State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

   [ Search ]   [ Legislation ]   [ Bill Summary ]
[ Home ]   [ Back ]   [ Bottom ]



90_HB0453

      105 ILCS 5/2-3.64         from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.64
          Amends the School Code.  Supplies the effective  date  of
      an  amendatory  Act referred to in the provisions relating to
      the Illinois goals and assessment program.
                                                     LRB9002564THcd
                                               LRB9002564THcd
 1        AN ACT to amend  the  School  Code  by  changing  Section
 2    2-3.64.
 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section  5.  The  School  Code  is  amended  by  changing
 6    Section 2-3.64 as follows:
 7        (105 ILCS 5/2-3.64) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.64)
 8        Sec. 2-3.64.  State goals and assessment.
 9        (a)  Beginning  in  the  1992-93  school  year, the State
10    Board of Education shall establish  standards  and  annually,
11    through  the  1997-1998  school year,  assess the performance
12    of:  (i) all pupils enrolled in the 3rd, 6th, 8th,  and  10th
13    grades   in   language   arts   (reading   and  writing)  and
14    mathematics; and (ii) all pupils enrolled in  the  4th,  7th,
15    and  11th  grades  in  the  biological,  physical, and social
16    sciences.  Beginning in the 1995-96 school  year,  the  State
17    Board of Education shall establish standards and periodically
18    conduct,  through  the  1997-1998  school  year,  studies  of
19    student  performance  in  the learning areas of fine arts and
20    physical development/health.  Beginning  with  the  1998-1999
21    school  year,  the  State  Board  of Education shall annually
22    assess the performance of all pupils enrolled in the 3rd  and
23    5th  grades  in  the  basic subjects of reading, writing, and
24    mathematics. The State Board of Education shall establish, in
25    final form and within one year  after  August  6,  1996  (the
26    effective  date  of P.A. 89-610) this amendatory Act of 1996,
27    the academic standards that are to be  applicable  to  pupils
28    who  are  subject  to  State  assessment  under  this Section
29    beginning with the 1998-1999 school year.  However, the State
30    Board of Education shall not establish any such standards  in
31    final  form  without first providing opportunities for public
                            -2-                LRB9002564THcd
 1    participation and local input in the development of the final
 2    academic standards.   Those  opportunities  shall  include  a
 3    well-publicized  period  of  public  comment, public hearings
 4    throughout the  State,  and  opportunities  to  file  written
 5    comments.   Beginning   with  the  1998-99  school  year  and
 6    thereafter, pupils in the 3rd grade  or  5th  grade  who,  by
 7    performance  on  the  State  assessment  tests  or by teacher
 8    judgement, demonstrate a proficiency level comparable to  the
 9    average  pupil  performance  2  or  more grades below current
10    placement shall be provided a remediation  program  developed
11    by  the  district  in consultation with a parent or guardian.
12    Such remediation programs  may  include,  but  shall  not  be
13    limited  to,  increased or concentrated instructional time, a
14    remedial summer school program of not  less  than  90  hours,
15    improved   instructional   approaches,   tutorial   sessions,
16    retention   in  grade,  and  modifications  to  instructional
17    materials. Each pupil  for  whom  a  remediation  program  is
18    developed  under  this subsection shall be required to enroll
19    in and attend whatever program  the  district  determines  is
20    appropriate  for the pupil. Districts may combine students in
21    remediation programs where appropriate and may cooperate with
22    other districts in the design and delivery of those programs.
23    The parent or guardian of a  student  required  to  attend  a
24    remediation program under this Section shall be given written
25    notice   of   that  requirement  by  the  school  district  a
26    reasonable time prior  to  commencement  of  the  remediation
27    program  that  the  student  is to attend. The State shall be
28    responsible for providing school districts with the  new  and
29    additional  funding,  under  Section  2-3.51.5 or by other or
30    additional means, that is required to enable the districts to
31    operate remediation programs for the pupils who are  required
32    to  enroll  in  and attend those programs under this Section.
