96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
SB1796

 

Introduced 2/20/2009, by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.66b new

    Amends the School Code. Establishes the Illinois Hope and Opportunity Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program to develop a comprehensive system in this State to re-enroll significant numbers of high school dropouts in programs that will enable them to earn their high school diploma. Requires the State Board of Education to implement and administer the IHOPE Program. Provides that the IHOPE Program shall award grants to educational service regions and the Chicago school district from appropriated funds to assist in establishing instructional programs and other services designed to re-enroll high school dropouts. Provides that the IHOPE Program shall provide incentive grant funds for regional offices of education and the Chicago school district to develop partnerships with school districts, public community colleges, and community groups to build comprehensive plans to re-enroll high school dropouts in their regions or districts. Sets forth requirements for programs funded through the IHOPE Program. Provides for an IHOPE Plan, sub-grants, how funding is distributed, State aid, categories of programming, the evaluation of programs, and rules. Effective July 1, 2009.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1796 LRB096 10970 NHT 21240 b

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 adding Section
5 2-3.66b as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/2-3.66b new)
7     Sec. 2-3.66b. IHOPE Program.
8     (a) There is established the Illinois Hope and Opportunity
9 Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program. The State Board of
10 Education shall implement and administer the IHOPE Program. The
11 goal of the IHOPE Program is to develop a comprehensive system
12 in this State to re-enroll significant numbers of high school
13 dropouts in programs that will enable them to earn their high
14 school diploma.
15      (b) The IHOPE Program shall award grants to educational
16 service regions and a school district organized under Article
17 34 of this Code from appropriated funds to assist in
18 establishing instructional programs and other services
19 designed to re-enroll high school dropouts.
20     The IHOPE Program shall provide incentive grant funds for
21 regional offices of education and a school district organized
22 under Article 34 of this Code to develop partnerships with
23 school districts, public community colleges, and community

 

 

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1 groups to build comprehensive plans to re-enroll high school
2 dropouts in their regions or districts.
3     Programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall allow high
4 school dropouts, up to and including age 21 notwithstanding
5 Section 26-2 of this Code, to re-enroll in an educational
6 program in conformance with rules adopted by the State Board of
7 Education. Programs shall include without limitation
8 comprehensive year-round programming, evening school, summer
9 school, community college courses, adult education, vocational
10 training, work experience, programs to enhance self-concept,
11 and parenting courses. Students in programs funded through the
12 IHOPE Program must meet the graduation requirements specified
13 in Section 27-22 of this Code.
14     (c) In order to be eligible for funding under the IHOPE
15 Program, an interested regional office of education or a school
16 district organized under Article 34 of this Code shall develop
17 an IHOPE Plan to be approved by the State Board of Education.
18 The State Board of Education shall develop rules for the IHOPE
19 Program that shall set forth the requirements for the
20 development of the IHOPE Plan. Each Plan shall involve school
21 districts, public community colleges, and key community
22 programs that work with high school dropouts located in an
23 educational service region or the City of Chicago before the
24 Plan is sent to the State Board for approval. No funds may be
25 distributed to a regional office of education or a school
26 district organized under Article 34 of this Code until the

 

 

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1 State Board has approved the Plan.
2     (d) A regional office of education or a school district
3 organized under Article 34 of this Code may operate its own
4 program funded by the IHOPE Program or enter into a contract
5 with other not-for-profit entities, including school
6 districts, public community colleges, and not-for-profit
7 community-based organizations, to operate a program.
8     A regional office of education or a school district
9 organized under Article 34 of this Code that receives an IHOPE
10 grant from the State Board of Education may provide funds under
11 a sub-grant, as specified in the IHOPE Plan, to other
12 not-for-profit entities to provide services according to the
13 IHOPE Plan that was developed. These other entities may include
14 school districts, public community colleges, or not-for-profit
15 community-based organizations or a cooperative partnership
16 among these entities.
17     (e) In order to distribute funding based upon the need to
18 ensure delivery of programs that will have the greatest impact,
19 IHOPE Program funding must be distributed based upon the
20 proportion of dropouts in the educational service region or
21 school district, in the case of a school district organized
22 under Article 34 of this Code, to the total number of dropouts
23 in this State. This formula shall employ the dropout data
24 provided by school districts to the State Board of Education.
25     A regional office of education or a school district
26 organized under Article 34 of this Code may claim State aid

