(105 ILCS 5/2-3.12) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.12)
Sec. 2-3.12. School building code. (a) To prepare for school boards with the
advice of the Department of Public Health, the Capital Development Board, and
the State Fire Marshal a school building code that will conserve the health and
safety and general welfare of the pupils and school personnel and others who
use public school facilities.
(b) Within 2 years after September 23, 1983,
and every 10 years thereafter, or at such other times as the State Board of
Education deems necessary or the regional superintendent so orders, each school
board subject to the provisions of this Section shall again survey its school
buildings and effectuate any recommendations in accordance with the procedures
set forth herein. (1) An architect or engineer licensed in the State of |
| Illinois is required to conduct the surveys under the provisions of this Section and shall make a report of the findings of the survey titled "safety survey report" to the school board.
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(2) The school board shall approve the safety survey
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| report, including any recommendations to effectuate compliance with the code, and submit it to the Regional Superintendent.
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(3) The Regional Superintendent shall render a
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| decision regarding approval or denial and submit the safety survey report to the State Superintendent of Education.
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(4) The State Superintendent of Education shall
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| approve or deny the report including recommendations to effectuate compliance with the code and, if approved, issue a certificate of approval.
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(5) Upon receipt of the certificate of approval, the
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| Regional Superintendent shall issue an order to effect any approved recommendations included in the report. The report shall meet all of the following requirements:
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(A) Items in the report shall be prioritized.
(B) Urgent items shall be considered as those
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| items related to life safety problems that present an immediate hazard to the safety of students.
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(C) Required items shall be considered as those
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| items that are necessary for a safe environment but present less of an immediate hazard to the safety of students.
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(D) Urgent and required items shall reference a
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| specific rule in the code authorized by this Section that is currently being violated or will be violated within the next 12 months if the violation is not remedied.
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(6) The school board of each district so surveyed
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| and receiving a report of needed recommendations to be made to maintain standards of safety and health of the pupils enrolled shall effectuate the correction of urgent items as soon as achievable to ensure the safety of the students, but in no case more than one year after the date of the State Superintendent of Education's approval of the recommendation.
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(7) Required items shall be corrected in a timely
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| manner, but in no case more than 5 years from the date of the State Superintendent of Education's approval of the recommendation.
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(8) Once each year the school board shall submit a
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| report of progress on completion of any recommendations to effectuate compliance with the code.
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(c) As soon as practicable, but not later than 2 years after January 1, 1993, the State Board of Education shall combine
the document known as "Efficient and Adequate Standards for the Construction of
Schools" with the document known as "Building Specifications for Health and
Safety in Public Schools" together with any modifications or additions that may
be deemed necessary. The combined document shall be known as the "Health/Life
Safety Code for Public Schools" and shall be the governing code for all
facilities that house public school students or are otherwise used for public
school purposes, whether such facilities are permanent or temporary and
whether they are owned, leased, rented, or otherwise used by the district.
Facilities owned by a school district but that are not used to house public
school students or are not used for public school purposes shall be
governed by separate provisions within the code authorized by this Section.
(d) The 10 year survey cycle specified in this Section shall continue to
apply based upon the standards contained in the "Health/Life Safety Code
for Public Schools", which shall specify building standards for buildings that
are constructed prior to January 1, 1993 and
for buildings that are constructed after that date.
(e) The "Health/Life Safety Code for Public Schools" shall be the governing code
for public schools; however, the provisions of this Section shall not preclude
inspection of school premises and buildings pursuant to Section 9 of the Fire
Investigation Act, provided that the provisions of the "Health/Life Safety Code
for Public Schools", or such predecessor document authorized by this Section as
may be applicable are used, and provided that those inspections are coordinated
with the Regional Superintendent having jurisdiction over the public school
facility.
(e-5) After the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, all new school building construction governed by the "Health/Life Safety Code for Public Schools" must include in its design and construction a storm shelter that meets the minimum requirements of the ICC/NSSA Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters (ICC-500), published jointly by the International Code Council and the National Storm Shelter Association. Nothing in this subsection (e-5) precludes the design engineers, architects, or school district from applying a higher life safety standard than the ICC-500 for storm shelters.
(f) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit the State Fire Marshal or a qualified fire official to whom the State Fire Marshal has delegated his or her authority
from
conducting a fire safety check in a public school.
(g) The Regional Superintendent shall address any violations that are not corrected in a timely manner pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 3-14.21 of this Code.
(h) Any agency having jurisdiction beyond the scope of the applicable
document authorized by this Section may issue a lawful order to a school board
to effectuate recommendations, and the school board receiving the order shall
certify to the Regional Superintendent and the State Superintendent of
Education when it has complied with the order.
(i) The State Board of Education is authorized to adopt any rules that are
necessary relating to the administration and enforcement of the provisions of
this Section.
(j) The code authorized by this Section shall apply only to those
school districts having a population of less than 500,000 inhabitants.
(k) In this Section, a "qualified fire official" means an individual that meets the requirements of rules adopted by the State Fire Marshal in cooperation with the State Board of Education to administer this Section. These rules shall be based on recommendations made by the task force established under Section 2-3.137 (now repealed) of this Code.
(Source: P.A. 98-883, eff. 1-1-15; 99-30, eff. 7-10-15.)
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(105 ILCS 5/2-3.17a) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.17a)
Sec. 2-3.17a. Financial audits by Auditor General. The Auditor
General shall
annually cause an audit to be made, as of June 30th
of each year, of the financial statements of all accounts,
funds and other moneys in the care, custody or control of the regional
superintendent of schools of each educational service region in the State and
of each educational service center established under Section 2-3.62 of this
Code
other than an educational service center serving a school district in a city
having a population exceeding 500,000.
The audit shall be conducted in accordance with Generally Accepted Governmental
Auditing Standards and shall include an examination of supporting books and
records and a representative sample of vouchers for distributions and
expenditures. A regional office of education or educational service center may utilize a cash basis, modified cash basis, or generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis of accounting to prepare the financial statements for the audit. On February 15 of each year, the Auditor General shall
notify the Legislative Audit
Commission in writing of the completion or of the reasons for the
noncompletion of each audit required by this Section to be made as of the
preceding June 30. An audit report shall be prepared for each audit made
pursuant to this Section, and all such audit reports shall be kept on file
in the office of the Auditor General, published on the Auditor General's website, and distributed in accordance with Section 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act. Each audit shall be made in
such manner as to determine, and each audit report shall be prepared in
such manner as to state:
(1) The balances on hand of all accounts, funds and |
| other moneys in the care, custody or control of the regional superintendent of schools or educational service center at the beginning of the fiscal year being audited;
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(2) the amount of funds received during the fiscal
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(3) the amount of funds distributed or otherwise paid
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| by the regional superintendent of schools or educational service center to each school treasurer in his or her educational service region or area, including the purpose of such distribution or payment and the fund or account from which such distribution or payment is made;
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(4) the amounts paid or otherwise disbursed by the
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| regional superintendent of schools or educational service center -- other than the amounts distributed or paid by the regional superintendent of schools or educational service center to school treasurers as described in paragraph (3) above -- for all other purposes and expenditures, including the fund or account from which such payments or disbursements are made and the purpose thereof; and
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(5) the balances on hand of all accounts, funds and
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| other moneys in the care, custody or control of the regional superintendent of schools or educational service center at the end of the fiscal year being audited.
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The Auditor General shall adopt rules and
regulations relative
to the time and manner by which the regional superintendent of schools or
educational service center
shall present for inspection or make available to the Auditor General, or to the agents designated by the Auditor General to make an audit and
prepare an audit report pursuant to this Section, all financial statements,
books, records, vouchers for distributions and expenditures, and records of
accounts, funds and other moneys in the care, custody or control of the
regional superintendent of schools or educational service center and
required for purposes of making such
audit and preparing an audit and preparing an audit report.
All rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Education under
this Section before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd
General Assembly shall continue in effect as the rules and regulations of the
Auditor General, until they are modified or abolished by the Auditor
General.
The Auditor General shall require
the regional
superintendent of schools of each educational service region or administrator
of each educational service center to promptly
implement all recommendations based on audit findings resulting from a
violation of law made in audits prepared pursuant to this Section, unless
the Auditor General, upon review, determines,
with regard to any
such finding, that implementation of the recommendation is not appropriate.
(Source: P.A. 102-25, eff. 6-25-21.)
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(105 ILCS 5/2-3.25f-5) Sec. 2-3.25f-5. Independent Authority. (a) The General Assembly finds all of the following: (1) A fundamental goal of the people of this State, |
| as expressed in Section 1 of Article X of the Illinois Constitution, is the educational development of all persons to the limits of their capacities. When a school board faces governance difficulties, continued operation of the public school system is threatened.
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(2) Sound school board governance, academic
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| achievement, and sound financial structure are essential to the continued operation of any school system. It is vital to commercial, educational, and cultural interests that public schools remain in operation. To achieve that goal, public school systems must have effective leadership.
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(3) To promote the sound operation of districts, as
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| defined in this Section, it may be necessary to provide for the creation of independent authorities with the powers necessary to promote sound governance, sound academic planning, and sound financial management and to ensure the continued operation of the public schools.
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(4) It is the purpose of this Section to provide for
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| a sound basis for the continued operation of public schools. The intention of the General Assembly, in creating this Section, is to establish procedures, provide powers, and impose restrictions to ensure the educational integrity of public school districts.
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(b) As used in this Section:
"Board" means a school board of a district.
"Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the Independent Authority.
"District" means any school district having a population of not more than 500,000.
"State Board" means the State Board of Education.
"State Superintendent" means the State Superintendent of Education.
(c) The State Board has the power to direct the State Superintendent to remove a board. Boards may be removed when the criteria provided for in subsection (d) of this Section are met. At no one time may the State Board remove more than 4 school boards and establish Independent Authorities pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section.
If the State Board proposes to direct the State Superintendent to remove a board from a district, board members shall receive individual written notice of the intended removal. Written notice must be provided at least 30 calendar days before a hearing is held by the State Board. This notice shall identify the basis for proposed removal.
Board members are entitled to a hearing, during which time each board member shall have the opportunity to respond individually, both orally and through written comments, to the basis laid out in the notice. Written comments must be submitted to the State Board on or before the hearing.
Board members are entitled to be represented by counsel at the hearing, but counsel must not be paid with district funds, unless the State Board decides that the board will not be removed and then the board members may be reimbursed for all reasonable attorney's fees by the district.
The State Board shall make a final decision on removal immediately following the hearing or at its next regularly scheduled or special meeting. In no event may the decision be made later than the next regularly scheduled meeting.
The State Board shall issue a final written decision. If the State Board directs the State Superintendent to remove the board, the State Superintendent shall do so within 30 days after the written decision. Following the removal of the board, the State Superintendent shall establish an Independent Authority pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section.
If there is a financial oversight panel operating in the district pursuant to Article 1B or 1H of this Code, the State Board may, at its discretion, abolish the panel.
(d) The State Board may require districts with one or more schools in Intensive Support status that have been identified as having deficiencies in one or more core functions of the needs assessment, as described in subsection (b-5) of Section 2-3.25f of this Code, to seek accreditation through an independent accreditation organization chosen by the State Board and paid for by the State. The State Board may direct the State Superintendent to remove board members pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section in any district in which the district is unable to obtain accreditation in whole or in part due to reasons specifically related to school board governance. When determining if a district has failed to meet the standards for accreditation specifically related to school board governance, the accreditation entity shall take into account the overall academic, fiscal, and operational condition of the district and consider whether the board has failed to protect district assets, to direct sound administrative and academic policy, to abide by basic governance principles, including those set forth in district policies, and to conduct itself with professionalism and care and in a legally, ethically, and financially responsible manner. When considering if a board has failed in these areas, the accreditation entity shall consider some or all of the following factors:
(1) Failure to protect district assets by, without
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| limitation, incidents of fiscal fraud or misappropriation of district funds; acts of neglecting the district's building conditions; a failure to meet regularly scheduled, payroll-period obligations when due; a failure to abide by competitive bidding laws; a failure to prevent an audit finding of material internal control weaknesses; a failure to comply with required accounting principles; a failure to develop and implement a comprehensive, risk-management plan; a failure to provide financial information or cooperate with the State Superintendent; or a failure to file an annual financial report, an annual budget, a deficit reduction plan, or other financial information as required by law.
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(2) Failure to direct sound administrative and
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| academic policy by, without limitation, hiring staff who do not meet minimal certification requirements for the positions being filled or who do not meet the customary qualifications held by those occupying similar positions in other school districts; a failure to avoid conflicts of interest as it relates to hiring or other contractual obligations; a failure to provide minimum graduation requirements and curricular requirements of the School Code and regulations; a failure to provide a minimum school term as required by law; or a failure to adopt and implement policies and practices that promote conditions that support student learning, effective instruction, and assessment that produce equitable and challenging learning experiences for all students.
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(3) Failure to abide by basic governance principles
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| by, without limitation, a failure to comply with the mandated oath of office; a failure to adopt and abide by sound local governance policies; a failure to abide by the principle that official action by the board occurs only through a duly-called and legally conducted meeting of the board; a failure to abide by majority decisions of the board; a failure to protect the privacy of students; a failure to ensure that board decisions and actions are in accordance with defined roles and responsibilities; or a failure of the board to protect, support, and respect the autonomy of a system to accomplish goals for improvement in student learning and instruction and to manage day-to-day operations of the school system and its schools, including maintaining the distinction between the board's roles and responsibilities and those of administrative leadership.
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(4) Failure to conduct itself in a legally,
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| ethically, and financially responsible manner by, without limitation, a failure to act in accordance with the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of the State of Illinois and within the scope of State and federal laws; laws, including a failure to comply with provisions of the School Code, the Open Meetings Act, and the Freedom of Information Act and federal and State laws that protect the rights of protected categories of students; a failure to comply with all district policies and procedures and all State rules; or a failure to comply with the governmental entities provisions of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, including the gift ban and prohibited political activities provisions.
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(e) Upon removal of the board, the State Superintendent shall establish an Independent Authority. Upon establishment of an Independent Authority, there is established a body both corporate and politic to be known as the "(Name of the School District) Independent Authority", which in this name shall exercise all of the authority vested in an Independent Authority by this Section and by the name may sue and be sued in all courts and places where judicial proceedings are had.
(f) Upon establishment of an Independent Authority under subsection (e) of this Section, the State Superintendent shall, within 30 working days thereafter and in consultation with State and locally elected officials, appoint 5 or 7 members to serve on an Independent Authority for the district. Members appointed to the Independent Authority shall serve at the pleasure of the State Superintendent. The State Superintendent shall designate one of the members of the Independent Authority to serve as its chairperson. In the event of vacancy or resignation, the State Superintendent shall, within 15 working days after receiving notice, appoint a successor to serve out that member's term. If the State Board has abolished a financial oversight panel pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, the State Superintendent may appoint former members of the panel to the Independent Authority. These members may serve as part of the 5 or 7 members or may be appointed in addition to the 5 or 7 members, with the Independent Authority not to exceed 9 members in total.
Members of the Independent Authority must be selected primarily on the basis of their experience and knowledge in education policy and governance, with consideration given to persons knowledgeable in the operation of a school district. A member of the Independent Authority must be a registered voter as provided in the general election law, must not be a school trustee, and must not be a child sex offender as defined in Section 11-9.3 of the Criminal Code of 2012. A majority of the members of the Independent Authority must be residents of the district that the Independent Authority serves. A member of the Independent Authority may not be an employee of the district, nor may a member have a direct financial interest in the district.
Independent Authority members may be reimbursed by the district for travel if they live more than 25 miles away from the district's headquarters and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. The amount reimbursed members for their expenses must be charged to the school district.
With the exception of the Chairperson, the Independent Authority may elect such officers as it deems appropriate.