33    Every individualized  educational  program  as  described  in
34    Article  14  shall  identify  if the State test or components
                            -3-                LRB9002564THcd
 1    thereof are appropriate for that student.  For  those  pupils
 2    for  whom  the  State  test  or  components  thereof  are not
 3    appropriate, the State Board of Education shall develop rules
 4    and regulations governing the administration  of  alternative
 5    assessments  prescribed  within each student's individualized
 6    educational program which are appropriate to  the  disability
 7    of  each  student.   All  pupils  who are in a State approved
 8    transitional  bilingual  education  program  or  transitional
 9    program  of  instruction  shall  participate  in  the   State
10    assessment.   Any  student  who  has been enrolled in a State
11    approved bilingual education program  less  than  3  academic
12    years  shall  be exempted if the student's lack of English as
13    determined by an English language proficiency test would keep
14    the student from understanding the test, and  that  student's
15    district  shall  have  an  alternative  assessment program in
16    place for that student. The State Board  of  Education  shall
17    appoint  a  task force of concerned parents, teachers, school
18    administrators  and  other   professionals   to   assist   in
19    identifying  such alternative assessment programs. Reasonable
20    accommodations as prescribed by the State Board of  Education
21    shall  be  provided for individual students in the assessment
22    procedure.  All assessment procedures prescribed by the State
23    Board of Education shall require: (i) that each test used for
24    State and local student assessment testing under this Section
25    identify by name the pupil taking the  test;  (ii)  that  the
26    name  of  the  pupil taking the test be placed on the test at
27    the time the test is taken; (iii) that the results or  scores
28    of  each  test  taken  under  this  Section by a pupil of the
29    school district be reported to that district and identify  by
30    name  the  pupil who received the reported results of scores;
31    and (iv) that the results or scores of each test taken  under
32    this  Section  be made available to the parents of the pupil.
33    In addition, beginning with the 1998-1999 school year and  in
34    each school year thereafter, all scores received by a student
                            -4-                LRB9002564THcd
 1    on   the   Illinois   Goals   and  Assessment  Program  tests
 2    administered by the  State  Board  of  Education  under  this
 3    Section  and, beginning with the 1999-2000 school year and in
 4    each school year thereafter, on the Prairie State Achievement
 5    Examination administered under subsection (c) of this Section
 6    shall become part of the student's permanent record and shall
 7    be entered therein pursuant to  regulations  that  the  State
 8    Board  of  Education  shall  promulgate  for  that purpose in
 9    accordance with Section 3 and subsection (e) of Section 2  of
10    the  Illinois  School Student Records Act. The State Board of
11    Education shall establish a common month in each school  year
12    for which State testing shall occur to meet the objectives of
13    this  Section.   However,  if  the  schools of a district are
14    closed and classes are not scheduled during any week that  is
15    established  by  the  State Board of Education as the week of
16    the month when State testing under this Section shall  occur,
17    the school district may administer the required State testing
18    at  any  time up to 2 weeks following the week established by
19    the State Board of Education for the testing, so long as  the
20    school  district  gives  the State Board of Education written
21    notice of its  intention  to  deviate  from  the  established
22    schedule  by  January  2  of the year in which falls the week
23    established by the State Board of Education for the  testing.
24    The  maximum  time  allowed  for  all actual testing required
25    under this subsection during the school year shall not exceed
26    25 hours as allocated among the required tests by  the  State
27    Board of Education.
28        (a-5)  The  State  Board  of  Education  shall review the
29    current  assessment   testing   schedule   applicable   under
30    subsection  (a)  on the effective date of this amendatory Act
31    of 1996 and submit a plan to  the  General  Assembly,  on  or
32    before  December  31,  1996, to increase the effectiveness of
33    the State assessment tests administered under that subsection
34    with respect to student diagnosis and to reduce the amount of
                            -5-                LRB9002564THcd
 1    classroom time spent administering those tests.  The  General
 2    Assembly  may  enact  the  recommendations  made by the State
 3    Board of Education to maximize effectiveness and minimize the
 4    hours and grade levels of testing.
