Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB1796
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Full Text of SB1796  96th General Assembly

SB1796sam002 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

Filed: 3/24/2009

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1796

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1796 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
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, subject to
16 appropriation for this purpose, to educational service regions

 

 

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1 and a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code
2 from appropriated funds to assist in establishing
3 instructional programs and other services designed to
4 re-enroll high school dropouts. From any funds appropriated for
5 the IHOPE Program, the State Board of Education may use up to
6 5% for administrative costs, including the performance of a
7 program evaluation and the hiring of staff to implement and
8 administer the program.
9     The IHOPE Program shall provide incentive grant funds for
10 regional offices of education and a school district organized
11 under Article 34 of this Code to develop partnerships with
12 school districts, public community colleges, and community
13 groups to build comprehensive plans to re-enroll high school
14 dropouts in their regions or districts.
15     Programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall allow high
16 school dropouts, up to and including age 21 notwithstanding
17 Section 26-2 of this Code, to re-enroll in an educational
18 program in conformance with rules adopted by the State Board of
19 Education. Programs may include without limitation
20 comprehensive year-round programming, evening school, summer
21 school, community college courses, adult education, vocational
22 training, work experience, programs to enhance self-concept,
23 and parenting courses. Any student in the IHOPE program who
24 wishes to earn a high school diploma must meet the
25 prerequisites to receiving a high school diploma specified in
26 Section 27-22 of this Code and any other graduation

 

 

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1 requirements of the student's district of residence. Any
2 student who successfully completes the requirements for his or
3 her graduation shall receive a diploma identifying the student
4 as graduating from his or her district of residence.
5     (c) In order to be eligible for funding under the IHOPE
6 Program, an interested regional office of education or a school
7 district organized under Article 34 of this Code shall develop
8 an IHOPE Plan to be approved by the State Board of Education.
9 The State Board of Education shall develop rules for the IHOPE
10 Program that shall set forth the requirements for the
11 development of the IHOPE Plan. Each Plan shall involve school
12 districts, public community colleges, and key community
13 programs that work with high school dropouts located in an
14 educational service region or the City of Chicago before the
15 Plan is sent to the State Board for approval. No funds may be
16 distributed to a regional office of education or a school
17 district organized under Article 34 of this Code until the
18 State Board has approved the Plan.
19     (d) A regional office of education or a school district
20 organized under Article 34 of this Code may operate its own
21 program funded by the IHOPE Program or enter into a contract
22 with other not-for-profit entities, including school
23 districts, public community colleges, and not-for-profit
24 community-based organizations, to operate a program.
25     A regional office of education or a school district
26 organized under Article 34 of this Code that receives an IHOPE

 

 

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1 grant from the State Board of Education may provide funds under
2 a sub-grant, as specified in the IHOPE Plan, to other
3 not-for-profit entities to provide services according to the
4 IHOPE Plan that was developed. These other entities may include
5 school districts, public community colleges, or not-for-profit
6 community-based organizations or a cooperative partnership
7 among these entities.
8     (e) In order to distribute funding based upon the need to
9 ensure delivery of programs that will have the greatest impact,
10 IHOPE Program funding must be distributed based upon the
11 proportion of dropouts in the educational service region or
12 school district, in the case of a school district organized
13 under Article 34 of this Code, to the total number of dropouts
14 in this State. This formula shall employ the dropout data
15 provided by school districts to the State Board of Education.
16     A regional office of education or a school district
17 organized under Article 34 of this Code may claim State aid
18 under Section 18-8.05 of this Code for students enrolled in a
19 program funded by the IHOPE Program, provided that the State
20 Board of Education has approved the IHOPE Plan and that these
21 students are receiving services that are meeting the
22 requirements of Section 27-22 of this Code for receipt of a
23 high school diploma and are otherwise eligible to be claimed
24 for general State aid under Section 18-8.05 of this Code,
25 including provisions related to the minimum number of days of
26 pupil attendance pursuant to Section 10-19 of this Code and the

 

 

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1 minimum number of daily hours of school work and any exceptions
2 thereto as defined by the State Board of Education in rules.
3     (f) IHOPE categories of programming may include the
4 following:
5         (1) Full-time programs that are comprehensive,
6     year-round programs.
7         (2) Part-time programs combining work and study
8     scheduled at various times that are flexible to the needs
9     of students.
10         (3) Online programs and courses in which students take
11     courses and complete on-site, supervised tests that
12     measure the student's mastery of a specific course needed
13     for graduation. Students may take courses online and earn
14     credit or students may prepare to take supervised tests for
15     specific courses for credit leading to receipt of a high
16     school diploma.
17         (4) Dual enrollment in which students attend high
18     school classes in combination with community college
19     classes or students attend community college classes while
20     simultaneously earning high school credit and eventually a
21     high school diploma.
22     (g) In order to have successful comprehensive programs
23 re-enrolling and graduating low-skilled high school dropouts,
24 programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall include all of
25 the following components:
26         (1) Small programs (70 to 100 students) at a separate

 

 

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1     school site with a distinct identity. Programs may be
2     larger with specific need and justification, keeping in
3     mind that it is crucial to keep programs small to be
4     effective.
5         (2) Specific performance-based goals and outcomes and
6     measures of enrollment, attendance, skills, credits,
7     graduation, and the transition to college, training, and
8     employment.
9         (3) Strong, experienced leadership and teaching staff
10     who are provided with ongoing professional development.
11         (4) Voluntary enrollment.
12         (5) High standards for student learning, integrating
13     work experience, and education, including during the
14     school year and after school, and summer school programs
15     that link internships, work, and learning.
16         (6) Comprehensive programs providing extensive support
17     services.
18         (7) Small teams of students supported by full-time paid
19     mentors who work to retain and help those students
20     graduate.
21         (8) A comprehensive technology learning center with
22     Internet access and broad-based curriculum focusing on
23     academic and career subject areas.
24         (9) Learning opportunities that incorporate action
25     into study.
26     (h) Programs funded through the IHOPE Program must report

 

 

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1 data to the State Board of Education as requested. This
2 information shall include, but is not limited to, student
3 enrollment figures, attendance information, course completion
4 data, graduation information, and post-graduation information,
5 as available.
6     (i) Rules must be developed by the State Board of Education
7 to set forth the fund distribution process to regional offices
8 of education and a school district organized under Article 34
9 of this Code, the planning and the conditions upon which an
10 IHOPE Plan would be approved by State Board, and other rules to
11 develop the IHOPE Program.
 
12     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
13 2009.".