The first meeting of the Independent Authority must be held at the call of the Chairperson. The Independent Authority shall prescribe the times and places for its meetings and the manner in which regular and special meetings may be called and shall comply with the Open Meetings Act.
All Independent Authority members must complete the training required of school board members under Section 10-16a of this Code.
(g) The purpose of the Independent Authority is to operate the district. The Independent Authority shall have all of the powers and duties of a board and all other powers necessary to meet its responsibilities and to carry out its purpose and the purposes of this Section and that may be requisite or proper for the maintenance, operation, and development of any school or schools under the jurisdiction of the Independent Authority. This grant of powers does not release an Independent Authority from any duty imposed upon it by this Code or any other law.
The Independent Authority shall have no power to unilaterally cancel or modify any collective bargaining agreement in force upon the date of creation of the Independent Authority.
(h) The Independent Authority may prepare and file with the State Superintendent a proposal for emergency financial assistance for the school district and for the operations budget of the Independent Authority, in accordance with Section 1B-8 of this Code. A district may receive both a loan and a grant.
(i) An election for board members must not be held in a district upon the establishment of an Independent Authority and is suspended until the next regularly scheduled school board election that takes place no less than 2 years following the establishment of the Independent Authority. For this first election, 3 school board members must be elected to serve out terms of 4 years and until successors are elected and have qualified. Members of the Independent Authority are eligible to run for election in the district, provided that they meet all other eligibility requirements of Section 10-10 of this Code. Following this election, the school board shall consist of the newly elected members and any remaining members of the Independent Authority. The majority of this board must be residents of the district. The State Superintendent must appoint new members who are residents to the Independent Authority if necessary to maintain this majority. At the next school board election, 4 school board members must be elected to serve out terms of 4 years and until successors are elected and have qualified. For purposes of these first 2 elections, the school board members must be elected at-large. In districts where board members were previously elected using an alternative format pursuant to Article 9 of this Code, following these first 2 elections, the voting shall automatically revert back to the original form. Following the election, any remaining Independent Authority members shall serve in the district as an oversight panel until such time as the district meets the governance standards necessary to achieve accreditation. If some or all of the Independent Authority members have been elected to the board, the State Superintendent may, in his or her discretion, appoint new members to the Independent Authority pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section. The school board shall get approval of all actions by the Independent Authority during the time the Independent Authority serves as an oversight panel.
Board members who were removed pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section are ineligible to run for school board in the district for 10 years following the abolition of the Independent Authority pursuant to subsection (l) of this Section. However, board members who were removed pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section and were appointed to the Independent Authority by the State Superintendent are eligible to run for school board in the district.
(j) The Independent Authority, upon its members taking office and annually thereafter and upon request, shall prepare and submit to the State Superintendent a report on the state of the district, including without limitation the academic improvement and financial situation of the district. This report must be submitted annually on or before March 1 of each year. The State Superintendent shall provide copies of any and all reports to the regional office of education for the district and to the State Senator and Representative representing the area where the district is located.
(k) The district shall render such services to and permit the use of its facilities and resources by the Independent Authority at no charge as may be requested by the Independent Authority. Any State agency, unit of local government, or school district may, within its lawful powers and duties, render such services to the Independent Authority as may be requested by the Independent Authority.
(l) An Independent Authority must be abolished when the district, following the election of the full board, meets the governance standards necessary to achieve accreditation status by an independent accreditation agency chosen by the State Board. The abolition of the Independent Authority shall be done by the State Board and take place within 30 days after the determination of the accreditation agency.
Upon abolition of the Independent Authority, all powers and duties allowed by this Code to be exercised by a school board shall be transferred to the elected school board.
(m) The Independent Authority must be indemnified through insurance purchased by the district. The district shall purchase insurance through which the Independent Authority is to be indemnified.
The district retains the duty to represent and to indemnify Independent Authority members following the abolition of the Independent Authority for any cause of action or remedy available against the Independent Authority, its members, its employees, or its agents for any right or claim existing or any liability incurred prior to the abolition.
The insurance shall indemnify and protect districts, Independent Authority members, employees, volunteer personnel authorized in Sections 10-22.34, 10-22.34a, and 10-22.34b of this Code, mentors of certified or licensed staff as authorized in Article 21A and Sections 2-3.53a, 2-3.53b, and 34-18.33 of this Code, and student teachers against civil rights damage claims and suits, constitutional rights damage claims and suits, and death and bodily injury and property damage claims and suits, including defense thereof, when damages are sought for negligent or wrongful acts alleged to have been committed in the scope of employment, under the direction of the Independent Authority, or related to any mentoring services provided to certified or licensed staff of the district. Such indemnification and protection shall extend to persons who were members of an Independent Authority, employees of an Independent Authority, authorized volunteer personnel, mentors of certified or licensed staff, or student teachers at the time of the incident from which a claim arises. No agent may be afforded indemnification or protection unless he or she was a member of an Independent Authority, an employee of an Independent Authority, an authorized volunteer, a mentor of certified or licensed staff, or a student teacher at the time of the incident from which the claim arises.
(n) The State Board may adopt rules as may be necessary for the administration of this Section.
(Source: P.A. 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)
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(105 ILCS 5/2-3.25g) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.25g) Sec. 2-3.25g. Waiver or modification of mandates within the School
Code and administrative rules and regulations. (a) In this Section: "Board" means a school board or the governing board |
| or administrative district, as the case may be, for a joint agreement.
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"Eligible applicant" means a school district, joint
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| agreement made up of school districts, or regional superintendent of schools on behalf of schools and programs operated by the regional office of education.
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"Implementation date" has the meaning set forth in
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| Section 24A-2.5 of this Code.
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"State Board" means the State Board of Education.
(b) Notwithstanding any other
provisions of this School Code or any other law of this State to the
contrary, eligible applicants may petition the State Board of Education for the
waiver or modification of the mandates of this School Code or of the
administrative rules and regulations promulgated by the State Board of
Education. Waivers or modifications of administrative rules and regulations
and modifications of mandates of this School Code may be requested when an eligible applicant demonstrates that it can address the intent of the rule or
mandate in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner or when necessary
to stimulate innovation or improve student performance. Waivers of
mandates of
the School Code may be requested when the waivers are necessary to stimulate
innovation or improve student performance or when the applicant demonstrates that it can address the intent of the mandate of the School Code in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner. Waivers may not be requested
from laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to special education, teacher educator licensure, teacher tenure and seniority, or Section 5-2.1 of this Code or from compliance with the Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114-95). Eligible applicants may not seek a waiver or seek a modification of a mandate regarding the requirements for (i) student performance data to be a significant factor in teacher or principal evaluations or (ii) teachers and principals to be rated using the 4 categories of "excellent", "proficient", "needs improvement", or "unsatisfactory". On September 1, 2014, any previously authorized waiver or modification from such requirements shall terminate.
(c) Eligible applicants, as a matter of inherent managerial policy, and any
Independent Authority established under Section 2-3.25f-5 of this Code may submit an
application for a waiver or modification authorized under this Section. Each
application must include a written request by the eligible applicant or
Independent Authority and must demonstrate that the intent of the mandate can
be addressed in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner
or be based
upon a specific plan for improved student performance and school improvement.
Any eligible applicant requesting a waiver or modification for the reason that intent
of the mandate can be addressed in a more economical manner shall include in
the application a fiscal analysis showing current expenditures on the mandate
and projected savings resulting from the waiver
or modification. Applications
and plans developed by eligible applicants must be approved by the board or regional superintendent of schools applying on behalf of schools or programs operated by the regional office of education following a public hearing on the application and plan and the
opportunity for the board or regional superintendent to hear testimony from staff
directly involved in
its implementation, parents, and students. The time period for such testimony shall be separate from the time period established by the eligible applicant for public comment on other matters.
(c-5) If the applicant is a school district, then the district shall post information that sets forth the time, date, place, and general subject matter of the public hearing on its Internet website at least 14 days prior to the hearing. If the district is requesting to increase the fee charged for driver education authorized pursuant to Section 27-24.2 of this Code, the website information shall include the proposed amount of the fee the district will request. All school districts must publish a notice of the public hearing at least 7 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the school district that sets forth the time, date, place, and general subject matter of the hearing. Districts requesting to increase the fee charged for driver education shall include in the published notice the proposed amount of the fee the district will request. If the applicant is a joint agreement or regional superintendent, then the joint agreement or regional superintendent shall post information that sets forth the time, date, place, and general subject matter of the public hearing on its Internet website at least 14 days prior to the hearing. If the joint agreement or regional superintendent is requesting to increase the fee charged for driver education authorized pursuant to Section 27-24.2 of this Code, the website information shall include the proposed amount of the fee the applicant will request. All joint agreements and regional superintendents must publish a notice of the public hearing at least 7 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in each school district that is a member of the joint agreement or that is served by the educational service region that sets forth the time, date, place, and general subject matter of the hearing, provided that a notice appearing in a newspaper generally circulated in more than one school district shall be deemed to fulfill this requirement with respect to all of the affected districts. Joint agreements or regional superintendents requesting to increase the fee charged for driver education shall include in the published notice the proposed amount of the fee the applicant will request. The
eligible applicant must notify either electronically or in writing the affected exclusive collective
bargaining agent and those State legislators representing the eligible applicant's territory of
its
intent to seek approval of a
waiver or
modification and of the hearing to be held to take testimony from staff.
The affected exclusive collective bargaining agents shall be notified of such
public hearing at least 7 days prior to the date of the hearing and shall be
allowed to attend
such public hearing. The eligible applicant shall attest to compliance with all of
the notification and procedural requirements set forth in this Section.
(d) A request for a waiver or modification of administrative rules and
regulations or for a modification of mandates contained in this School Code
shall be submitted to the State Board of Education within 15 days after
approval by the board or regional superintendent of schools. The application as submitted to the
State Board of Education shall include a description of the public hearing.
Following receipt of the waiver or modification request, the
State Board shall have 45 days to review the application and request. If the
State Board fails to disapprove the application within that 45-day period, the
waiver or modification shall be deemed granted. The State Board
may disapprove
any request if it is not based upon sound educational practices, endangers the
health or safety of students or staff, compromises equal opportunities for
learning, or fails to demonstrate that the intent of the rule or mandate can be
addressed in a more effective, efficient, or economical manner or have improved
student performance as a primary goal. Any request disapproved by the State
Board may be appealed to the General Assembly by the eligible applicant
as outlined in this Section.
A request for a waiver from mandates contained in this School Code shall be
submitted to the State Board within 15 days after approval by the board or regional superintendent of schools.
The application as submitted to the State Board of Education
shall include a description of the public hearing. The description shall
include, but need not be limited to, the means of notice, the number of people
in attendance, the number of people who spoke as proponents or opponents of the
waiver, a brief description of their comments, and whether there were any
written statements submitted.
The State Board shall review the applications and requests for
completeness and shall compile the requests in reports to be filed with the
General Assembly. The State Board shall file
reports outlining the waivers
requested by eligible applicants
and appeals by eligible applicants of requests
disapproved by the State Board with the Senate and the House of
Representatives before each March 1 and
October
1.
The report shall be reviewed by a panel of 4 members consisting of:
(1) the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(2) the Minority Leader of the House of
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(3) the President of the Senate; and
(4) the Minority Leader of the Senate.
The State Board of Education may provide the panel recommendations on waiver requests. The members of the panel shall review the report submitted by the State Board of Education and submit to the State Board of Education any notice of further consideration to any waiver request within 14 days after the member receives the report. If 3 or more of the panel members submit a notice of further consideration to any waiver request contained within the report, the State Board of Education shall submit the waiver request to the General Assembly for consideration. If less than 3 panel members submit a notice of further consideration to a waiver request, the waiver may be approved, denied, or modified by the State Board. If the State Board does not act on a waiver request within 10 days, then the waiver request is approved. If the waiver request is denied by the State Board, it shall submit the waiver request to the General Assembly for consideration.
The General Assembly may disapprove any waiver request submitted to the General Assembly pursuant to this subsection (d) in whole
or in part within 60 calendar days after each house of the General Assembly
next
convenes after the waiver request is submitted by adoption of a resolution by a record vote
of the majority of members elected in each house. If the General Assembly
fails to disapprove any waiver request or appealed request within such 60-day period, the waiver or modification shall be deemed granted. Any resolution
adopted by the General Assembly disapproving a report of the State Board in
whole or in part shall be binding on the State Board.
(e) An approved waiver or modification may remain in effect for a period not to
exceed 5 school years and may be renewed upon application by the
eligible applicant. However, such waiver or modification may be changed within that
5-year period by a board or regional superintendent of schools applying on behalf of schools or programs operated by the regional office of education following the procedure as set
forth in this Section for the initial waiver or modification request. If
neither the State Board of Education nor the General Assembly disapproves, the
change is deemed granted.
(f) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17; 100-782, eff. 1-1-19; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.25o)
Sec. 2-3.25o. Registration and recognition of non-public elementary and
secondary schools.
(a) Findings. The General Assembly finds and declares (i) that the
Constitution
of the State of Illinois provides that a "fundamental goal of the People of the
State is the
educational development of all persons to the limits of their capacities" and
(ii) that the
educational development of every school student serves the public purposes of
the State.
In order to ensure that all Illinois students and teachers have the opportunity
to enroll and
work in State-approved educational institutions and programs, the State Board
of
Education shall provide for the voluntary registration and recognition of
non-public
elementary and secondary schools.
(b) Registration. All non-public elementary and secondary schools in the
State
of
Illinois may voluntarily register with the State Board of Education on an
annual basis. Registration shall
be completed
in conformance with procedures prescribed by the State Board of Education.
Information
required for registration shall include assurances of compliance (i) with
federal
and State
laws regarding health examination and immunization, attendance, length of term,
and
nondiscrimination, including assurances that the school will not prohibit hairstyles historically associated with race, ethnicity, or hair texture, including, but not limited to, protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists, and (ii) with applicable fire and health safety requirements.
(c) Recognition. All non-public elementary and secondary schools in the
State of
Illinois may voluntarily seek the status of "Non-public School Recognition"
from
the State
Board of Education. This status may be obtained by compliance with
administrative
guidelines and review procedures as prescribed by the State Board of Education.
The
guidelines and procedures must recognize that some of the aims and the
financial bases of
non-public schools are different from public schools and will not be identical
to those for
public schools, nor will they be more burdensome. The guidelines and procedures
must
also recognize the diversity of non-public schools and shall not impinge upon
the
noneducational relationships between those schools and their clientele.
