(105 ILCS 5/14C-13) (from Ch. 122, par. 14C-13)
Sec. 14C-13. Advisory Council. (a) There is created an Advisory Council
on Bilingual Education, consisting of 17 members appointed by the State
Superintendent of Education and selected, as nearly as possible, on the
basis of experience in or knowledge of the various programs of bilingual
education. The Council shall advise the State Superintendent on policy and
rules pertaining to bilingual education. The Council shall establish such
sub-committees as it deems appropriate to review bilingual education issues
including but not limited to certification, finance and special education.
Initial appointees shall serve terms determined by lot as follows: 6 for
one year, 6 for 2 years and 5 for 3 years. Successors shall serve 3-year
terms. Members annually shall select a chairman from among their number.
Members shall receive no compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary
expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. By no later than December 1, 2011, the Council shall submit a report to the State Superintendent of Education, the Governor, and the General Assembly addressing, at a minimum, the following questions: (1) whether and how the 20 child per attendance |
| center minimum in Section 14C-3 of this Code should be modified;
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(2) whether and how educator certification
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| requirements in this Article 14C and applicable State Board of Education rules should be modified;
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(3) whether and how bilingual education requirements
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| in this Article 14C and applicable State Board of Education rules should be modified to address differences between elementary and secondary schools; and
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(4) whether and how to allow school districts to
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| administer alternative bilingual education programs instead of transitional bilingual education programs.
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By no later than January 1, 2013, the Council shall submit a report to the State Superintendent of Education, the Governor, and the General Assembly addressing, at a minimum, the following questions:
(i) whether and how bilingual education programs
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| should be modified to be more flexible and achieve a higher success rate among Hispanic students in the classroom and on State assessments;
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(ii) whether and how bilingual education programs
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| should be modified to increase parental involvement including the use of parent academies;
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(iii) whether and how bilingual education programs
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| should be modified to increase cultural competency through a cultural competency program among bilingual teaching staff; and
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(iv) whether and how the bilingual parent advisory
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| committees within school districts can be supported in order to increase the opportunities for parents to effectively express their views concerning the planning, operation, and evaluation of bilingual education programs.
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Within one year of the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, the Council shall deliver a report to the General Assembly on how to incentivize dual language instruction in schools. The report shall include: (i) expanding dual language programs and instruction, (ii) developing a strategic plan for scaling dual language programs, (iii) possible public-private partnerships to expand dual language programs, (iv) potential funding mechanisms and models, including how to leverage the use of existing State and federal resources and how to sustain funding for dual language programs, (v) how to build the supply of qualified teachers for dual language programs, including potential partnerships with private or nonprofit teacher preparation or development programs and college teacher preparation programs, potential alternative certification routes, exchange programs with other countries, and financial incentives, and (vi) standards for measuring student progress in dual language programs.
(b) For the purpose of this Section:
"Parent academies" means a series of parent development opportunities delivered throughout the school year to increase parents' ability to successfully navigate the education system and monitor their children's education. Parent academies are specifically designed for parents of students who are enrolled in any of the English Language Learner programs and are to be provided after work hours in the parents' native language. At a minimum, parent academies shall allow participants to do the following:
(1) understand and use their children's standardized
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| tests to effectively advocate for their children's academic success;
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(2) learn home strategies to increase their
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| children's reading proficiency;
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(3) promote homework completion as a successful daily
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(4) establish a positive and productive connection
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| with their children's schools and teachers; and
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(5) build the character traits that lead to academic
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| success, such as responsibility, persistence, a hard-work ethic, and the ability to delay gratification.
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"Cultural competency program" means a staff development opportunity to increase the school staffs' ability to meet the social, emotional, and academic needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students and, at a minimum, allows participants to do the following:
(i) discuss the impact that our constantly changing,
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| highly technological and globalist society is having on Illinois' public education system;
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(ii) analyze international, national, State, county,
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| district, and local students' performance data and the achievement gaps that persistently exist between groups;
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(iii) realize the benefits and challenges of reaching
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| proficiency in cultural competency;
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(iv) engage in conversations that lead to
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| self-awareness and greater insight regarding diversity; and
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(v) learn strategies for building student-teacher
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| relationships and making instruction more comprehensible and relevant for all students.
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(Source: P.A. 103-362, eff. 1-1-24 .)
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(105 ILCS 5/15-7) (from Ch. 122, par. 15-7)
Sec. 15-7.
Sale of common school lands - Petition - Referendum.
When the inhabitants of any township desire the sale of the common
school lands thereof they shall present to the county superintendent of
the county in which the school lands of the township, or the greater
part thereof lie, a petition for their sale. The petition shall be
signed by at least two-thirds of the voters of the township in the
presence of at least 2 adult citizens of the township, after the meaning
and purpose thereof have been explained, and an affidavit must be
affixed thereto by the citizens witnessing the signing, which affidavit
shall state the number of inhabitants of the township 18 years of age
and over, and the petition so verified shall be delivered to the regional
superintendent for his action thereon. In townships having a population
of more than 10,000 inhabitants, the petition shall be signed by at
least 1/10 of the voters thereof and be delivered to the regional
superintendent. Upon the filing of any such petition with the regional
superintendent
he shall treat the petition in the manner provided by the general election
law, and shall certify the proposition to the proper election authorities
for submission to the voters of the township
at a regular scheduled election the proposition
to sell common school lands of
the township. In addition to the requirements of the general election law
the notice may be in the following form:
REFERENDUM FOR SALE OF COMMON
SCHOOL LANDS
Notice is hereby given that on.... the.... day of...., 1...., a referendum
will be held at.... for the purpose of voting "for" or "against" the proposition
to sell common school lands of the township, to-wit: (here insert description
of the lands). The polls will be opened at....
and closed at.... o'clock,.... M.
Regional Superintendent
If two-thirds of the
votes upon the proposition are in favor of the sale, the county
superintendent shall act thereon. No section shall be sold in any
township containing fewer than 200 inhabitants. Common school lands in
fractional townships may be sold when the number of acres are in, or
above, a ratio of 200 to 640 but not before, provided, that where the
lands sought to be sold are swamp or overflow lands, and are located in
a township containing less than 200 inhabitants, a petition signed by at
least two-thirds of the voters in the township shall be sufficient to
cause the regional superintendent to act thereon. All other proceedings
shall be the same as provided in this section. This section does not
prohibit the transfer of school land belonging to a city in trust for
the use of schools under the provisions of "An Act in relation to the
transfer of real estate owned by municipalities", approved July 2, 1925,
as amended, when the board of education of a city having a population
exceeding 100,000 inhabitants desires to convey such land to the city
comprising the school district of such board of education; and in case
of such transfer the limitations as to the size of the lot or tract of
land that may be conveyed contained in Sections 15-9 through 15-12,
shall not apply.
(Source: P.A. 81-1489.)
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