 5        (b)  It shall be the policy of  the  State  to  encourage
 6    school  districts  to  continuously assess pupil proficiency.
 7    Each district's school improvement plan must address specific
 8    activities the district intends to implement to assist pupils
 9    who by teacher judgement and assessment results as prescribed
10    in subsection (a) of this Section demonstrate that  they  are
11    not  meeting State goals or local objectives. Such activities
12    may include, but shall not  be  limited  to,  summer  school,
13    extended  school  day,  special  homework, tutorial sessions,
14    modified instructional materials, other modifications in  the
15    instructional  program,  reduced  class  size or retention in
16    grade.    To  assist  school  districts  in  assessing  pupil
17    proficiency in reading in the primary grades, the State Board
18    shall   make  optional  reading  inventories  for  diagnostic
19    purposes available to each school district that requests such
20    assistance.    Districts   that   administer   the    reading
21    inventories may develop remediation programs for students who
22    perform  in the bottom half of the student population.  Those
23    remediation programs may be funded by moneys  provided  under
24    the  School  Safety  and  Educational Improvement Block Grant
25    Program established under Section 2-3.51.5. Nothing  in  this
26    Section  shall  prevent  school  districts  from implementing
27    testing and remediation  policies  for  grades  not  required
28    under this Section.
29        (c)  Beginning  with  the  1999-2000  school  year,  each
30    school  district  that  operates  a  high  school program for
31    students in grades 9 through 12 shall  administer  a  Prairie
32    State  Achievement  Examination  each  year to its 12th grade
33    students.  The Prairie State  Achievement  Examination  shall
34    measure  student  performance  in  the 5 fundamental academic
                            -6-                LRB9002564THcd
 1    areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science,  and  social
 2    studies.   The  State  Board of Education shall establish the
 3    academic standards that are to  apply  in  measuring  student
 4    performance  on  the Prairie State Achievement Examination in
 5    those 5 fundamental academic  areas,  including  the  minimum
 6    examination  score  that  will  qualify  for purposes of this
 7    Section as a score that is excellent. A student  whose  score
 8    on the Prairie State Achievement Examination is determined to
 9    be  excellent  by  the State Board of Education shall receive
10    the  Prairie  State  Achievement  Award  from  the  State  in
11    recognition of the student's excellent performance. Each 12th
12    grade student, exclusive of a  student  whose  individualized
13    educational  program  developed  under  Article  14  does not
14    identify  the  Prairie  State  Achievement   Examination   as
15    appropriate  for  the  student, shall be required to take the
16    examination, which each school district shall  administer  to
17    its  12th grade students in January of each school year.  The
18    Prairie State Achievement Examination shall  be  administered
19    by  each  school  district  a  second  time, in March of each
20    school year, for  those  12th  grade  students  who  fail  to
21    receive a score on the January examination that would qualify
22    them  to  receive the Prairie State Achievement Award and who
23    elect to take  the  March  examination  for  the  purpose  of
24    attempting  to earn a score that will qualify them to receive
25    that award. Students  who  will  graduate  from  high  school
26    before  entering  grade  12  shall  take  the  Prairie  State
27    Achievement  Examination during the school year in which they
28    will graduate from high school.  Students  receiving  special
29    education  services whose individualized educational programs
30    do not identify the Prairie State Achievement Examination  as
31    appropriate  for  them  nevertheless shall have the option of
32    taking the examination, which shall be administered to  those
33    students  in  accordance with standards adopted  by the State
34    Board of Education to accommodate the respective disabilities
                            -7-                LRB9002564THcd
 1    of those students.  A student who successfully completes  all
 2    other  applicable  high  school  graduation  requirements but
 3    fails to receive a score on  the  Prairie  State  Achievement
 4    Examination  that  qualifies  the  student for receipt of the
 5    Prairie State Achievement Award  shall  nevertheless  qualify
 6    for the receipt of a regular high school diploma.
 7    (Source:  P.A.  88-192; 88-227; 88-670, eff. 12-2-94; 88-686,
 8    eff. 1-24-95; 89-610, eff. 8-6-96.)

[ Top ]