(c-5) Prohibition against recognition. A non-public elementary or secondary school may not obtain "Non-public School Recognition" status unless the school requires all certified and non-certified applicants for employment with the school, after July 1, 2007, to authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history records check as a condition of employment to determine if such applicants have been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses set forth in Section 21B-80 of this Code or have been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. Authorization for the check shall be furnished by the applicant to the school, except that if the applicant is a substitute teacher seeking employment in more than one non-public school, a teacher seeking concurrent part-time employment positions with more than one non-public school (as a reading specialist, special education teacher, or otherwise), or an educational support personnel employee seeking employment positions with more than one non-public school, then only one of the non-public schools employing the individual shall request the authorization. Upon receipt of this authorization, the non-public school shall submit the applicant's name, sex, race, date of birth, social security number, fingerprint images, and other identifiers, as prescribed by the Illinois State Police, to the Illinois State Police. The Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based criminal history records check, records of convictions, forever and hereafter, until expunged, to the president or principal of the non-public school that requested the check. The Illinois State Police shall charge that school a fee for conducting such check, which fee must be deposited into the State Police Services Fund and must not exceed the cost of the inquiry. Subject to appropriations for these purposes, the State Superintendent of Education shall reimburse non-public schools for fees paid to obtain criminal history records checks under this Section. A non-public school may not obtain recognition status unless the school also performs a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database, as authorized by the Sex Offender Community Notification Law, and the Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database, as authorized by the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act, for each applicant for employment, after July 1, 2007, to determine whether the applicant has been adjudicated of a sex offense or of a murder or other violent crime against youth. The checks of the Statewide Sex Offender Database and the Stateside Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database must be conducted by the non-public school once for every 5 years that an applicant remains employed by the non-public school.. Any information concerning the record of convictions obtained by a non-public school's president or principal under this Section is confidential and may be disseminated only to the governing body of the non-public school or any other person necessary to the decision of hiring the applicant for employment. A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the Illinois State Police shall be provided to the applicant for employment. Upon a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database, the non-public school shall notify the applicant as to whether or not the applicant has been identified in the Sex Offender Database as a sex offender. Any information concerning the records of conviction obtained by the non-public school's president or principal under this Section for a substitute teacher seeking employment in more than one non-public school, a teacher seeking concurrent part-time employment positions with more than one non-public school (as a reading specialist, special education teacher, or otherwise), or an educational support personnel employee seeking employment positions with more than one non-public school may be shared with another non-public school's principal or president to which the applicant seeks employment. Any unauthorized release of confidential information may be a violation of Section 7 of the Criminal Identification Act. No non-public school may obtain recognition status that knowingly employs a person, hired after July 1, 2007, for whom an Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint-based criminal history records check and a Statewide Sex Offender Database check has not been initiated or who has been convicted of any offense enumerated in Section 21B-80 of this Code or any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as one or more of those offenses. No non-public school may obtain recognition status under this Section that knowingly employs a person who has been found to be the perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of a minor under 18 years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. In order to obtain recognition status under this Section, a non-public school must require compliance with the provisions of this subsection (c-5) from all employees of persons or firms holding contracts with the school, including, but not limited to, food service workers, school bus drivers, and other transportation employees, who have direct, daily contact with pupils. Any information concerning the records of conviction or identification as a sex offender of any such employee obtained by the non-public school principal or president must be promptly reported to the school's governing body.
Prior to the commencement of any student teaching experience or required internship (which is referred to as student teaching in this Section) in any non-public elementary or secondary school that has obtained or seeks to obtain recognition status under this Section, a student teacher is required to authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history records check. Authorization for and payment of the costs of the check must be furnished by the student teacher to the chief administrative officer of the non-public school where the student teaching is to be completed. Upon receipt of this authorization and payment, the chief administrative officer of the non-public school shall submit the student teacher's name, sex, race, date of birth, social security number, fingerprint images, and other identifiers, as prescribed by the Illinois State Police, to the Illinois State Police. The Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based criminal history records check, records of convictions, forever and hereinafter, until expunged, to the chief administrative officer of the non-public school that requested the check. The Illinois State Police shall charge the school a fee for conducting the check, which fee must be passed on to the student teacher, must not exceed the cost of the inquiry, and must be deposited into the State Police Services Fund. The school shall further perform a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database, as authorized by the Sex Offender Community Notification Law, and of the Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database, as authorized by the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act, for each student teacher. No school that has obtained or seeks to obtain recognition status under this Section may knowingly allow a person to student teach for whom a criminal history records check, a Statewide Sex Offender Database check, and a Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database check have not been completed and reviewed by the chief administrative officer of the non-public school. A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the Illinois State Police must be provided to the student teacher. Any information concerning the record of convictions obtained by the chief administrative officer of the non-public school is confidential and may be transmitted only to the chief administrative officer of the non-public school or his or her designee, the State Superintendent of Education, the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, or, for clarification purposes, the Illinois State Police or the Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database. Any unauthorized release of confidential information may be a violation of Section 7 of the Criminal Identification Act. No school that has obtained or seeks to obtain recognition status under this Section may knowingly allow a person to student teach who has been convicted of any offense that would subject him or her to license suspension or revocation pursuant to Section 21B-80 of this Code or who has been found to be the perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of a minor under 18 years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Any school that has obtained or seeks to obtain recognition status under this Section may not prohibit hairstyles historically associated with race, ethnicity, or hair texture, including, but not limited to, protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists. (d) Public purposes. The provisions of this Section are in the public
interest, for
the public benefit, and serve secular public purposes.
(e) Definition. For purposes of this Section, a non-public school means any
non-profit, non-home-based, and non-public elementary or secondary school that
is
in
compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and attendance at
which
satisfies the requirements of Section 26-1 of this Code.
(Source: P.A. 102-360, eff. 1-1-22; 102-538, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-111, eff. 6-29-23.) |
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.39) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.39)
Sec. 2-3.39. Department of Transitional Bilingual Education. To establish a Department of Transitional Bilingual Education. In selecting
staff for the Department of Transitional
Bilingual Education the State Board of Education
shall give preference to persons
who are natives of foreign countries where languages to be used in
transitional bilingual education programs are the predominant languages.
The Department of Transitional Bilingual Education has the power and
duty to:
(1) Administer and enforce the provisions of Article |
| 14C of this Code including the power to promulgate any necessary rules and regulations.
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|
(2) Study, review, and evaluate all available
|
| resources and programs that, in whole or in part, are or could be directed towards meeting the language capability needs of child English learners and adult English learners residing in the State.
|
|
(3) Gather information about the theory and practice
|
| of bilingual education in this State and elsewhere, and encourage experimentation and innovation in the field of bilingual education.
|
|
(4) Provide for the maximum practical involvement of
|
| parents of bilingual children, transitional bilingual education teachers, representatives of community groups, educators, and laymen knowledgeable in the field of bilingual education in the formulation of policy and procedures relating to the administration of Article 14C of this Code.
|
|
(5) Consult with other public departments and
|
| agencies, including but not limited to the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Public Welfare, the Division of Employment Security, the Commission Against Discrimination, and the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in connection with the administration of Article 14C of this Code.
|
|
(6) Make recommendations in the areas of preservice
|
| and in-service training for transitional bilingual education teachers, curriculum development, testing and testing mechanisms, and the development of materials for transitional bilingual education programs.
|
|
(7) Undertake any further activities which may assist
|
| in the full implementation of Article 14C of this Code and to make an annual report to the General Assembly to include an evaluation of the program, the need for continuing such a program, and recommendations for improvement.
|
|
The requirement for reporting to the General Assembly
|
| shall be satisfied by filing copies of the report as required by Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act, and filing such additional copies with the State Government Report Distribution Center for the General Assembly as is required under paragraph (t) of Section 7 of the State Library Act.
|
|
(Source: P.A. 99-30, eff. 7-10-15; 100-1148, eff. 12-10-18.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.51) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.51)
Sec. 2-3.51. Reading Improvement Block Grant Program. To improve the
reading
and study skills of children from kindergarten through sixth grade in
school districts. The State Board of Education is authorized to administer a
Reading Improvement
Block Grant Program. As used in this Section:
"School district" includes those
schools designated as "laboratory schools".
"Scientifically based reading research"
means the
application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain valid
knowledge relevant to reading development, reading instruction, and reading
difficulties. The term includes research that employs systematic, empirical
methods that draw on observation or experiment, involves rigorous data
analysis that is adequate to test the stated hypotheses and to justify the
general conclusions drawn, relies on measurements or observational methods that
provide valid data across evaluators and observers and across multiple
measurements and observations, and has been accepted by peer-reviewed
journal or approved by a panel of independent experts through a comparably
rigorous, objective and scientific review.
(a) Funds for the Reading Improvement Block Grant
Program shall
be distributed to school districts on the following basis: 70% of
monies shall be awarded on the prior year's best 3 months average daily
attendance and 30% shall be distributed on the number of
economically disadvantaged (E.C.I.A. Chapter I) pupils in the district,
provided that the State Board may distribute an amount not to exceed 2% of
the monies appropriated for the Reading Improvement Block Grant Program for the
purpose of
providing teacher training and re-training in the teaching of reading.
Program funds shall be distributed to school districts
in 2
semi-annual installments, one payment on or before October 30, and one payment
prior to April 30, of each year.
The State Board shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the
implementation of this program.
Programs provided with grant funds shall not replace quality
classroom
reading instruction, but shall instead supplement such instruction.
(a-5) Reading Improvement Block Grant Program funds shall be used by
school districts
in
the following manner:
(1) to hire reading specialists, reading teachers, |
| and reading aides in order to provide early reading intervention in kindergarten through grade 2 and programs of continued reading support for students in grades 3 through 6;
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|
(2) in kindergarten through grade 2, to establish
|
| short-term tutorial early reading intervention programs for children who are at risk of failing to learn to read; these programs shall (i) focus on scientifically based research and best practices with proven long-term results, (ii) identify students in need of help no later than the middle of first grade, (iii) provide ongoing training for teachers in the program, (iv) focus instruction on strengthening a student's phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension skills, (v) provide a means to document and evaluate student growth, and (vi) provide properly trained staff;
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|
(3) to continue direct reading instruction for grades
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|
(4) in grades 3 through 6, to establish programs of
|
| support for students who demonstrate a need for continued assistance in learning to read and in maintaining reading achievement; these programs shall (i) focus on scientifically based research and best practices with proven long-term results, (ii) provide ongoing training for teachers and other staff members in the program, (iii) focus instruction on strengthening a student's phonics, fluency, and comprehension skills in grades 3 through 6, (iv) provide a means to evaluate and document student growth, and (v) provide properly trained staff;
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|
(5) in grades K through 6, to provide classroom
|
| reading materials for students; each district may allocate up to 25% of the funds for this purpose; and
|
|
(6) to provide a long-term professional development
|
| program for classroom teachers, administrators, and other appropriate staff; the program shall (i) focus on scientifically based research and best practices with proven long-term results, (ii) provide a means to evaluate student progress in reading as a result of the training, (iii) and be provided by approved staff development providers.
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|
(a-10) Reading Improvement Block Grant Program funds shall be made
available to each eligible school district submitting an approved application
developed by the State Board beginning with the 1998-99 school year.
Applications shall include a proposed assessment method or methods for
measuring
the reading growth of
students
who receive direct instruction as a result of the funding and the impact of
staff development activities on student growth in reading. Such methods may include the reading portion
of the assessments required under Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code. At the end of each school year
the district shall report performance of progress results to
the State Board. Districts not
demonstrating performance progress using an approved assessment method shall
not
be eligible for funding in the third or subsequent years until such
progress is established.
(a-15) The State Superintendent of Education, in cooperation with the
school districts participating in the program, shall annually report to the
leadership of the General Assembly on the results of the Reading Improvement
Block Grant Program and the progress being made on improving the reading skills
of students in kindergarten through the sixth grade.
(b) (Blank).
(c) (Blank).
(d) Grants under the Reading Improvement Program shall be awarded
provided there is an appropriation for the program, and funding levels for
each district shall be prorated according to the amount of the appropriation.
(e) (Blank).
(f) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 98-972, eff. 8-15-14.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.66b) Sec. 2-3.66b. IHOPE Program. (a) There is established the Illinois Hope and Opportunity Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program. The State Board of Education shall implement and administer the IHOPE Program. The goal of the IHOPE Program is 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. (b) The IHOPE Program shall award grants, subject to appropriation for this purpose, to educational service regions and a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code from appropriated funds to assist in establishing instructional programs and other services designed to re-enroll high school dropouts. From any funds appropriated for the IHOPE Program, the State Board of Education may use up to 5% for administrative costs, including the performance of a program evaluation and the hiring of staff to implement and administer the program. The IHOPE Program shall provide incentive grant funds for regional offices of education and a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code 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. Programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall allow high school dropouts, up to and including age 21 notwithstanding Section 26-2 of this Code, to re-enroll in an educational program in conformance with rules adopted by the State Board of Education. Programs may include without limitation comprehensive year-round programming, evening school, summer school, community college courses, adult education, vocational training, work experience, programs to enhance self-concept, and parenting courses. Any student in the IHOPE Program who wishes to earn a high school diploma must meet the prerequisites to receiving a high school diploma specified in Section 27-22 of this Code and any other graduation requirements of the student's district of residence. Any student who successfully completes the requirements for his or her graduation shall receive a diploma identifying the student as graduating from his or her district of residence. (c) In order to be eligible for funding under the IHOPE Program, an interested regional office of education or a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code shall develop an IHOPE Plan to be approved by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall develop rules for the IHOPE Program that shall set forth the requirements for the development of the IHOPE Plan. Each Plan shall involve school districts, public community colleges, and key community programs that work with high school dropouts located in an educational service region or the City of Chicago before the Plan is sent to the State Board for approval. No funds may be distributed to a regional office of education or a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code until the State Board has approved the Plan. (d) A regional office of education or a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code may operate its own program funded by the IHOPE Program or enter into a contract with other not-for-profit entities, including school districts, public community colleges, and not-for-profit community-based organizations, to operate a program. A regional office of education or a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code that receives an IHOPE grant from the State Board of Education may provide funds under a sub-grant, as specified in the IHOPE Plan, to other not-for-profit entities to provide services according to the IHOPE Plan that was developed. These other entities may include school districts, public community colleges, or not-for-profit community-based organizations or a cooperative partnership among these entities. (e) In order to distribute funding based upon the need to ensure delivery of programs that will have the greatest impact, IHOPE Program funding must be distributed based upon the proportion of dropouts in the educational service region or school district, in the case of a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code, to the total number of dropouts in this State. This formula shall employ the dropout data provided by school districts to the State Board of Education. A regional office of education or a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code may claim State aid under Section 18-8.05 or 18-8.15 of this Code for students enrolled in a program funded by the IHOPE Program, provided that the State Board of Education has approved the IHOPE Plan and that these students are receiving services that are meeting the requirements of Section 27-22 of this Code for receipt of a high school diploma and are otherwise eligible to be claimed for general State aid under Section 18-8.05 of this Code or evidence-based funding under Section 18-8.15 of this Code, including provisions related to the minimum number of days of pupil attendance pursuant to Section 10-19 of this Code and the minimum number of daily hours of school work required under Section 10-19.05 and any exceptions thereto as defined by the State Board of Education in rules. (f) IHOPE categories of programming may include the following: (1) Full-time programs that are comprehensive, |
|
(2) Part-time programs combining work and study
|
| scheduled at various times that are flexible to the needs of students.
|
|
(3) Online programs and courses in which students
|
| take courses and complete on-site, supervised tests that measure the student's mastery of a specific course needed for graduation. Students may take courses online and earn credit or students may prepare to take supervised tests for specific courses for credit leading to receipt of a high school diploma.
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|
(4) Dual enrollment in which students attend high
|
| school classes in combination with community college classes or students attend community college classes while simultaneously earning high school credit and eventually a high school diploma.
|
|
(g) In order to have successful comprehensive programs re-enrolling and graduating low-skilled high school dropouts, programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall include all of the following components:
(1) Small programs (70 to 100 students) at a
|
| separate school site with a distinct identity. Programs may be larger with specific need and justification, keeping in mind that it is crucial to keep programs small to be effective.
|
|
(2) Specific performance-based goals and outcomes
|
| and measures of enrollment, attendance, skills, credits, graduation, and the transition to college, training, and employment.
|
|
(3) Strong, experienced leadership and teaching
|
| staff who are provided with ongoing professional development.
|
|
(4) Voluntary enrollment.
(5) High standards for student learning, integrating
|
| work experience, and education, including during the school year and after school, and summer school programs that link internships, work, and learning.
|
|
(6) Comprehensive programs providing extensive
|
|
(7) Small teams of students supported by full-time
|
| paid mentors who work to retain and help those students graduate.
|
|
(8) A comprehensive technology learning center with
|
| Internet access and broad-based curriculum focusing on academic and career subject areas.
|
|
(9) Learning opportunities that incorporate action
|
|
(h) Programs funded through the IHOPE Program must report data to the State Board of Education as requested. This information shall include, but is not limited to, student enrollment figures, attendance information, course completion data, graduation information, and post-graduation information, as available.
