95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0853

 

Introduced 2/8/2007, by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford - Emil Jones, Jr.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/3-15.12   from Ch. 122, par. 3-15.12

    Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning a high school equivalency testing program.


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A BILL FOR

 

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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 Section
5 3-15.12 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/3-15.12)  (from Ch. 122, par. 3-15.12)
7     Sec. 3-15.12. High school equivalency testing program. The
8 The regional superintendent of schools shall make available for
9 qualified individuals residing within the region a High School
10 Equivalency Testing Program. For that purpose the regional
11 superintendent alone or with other regional superintendents
12 may establish and supervise a testing center or centers to
13 administer the secure forms of the high school level Test of
14 General Educational Development to qualified persons. Such
15 centers shall be under the supervision of the regional
16 superintendent in whose region such centers are located,
17 subject to the approval of the President of the Illinois
18 Community College Board.
19     An individual is eligible to apply to the regional
20 superintendent of schools for the region in which he resides if
21 he is: (a) a person who is 18 years of age or older, has
22 maintained residence in the State of Illinois and is not a high
23 school graduate, but whose high school class has graduated; (b)

 

 

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1 a member of the armed forces of the United States on active
2 duty who is 17 years of age or older and who is stationed in
3 Illinois or is a legal resident of Illinois; (c) a ward of the
4 Department of Corrections who is 17 years of age or older or an
5 inmate confined in any branch of the Illinois State
6 Penitentiary or in a county correctional facility who is 17
7 years of age or older; (d) a female who is 17 years of age or
8 older who is unable to attend school because she is either
9 pregnant or the mother of one or more children; (e) a male 17
10 years of age or older who is unable to attend school because he
11 is a father of one or more children; (f) a person who is
12 successfully completing an alternative education program under
13 Section 2-3.81, Article 13A, or Article 13B; (g) a person who
14 is enrolled in a youth education program sponsored by the
15 Illinois National Guard; or (h) a person who is 17 years of age
16 or older who has been a dropout for a period of at least one
17 year. For purposes of this Section, residence is that abode
18 which the applicant considers his home. Applicants may provide
19 as sufficient proof of such residence a picture identification
20 card and two pieces of correctly addressed and postmarked mail.
21 Such regional superintendent shall determine if the applicant
22 meets statutory and regulatory state standards. If qualified
23 the applicant shall at the time of such application pay a fee
24 established by the Illinois Community College Board, which fee
25 shall be paid into a special fund under the control and
26 supervision of the regional superintendent. Such moneys

 

 

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1 received by the regional superintendent shall be used, first,
2 for the expenses incurred in administering and scoring the
3 examination, and next for other educational programs that are
4 developed and designed by the regional superintendent of
5 schools to assist those who successfully complete the high
6 school level test of General Education Development in
7 furthering their academic development or their ability to
8 secure and retain gainful employment, including programs for
9 the competitive award based on test scores of college or adult
10 education scholarship grants or similar educational
11 incentives. Any excess moneys shall be paid into the institute
12 fund.
13     Any applicant who has achieved the minimum passing
14 standards as established by the Illinois Community College
15 Board shall be notified in writing by the regional
16 superintendent and shall be issued a high school equivalency
17 certificate on the forms provided by the Illinois Community
18 College Board. The regional superintendent shall then certify
19 to the Illinois Community College Board the score of the
20 applicant and such other and additional information that may be
21 required by the Illinois Community College Board. The moneys
22 received therefrom shall be used in the same manner as provided
23 for in this Section.
24     Any applicant who has attained the age of 18 years and
25 maintained residence in the State of Illinois and is not a high
26 school graduate but whose high school class has graduated, any

 

 

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1 ward of the Department of Corrections who has attained the age
2 of 17 years, any inmate confined in any branch of the Illinois
3 State Penitentiary or in a county correctional facility who has
4 attained the age of 17 years, any member of the armed forces of
5 the United States on active duty who has attained the age of 17
6 years and who is stationed in Illinois or is a legal resident
7 of Illinois, any female who has attained the age of 17 years
8 and is either pregnant or the mother of one or more children,
9 any male who has attained the age of 17 years and is the father
10 of one or more children, or any person who has successfully
11 completed an alternative education program under Section
12 2-3.81, Article 13A, or Article 13B is eligible to apply for a
13 high school equivalency certificate (if he or she meets the
14 requirements prescribed by the Illinois Community College
15 Board) upon showing evidence that he or she has completed,
16 successfully, the high school level General Educational
17 Development Tests, administered by the United States Armed
18 Forces Institute, official GED Centers established in other
19 states, or at Veterans' Administration Hospitals or the office
20 of the State Superintendent of Education administered for the
21 Illinois State Penitentiary System and the Department of
22 Corrections. Such applicant shall apply to the regional
23 superintendent of the region wherein he has maintained
24 residence, and upon payment of a fee established by the
25 Illinois Community College Board the regional superintendent
26 shall issue a high school equivalency certificate, and

 

 

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1 immediately thereafter certify to the Illinois Community
2 College Board the score of the applicant and such other and
3 additional information as may be required by the Illinois
4 Community College Board.
5     Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, any
6 applicant who has been out of school for at least one year may
7 request the regional superintendent of schools to administer
8 the restricted GED test upon written request of: The director
9 of a program who certifies to the Chief Examiner of an official
10 GED center that the applicant has completed a program of
11 instruction provided by such agencies as the Job Corps, the
12 Postal Service Academy or apprenticeship training program; an
13 employer or program director for purposes of entry into
14 apprenticeship programs; another State Department of Education
15 in order to meet regulations established by that Department of
16 Education, a post high school educational institution for
17 purposes of admission, the Department of Professional
18 Regulation for licensing purposes, or the Armed Forces for
19 induction purposes. The regional superintendent shall
20 administer such test and the applicant shall be notified in
21 writing that he is eligible to receive the Illinois High School
22 Equivalency Certificate upon reaching age 18, provided he meets
23 the standards established by the Illinois Community College
24 Board.
25     Any test administered under this Section to an applicant
26 who does not speak and understand English may at the discretion

 

 

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1 of the administering agency be given and answered in any
2 language in which the test is printed. The regional
3 superintendent of schools may waive any fees required by this
4 Section in case of hardship.
5     In counties of over 3,000,000 population a GED certificate
6 shall contain the signatures of the President of the Illinois
7 Community College Board, the superintendent, president or
8 other chief executive officer of the institution where GED
9 instruction occurred and any other signatures authorized by the
10 Illinois Community College Board.
11     The regional superintendent of schools shall furnish the
12 Illinois Community College Board with any information that the
13 Illinois Community College Board requests with regard to
14 testing and certificates under this Section.
15 (Source: P.A. 94-108, eff. 7-1-05.)