development providers.
32        (d)  The   State   Superintendent   of   Education,    in
33    cooperation  with  the school districts participating in this
34    reading  grant  program,  shall  annually   report   to   the
 
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 1    leadership  of  the  General  Assembly  on the results of the
 2    reading  grant  program  and  the  progress  being  made   on
 3    improving  the  reading  skills  of  students in kindergarten
 4    through twelfth grade.
 5        (e)  The State Board  of  Education  may  promulgate  any
 6    rules necessary for implementation of this Section.

 7        (105 ILCS 5/2-3.51 rep.)
 8        Section  10.   The  School  Code  is amended by repealing
 9    Section 2-3.51.

10        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act  takes  effect  on
11    July 1, 2003.