(i) Rules must be developed by the State Board of Education to set forth the fund distribution process to regional offices of education and a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code, the planning and the conditions upon which an IHOPE Plan would be approved by State Board, and other rules to develop the IHOPE Program.
(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17; 101-12, eff. 7-1-19.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.71) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71)
Sec. 2-3.71. Grants for preschool educational programs. (a) Preschool program.
(1) The State Board of Education shall implement and |
| administer a grant program under the provisions of this subsection which shall consist of grants to public school districts and other eligible entities, as defined by the State Board of Education, to conduct voluntary preschool educational programs for children ages 3 to 5 which include a parent education component. A public school district which receives grants under this subsection may subcontract with other entities that are eligible to conduct a preschool educational program. These grants must be used to supplement, not supplant, funds received from any other source.
|
|
(2) (Blank).
(3) Except as otherwise provided under this
|
| subsection (a), any teacher of preschool children in the program authorized by this subsection shall hold a Professional Educator License with an early childhood education endorsement.
|
|
(3.5) Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year and
|
| until the 2028-2029 school year, an individual may teach preschool children in an early childhood program under this Section if he or she holds a Professional Educator License with an early childhood education endorsement or with short-term approval for early childhood education or he or she pursues a Professional Educator License and holds any of the following:
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|
(A) An ECE Credential Level of 5 awarded by the
|
| Department of Human Services under the Gateways to Opportunity Program developed under Section 10-70 of the Department of Human Services Act.
|
|
(B) An Educator License with Stipulations with a
|
| transitional bilingual educator endorsement and he or she has (i) passed an early childhood education content test or (ii) completed no less than 9 semester hours of postsecondary coursework in the area of early childhood education.
|
|
(4) (Blank).
(4.5) The State Board of Education shall provide the
|
| primary source of funding through appropriations for the program. Such funds shall be distributed to achieve a goal of "Preschool for All Children" for the benefit of all children whose families choose to participate in the program. Based on available appropriations, newly funded programs shall be selected through a process giving first priority to qualified programs serving primarily at-risk children and second priority to qualified programs serving primarily children with a family income of less than 4 times the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). For purposes of this paragraph (4.5), at-risk children are those who because of their home and community environment are subject to such language, cultural, economic and like disadvantages to cause them to have been determined as a result of screening procedures to be at risk of academic failure. Such screening procedures shall be based on criteria established by the State Board of Education.
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|
Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (4.5),
|
| grantees under the program must enter into a memorandum of understanding with the appropriate local Head Start agency. This memorandum must be entered into no later than 3 months after the award of a grantee's grant under the program, except that, in the case of the 2009-2010 program year, the memorandum must be entered into no later than the deadline set by the State Board of Education for applications to participate in the program in fiscal year 2011, and must address collaboration between the grantee's program and the local Head Start agency on certain issues, which shall include without limitation the following:
|
|
(A) educational activities, curricular
|
| objectives, and instruction;
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|
(B) public information dissemination and access
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| to programs for families contacting programs;
|
|
(C) service areas;
(D) selection priorities for eligible children to
|
|
(E) maximizing the impact of federal and State
|
| funding to benefit young children;
|
|
(F) staff training, including opportunities for
|
|
(G) technical assistance;
(H) communication and parent outreach for smooth
|
| transitions to kindergarten;
|
|
(I) provision and use of facilities,
|
| transportation, and other program elements;
|
|
(J) facilitating each program's fulfillment of
|
| its statutory and regulatory requirements;
|
|
(K) improving local planning and collaboration;
|
|
(L) providing comprehensive services for the
|
| neediest Illinois children and families.
|
|
If the appropriate local Head Start agency is unable or
|
| unwilling to enter into a memorandum of understanding as required under this paragraph (4.5), the memorandum of understanding requirement shall not apply and the grantee under the program must notify the State Board of Education in writing of the Head Start agency's inability or unwillingness. The State Board of Education shall compile all such written notices and make them available to the public.
|
|
(5) The State Board of Education shall develop and
|
| provide evaluation tools, including tests, that school districts and other eligible entities may use to evaluate children for school readiness prior to age 5. The State Board of Education shall require school districts and other eligible entities to obtain consent from the parents or guardians of children before any evaluations are conducted. The State Board of Education shall encourage local school districts and other eligible entities to evaluate the population of preschool children in their communities and provide preschool programs, pursuant to this subsection, where appropriate.
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|
(6) The State Board of Education shall report to the
|
| General Assembly by November 1, 2018 and every 2 years thereafter on the results and progress of students who were enrolled in preschool educational programs, including an assessment of which programs have been most successful in promoting academic excellence and alleviating academic failure. The State Board of Education shall assess the academic progress of all students who have been enrolled in preschool educational programs.
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|
On or before November 1 of each fiscal year in which
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| the General Assembly provides funding for new programs under paragraph (4.5) of this Section, the State Board of Education shall report to the General Assembly on what percentage of new funding was provided to programs serving primarily at-risk children, what percentage of new funding was provided to programs serving primarily children with a family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty level, and what percentage of new funding was provided to other programs.
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|
(7) Due to evidence that expulsion practices in the
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| preschool years are linked to poor child outcomes and are employed inconsistently across racial and gender groups, early childhood programs receiving State funds under this subsection (a) shall prohibit expulsions. Planned transitions to settings that are able to better meet a child's needs are not considered expulsion under this paragraph (7).
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(A) When persistent and serious challenging
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| behaviors emerge, the early childhood program shall document steps taken to ensure that the child can participate safely in the program; including observations of initial and ongoing challenging behaviors, strategies for remediation and intervention plans to address the behaviors, and communication with the parent or legal guardian, including participation of the parent or legal guardian in planning and decision-making.
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|
(B) The early childhood program shall, with
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| parental or legal guardian consent as required, utilize a range of community resources, if available and deemed necessary, including, but not limited to, developmental screenings, referrals to programs and services administered by a local educational agency or early intervention agency under Parts B and C of the federal Individual with Disabilities Education Act, and consultation with infant and early childhood mental health consultants and the child's health care provider. The program shall document attempts to engage these resources, including parent or legal guardian participation and consent attempted and obtained. Communication with the parent or legal guardian shall take place in a culturally and linguistically competent manner.
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|
(C) If there is documented evidence that all
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| available interventions and supports recommended by a qualified professional have been exhausted and the program determines in its professional judgment that transitioning a child to another program is necessary for the well-being of the child or his or her peers and staff, with parent or legal guardian permission, both the current and pending programs shall create a transition plan designed to ensure continuity of services and the comprehensive development of the child. Communication with families shall occur in a culturally and linguistically competent manner.
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|
(D) Nothing in this paragraph (7) shall preclude
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| a parent's or legal guardian's right to voluntarily withdraw his or her child from an early childhood program. Early childhood programs shall request and keep on file, when received, a written statement from the parent or legal guardian stating the reason for his or her decision to withdraw his or her child.
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|
(E) In the case of the determination of a serious
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| safety threat to a child or others or in the case of behaviors listed in subsection (d) of Section 10-22.6 of this Code, the temporary removal of a child from attendance in group settings may be used. Temporary removal of a child from attendance in a group setting shall trigger the process detailed in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of this paragraph (7), with the child placed back in a group setting as quickly as possible.
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|
(F) Early childhood programs may utilize and the
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| State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services shall recommend training, technical support, and professional development resources to improve the ability of teachers, administrators, program directors, and other staff to promote social-emotional development and behavioral health, to address challenging behaviors, and to understand trauma and trauma-informed care, cultural competence, family engagement with diverse populations, the impact of implicit bias on adult behavior, and the use of reflective practice techniques. Support shall include the availability of resources to contract with infant and early childhood mental health consultants.
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|
(G) Beginning on July 1, 2018, early childhood
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| programs shall annually report to the State Board of Education, and, beginning in fiscal year 2020, the State Board of Education shall make available on a biennial basis, in an existing report, all of the following data for children from birth to age 5 who are served by the program:
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|
(i) Total number served over the course of
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| the program year and the total number of children who left the program during the program year.
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|
(ii) Number of planned transitions to another
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| program due to children's behavior, by children's race, gender, disability, language, class/group size, teacher-child ratio, and length of program day.
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|
(iii) Number of temporary removals of a child
|
| from attendance in group settings due to a serious safety threat under subparagraph (E) of this paragraph (7), by children's race, gender, disability, language, class/group size, teacher-child ratio, and length of program day.
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|
(iv) Hours of infant and early childhood
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| mental health consultant contact with program leaders, staff, and families over the program year.
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|
(H) Changes to services for children with an
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| individualized education program or individual family service plan shall be construed in a manner consistent with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
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|
The State Board of Education, in consultation with
|
| the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development and the Department of Children and Family Services, shall adopt rules to administer this paragraph (7).
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|
(b) (Blank).
(c) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, grantees may serve children ages 0 to 12 of essential workers if the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. For the purposes of this subsection, essential workers include those outlined in Executive Order 20-8 and school employees. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to administer this subsection.
(Source: P.A. 103-111, eff. 6-29-23.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.80) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.80)
Sec. 2-3.80. (a) The General Assembly recognizes that agriculture is
the most basic and singularly important industry in the State, that
agriculture is of central importance to the welfare and economic stability
of the State, and that the maintenance of this vital industry requires a
continued source of trained and qualified individuals for employment in
agriculture and agribusiness. The General Assembly hereby declares that it
is in the best interests of the people of the State of Illinois that a
comprehensive education program in agriculture be created and maintained by
the State's public school system in order to ensure an adequate supply of
trained and skilled individuals and to ensure appropriate representation of
racial and ethnic groups in all phases of the industry. It is the intent
of the General Assembly that a State program for agricultural education
shall be a part of the curriculum of the public school system K through
adult, and made readily available to all school districts which may, at
their option, include programs in education in agriculture as a part of the
curriculum of that district.
(b) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules and regulations
as are necessary to implement the provisions of this Section. The rules
and regulations shall not create any new State mandates on school districts
as a condition of receiving federal, State, and local funds by those
entities. It is in the intent of the General Assembly that, although this
Section does not create any new mandates, school districts are strongly
advised to follow the guidelines set forth in this Section.
(c) The State Superintendent of Education shall assume responsibility
for the administration of the State program adopted under this Section
throughout the public school system as well as the articulation of the
State program to the requirements and mandates of federally assisted
education. There is currently within the State Board of Education an
agricultural education unit to assist school districts in the establishment
and maintenance of educational programs pursuant to the provisions of this
Section. The staffing of the unit shall at all times be comprised of an
appropriate number of full-time employees who shall serve as program
consultants in agricultural education and shall be available to provide
assistance to school districts. At least one consultant shall be
responsible for the coordination of the State program, as Head Consultant.
At least one consultant shall be responsible for the coordination of the
activities of student and agricultural organizations and associations.
(d) A committee of 13 agriculturalists representative of the various and
diverse areas of the agricultural industry in Illinois shall be established
to at least develop a curriculum and overview the implementation of the
Build Illinois through Quality Agricultural Education plans of the Illinois
Leadership Council for Agricultural Education and to advise
the State Board of Education on vocational agricultural education, including the administration of the agricultural education line item appropriation and agency rulemaking that affects agricultural education educators. The
committee shall be composed of the following: (1) 3 agriculturalists representing the Illinois |
| Leadership Council for Agricultural Education;
|
|
(2) 3 agriculturalists;
(3) 2 secondary agriculture teachers;
(4) one representative of "Ag In The Classroom";
(5) one community college agriculture teacher;
(6) one adult agriculture educator;
(7) one university agriculture teacher educator; and
(8) one FFA representative.
All members of the committee shall be appointed by the
Governor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The terms of
all members so appointed shall be for 3 years, except that of the members
initially appointed, 5 shall be appointed to serve for terms of one year, 4
shall be appointed to serve for terms of 2 years, and 4 shall be appointed
to serve for terms of 3 years. All members of the committee shall serve
until their successors are appointed and qualified. Subject to a requirement that committee members in office before January 1, 2022 (the effective date of Public Act 102-463) may serve the full term to which they were appointed, the appointment of committee members to terms that commence on or after January 1, 2022 (the effective date of Public Act 102-463) shall be made in a manner that gives effect at the earliest possible time to the changes that are required by Public Act 102-463 in the representative composition of the committee's membership.
Vacancies in terms
shall be filled by appointment of the Governor with the advice and consent
of the Senate for the extent of the unexpired term.
The State Board of
Education shall implement a Build Illinois through Quality Agricultural
Education plan following receipt of these recommendations, which
shall be made available on or before March 31, 1987.
Recommendations shall include, but not be limited to, the development of a
curriculum and a strategy for the purpose of establishing a source of
trained and qualified individuals in agriculture, a strategy for
articulating the State program in agricultural education throughout the
public school system, and a consumer education outreach strategy regarding
the importance of agriculture in Illinois.
The committee of agriculturalists
shall serve without compensation.
(e) A school district that offers a secondary agricultural education program that is approved for State and federal funding must ensure that, at a minimum, all of the following are available to its secondary agricultural education students:
(1) An instructional sequence of courses approved by
|
| the State Board of Education.
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|
(2) A State and nationally affiliated FFA (Future
|
| Farmers of America) chapter that is integral to instruction and is not treated solely as an extracurricular activity.
|
|
(3) A mechanism for ensuring the involvement of all
|
| secondary agricultural education students in formal, supervised, agricultural-experience activities and programs.
|
|
(f) Nothing in this Section may prevent those secondary agricultural education programs that are in operation before January 1, 2007 (the effective date of Public Act 94-855) and that do not have an active State and nationally affiliated FFA chapter from continuing to operate or from continuing to receive funding from the State Board of Education.
(Source: P.A. 102-463, eff. 1-1-22; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.83) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.83)
Sec. 2-3.83. Individual transition plan model pilot program.
(a) The General Assembly finds that transition services for special
education students in secondary schools are needed for the increasing numbers
of students exiting school programs. Therefore, to ensure coordinated and
timely delivery of services, the State shall establish a model pilot program to
provide such services. Local school districts, using joint agreements and
regional service delivery systems for special and vocational education
selected by the Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities,
shall have the primary responsibility to convene transition planning
meetings for these students who will require post-school adult services.
(b) For purposes of this Section:
(1) "Post-secondary Service Provider" means a |
| provider of services for adults who have any developmental disability as defined in Section 1-106 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code or who are persons with one or more disabilities as defined in the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act.
|
|
(2) "Individual Education Plan" means a written
|
| statement for an exceptional child that provides at least a statement of: the child's present levels of educational performance, annual goals and short-term instructional objectives; specific special education and related services; the extent of participation in the regular education program; the projected dates for initiation of services; anticipated duration of services; appropriate objective criteria and evaluation procedures; and a schedule for annual determination of short-term objectives.
|
|
(3) "Individual Transition Plan" (ITP) means a
|
| multi-agency informal assessment of a student's needs for post-secondary adult services including but not limited to employment, post-secondary education or training and residential independent living.
|
|
(4) "Developmental Disability" means "developmental
|
| disability" as defined in Section 1-106 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code.
|
|
(5) "Exceptional Characteristic" means any disabling
|
| or exceptional characteristic which interferes with a student's education including, but not limited to, a determination that the student has a severe or profound mental disability, has mental disability but is trainable, is deaf-blind, or has some other health impairment.
|
|
(c) The model pilot program required by this Section shall be established
and administered by the Governor's Planning Council on Developmental
Disabilities in conjunction with the case coordination pilot projects
established by the Department of Human Services pursuant to Section 4.1 of the Community Services
Act, as amended.
(d) The model pilot program shall include the following features:
(1) Written notice shall be sent to the student and,
|
| when appropriate, his or her parent or guardian giving the opportunity to consent to having the student's name and relevant information shared with the local case coordination unit and other appropriate State or local agencies for purposes of inviting participants to the individual transition plan meeting.
