Full Text of HB3237 101st General Assembly
HB3237 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020 HB3237 Introduced , by Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
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Amends the School Code. Provides that to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency for eligibility to receive the State Seal of Biliteracy, the State Board of Education shall allow a student to provide his or her school district with evidence of completion of (i) an AP English Language and Composition Exam with a score of 4 or 5, (ii) an English language arts dual credit course with a final grade point average of 2.0 or higher, or (iii) transitional coursework in English language arts articulated in partnership with a community college as an ESSA College and Career Readiness Indicator with a final grade point average of 2.0 or higher. Effective immediately.
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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 | | 2-3.159 as follows: | 6 | | (105 ILCS 5/2-3.159) | 7 | | Sec. 2-3.159. State Seal of Biliteracy. | 8 | | (a) In this Section, "foreign language" means any language | 9 | | other than English, including all modern languages, Latin, | 10 | | American Sign Language, Native American languages, and native | 11 | | languages. | 12 | | (b) The State Seal of Biliteracy program is established to | 13 | | recognize public high school graduates who have attained a high | 14 | | level of proficiency in one or more languages in addition to | 15 | | English. The State Seal of Biliteracy shall be awarded | 16 | | beginning with the 2014-2015 school year. School district | 17 | | participation in this program is voluntary. | 18 | | (c) The purposes of the State Seal of Biliteracy are as | 19 | | follows: | 20 | | (1) To encourage pupils to study languages. | 21 | | (2) To certify attainment of biliteracy. | 22 | | (3) To provide employers with a method of identifying | 23 | | people with language and biliteracy skills. |
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| 1 | | (4) To provide universities with an additional method | 2 | | to recognize applicants seeking admission. | 3 | | (5) To prepare pupils with 21st century skills. | 4 | | (6) To recognize the value of foreign language and | 5 | | native language instruction in public schools. | 6 | | (7) To strengthen intergroup relationships, affirm the | 7 | | value of diversity, and honor the multiple cultures and | 8 | | languages of a community. | 9 | | (d) The State Seal of Biliteracy certifies attainment of a | 10 | | high
level of proficiency, sufficient for meaningful use in | 11 | | college and a career, by a graduating public high school pupil | 12 | | in one or more
languages in addition to English. | 13 | | (e) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules as | 14 | | may be necessary to establish the criteria that pupils must | 15 | | achieve to earn a State Seal of Biliteracy, which may include | 16 | | without limitation attainment of units of credit in English | 17 | | language arts and languages other than English and passage of | 18 | | such assessments of foreign language proficiency as may be | 19 | | approved by the State Board of Education for this purpose. | 20 | | These rules shall ensure that the criteria that pupils must | 21 | | achieve to earn a State Seal of Biliteracy meet the course | 22 | | credit criteria established under subsection (i) of this | 23 | | Section. | 24 | | (e-5) To demonstrate sufficient English language | 25 | | proficiency for eligibility to receive a State Seal of | 26 | | Biliteracy under this Section, the State Board of Education |
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| 1 | | shall allow a pupil to provide his or her school district with | 2 | | evidence of completion of any of the following: | 3 | | (1) An AP (Advanced Placement) English Language and | 4 | | Composition Exam with a score of 4 or 5. | 5 | | (2) An English language arts dual credit course with a | 6 | | final grade point average of 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale | 7 | | or its equivalent as determined by the State Board of | 8 | | Education. | 9 | | (3) Transitional coursework in English language arts | 10 | | articulated in partnership with a public community college | 11 | | as an ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) College and Career | 12 | | Readiness Indicator with a final grade point average of 2.0 | 13 | | or higher on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent as determined by | 14 | | the State Board of Education. | 15 | | (f) The State Board of Education shall do both of the | 16 | | following: | 17 | | (1) Prepare and deliver to participating school | 18 | | districts an appropriate mechanism for designating the | 19 | | State Seal of Biliteracy on the diploma and transcript of | 20 | | the pupil indicating that the pupil has been awarded a | 21 | | State Seal of Biliteracy by the State Board of Education. | 22 | | (2) Provide other information the State Board of | 23 | | Education deems necessary for school districts to | 24 | | successfully participate in the program. | 25 | | (g) A school district that participates in the program | 26 | | under this
Section shall do both of the following: |
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| 1 | | (1) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify | 2 | | pupils who have earned a State Seal of Biliteracy. | 3 | | (2) Make the appropriate designation on the diploma and | 4 | | transcript of each pupil who earns a State Seal of | 5 | | Biliteracy. | 6 | | (h) No fee shall be charged to a pupil to receive the | 7 | | designation pursuant to this Section. Notwithstanding this | 8 | | prohibition, costs may be incurred by the pupil in | 9 | | demonstrating proficiency, including without limitation any | 10 | | assessments required under subsection (e) of this Section.
| 11 | | (i) For admissions purposes, each public university in this | 12 | | State shall accept the State Seal of Biliteracy as equivalent | 13 | | to 2 years of foreign language coursework taken during high | 14 | | school if a student's high school transcript indicates that he | 15 | | or she will be receiving or has received the State Seal of | 16 | | Biliteracy. | 17 | | (j) Each public community college and public university in | 18 | | this State shall establish criteria to translate a State Seal | 19 | | of Biliteracy into course credit based on foreign language | 20 | | course equivalencies identified by the community college's or | 21 | | university's faculty and staff and, upon request from an | 22 | | enrolled student, the community college or university shall | 23 | | award foreign language course credit to a student who has | 24 | | received a State Seal of Biliteracy. Students enrolled in a | 25 | | public community college or public university who have received | 26 | | a State Seal of Biliteracy must request course credit for their |
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| 1 | | seal within 3 academic years after graduating from high school. | 2 | | (Source: P.A. 98-560, eff. 8-27-13; 98-756, eff. 7-16-14; | 3 | | 99-600, eff. 1-1-17 .)
| 4 | | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | 5 | | becoming law.
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