98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB0614
 
Introduced 1/24/2013, by Sen. John J. Cullerton
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
  
105 ILCS 5/2-3.71  from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71

    Amends the School Code.  Makes a technical change in a Section concerning
grants for preschool education programs.



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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, 
3represented in the General Assembly: 

 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 
52-3.71 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
The State Board of Education shall implement 
10    and 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 
17    subcontract with other entities that are eligible to 
18    conduct a preschool educational
program. These grants must 
19    be used to supplement, not supplant, funds received from 
20    any other source.

21        (2) (Blank).


22        (3) Any teacher of preschool children in the program 
23    authorized by this
subsection shall hold an early childhood 
 
 
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1    teaching certificate.


2        (4) (Blank).


3        (4.5)  The State Board of Education shall provide the 
4    primary source of
funding through appropriations for the 
5    program.
Such funds shall be distributed to achieve a goal 
6    of "Preschool for All Children" for the benefit
of all 
7    children whose families choose to participate in the 
8    program.  Based on available appropriations, newly funded 
9    programs shall be selected through a process giving first 
10    priority to qualified programs serving primarily at-risk 
11    children and second priority to qualified programs serving 
12    primarily children with a family income of less than 4 
13    times the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the 
14    Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
15    Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2).  For 
16    purposes of this paragraph (4.5), at-risk children are 
17    those who because of their home and community environment 
18    are subject
to such language, cultural, economic and like 
19    disadvantages to cause them to have
been determined as a 
20    result of screening procedures to be at risk of
academic 
21    failure.  Such screening procedures shall be based on 
22    criteria
established by the State Board of Education.
23        Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (4.5), 
24    grantees under the program must enter into a memorandum of 
25    understanding with the appropriate local Head Start 
26    agency.  This memorandum must be entered into no later than 
 
 
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1    3 months after the award of a grantee's grant under the 
2    program, except that, in the case of the 2009-2010 program 
3    year, the memorandum must be entered into no later than the 
4    deadline set by the State Board of Education for 
5    applications to participate in the program in fiscal year 
6    2011, and must address collaboration between the grantee's 
7    program and the local Head Start agency on certain issues, 
8    which shall include without limitation the following:
9            (A) educational activities, curricular objectives, 
10        and instruction;
11            (B) public information dissemination and access to 
12        programs for families contacting programs;
13            (C) service areas;
14            (D) selection priorities for eligible children to 
15        be served by programs;
16            (E) maximizing the impact of federal and State 
17        funding to benefit young children;
18            (F) staff training, including opportunities for 
19        joint staff training;
20            (G) technical assistance;
21            (H) communication and parent outreach for smooth 
22        transitions to kindergarten;
23            (I) provision and use of facilities, 
24        transportation, and other program elements;
25            (J) facilitating each program's fulfillment of its 
26        statutory and regulatory requirements;
 
 
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1            (K) improving local planning and collaboration; 
2        and
3            (L) providing comprehensive services for the 
4        neediest Illinois children and families.
5    If the appropriate local Head Start agency is unable or 
6    unwilling to enter into a memorandum of understanding as 
7    required under this paragraph (4.5), the memorandum of 
8    understanding requirement shall not apply and the grantee 
9    under the program must notify the State Board of Education 
10    in writing of the Head Start agency's inability or 
11    unwillingness.  The State Board of Education shall compile 
12    all such written notices and make them available to the 
13    public. 

14        (5) The State Board of Education shall develop and 
15    provide
 evaluation tools, including tests, that school 
16    districts and other eligible entities may use to

evaluate 
17    children for school readiness prior to age 5.  The State 
18    Board of
Education shall require school districts and other 
19    eligible entities
to obtain consent from the parents
or 
20    guardians of children before any evaluations are 
21    conducted.  The State
Board of Education shall encourage 
22    local school districts and other eligible entities to 
23    evaluate the
population of preschool children in their 
24    communities and provide preschool
programs, pursuant to 
25    this subsection, where appropriate.


26        (6) The State Board of Education shall report to the 
 
 
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1    General Assembly by November 1, 2010
 and every
3 years 
2    thereafter on the results and progress of
students who were 
3    enrolled in preschool educational programs, including an

4    assessment of which programs have been most successful in 
5    promoting
academic excellence and alleviating academic 
6    failure.  The State Board of
Education shall assess the 
7    academic progress of all students who have been
enrolled in 
8    preschool educational programs.

9        On or before November 1 of each fiscal year in which 
10    the General Assembly provides funding for new programs 
11    under paragraph (4.5) of this Section, the State Board of 
12    Education shall report to the General Assembly on what 
13    percentage of new funding was provided to programs serving 
14    primarily at-risk children, what percentage of new funding 
15    was provided to programs serving primarily children with a 
16    family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty 
17    level, and what percentage of new funding was provided to 
18    other programs. 
19    (b) (Blank).

20(Source: P.A. 95-724, eff. 6-30-08; 96-119, eff. 8-4-09; 
2196-944, eff. 6-25-10; 96-948, eff. 6-25-10.)