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|
(2) Meetings to develop and modify, as needed, an
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| Individual Transition Plan shall be conducted annually for all students with a developmental disability in the pilot program area who are age 16 or older and who are receiving special education services for 50% or more of their public school program. These meetings shall be convened by the local school district and conducted in conjunction with any other regularly scheduled meetings such as the student's annual individual educational plan meeting. The Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities shall cooperate with and may enter into any necessary written agreements with the Department of Human Services and the State Board of Education to identify the target group of students for transition planning and the appropriate case coordination unit to serve these individuals.
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|
(3) The ITP meetings shall be co-chaired by the
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| individual education plan coordinator and the case coordinator. The ITP meeting shall include but not be limited to discussion of the following: the student's projected date of exit from the public schools; his projected post-school goals in the areas of employment, residential living arrangement and post-secondary education or training; specific school or post-school services needed during the following year to achieve the student's goals, including but not limited to vocational evaluation, vocational education, work experience or vocational training, placement assistance, independent living skills training, recreational or leisure training, income support, medical needs and transportation; and referrals and linkage to needed services, including a proposed time frame for services and the responsible agency or provider. The individual transition plan shall be signed by participants in the ITP discussion, including but not limited to the student's parents or guardian, the student (where appropriate), multi-disciplinary team representatives from the public schools, the case coordinator and any other individuals who have participated in the ITP meeting at the discretion of the individual education plan coordinator, the developmental disability case coordinator or the parents or guardian.
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|
(4) At least 10 days prior to the ITP meeting, the
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| parents or guardian of the student shall be notified in writing of the time and place of the meeting by the local school district. The ITP discussion shall be documented by the assigned case coordinator, and an individual student file shall be maintained by each case coordination unit. One year following a student's exit from public school the case coordinator shall conduct a follow up interview with the student.
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|
(5) Determinations with respect to individual
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| transition plans made under this Section shall not be subject to any due process requirements prescribed in Section 14-8.02 of this Code.
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|
(e) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 102-972, eff. 1-1-23 .)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.103) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.103) Sec. 2-3.103. Salary and benefit survey. For each
school year, the State Board
of Education shall conduct, in each school district, a school district
salary and benefits survey covering the district's licensed and
educational support personnel. However, the collection of information covering educational support personnel must be limited to districts with 1,000 or more students enrolled. A survey form shall be developed and furnished by the State Board of
Education to each school district on or before October 1 of
the school year covered by the survey, and each school district shall submit a completed
survey to the State Board of Education on or before February 1 of the school year covered by the survey. The State Board of Education shall compile, by April 30 of the school
year covered by the survey, a statewide salary and benefit survey report
based upon the surveys completed and submitted for that school year by
the individual school districts as required by this Section, and shall make
the survey report available to all school districts and to all "employee
organizations" as defined in Section 2 of the Illinois Educational Labor
Relations Act. The data required to be reported by each school district on the salary
and benefits survey developed and furnished under this Section for the
school year covered by the survey shall include, but shall not be limited
to, the following: (1) the district's estimated fall enrollment; (2) with respect to both its licensed and educational |
| support personnel employees:
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|
(A) whether the district has a salary schedule,
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| salary policy but no salary schedule, or no salary policy and no salary schedule;
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|
(B) when each such salary schedule or policy of
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| the district was or will be adopted;
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|
(C) whether there is a negotiated agreement
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| between the school board and any teacher, educational support personnel or other employee organization and, if so, the affiliation of the local of such organization, together with the month and year of expiration of the negotiated agreement and whether it contains a fair share provision; and if there is no such negotiated agreement but the district does have a salary schedule or policy, a brief explanation of the manner in which each such salary schedule or policy was developed prior to its adoption by the school board, including a statement of whether any meetings between the school board and the superintendent leading up to adoption of the salary schedule or policy were based upon, or were conducted without any discussions between the superintendent and the affected teachers, educational support personnel or other employees;
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|
(D) whether the district's salary program,
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| policies or provisions are based upon merit or performance evaluation of individual teachers, educational support personnel or other employees, and whether they include: severance pay provisions; early retirement incentives; sick leave bank provisions; sick leave accumulation provisions and, if so, to how many days; personal, business or emergency leave with pay and, if so, the number of days; or direct reimbursement in whole or in part for expenses, such as tuition and materials, incurred in acquiring additional college credit;
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|
(E) whether school board paid or tax sheltered
|
| retirement contributions are included in any existing salary schedule or policy of the school district; what percent (if any) of the salary of each different licensed and educational support personnel employee classification (using the employee salary which reflects the highest regularly scheduled step in that classification on the salary schedule or policy of the district) is school board paid to an employee retirement system; the highest scheduled salary and the level of education or training required to reach the highest scheduled salary in each licensed and educational support personnel employee classification; using annual salaries from the school board's salary schedule or policy for each licensed and educational support personnel employee classification (and excluding from such salaries items of individual compensation resulting from extra-curricular duties, employment beyond the regular school year and longevity service pay, but including additional compensation such as grants and cost of living bonuses that are received by all employees in a classification or by all employees in a classification who are at the maximum experience level), the beginning, maximum and specified intermediate salaries reported to an employee retirement system (including school board paid or tax sheltered retirement contributions, but excluding fringe benefits) for each educational or training category within each licensed and educational support personnel employee classification; and the completed years of experience required to reach such maximum regularly scheduled and highest scheduled salaries;
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|
(F) whether the school district provides
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| longevity pay beyond the last annual regular salary increase available under the district's salary schedule or policy; and if so, the maximum earnings with longevity for each educational or training category specified by the State Board of Education in its survey form (based on salary reported to an employee's retirement system, including school board paid and tax sheltered retirement contributions, but excluding fringe benefits, and with maximum longevity step numbers and completed years of experience computed as provided in the survey form);
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|
(G) for each dental, disability, hospitalization,
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| life, prescription or vision insurance plan, cafeteria plan or other fringe benefit plan sponsored by the school board: (i) a statement of whether such plan is available to full time teachers or other licensed personnel covered by a district salary schedule or policy, whether such plan is available to full time educational support personnel covered by a district salary schedule or policy, and whether all full time employees to whom coverage under such plan is available are entitled to receive the same benefits under that plan; and (ii) the total annual cost of coverage under that plan for a covered full time employee who is at the highest regularly scheduled step on the salary schedule or policy of the district applicable to such employee, the percent of that total annual cost paid by the school board, the total annual cost of coverage under that plan for the family of that employee, and the percent of that total annual cost for family coverage paid by the school board.
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|
In addition, each school district shall provide to the State Board of Education, on or before February 1 of the school year covered by the survey, as required by
this Section, a copy of each salary schedule, salary policy, and negotiated
agreement which is identified or otherwise referred to in the completed survey form.
(Source: P.A. 102-894, eff. 5-20-22.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.130)
Sec. 2-3.130. Isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint rules; grant program; third-party assistance; goals and plans. (a) For purposes of this Section, "isolated time out", "physical restraint", and "time out" have the meanings given to those terms under Section 10-20.33. (b) The
State Board of Education shall promulgate rules governing the use of isolated time out, time out,
and physical restraint in special education nonpublic facilities and the public schools. The rules shall include
provisions governing the documentation and reporting that is required each time these interventions are used.
The rules adopted by the State Board shall
include a procedure by which a person who believes a violation of
Section 10-20.33 or 34-18.20 has occurred may file a complaint.
The rules adopted by the State Board shall include training requirements that must be included in training programs used to train and certify school personnel. The State Board shall establish procedures for progressive enforcement
actions to ensure that schools fully comply with the
documentation and reporting requirements for isolated time out, time out, and physical
restraint established by rule, which shall include meaningful and
appropriate sanctions for the failure to comply, including the failure to
report to the parent or guardian and to the State Board, the failure
to timely report, and the failure to provide detailed documentation. (c) Subject to appropriation, the State Board shall, by adoption of emergency rules under subsection (rr) of Section 5-45 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act if it so chooses, create a
grant program for school districts, special education nonpublic facilities approved under Section 14-7.02 of this Code, and special education
cooperatives to implement school-wide,
culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed practices, positive
behavioral interventions and supports, and restorative practices
within a multi-tiered system of support aimed at reducing the
need for interventions, such as isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint. The State Board shall give priority in grant funding to those school districts, special education nonpublic facilities approved under Section 14-7.02 of this Code, and special education cooperatives that submit a plan to achieve a significant reduction or elimination in the use of isolated time out and physical restraint in less than 3 years. (d) Subject to the Illinois Procurement Code, the Illinois School Student Records Act, the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act, and the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, the State Board may contract with a third party to provide
assistance with the oversight and monitoring of the use of isolated time
out, time out, and physical restraint by school districts. (e) For the purpose of this subsection and subsection (f), "entity" means a school district, a special education nonpublic school approved under Section 14-7.02 of this Code and located in this State, or a special education cooperative to the extent the cooperative operates separate schools or programs within schools. The State Board shall establish goals within 90 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, with
specific benchmarks, for entities to accomplish the systemic reduction
of isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint within 3 years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly.
The State Board shall engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders to establish the goals, including in the review and evaluation of the data submitted. The State Board shall also consult stakeholders in efforts to develop strategies to measure and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the use of isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint. Each entity shall create a time out and physical restraint oversight team that includes, but is not limited to, teachers, paraprofessionals, school service personnel, and administrators to develop (i) an entity-specific plan for reducing and eventually eliminating the use
of isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint in accordance with the goals and benchmarks established by the State Board and (ii) procedures to implement the plan developed by the team. The progress toward the reduction and eventual elimination of the use of isolated time out and physical restraint shall be measured by the reduction in the overall number of incidents of those interventions and the total number of students subjected to those interventions. In limited cases, upon written application made by an entity and approved by the State Board based on criteria developed by the State Board to show good cause, the reduction in the use of those interventions may be measured by the frequency of the use of those interventions on individual students and the student population as a whole. The State Board shall specify a date for submission of the plans. Entities shall submit a report once each year for 3 years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly to the State Board on the progress made toward achieving the goals and benchmarks established by the State Board and modify their plans as necessary to satisfy those goals and benchmarks. Entities shall notify parents and guardians that the plans and reports are available for review. On or before June 30, 2023, the State Board shall issue a report to the General Assembly on the progress made by entities to achieve those goals and benchmarks. The required plans shall include, but not be limited to, the specific actions that are to be taken
to: (1) reduce and eventually eliminate a reliance on |
| isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint for behavioral interventions and develop noncoercive environments;
|
|
(2) develop individualized student plans that are
|
| oriented toward prevention of the use of isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint with the intent that a plan be separate and apart from a student's individualized education program or a student's plan for services under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
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|
(3) ensure that appropriate personnel are fully
|
| informed of the student's history, including any history of physical or sexual abuse, and other relevant medical and mental health information, except that any disclosure of student information must be consistent with federal and State laws and rules governing student confidentiality and privacy rights; and
|
|
(4) support a vision for cultural change that
|
| reinforces the following:
|
|
(A) positive behavioral interventions and support
|
| rather than isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint;
|
|
(B) effective ways to de-escalate situations to
|
| avoid isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint;
|
|
(C) crisis intervention techniques that use
|
| alternatives to isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint; and
|
|
(D) use of debriefing meetings to reassess what
|
| occurred and why it occurred and to think through ways to prevent use of the intervention the next time.
|
|
(f) An entity, as defined in subsection (e), is exempt from the requirement to submit a plan and the annual reports under subsection (e) if the entity is able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the State Board that (i) within the previous 3 years, the entity has never engaged in the use of isolated time out, time out, or physical restraint and (ii) the entity has adopted a written policy that prohibits the use isolated time out, time out, and physical restraint on a student and is able to demonstrate the enforcement of that policy.
(g) The State Board shall establish a system of ongoing review,
auditing, and monitoring to ensure that entities comply with the
documentation and reporting requirements and meet the State Board's established goals
and benchmarks for reducing and eventually eliminating the use of isolated time out, time out, and
physical restraint.
(Source: P.A. 102-339, eff. 8-13-21; 103-175, eff. 6-30-23.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.139)
Sec. 2-3.139. School wellness policies; taskforce.
(a) The State Board of Education shall establish a State goal that all school districts have a wellness policy that is consistent with recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommendations include the following: (1) nutrition guidelines for all foods sold on school |
| campus during the school day;
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|
(2) setting school goals for nutrition education and
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|
(3) establishing community participation in creating
|
| local wellness policies; and
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|
(4) creating a plan for measuring implementation of
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|
The Department of Public Health, the Department of Human Services, and the State Board of Education shall form an interagency working group to publish model wellness policies and recommendations. Sample policies shall be based on CDC recommendations for nutrition and physical activity. The State Board of Education shall distribute the model wellness policies to all school districts before June 1, 2006.
(b) There is created the School Wellness Policy Taskforce, consisting of
the following members:
(1) One member representing the State Board of
|
| Education, appointed by the State Board of Education.
|
|
(2) One member representing the Department of Public
|
| Health, appointed by the Director of Public Health.
|
|
(3) One member representing the Department of Human
|
| Services, appointed by the Secretary of Human Services.
|
|
(4) One member of an organization representing the
|
| interests of school nurses in this State, appointed by the interagency working group.
|
|
(5) One member of an organization representing the
|
| interests of school administrators in this State, appointed by the interagency working group.
|
|
(6) One member of an organization representing the
|
| interests of school boards in this State, appointed by the interagency working group.
|
|
(7) One member of an organization representing the
|
| interests of regional superintendents of schools in this State, appointed by the interagency working group.
|
|
(8) One member of an organization representing the
|
| interests of parent-teacher associations in this State, appointed by the interagency working group.
|
|
(9) One member of an organization representing the
|
| interests of pediatricians in this State, appointed by the interagency working group.
|
|
(10) One member of an organization representing the
|
| interests of dentists in this State, appointed by the interagency working group.
|
|
(11) One member of an organization representing the
|
| interests of dieticians in this State, appointed by the interagency working group.
|
|
(12) One member of an organization that has an
|
| interest and expertise in heart disease, appointed by the interagency working group.
|
|
(13) One member of an organization that has an
|
| interest and expertise in cancer, appointed by the interagency working group.
|
|
(14) One member of an organization that has an
|
| interest and expertise in childhood obesity, appointed by the interagency working group.
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|
(15) One member of an organization that has an
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| interest and expertise in the importance of physical education and recreation in preventing disease, appointed by the interagency working group.
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|
(16) One member of an organization that has an
|
| interest and expertise in school food service, appointed by the interagency working group.
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|
(17) One member of an organization that has an
|
| interest and expertise in school health, appointed by the interagency working group.
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|
(18) One member of an organization that campaigns
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| for programs and policies for healthier school environments, appointed by the interagency working group.
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|
(19) One at-large member with a doctorate in
|
| nutrition, appointed by the State Board of Education.
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|
Members of the taskforce shall serve without compensation. The taskforce shall meet at the call of the State Board of Education. The taskforce shall report its identification of barriers to implementing school wellness policies and its recommendations to reduce those barriers to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before January 1, 2006. The taskforce shall report its recommendations on statewide school nutrition standards to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before January 1, 2007. The taskforce shall report its evaluation of the effectiveness of school wellness policies to the General Assembly and the Governor on or before January 1, 2008. The evaluation shall review a sample size of 5 to 10 school districts. Reports shall be made to the General Assembly by filing copies of each report as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act. Upon the filing of the last report, the taskforce is dissolved.
(c) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules necessary to implement this Section.
(d) Nothing in this Section may be construed as a curricular mandate on any school district.
(Source: P.A. 94-199, eff. 7-12-05; 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.152) Sec. 2-3.152. Community schools. (a) This Section applies beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. (b) The General Assembly finds all of the following: (1) All children are capable of success. (2) Schools are the centers of vibrant communities. (3) Strong families build strong educational |
|
(4) Children succeed when adults work together to
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| foster positive educational outcomes.
