110 ILCS 175/ Developmental Education Reform Act.

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 5 heading) Article 5. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 10 heading) Article 10. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 15 heading) Article 15. (The Equitable Early Childhood Education and Care Act is compiled at 325 ILCS 75/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 20 heading) Article 20. (The Data Governance and Organization to Support Equity and Racial Justice Act is compiled at 20 ILCS 65/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 25 heading) Article 25. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 35 heading) Article 35. (The Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultations Act is compiled at 405 ILCS 47/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 40 heading) Article 40. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 45 heading) Article 45. (The Early Childhood Workforce Act is compiled at 325 ILCS 80/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 50 heading) Article 50. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 60 heading) Article 60. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 65 heading) Article 65. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 70 heading) Article 70. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 75 heading) Article 75. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 85 heading) Article 85. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 95 heading) Article 95. (The Equity in Higher Education Act is compiled at 110 ILCS 235/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 100 heading) Article 100.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/100-1)

Sec. 100-1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Developmental Education Reform Act. References in this Article to "this Act" mean this Article.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/100-5)

Sec. 100-5. Findings. The General Assembly makes all of the following findings:

(1) Nearly 50% of this State's high school graduates who enroll full-time in a community college are placed in developmental education coursework in at least one subject. Community colleges place nearly 71% of Black students in developmental education courses compared to 42% of white students.

(2) Traditional developmental education courses cost students time and money and expend their financial aid because a student does not receive college credit for the successful completion of a traditional developmental education course. This can be a barrier to enrollment, persistence, and certificate or degree completion.

(3) Developmental education courses can exacerbate inequities in higher education. Community colleges graduate Black students who are placed in developmental education courses at a rate of approximately 8% compared to a graduation rate of 26% for white students who are placed in developmental education courses.

(4) A history of inconsistent and inadequate approaches to student placement in community college coursework, such as the reliance on standardized test scores, has resulted in too many students being placed in developmental education coursework who could otherwise succeed in introductory college-level coursework or introductory college-level coursework with concurrent support.

(5) Developmental education reform is in progress, and public institutions of higher education and State agencies have undertaken voluntary efforts and committed resources to improve placement and to address disparities in the successful completion of introductory college-level coursework.

(6) The Illinois Council of Community College Presidents, the Illinois Community College Chief Academic Officers Commission, the Illinois Community College Chief Student Services Officers Commission, and the Illinois Mathematics Association of Community Colleges have already developed and approved a more equitable, multiple measures framework for placement in coursework that is currently implemented at many but not all community colleges.

(7) In 2019, members of the General Assembly, faculty and administrators from public institutions of higher education, board trustees from community college districts, representatives from the Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, and other appointed stakeholders convened a task force to inventory and study developmental education models employed by public community colleges and universities in this State and to submit a detailed plan for scaling developmental education reforms in which all students who are placed in developmental education coursework are enrolled in an evidence-based developmental education model that maximizes a student's likelihood of completing an introductory college-level course within his or her first 2 semesters at an institution of higher education. The data released by the task force indicates all of the following:

(A) Despite more effective developmental education models, community colleges and universities use the traditional developmental education model for 77% of students who place in a developmental education mathematics course and for 67% of students who place in a developmental English language course.

(B) Improved policies, programs, and practices are essential to address the systemic inequities that exist in postsecondary education in this State, such as the disproportionate enrollment of Black students in developmental education courses.

(8) To support further reform to developmental education in mathematics, additional work needs to be done in order to more adequately define the math pathways and the various ways that students satisfy mathematics credit requirements depending upon their academic and career pathways.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/100-10)

Sec. 100-10. Definitions. In this Act:

"College-level English language or mathematics course" or "college-level English language or mathematics coursework" means a course that bears credit and fulfills English language or mathematics credit requirements for a baccalaureate degree, a certificate, or an associate degree from a postsecondary educational institution.

"Community college" means a public community college in this State.

"Developmental education" means instruction through which a high school graduate who applies to a college credit program may attain the communication and computation skills necessary to successfully complete college-level coursework.

"Developmental education course" or "developmental education coursework" means a course or a category of courses in which students are placed based on an institution's finding that a student does not have the proficiency necessary to succeed in an introductory college-level English language or mathematics course.

"Institution of higher education" or "institution" means a public community college or university in this State.

"University" means a public university in this State.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/100-15)

Sec. 100-15. Placement measures.

(a) On or before May 1, 2022, a community college shall use each of the following measures, as appropriate, to determine the placement of a student in introductory college-level English language or mathematics coursework and shall use the scores set forth in recommendations approved by the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents on June 1, 2018:

(1) A student's cumulative high school grade point average.

(2) A student's successful completion of an appropriate high school transition course in mathematics or English.

(3) A student's successful completion of an appropriate developmental education or introductory college-level English language or mathematics course at another regionally accredited postsecondary educational institution.

(b) In determining the placement of a student in introductory college-level English language or mathematics coursework, a community college shall consider the standardized test scores provided by the student for placement in an introductory college-level English language or mathematics course.