 

 

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1 under Section 18-8.05 of this Code for students enrolled in a
2 program funded by the IHOPE Program, provided that these
3 students are receiving services that lead to a high school
4 diploma and are otherwise eligible to be claimed for general
5 State aid under Section 18-8.05 of this Code.
6     (f) IHOPE categories of programming may include the
7 following:
8         (1) Full-time programs that are comprehensive,
9     year-round programs.
10         (2) Part-time programs combining work and study
11     scheduled at various times that are flexible to the needs
12     of students.
13         (3) Online programs and courses in which students take
14     courses and complete on-site, supervised tests that
15     measure the student's mastery of a specific course needed
16     for graduation. Students may take courses online and earn
17     credit or students may prepare to take supervised tests for
18     specific courses for credit leading to receipt of a high
19     school diploma.
20         (4) Dual enrollment in which students attend high
21     school classes in combination with community college
22     classes or students attend community college classes while
23     simultaneously earning high school credit and eventually a
24     high school diploma.
25     (g) In order to have successful comprehensive programs
26 re-enrolling and graduating low-skilled high school dropouts,

 

 

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1 programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall include all of
2 the following components:
3         (1) Small programs (70 to 100 students) at a separate
4     school site with a distinct identity. Programs may be
5     larger with specific need and justification, keeping in
6     mind that it is crucial to keep programs small to be
7     effective.
8         (2) Specific performance-based goals and outcomes and
9     measures of enrollment, attendance, skills, credits,
10     graduation, and the transition to college, training, and
11     employment.
12         (3) Strong, experienced leadership and teaching staff
13     who are provided with ongoing professional development.
14         (4) Voluntary enrollment.
15         (5) Positive peer culture with a family atmosphere of
16     cooperative support and with respect and responsibility as
17     key values for students, faculty, staff, parents, and
18     community members.
19         (6) High standards for student learning, integrating
20     work experience, and education, including during the
21     school year and after school, and summer school programs
22     that link internships, work, and learning.
23         (7) Comprehensive programs providing extensive support
24     services.
25         (8) Small teams of students supported by full-time paid
26     mentors who work to retain and help those students

 

 

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1     graduate.
2         (9) A comprehensive technology learning center with
3     Internet access and broad-based curriculum focusing on
4     academic and career subject areas.
5         (10) Learning opportunities that incorporate action
6     into study.
7     (h) Programs funded through the IHOPE Program must be
8 evaluated by the State Board of Education using the following
9 criteria, measuring individual student, individual program,
10 overall student, and overall program progress:
11         (1) Enrollment. Programs shall report monthly and
12     yearly enrollment levels, measuring student continuity.
13         (2) Attendance. Programs shall report individual
14     student and total student monthly and yearly attendance.
15         (3) Skill gains. The skill gains of each re-enrolled
16     student must be measured, as well as data collected about
17     the skills gained by all students in an individual program
18     and for the project as a whole.
19         (4) Credit gains. The credit gains of each re-enrolled
20     student must be measured, as well as data collected about
21     the credits gained for all students in the individual
22     program and for the project as a whole.
23         (5) Promotions. Individual re-enrolled student
24     promotions (freshmen who became sophomores, sophomores who
25     became juniors, and juniors who became seniors) must be
26     measured.

 

 

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1         (6) Graduation. The graduation rate must be determined
2     for each individual program and the project as a whole,
3     providing the number of students who graduate for each. A
4     reasonable percentage range must be based upon the
5     difficulty and high-risk status of the students who are
6     re-enrolled.
7         (7) Transition. The transition of students to
8     post-secondary education (community college, 4-year
9     college, graduate school), employment, career and
10     technical education, and military service must be
11     measured.
12     (i) Rules must be developed by the State Board of Education
13 to set forth the fund distribution process to regional offices
14 of education and a school district organized under Article 34
15 of this Code, the planning and the conditions upon which an
16 IHOPE Plan would be approved by State Board, and other rules to
17 develop the IHOPE Program.
 
18     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
19 2009.