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|
(5) Schools work best when families take active roles
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| in the education of children.
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|
(6) Schools today are limited in their ability to
|
| dedicate time and resources to provide a wide range of educational opportunities to students because of the focus on standardized test outcomes.
|
|
(7) By providing learning opportunities outside of
|
| normal school hours, including programs on life skills and health, students are more successful academically, more engaged in their communities, safer, and better prepared to make a successful transition from school to adulthood.
|
|
(8) A community school is a public school or
|
| nonpublic school that establishes a set of strategic partnerships between the school and other community resources that promote student achievement, positive learning conditions, and the well-being of students by providing wraparound services and that actively partners with its community to leverage existing resources and identify new resources to support the transformation of the school to provide enrichment and additional life skill opportunities for students, parents, and community members at-large. Each community school is unique because its programming is designed by and for the school staff, in partnership with parents, community stakeholders, and students.
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|
(9) Community schools currently exist in this State
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| in urban, rural, and suburban communities.
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|
(10) Research shows that community schools have a
|
| powerful positive impact on students, as demonstrated by increased academic success, a positive change in attitudes toward school and learning, and decreased behavioral problems.
|
|
(11) After-school and evening programs offered by
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| community schools provide academic enrichment consistent with the Illinois Learning Standards and general school curriculum; an opportunity for physical fitness activities for students, fine arts programs, structured learning "play" time, and other recreational opportunities; a safe haven for students; and work supports for working families.
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|
(12) Community schools are cost-effective because
|
| they leverage existing resources provided by local, State, federal, and private sources and bring programs to the schools, where the students are already congregated.
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|
(c) Subject to an appropriation or the availability of State or federal funding for such purposes, the State Board of Education shall make grants available to fund community schools and to enhance programs at community schools. A request-for-proposal process must be used in awarding grants under this subsection (c). Proposals may be submitted on behalf of a school, a school district, or a consortium of 2 or more schools or school districts. Proposals must be evaluated and scored on the basis of criteria consistent with this Section and other factors developed and adopted by the State Board of Education. Technical assistance in grant writing must be made available to schools, school districts, or consortia of school districts through the State Board of Education directly or through a resource and referral directory established and maintained by the State Board of Education.
(d) As used in this subsection (d), "trauma-informed intervention" means a method for understanding and responding to an individual with symptoms of chronic interpersonal trauma or traumatic stress.
In order to qualify for a community school grant under this Section, a school may, at a minimum, provide the following:
(1) Before and after-school programming each school
|
| day to meet the identified needs of students.
|
|
(2) Weekend programming.
(3) Summer programming.
(4) A local advisory group comprised of school
|
| leadership, parents, and community stakeholders that establishes school-specific programming goals, assesses program needs, and oversees the process of implementing expanded programming.
|
|
(5) A program director, resource coordinator, or
|
| community school coordinator who is responsible for establishing a local advisory group, assessing the needs of students and community members, identifying programs to meet those needs, developing the before and after-school, weekend, and summer programming and overseeing the implementation of programming to ensure high quality, efficiency, and robust participation.
|
|
(6) Programming that includes academic excellence
|
| aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards, life skills, healthy minds and bodies, parental support, trauma-informed intervention, and community engagement and that promotes staying in school and non-violent behavior and non-violent conflict resolution.
|
|
(7) Maintenance of attendance records in all
|
|
(8) Maintenance of measurable data showing annual
|
| participation and the impact of programming on the participating children and adults.
|
|
(9) Documentation of true collaboration between the
|
| school and community stakeholders, including local governmental units, civic organizations, families, businesses, and social service providers.
|
|
(10) A non-discrimination policy ensuring that the
|
| community school does not condition participation upon race, ethnic origin, religion, sex, or disability.
|
|
(11) Wraparound services, including:
(A) safe transportation to school;
(B) vision and dental care services;
(C) established or expanded school-based health
|
|
(D) additional social workers, mentors,
|
| counselors, psychologists, and restorative practice coaches and enhancing physical wellness, including providing healthy food for in-school and out-of-school time and linkages to community providers;
|
|
(E) enhanced behavioral health services,
|
| including access to mental health practitioners and providing professional development to school staff to provide trauma-informed interventions;
|
|
(F) family and community engagement and support,
|
| including informing parents of academic course offerings, language classes, workforce development training, opportunities for children, and available social services, as well as educating families on how to monitor a child's learning;
|
|
(G) student enrichment experiences; and
(H) professional development for teachers and
|
| school staff to quickly identify students who are in need of these resources.
|
|
(Source: P.A. 103-265, eff. 6-1-24 .)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.153) Sec. 2-3.153. Survey of learning conditions. (a) The State Board of Education shall administer a climate survey, identified by and paid for by the State Board of Education, to provide feedback from, at a minimum, students in grades 4 through 12 and teachers on the instructional environment within a school. Each school district shall annually administer the climate survey in every public school attendance center by a date specified by the State Superintendent of Education, and data resulting from the instrument's administration must be provided to the State Board of Education. The survey component that requires completion by the teachers must be administered during teacher meetings or professional development days or at other times that would not interfere with the teachers' regular classroom and direct instructional duties. The State Superintendent shall publicly report on the survey indicators of learning conditions resulting from administration of the instrument at the individual school, district, and State levels and shall identify whether the indicators result from an anonymous administration of the instrument.
(b) A school district may elect to use, on a district-wide basis and at the school district's sole cost and expense, an alternate climate survey of learning conditions instrument pre-approved by the State Superintendent under subsection (c) of this Section in lieu of the State-adopted climate survey, provided that: (1) the school district notifies the State Board of |
| Education, on a form provided by the State Superintendent, of its intent to administer an alternate climate survey on or before a date established by the State Superintendent for each school;
|
|
(2) the notification submitted to the State Board
|
| under paragraph (1) of this subsection (b) must be accompanied by a certification signed by the president of the local teachers' exclusive bargaining representative and president of the school board indicating that the alternate survey has been agreed to by the teachers' exclusive bargaining representative and the school board;
|
|
(3) the school district's administration of the
|
| alternate instrument, including providing to the State Board of Education data and reports suitable to be published on school report cards and the State School Report Card Internet website, is performed in accordance with the requirements of subsection (a) of this Section; and
|
|
(4) the alternate instrument is administered each
|
|
(c) The State Superintendent, in consultation with teachers, principals, superintendents, and other appropriate stakeholders, shall administer an approval process through which at least 2, but not more than 3, alternate survey of learning conditions instruments will be approved by the State Superintendent following a determination by the State Superintendent that each approved instrument:
(1) meets all requirements of subsection (a) of this
|
|
(2) provides a summation of indicator results of the
|
| alternative survey by a date established by the State Superintendent in a manner that allows the indicator results to be included on school report cards pursuant to Section 10-17a of this Code by October 31 of the school year following the instrument's administration;
|
|
(3) provides summary reports for each district and
|
| attendance center intended for parents and community stakeholders;
|
|
(4) meets scale reliability requirements using
|
| accepted testing measures;
|
|
(5) provides research-based evidence linking
|
| instrument content to one or more improved student outcomes; and
|
|
(6) has undergone and documented testing to prove
|
| validity and reliability.
|
|
The State Superintendent shall periodically review and update the list of approved alternate survey instruments, provided that at least 2, but no more than 3, alternate survey instruments shall be approved for use during any school year.
(d) Nothing contained in this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly repeals, supersedes, invalidates, or nullifies final decisions in lawsuits pending on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly in Illinois courts involving the interpretation of Public Act 97-8.
(Source: P.A. 100-1046, eff. 8-23-18.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.156) Sec. 2-3.156. Mathematics curriculum models. (a) The State Board of Education shall, immediately following the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, coordinate the acquisition, adaptation, and development of middle and high school mathematics curriculum models to aid school districts and teachers in implementing standards for all students. The acquisition, adaptation, and development process shall include the input of representatives of statewide educational organizations and stakeholders, including without limitation all of the following: (1) Representatives of a statewide mathematics |
| professional organization.
|
|
(2) Representatives of statewide teacher
|
|
(3) Representatives of statewide school
|
| administrator organizations.
|
|
(4) Experts in higher education mathematics
|
|
(5) Experts in curriculum design.
(6) Experts in professional development design.
(7) State education policymakers and advisors.
(8) A representative from the Department of Commerce
|
| and Economic Opportunity.
|
|
(9) Higher education faculty.
(10) Representatives of statewide school board
|
|
(11) Representatives of statewide principal
|
|
(b) The curriculum models under this Section shall include without limitation all of the following:
(1) Scope-and-sequence descriptions for middle and
|
| high school mathematics progressions, building content and skill acquisition across the grades.
|
|
(2) Recommendations of curricula for the final year
|
| of mathematics or math-equivalent instruction before graduation.
|
|
(3) Sample lesson plans to illustrate instructional
|
| materials and methods for specific standards.
|
|
(4) Model high school course designs that
|
| demonstrate effective student pathways to mathematics-standards attainment by graduation.
|
|
(5) Training programs for teachers and
|
| administrators, to be made available in both traditional and electronic formats for regional and local delivery.
|
|
(c) The curriculum models under this Section must be completed no later than March 1, 2013.
(d) The curriculum models and training programs under this Section must be made available to all school districts, which may choose to adopt or adapt the models in lieu of developing their own mathematics curricula. The Illinois P-20 Council shall submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the extent and effect of utilization of the curriculum models by school districts. Within 4 years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, State mathematics test results and higher education mathematics remediation data must be used to gauge the effectiveness of high school mathematics instruction and the extent of standards attainment and be used to guide the continuous improvement of the mathematics curriculum and instruction.
(Source: P.A. 97-704, eff. 1-1-13.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.159) Sec. 2-3.159. State Seal of Biliteracy. (a) In this Section, "foreign language" means any language other than English, including all modern languages, Latin, American Sign Language, Native American languages, and native languages. (b) The State Seal of Biliteracy program is established to recognize public and non-public high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English. School district and non-public school participation in this program is voluntary. (c) The purposes of the State Seal of Biliteracy are as follows: (1) To encourage pupils to study languages. (2) To certify attainment of biliteracy. (3) To provide employers with a method of |
| identifying people with language and biliteracy skills.
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|
(4) To provide universities with an additional
|
| method to recognize applicants seeking admission.
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|
(5) To prepare pupils with 21st century skills.
(6) To recognize the value of foreign language and
|
| native language instruction in public and non-public schools.
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|
(7) To strengthen intergroup relationships, affirm
|
| the value of diversity, and honor the multiple cultures and languages of a community.
|
|
(d) The State Seal of Biliteracy certifies attainment of a high
level of proficiency, sufficient for meaningful use in college and a career, by a graduating public or non-public high school pupil in one or more
languages in addition to English.
(e) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish the criteria that pupils must achieve to earn a State Seal of Biliteracy, which may include without limitation attainment of units of credit in English language arts and languages other than English and passage of such assessments of foreign language proficiency as may be approved by the State Board of Education for this purpose. These rules shall ensure that the criteria that pupils must achieve to earn a State Seal of Biliteracy meet the course credit criteria established under subsection (i) of this Section.
(e-5) To demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency for eligibility to receive a State Seal of Biliteracy under this Section, the State Board of Education shall allow a pupil to provide his or her school district with evidence of completion of any of the following, in accordance with guidelines for proficiency adopted by the State Board:
(1) An AP (Advanced Placement) English Language and
|
|
(2) An English language arts dual credit course.
(3) Transitional coursework in English language arts
|
| articulated in partnership with a public community college as an ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) College and Career Readiness Indicator.
|
|
(f) The State Board of Education shall do both of the following:
(1) Prepare and deliver to participating school
|
| districts and non-public schools an appropriate mechanism for designating the State Seal of Biliteracy on the diploma and transcript of the pupil indicating that the pupil has been awarded a State Seal of Biliteracy by the State Board of Education.
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|
(2) Provide other information the State Board of
|
| Education deems necessary for school districts and non-public schools to successfully participate in the program.
|
|
(g) A school district or non-public school that participates in the program under this
Section shall do both of the following:
(1) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify
|
| pupils who have earned a State Seal of Biliteracy.
|
|
(2) Make the appropriate designation on the
|
| diploma and transcript of each pupil who earns a State Seal of Biliteracy.
|
|
(h) No fee shall be charged to a pupil to receive the designation pursuant to this Section. Notwithstanding this prohibition, costs may be incurred by the pupil in demonstrating proficiency, including without limitation any assessments required under subsection (e) of this Section.
(i) For admissions purposes, each public university in this State shall accept the State Seal of Biliteracy as equivalent to 2 years of foreign language coursework taken during high school if a student's high school transcript indicates that he or she will be receiving or has received the State Seal of Biliteracy.
(j) Each public community college and public university in this State shall establish criteria to translate a State Seal of Biliteracy into course credit based on foreign language course equivalencies identified by the community college's or university's faculty and staff and, upon request from an enrolled student, the community college or university shall award foreign language course credit to a student who has received a State Seal of Biliteracy. Students enrolled in a public community college or public university who have received a State Seal of Biliteracy must request course credit for their seal within 3 academic years after graduating from high school.
(Source: P.A. 101-222, eff. 1-1-20; 101-503, eff. 8-23-19; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.163) (Text of Section from P.A. 103-504) Sec. 2-3.163. PUNS database information for students and parents or guardians. (a) The General Assembly makes all of the following findings: (1) Pursuant to Section 10-26 of the Department of |
| Human Services Act, the Department of Human Services maintains a statewide database known as the PUNS database that records information about individuals with intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities who are potentially in need of services.
|
|
(2) The Department of Human Services uses the data on
|
| PUNS to select individuals for services as funding becomes available, to develop proposals and materials for budgeting, and to plan for future needs.
|
|
(3) The PUNS database is available for adults with
|
| intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities who have unmet service needs anticipated in the next 5 years. The PUNS database is also available for children with intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities with unmet service needs.
|
|
(4) Registration to be included on the PUNS database
|
| is the first step toward receiving developmental disabilities services in this State. A child or an adult who is not on the PUNS database will not be in queue for State developmental disabilities services.
|
|
(5) Lack of awareness and information about the PUNS
|
| database results in underutilization or delays in registration for the PUNS database by students with intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities and their parents or guardians.
|
|
(a-5) The purpose of this Section is to ensure that each student with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability who has an individualized education program ("IEP") and the student's parents or guardian are informed about the PUNS database, where to register for the PUNS database, and whom they can contact for information about the PUNS database and the PUNS database registration process. This Section is not intended to change the PUNS database registration process established by the Department of Human Services or to impose any responsibility on the State Board of Education or a school district to register students for the PUNS database.
(a-10) As used in this Section, "PUNS" means the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services database or PUNS database developed and maintained by the Department of Human Services pursuant to Section 10-26 of the Department of Human Services Act.
(b) The State Board of Education may work in consultation with the Department of Human Services and with school districts to ensure that all students with intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities and their parents or guardians are informed about the PUNS database, as described in subsections (c), (c-5), and (d) of this Section.
(c) The Department of Human Services, in consultation with the State Board of Education, shall develop and implement an online, computer-based training program for at least one designated employee in every public school in this State to educate the designated employee or employees about the PUNS database and steps required to register students for the PUNS database, including the documentation and information parents or guardians will need for the registration process. The training shall include instruction on identifying and contacting the appropriate developmental disabilities Independent Service Coordination agency ("ISC") to register students for the PUNS database. The training of the designated employee or employees shall also include information about organizations and programs available in this State that offer assistance to families in understanding the PUNS database and navigating the PUNS database registration process. Each school district shall post on its public website and include in its student handbook the names of the designated trained employee or employees in each school within the school district.