In addition, a community college is encouraged to use the scores set forth in recommendations approved by the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents on June 1, 2018 and should also consider other individual measures for placement in an introductory college-level English language or mathematics course, as set forth in recommendations approved by the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents on June 1, 2018, and the scores set forth in those recommendations.

In its discretion, a community college may accept a lower score on individual placement measures or accept lower scores in combination with other placement measures than those set forth in the recommendations.

(c) If a student qualifies for placement in an introductory college-level English language or mathematics course using a single measure under subsection (a) or (b), no additional measures need to be considered for placement of the student in the introductory college-level English language or mathematics course.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/100-20)

Sec. 100-20. Recommendations of Illinois Council of Community College Presidents recommendation revisions; math pathways.

(a) If the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents approves any revised recommendations for determining the placement of students in introductory college-level English language or mathematics courses in response to changes in scoring systems, the introduction and use of additional measures, or evidence that demonstrates the inaccuracy in the use of scores in previous recommendations, then, within one year after the date of the adoption of those revised recommendations, references in this Act to recommendations approved by the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents on June 1, 2018 shall mean the revised recommendations. The General Assembly may request that the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents provide to the General Assembly the rationale and supporting evidence for any revision to the Council's recommendations.

(b) Beginning no later than December 1, 2021, the Illinois Board of Higher Education shall convene stakeholders to consider a multiple measures framework for placement into college-level coursework for Illinois public universities with considerations for math pathways and major requirements.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/100-25)

Sec. 100-25. Placement policy; report.

(a) Each institution of higher education shall publicly post its placement policy in a manner that is easily accessible to both students and prospective students.

(b) On or before July 1, 2023, the Illinois Community College Board shall issue a report, which shall be made available to the public on its Internet website, concerning each community college's developmental education and college-level coursework placement policy and the policy's outcomes. The data disclosed in the report must be consistent with the Illinois Community College Board's requirements for data collection and should be disaggregated by developmental education course model, as defined by the Illinois Community College Board, and by gender, race and ethnicity, and federal Pell Grant status.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/100-30)

Sec. 100-30. Institutional plans; report.

(a) On or before May 1, 2022, each university shall submit to the Board of Higher Education and each community college shall submit to the Illinois Community College Board its institutional plan for scaling evidence-based developmental education reforms to maximize the probability that a student will be placed in and successfully complete introductory college-level English language or mathematics coursework within 2 semesters at the institution. At a minimum, a plan submitted by an institution shall include all of the following:

(1) A description of the current developmental education models offered by the institution. If the institution does not currently offer developmental education coursework, it must provide details regarding its decision not to offer developmental education coursework and the pathways that are available to students deemed to be insufficiently prepared for introductory college-level English language or mathematics coursework.

(2) A description of the developmental education models that will be implemented and scaled and the basis of the evidence and associated data that the institution considered in making the decision to scale each model.

(3) Baseline data and benchmarks for progress, including, but not limited to, (i) enrollment in credit-bearing English language or mathematics courses, (ii) rates of successful completion of introductory college-level English language or mathematics courses, and (iii) college-credit accumulation.

(4) Detailed plans for scaling reforms and improving outcomes for all students placed in traditional developmental education models or models with comparable introductory college-level course completion rates. The plan shall provide details about the expected improvements in educational outcomes for Black students as result of the proposed reforms.

(b) On or before February 15, 2023 and every 2 years thereafter, the Board of Higher Education and Illinois Community College Board shall collect data and report to the General Assembly and the public the status of developmental education reforms at institutions. The report must include data on the progress of the developmental education reforms, including, but not limited to, (i) enrollment in credit-bearing English language or mathematics courses, (ii) rates of successful completion of introductory college-level English language or mathematics courses, and (iii) college-credit accumulation. The data should be disaggregated by gender, race and ethnicity, federal Pell Grant status, and other variables of interest to the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board.

(c) On or before February 15, 2024 and every 2 years thereafter, the Board of Higher Education and Illinois Community College Board, in consultation with institutions of higher education and other stakeholders, shall consider additional data reporting requirements to facilitate the rigorous and continuous evaluation of each institution's implementation plan and its impact on improving outcomes for students in developmental education, particularly for Black students.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21; 102-1046, eff. 6-7-22.)

(110 ILCS 175/100-90)

Sec. 100-90. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. Nothing in this Act supersedes the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 or rules adopted pursuant to the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 115 heading) Article 115. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 120 heading) Article 120. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 125 heading) Article 125. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 130 heading) Article 130. (The Transitions in Education Act is compiled at 110 ILCS 180/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 135 heading) Article 135. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 145 heading) Article 145. (The Early Education Act is compiled at 325 ILCS 21/)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 150 heading) Article 150. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 155 heading) Article 155. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted)(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/Art. 999 heading) Article 999.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)

(110 ILCS 175/999-999)

Sec. 999-999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)