Elementary & Secondary Education Committee

Filed: 3/5/2008

 

 


 

 


 
09500HB4705ham001 LRB095 15943 NHT 47539 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4705

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4705 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4     "Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
5 2-3.71 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/2-3.71)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71)
7     Sec. 2-3.71. Grants for preschool educational programs.
8     (a) Preschool program.
9         (1) The State Board of Education shall implement and
10     administer a grant program under the provisions of this
11     subsection which shall consist of grants to public school
12     districts and other eligible entities, as defined by the
13     State Board of Education, to conduct voluntary preschool
14     educational programs for children ages 3 to 5 which include
15     a parent education component. A public school district
16     which receives grants under this subsection may

 

 

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1     subcontract with other entities that are eligible to
2     conduct a preschool educational program. These grants must
3     be used to supplement, not supplant, funds received from
4     any other source.
5         (2) (Blank).
6         (3) Any teacher of preschool children in the program
7     authorized by this subsection shall hold an early childhood
8     teaching certificate.
9         (4) This paragraph (4) applies before July 1, 2006 and
10     after June 30, 2010 2008. The State Board of Education
11     shall provide the primary source of funding through
12     appropriations for the program. Such funds shall be
13     distributed for the benefit of children who because of
14     their home and community environment are subject to such
15     language, cultural, economic and like disadvantages that
16     they have been determined as a result of screening
17     procedures to be at risk of academic failure. Such
18     screening procedures shall be based on criteria
19     established by the State Board of Education.
20         (4.5) This paragraph (4.5) applies from July 1, 2006
21     through June 30, 2010 2008. The State Board of Education
22     shall provide the primary source of funding through
23     appropriations for the program. Such funds shall be
24     distributed to achieve a goal of "Preschool for All
25     Children" for the benefit of all children whose families
26     choose to participate in the program. Based on available

 

 

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1     appropriations, newly funded programs shall be selected
2     through a process giving first priority to qualified
3     programs serving primarily at-risk children and second
4     priority to qualified programs serving primarily children
5     with a family income of less than 4 times the poverty
6     guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by
7     the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the
8     authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). For purposes of this
9     paragraph (4.5), at-risk children are those who because of
10     their home and community environment are subject to such
11     language, cultural, economic and like disadvantages to
12     cause them to have been determined as a result of screening
13     procedures to be at risk of academic failure. Such
14     screening procedures shall be based on criteria
15     established by the State Board of Education.
16         On or before November 1 of each fiscal year in which
17     the General Assembly provides funding for new programs
18     under this paragraph (4.5), the State Board of Education
19     shall report to the General Assembly on what percentage of
20     new funding was provided to programs serving primarily
21     at-risk children, what percentage of new funding was
22     provided to programs serving primarily children with a
23     family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty
24     level, and what percentage of new funding was provided to
25     other programs.
26         (5) The State Board of Education shall develop and

 

 

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1     provide evaluation tools, including tests, that school
2     districts and other eligible entities may use to evaluate
3     children for school readiness prior to age 5. The State
4     Board of Education shall require school districts and other
5     eligible entities to obtain consent from the parents or
6     guardians of children before any evaluations are
7     conducted. The State Board of Education shall encourage
8     local school districts and other eligible entities to
9     evaluate the population of preschool children in their
10     communities and provide preschool programs, pursuant to
11     this subsection, where appropriate.
12         (6) The State Board of Education shall report to the
13     General Assembly by November 1, 2010 July 1, 2007 and every
14     3 years thereafter on the results and progress of students
15     who were enrolled in preschool educational programs,
16     including an assessment of which programs have been most
17     successful in promoting academic excellence and
18     alleviating academic failure. The State Board of Education
19     shall assess the academic progress of all students who have
20     been enrolled in preschool educational programs.
21         On or before November 1 of each fiscal year in which
22     the General Assembly provides funding for new programs
23     under paragraph (4.5) of this Section, the State Board of
24     Education shall report to the General Assembly on what
25     percentage of new funding was provided to programs serving
26     primarily at-risk children, what percentage of new funding

 

 

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1     was provided to programs serving primarily children with a
2     family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty
3     level, and what percentage of new funding was provided to
4     other programs.
5     (b) (Blank).
6 (Source: P.A. 94-506, eff. 8-8-05; 94-1054, eff. 7-25-06.)
 
7     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
8 becoming law.".