(c-5) During the student's annual IEP review meeting, if the student has an intellectual disability or a developmental disability, the student's IEP team shall determine the student's PUNS database registration status based upon information provided by the student's parents or guardian or by the student. If it is determined that the student is not registered for the PUNS database or if it is unclear whether the student is registered for the PUNS database, the parents or guardian and the student shall be referred to a designated employee of the public school who has completed the training described in subsection (c). The designated trained employee shall provide the student's parents or guardian and the student with the name, location, and contact information of the appropriate ISC to contact in order to register the student for the PUNS database. The designated trained employee shall also identify for the parents or guardian and the student the information and documentation they will need to complete the PUNS database registration process with the ISC, and shall also provide information to the parents or guardian and the student about organizations and programs available in this State that offer information to families about the PUNS database and the PUNS database registration process.
(d) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Human Services, through school districts, shall provide to the parents and guardians of each student with an IEP a copy of the latest version of the Department of Human Services's guide titled "Understanding PUNS: A Guide to Prioritization for Urgency of Need for Services" each year at the annual review meeting for the student's individualized education program.
(e) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 102-57, eff. 7-9-21; 103-504, eff. 1-1-24.)
(Text of Section from P.A. 103-546)
Sec. 2-3.163. Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services database.
(a) The General Assembly makes all of the following findings:
(1) The Department of Human Services maintains a
|
| statewide database known as the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services that records information about individuals with developmental disabilities who are potentially in need of services.
|
|
(2) The Department of Human Services uses the data on
|
| Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services to select individuals for services as funding becomes available, to develop proposals and materials for budgeting, and to plan for future needs.
|
|
(3) Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services is
|
| available for children and adults with a developmental disability who have an unmet service need anticipated in the next 5 years.
|
|
(4) Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services is
|
| the first step toward getting developmental disabilities services in this State. If individuals are not on the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services waiting list, they are not in queue for State developmental disabilities services.
|
|
(5) Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services
|
| may be underutilized by children and their parents or guardians due to lack of awareness or lack of information.
|
|
(b) The State Board of Education may work with school districts to inform all students with developmental disabilities and their parents or guardians about the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services database.
(c) Subject to appropriation, the Department of Human Services and State Board of Education shall develop and implement an online, computer-based training program for at least one designated employee in every public school in this State to educate him or her about the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services database and steps to be taken to ensure children and adolescents are enrolled. The training shall include instruction for at least one designated employee in every public school in contacting the appropriate developmental disabilities Independent Service Coordination agency to enroll children and adolescents in the database. At least one designated employee in every public school shall ensure the opportunity to enroll in the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services database is discussed during annual individualized education program (IEP) meetings for all children and adolescents believed to have a developmental disability.
(d) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Human Services, through school districts, shall provide to parents and guardians of students a copy of the Department of Human Services's guide titled "Understanding PUNS: A Guide to Prioritization for Urgency of Need for Services" each year at the annual review meeting for the student's individualized education program, including the consideration required in subsection (e) of this Section.
(e) The Department of Human Services shall consider the length of time spent on the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services waiting list, in addition to other factors considered, when selecting individuals on the list for services.
(f) Subject to appropriation, the Department of Human Services shall expand its selection of individuals from the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services database to include individuals who receive services through the Children and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities - Support Waiver.
(Source: P.A. 102-57, eff. 7-9-21; 103-546, eff. 8-11-23.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.166) Sec. 2-3.166. Youth suicide awareness and prevention. (a) This Section may be referred to as Ann Marie's Law. (b) The State Board of Education shall do both of the following: (1) In consultation with a youth suicide prevention |
| organization operating in this State and organizations representing school boards and school personnel, develop a model youth suicide awareness and prevention policy that is consistent with subsection (c) of this Section.
|
|
(2) Compile, develop, and post on its publicly
|
| accessible Internet website both of the following, which may include materials already publicly available:
|
|
(A) Recommended guidelines and educational
|
| materials for training and professional development.
|
|
(B) Recommended resources and age-appropriate
|
| educational materials on youth suicide awareness and prevention.
|
|
(c) The model policy developed by the State Board of Education under
subsection (b) of this Section and any policy adopted by a school board
under subsection (d) of this Section shall include all of the following:
(1) A statement on youth suicide awareness and
|
|
(2) Protocols for administering youth suicide
|
| awareness and prevention education to staff and students.
|
|
(3) Methods of prevention, including procedures for
|
| early identification and referral of students at risk of suicide.
|
|
(4) Methods of intervention, including procedures
|
| that address an emotional or mental health safety plan for students identified as being at increased risk of suicide, including those students who:
|
|
(A) suffer from a mental health disorder;
(B) suffer from a substance abuse disorder;
(C) engage in self-harm or have previously
|
|
(D) reside in an out-of-home placement;
(E) are experiencing homelessness;
(F) are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or
|
|
(G) are bereaved by suicide; or
(H) have a medical condition or certain types of
|
|
(5) Methods of responding to a student or staff
|
| suicide or suicide attempt.
|
|
(6) Reporting procedures.
(7) Recommended resources on youth suicide awareness
|
| and prevention programs, including current contact information for such programs.
|
|
(d) Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, each school board shall review and update its current suicide awareness and prevention policy to be consistent with subsection (c) of this Section or adopt an age-appropriate youth suicide awareness and
prevention policy consistent with subsection (c) of this Section, inform each
school district employee and the parent or legal guardian of each
student enrolled in the school district of such policy, and post
such policy on the school district's publicly accessible Internet
website. The policy adopted by a school board under this
subsection (d) may be based upon the model policy developed by the
State Board of Education under subsection (b) of this Section.
(Source: P.A. 102-267, eff. 7-1-22 .)
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.169) Sec. 2-3.169. State Global Scholar Certification. (a) The State Global Scholar Certification Program is established to recognized public and nonpublic high school graduates who have attained global competence. State Global Scholar Certification shall be awarded beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. School district or nonpublic school participation in this certification is voluntary. (b) The purposes of State Global Scholar Certification are as follows: (1) To recognize the value of a global education. (2) To certify attainment of global competence. (3) To provide employers with a method of identifying |
| globally competent employees.
|
|
(4) To provide colleges and universities with an
|
| additional method to recognize applicants seeking admission.
|
|
(5) To prepare students with 21st century skills.
(6) To encourage the development of a globally ready
|
| workforce in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), manufacturing, agriculture, and service sectors.
|
|
(c) State Global Scholar Certification confirms attainment of global competence, sufficient for meaningful use in college and a career, by a graduating public or nonpublic high school student.
(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish the criteria that students must achieve to earn State Global Scholar Certification, which shall minimally include attainment of units of credit in globally focused courses, service learning experiences, global collaboration and dialogue, and passage of a capstone project demonstrating global competency, as approved by the participating school district or nonpublic school for this purpose.
(e) The State Board of Education shall do both of the following:
(1) Prepare and deliver to participating school
|
| districts or nonpublic schools an appropriate mechanism for designating State Global Scholar Certification on the diploma and transcript of a student indicating that the student has been awarded State Global Scholar Certification by the State Board of Education.
|
|
(2) Provide other information the State Board of
|
| Education deems necessary for school districts or nonpublic schools to successfully participate in the certification.
|
|
(f) A school district or nonpublic school that participates in certification under this Section shall do both of the following:
(1) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify
|
| students who have earned State Global Scholar Certification.
|
|
(2) Make the appropriate designation on the diploma
|
| and transcript of each student who earns State Global Scholar Certification.
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|
(g) No fee may be charged to a student to receive the designation pursuant to the Section. Notwithstanding this prohibition, costs may be incurred by the student in demonstrating proficiency.
(Source: P.A. 103-352, eff. 7-28-23.)
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(105 ILCS 5/2-3.186) Sec. 2-3.186. Freedom Schools; grant program. (a) The General Assembly recognizes and values the contributions that Freedom Schools make to enhance the lives of Black students. The General Assembly makes all of the following findings: (1) The fundamental goal of the Freedom Schools of |
| the 1960s was to provide quality education for all students, to motivate active civic engagement, and to empower disenfranchised communities. The renowned and progressive curriculum of Freedom Schools allowed students of all ages to experience a new and liberating form of education that directly related to the imperatives of their lives, their communities, and the Freedom Movement.
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(2) Freedom Schools continue to demonstrate the
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| proven benefits of critical civic engagement and intergenerational effects by providing historically disadvantaged students, including African American students and other students of color, with quality instruction that fosters student confidence, critical thinking, and social and emotional development.
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(3) Freedom Schools offer culturally relevant
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| learning opportunities with the academic and social supports that Black children need by utilizing quality teaching, challenging and engaging curricula, wrap-around supports, a positive school climate, and strong ties to family and community. Freedom Schools have a clear focus on results.
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(4) Public schools serve a foundational role in the
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| education of over 2,000,000 students in this State.
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(b) The State Board of Education shall establish a Freedom School network to supplement the learning taking place in public schools by awarding one or more grants as set forth in subsection (e) to create Freedom Schools with a mission to improve the odds for children in poverty by using a research-based and multicultural curriculum for disenfranchised communities most affected by the opportunity gap and learning loss caused by the pandemic, and by expanding the teaching of African American history, developing leadership skills, and providing an understanding of the tenets of the civil rights movement. The teachers in Freedom Schools must be from the local community, with an emphasis on historically disadvantaged youth, including African American students and other students of color, so that (i) these individuals have access to jobs and teaching experiences that serve as a long-term pipeline to educational careers and the hiring of minority educators in public schools, (ii) these individuals are elevated as content experts and community leaders, and (iii) Freedom School students have access to both mentorship and equitable educational resources.
(c) A Freedom School shall intentionally and imaginatively implement strategies that focus on all of the following:
(1) Racial justice and equity.
(2) Transparency and building trusting
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(3) Self-determination and governance.
(4) Building on community strengths and community
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(5) Utilizing current data, best practices, and
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(6) Shared leadership and collaboration.
(7) A reflective learning culture.
(8) A whole-child approach to education.
(9) Literacy.
(d) The State Board of Education, in the establishment of Freedom Schools, shall strive for authentic parent and community engagement during the development of Freedom Schools and their curriculum. Authentic parent and community engagement includes all of the following:
(1) A shared responsibility that values equal
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| partnerships between families and professionals.
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(2) Ensuring that students and families who are
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| directly impacted by Freedom School policies and practices are the decision-makers in the creation, design, implementation, and assessment of those policies and practices.
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(3) Genuine respect for the culture and diversity
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(4) Relationships that center around the goal of
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| supporting family well-being and children's development and learning.
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(e) Subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education shall establish and implement a grant program to provide grants to public schools, public community colleges, and not-for-profit, community-based organizations to facilitate improved educational outcomes for historically disadvantaged students, including African American students and other students of color in grades pre-kindergarten through 12 in alignment with the integrity and practices of the Freedom School model established during the civil rights movement. Grant recipients under the program may include, but are not limited to, entities that work with the Children's Defense Fund or offer established programs with proven results and outcomes. The State Board of Education shall award grants to eligible entities that demonstrate a likelihood of reasonable success in achieving the goals identified in the grant application, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Engaging, culturally relevant, and challenging
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(2) High-quality teaching.
(3) Wrap-around supports and opportunities.
(4) Positive discipline practices, such as
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(5) Inclusive leadership.
(f) The Freedom Schools Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. The Fund shall consist of appropriations from the General Revenue Fund, grant funds from the
federal government, and donations from educational and private foundations. All money in the Fund shall be used, subject to appropriation, by the State Board of Education for the purposes of this Section and to support related activities.
(g) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules necessary to implement this Section.
(Source: P.A. 102-209, eff. 11-30-21 (See Section 5 of P.A. 102-671 for effective date of P.A. 102-209); 103-8, eff. 6-7-23.)
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(105 ILCS 5/2-3.191)
Sec. 2-3.191. State Education Equity Committee. (a) The General Assembly finds that this State has an urgent and collective responsibility to achieve educational equity by ensuring that all policies, programs, and practices affirm the strengths that each and every child brings with diverse backgrounds and life experiences and by delivering the comprehensive support, programs, and educational opportunities children need to succeed. (b) The State Education Equity Committee is created within the State Board of Education to strive toward ensuring equity in education for all children from birth through grade 12. (c) The Committee shall consist of the State Superintendent of Education or the State Superintendent's designee, who shall serve as chairperson, and one member from each of the following organizations appointed by the State Superintendent: (1) At least 2 educators who each represent a |
| different statewide professional teachers' organization.
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(2) A professional teachers' organization located in
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| a city having a population exceeding 500,000.
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(3) A statewide association representing school
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(4) A statewide association representing regional
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| superintendents of schools.
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(5) A statewide association representing school board
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(6) A statewide association representing school
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(7) A school district serving a community with a
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| population of 500,000 or more.
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(8) A parent-led organization.
(9) A student-led organization.
(10) One community organization that works to foster
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| safe and healthy environments through advocacy for immigrant families and ensuring equitable opportunities for educational advancement and economic development.
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(11) An organization that works for economic,
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| educational, and social progress for African Americans and promotes strong sustainable communities through advocacy, collaboration, and innovation.
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(12) One statewide organization whose focus is to
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| narrow or close the achievement gap between students of color and their peers.
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(13) An organization that advocates for healthier
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| school environments in this State.
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(14) One statewide organization that advocates for
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| partnerships among schools, families, and the community, provides access to support, and removes barriers to learning and development, using schools as hubs.
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(15) One organization that advocates for the health
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| and safety of Illinois youth and families by providing capacity building services.
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(16) An organization dedicated to advocating for
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| public policies to prevent homelessness.
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(17) Other appropriate State agencies as determined
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| by the State Superintendent.
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(18) An organization that works for economic,
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| educational, and social progress for Native Americans and promotes strong sustainable communities through advocacy, collaboration, and innovation.
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(19) A individual with a disability or a statewide
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| organization representing or advocating on behalf of individuals with disabilities. As used in this paragraph, "disability" has the meaning given to that term in Section 10 of the Disabilities Services Act of 2003.
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Members appointed to the Committee must reflect, as much as possible, the racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity of this State.
(d) Members appointed by the State Superintendent shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses, including travel, from funds appropriated to the State Board of Education for that purpose, subject to the rules of the appropriate travel control board.
(e) The Committee shall meet at the call of the chairperson, but shall meet no less than 3 times a year.
(f) The Committee shall recognize that, while progress has been made, much remains to be done to address systemic inequities and ensure each and every child is equipped to reach the child's fullest potential and shall:
(1) guide its work through the principles of equity,
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| equality, collaboration, and community;
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(2) focus its work around the overarching goals of
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| student learning, learning conditions, and elevating educators, all underpinned by equity;
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(3) identify evidence-based practices or policies
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| around these goals to build on this State's progress of ensuring educational equity for all its students in all aspects of birth through grade 12 education; and
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(4) seek input and feedback on identified
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| evidence-based practices or policies from stakeholders, including, but not limited to, parents, students, and educators that reflect the rich diversity of Illinois students.
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(g) The Committee shall submit its recommendations to the General Assembly and the State Board of Education no later than January 31, 2022. By no later than December 15, 2023 and each year thereafter, the Committee shall report to the General Assembly and the State Board of Education about the additional progress that has been made to achieve educational equity.
(h) As part of the report required under subsection (g), by no later than December 15, 2024, the Committee shall provide recommendations that may assist the State Board of Education in identifying diverse subject matter experts to help inform policy through task forces, committees, and commissions the State Board oversees.
(i) On and after January 31, 2025, subsection (h) is inoperative.
(Source: P.A. 102-458, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22; 103-422, eff. 8-4-23.)
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(105 ILCS 5/2-3.196) (Text of Section from P.A. 103-8) Sec. 2-3.196. Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program. (a) Subject to appropriation, beginning in Fiscal Year 2024, the State Board of Education shall administer a 3-year Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program for the allocation of formula grant funds to school districts to support the reduction of unfilled teaching positions throughout the State. The State Board shall identify which districts are eligible to apply for a 3-year grant under this Section by reviewing the State Board's Fiscal Year 2023 annual unfilled teaching positions report to determine which districts designated as Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 under Section 18-8.15 have the greatest need for funds. Based on the National Center for Education Statistics locale classifications, 60% of eligible districts shall be rural districts and 40% of eligible districts shall be urban districts. Continued funding for the grant in Fiscal Year 2025 and Fiscal Year 2026 is subject to appropriation. The State Board shall post, on its website, information about the grant program and the list of identified districts that are eligible to apply for a grant under this subsection. (b) A school district that is determined to be eligible for a grant under subsection (a) and that chooses to participate in the program must submit an application to the State Board that describes the relevant context for the need for teacher vacancy support, suspected causes of teacher vacancies in the district, and the district's plan in utilizing grant funds to reduce unfilled teaching positions throughout the district. If an eligible school district chooses not to participate in the program, the State Board shall identify a potential replacement district by using the same methodology described in subsection (a). (c) Grant funds awarded under this Section may be used for financial incentives to support the recruitment and hiring of teachers, programs and incentives to strengthen teacher pipelines, or investments to sustain teachers and reduce attrition among teachers. Grant funds shall be used only for the purposes outlined in the district's application to the State Board to reduce unfilled teaching positions. Grant funds shall not be used for any purposes not approved by the State Board. (d) A school district that receives grant funds under this Section shall submit an annual report to the State Board that includes, but is not limited to, a summary of all grant-funded activities implemented to reduce unfilled teaching positions, progress towards reducing unfilled teaching positions, the number of unfilled teaching positions in the district in the preceding fiscal year, the number of new teachers hired during the program, the teacher attrition rate, the number of individuals participating in any programs designed to reduce attrition, the number of teachers retained using support of the grant funds, participation in any strategic pathway programs created under the program, and the number of and participation in any new pathways into teaching positions created under the program. (e) No later than March 1, 2027, the State Board shall submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the efficacy of the pilot program that includes a summary of the information received under subsection (d) and an overview of its activities to support grantees. (Source: P.A. 103-8, eff. 6-7-23.) (Text of Section from P.A. 103-264) Sec. 2-3.196. Computer Science Equity Grant Program. (a) Subject to appropriation, the State Board shall establish a competitive grant program to support the development or enhancement of computer science programs in the K-12 schools. Eligible entities are regional offices of education, intermediate service centers, State higher education institutions, schools designated as laboratory schools, and school districts. Approved entities shall be responsible for ensuring that appropriate facilities are available and educators are appropriately trained on the use of any technologies or devices acquired for the purposes of the grant. (b) Computer Science Equity Grant Program funds shall be used in the following manner consistent with application requirements established by the State Board of Education as provided in this Article: (1) to expand learning opportunities in grades K-12 |
| to ensure that all students have access to computer science coursework that is aligned to rigorous State standards and emerging labor market needs;
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(2) to train and retrain teachers of grades K-12 to
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| be more proficient in the teaching of computer science by providing professional development opportunities;
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(3) to supply classrooms with materials and equipment
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| related to the teaching and learning of computer science; and
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(4) to more effectively recruit and better serve K-12
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| learners who are underrepresented in the computer science labor market for enrollment in computer science coursework.
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(c) Computer Science Equity Grant Program funds shall be made available to each eligible entity upon completion of an application process that is consistent with rules established by the State Board of Education. The application shall include the planned use of the funds; identification of need for the funds that is supported by local, regional, and state data; a plan for long-term sustainability; and a long-term plan for continuous improvement.
(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules as may be necessary to implement the provision of this Article, including, but not limited to, the identification of additional prioritization areas for each competitive grant application cycle that are within the scope of the authorized uses. Priority consideration for all applications will be given for proposals that intend to serve a majority of learners or teachers with gender or racial/ethnic identities that are underrepresented in the computer science labor market.
(e) Up to 2 renewals of the grant will be allowed, providing the entity awarded satisfactorily completes programmatic reporting and meets program objectives commensurate with application requirements set forth by the State Board of Education.
(f) Grants under the Computer Science Equity Grant Program and funding levels for satisfactory applications may be prorated according to the amount appropriated.
(Source: P.A. 103-264, eff. 1-1-24.)
(Text of Section from P.A. 103-402)
Sec. 2-3.196. State Board of Education literacy assistance.
(a) The State Board of Education shall adopt and make available all of the following to each publicly funded school district by July 1, 2024:
(1) A rubric by which districts may evaluate
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| curricula and select and implement evidence-based, culturally inclusive core reading instruction programs aligned with the comprehensive literacy plan for the State described in subsection (c).
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(2) A template to support districts when developing
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| comprehensive, district-wide literacy plans that include support for special student populations, including, at a minimum, students with disabilities, multilingual students, and bidialectal students.
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(3) Guidance on evidence-based practices for
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| effective structures for training and deploying literacy coaches to support teachers and close opportunity gaps among student demographic groups.
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(b) On or before January 1, 2025, the State Board of Education shall develop and make available training opportunities for educators in teaching reading that are aligned with the comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection (c) and consistent with State learning standards. This support may include:
(1) the development of a microcredential or a series
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| of microcredentials in literacy instruction aligned with the comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection (c) to be affixed to educator licenses upon successful demonstration of the skill or completion of the required coursework or assessment, or both, or online training modules on literacy instruction, aligned with the comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection (c) and consistent with State learning standards, accepted for continuing professional development units; and
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(2) the creation and dissemination of a tool that
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| school districts, educators, and the public may use to evaluate professional development and training programs related to literacy instruction.
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(c) In consultation with education stakeholders, the State Board of Education shall develop and adopt a comprehensive literacy plan for the State on or before January 31, 2024. The comprehensive literacy plan shall consider, without limitation, evidence-based research and culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogical approaches to meet the needs of all students and shall, at a minimum, do all of the following:
(1) Consider core instructional literacy practices
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| and practices related to the unique needs of and support for specific student populations, including, at a minimum, students with disabilities, multilingual students, and bidialectal students, and the resources and support, including professional learning for teachers, needed to effectively implement the literacy instruction.
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(2) Provide guidance related to screening tools, the
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| administration of such screening tools, and the interpretation of the resulting data to identify students at risk of reading difficulties in grades kindergarten through 2. This guidance shall outline instances in which dyslexia screenings and other universal screeners are appropriate for use with English learners.
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(3) Provide guidance related to early literacy
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| intervention for students in grades kindergarten through 2 for schools to implement with students at risk of reading difficulties, as well as literacy intervention for students in grades 3 through 12 demonstrating reading difficulties.
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(4) Consider the impact of second language
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| acquisition and bilingual education on reading instruction in the student's native language and English.
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(5) Define key terminology, such as "evidence-based".
(6) Contextualize the interaction between elements of
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| the plan and existing laws and regulations that have overlapping components, such as a multi-tiered system of support.
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(7) Focus on a comprehensive range of elements of
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| literacy, including phonological awareness; decoding (phonics); encoding (spelling); vocabulary development, including morphology, oracy, and reading fluency; and reading comprehension, including syntax and background and content knowledge.
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|
(Source: P.A. 103-402, eff. 7-28-23.)
(Text of Section from P.A. 103-413)
Sec. 2-3.196. Children's Adversity Index. The Illinois State Board of Education shall develop a community or district-level Children's Adversity Index ("index") to measure community childhood trauma exposure across the population of children 3 through 18 years of age by May 31, 2025. This cross-agency effort shall be led by the State Board of Education and must include agencies that both collect the data and will have an ultimate use for the index information, including, but not limited to, the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Innovation and Technology, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the Department of Children and Family Services, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. The State Board of Education may also involve non-agency personnel with relevant expertise. The index shall be informed by research and include both adverse incident data, such as the number or rates of students and families experiencing homelessness and the number or percentages of children who have had contact with the child welfare system, and indicators of aspects of a child's environment that can undermine the child's sense of safety, stability, and bonding, including growing up in a household with caregivers struggling with substance disorders or instability due to parent or guardian separation or incarceration of a parent or guardian, sibling, or other member of the household, or exposure to community violence. The index shall provide information that allows for measuring progress, comparing school districts to the State average, and that enables the index to be updated at least every 2 years. The data shall be made publicly available. The initial development of the index should leverage available data. Personally identifiable information of any individual shall not be revealed within this index.
(Source: P.A. 103-413, eff. 1-1-24.)
(Text of Section from P.A. 103-463)
Sec. 2-3.196. Clothing resource materials. By no later than July 1, 2024, the State Board of Education shall make available to schools resource materials developed in consultation with stakeholders regarding a student wearing or accessorizing the student's graduation attire with general items that may be used by the student to associate with, identify, or declare the student's cultural, ethnic, or religious identity or any other protected characteristic or category identified in subsection (Q) of Section 1-103 of the Illinois Human Rights Act. The State Board of Education shall make the resource materials available on its Internet website.
(Source: P.A. 103-463, eff. 8-4-23.)
(Text of Section from P.A. 103-472)
(This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a delayed effective date )
(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2029)
Sec. 2-3.196. Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation reporting.
(a) The requirements of this Section are subject to appropriation.
(b) The State Board of Education shall build data collection systems to allow the collection of data on reported allegations of the conduct described in paragraph (1). Beginning on August 1 of the year after the systems are implemented and for each reporting school year beginning on August 1 and ending on July 31 thereafter, each school district, charter school, and nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school shall disclose to the State Board of Education all of the following information:
(1) The total number of reported allegations of
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| discrimination, harassment, or retaliation against students received by each school district, charter school, or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school during the reporting school year, defined as August 1 to July 31, in each of the following categories:
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(A) sexual harassment;
(B) discrimination or harassment on the basis of
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| race, color, or national origin;
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(C) discrimination or harassment on the basis of
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(D) discrimination or harassment on the basis of
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(E) discrimination or harassment on the basis of
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(F) retaliation.
(2) The status of allegations, as of the last day of
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| the reporting period, in each category under paragraph (1).
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Allegations shall be reported as unfounded, founded,
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| or investigation pending by the school district, charter school, or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school.
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(c) A school district, charter school, or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school may not include in any disclosures required under this Section any information by which an individual may be personally identified, including the name of the victim or victims or those accused of an act of alleged discrimination, harassment, or retaliation.
(d) If a school district, charter school, or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school fails to disclose the information required in subsection (b) of this Section by July 31 of the reporting school year, the State Board of Education shall provide a written request for disclosure to the school district, charter school, or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school, thereby providing the period of time in which the required information must be disclosed. If a school district, charter school, or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school fails to disclose the information within 14 days after receipt of that written request, the State Board of Education may petition the Department of Human Rights to initiate a charge of a civil rights violation pursuant to Section 5A-102 of the Illinois Human Rights Act.
(e) The State Board of Education shall publish an annual report aggregating the information reported by school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary schools under subsection (b) of this Section. Data included in the report shall not be publicly attributed to any individual school district, charter school, or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school. The report shall include the number of incidents reported between August 1 and July 31 of the preceding reporting school year, based on each of the categories identified under paragraph (1) of this subsection (b).
The annual report shall be filed with the Department of Human Rights and the General Assembly and made available to the public by July 1 of the year following the reporting school year. Data submitted by a school district, charter school, or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school to comply with this Section is confidential and exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.
(f) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules deemed necessary for implementation of this Section.
(g) This Section is repealed on July 1, 2029.
(Source: P.A. 103-472, eff. 8-1-24.)
(Text of Section from P.A. 103-546)
Sec. 2-3.196. Mental health screenings. On or before December 15, 2023, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Officer, Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Team, and the Office of the Governor, shall file a report with the Governor and the General Assembly that includes recommendations for implementation of mental health screenings in schools for students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12. This report must include a landscape scan of current district-wide screenings, recommendations for screening tools, training for staff, and linkage and referral for identified students.
(Source: P.A. 103-546, eff. 8-11-23.)
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(105 ILCS 5/2-3.197) Sec. 2-3.197. Imagination Library of Illinois; grant program.
To promote the development of a comprehensive statewide initiative for encouraging preschool age children to develop a love of reading and learning, the State Board of Education is authorized to develop, fund, support, promote, and operate the Imagination Library of Illinois Program, which is hereby established. For purposes of this Section, "State program" means the Imagination Library of Illinois Program. (a) State program funds shall be used to provide, through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, one age-appropriate book, per month, to each registered child from birth to age 5 in participating counties. Books shall be sent monthly to each registered child's home at no cost to families. Subject to an annual appropriation, the State Board of Education shall contribute the State's matching funds per the cost-sharing framework established by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for the State program. The State program shall contribute the 50% match of funds required of local programs participating in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Local program partners shall match the State program funds to provide the remaining 50% match of funds required by Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. (1) The Imagination Library of Illinois Fund is |
| hereby created as a special fund in the State Treasury. The State Board of Education may accept gifts, grants, awards, donations, matching contributions, appropriations, interest income, public or private bequests, and cost sharings from any individuals, businesses, governments, or other third-party sources, and any federal funds. All moneys received under this Section shall be deposited into the Imagination Library of Illinois Fund. Any moneys that are unobligated or unexpended at the end of a fiscal year shall remain in the Imagination Library of Illinois Fund, shall not lapse into the General Revenue Fund, and shall be available to the Board for expenditure in the next fiscal year, subject to appropriation. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, this Fund is not subject to sweeps, administrative chargebacks, or any other fiscal or budgetary maneuver that in any way would transfer any amount from this Fund into any other fund of the State.
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|
(2) Moneys received under this Section are subject
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| to appropriation by the General Assembly and may only be expended for purposes consistent with the conditions under which the moneys were received, including, but not limited to, the following:
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|
(i) Moneys in the Fund shall be used to provide
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| age-appropriate books on a monthly basis, at home, to each child registered in the Imagination Library of Illinois Program, from birth through their fifth birthday, at no cost to families, through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
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|
(ii) Subject to availability, moneys in the
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| Fund shall be allocated to qualified local entities that provide a dollar-for-dollar match for the program. As used in this Section, "qualified local entity" means any existing or new local Dolly Parton's Imagination Library affiliate.
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(iii) Moneys in the Fund may be used by the
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| State Board of Education to pay for administrative expenses of the State program, including associated operating expenses of the State Board of Education or any nonprofit entity that coordinates the State program pursuant to subsection (b).
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|
(b) The State Board of Education shall coordinate with a nonprofit entity qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to operate the State program. That organization must be organized solely to promote and encourage reading by the children of the State, for the purpose of implementing this Section.
(c) The State Board of Education shall provide oversight of the nonprofit entity that operates the State program pursuant to subsection (b) to ensure the nonprofit entity does all of the following:
(1) Promotes the statewide development of local Dolly
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| Parton's Imagination Library programs.
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|
(2) Advances and strengthens local Dolly Parton's
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| Imagination Library programs with the goal of increasing enrollment.
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|
(3) Develops community engagement.
(4) Develops, promotes, and coordinates a public
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| awareness campaign to make donors aware of the opportunity to donate to the affiliate programs and make the public aware of the opportunity to register eligible children to receive books through the program.
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|
(5) Administers the local match requirement and
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| coordinates the collection and remittance of local program costs for books and mailing.
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(6) Develops statewide marketing and communication
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(7) Solicits donations, gifts, and other funding
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| from statewide partners to financially support local Dolly Parton's Imagination Library programs.
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(8) Identifies and applies for available grant
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(d) The State Board of Education shall make publicly available on an annual basis information regarding the number of local programs that exist, where the local programs are located, the number of children that are enrolled in the program, the number of books that have been provided, and those entities or organizations that serve as local partners.
(e) The State Board of Education may adopt rules as may be needed for the administration of the Imagination Library of Illinois Program.
(Source: P.A. 103-8, eff. 6-7-23.)
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