State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_HB3732

 
                                               LRB9211186NTdv

 1        AN ACT relating to education.

 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section 5.   The  School  Code  is  amended  by  changing
 5    Sections 3-15.12 and 26-2 as follows:

 6        (105 ILCS 5/3-15.12) (from Ch. 122, par. 3-15.12)
 7        Sec.  3-15.12.  High  school equivalency testing program.
 8    The regional superintendent of schools shall  make  available
 9    for  qualified  individuals residing within the region a High
10    School Equivalency Testing  Program.  For  that  purpose  the
11    regional   superintendent   alone   or  with  other  regional
12    superintendents may establish and supervise a testing  center
13    or  centers to administer the secure forms of the high school
14    level Test of General Educational  Development  to  qualified
15    persons.   Such centers shall be under the supervision of the
16    regional superintendent in  whose  region  such  centers  are
17    located,  subject to the approval of the State Superintendent
18    of Education.
19        An individual  is  eligible  to  apply  to  the  regional
20    superintendent  of schools for the region in which he resides
21    if he is: (a) a person who is 18 years of age or  older,  has
22    maintained  residence  in  the State of Illinois and is not a
23    high  school  graduate,  but  whose  high  school  class  has
24    graduated; (b) a member of the armed  forces  of  the  United
25    States on active duty who is 17 years of age or older and who
26    is  stationed in Illinois or is a legal resident of Illinois;
27    (c) a ward of the Department of Corrections who is  17  years
28    of  age  or  older or an inmate confined in any branch of the
29    Illinois State  Penitentiary  or  in  a  county  correctional
30    facility who is 17 years of age or older; (d) a female who is
31    17  years  of  age  or  older  who is unable to attend school
 
                            -2-                LRB9211186NTdv
 1    because she is either pregnant or the mother of one  or  more
 2    children;  (e)  a male 17 years of age or older who is unable
 3    to attend school because he  is  a  father  of  one  or  more
 4    children;  (f)  a  person  who  is successfully completing an
 5    alternative  education  program  under  Section  2-3.81   or,
 6    Article  13A, or Article 13B; (g) a person who is enrolled in
 7    a youth education program sponsored by the Illinois  National
 8    Guard;  or  (h)  a person who is 17 years of age or older who
 9    has been a dropout for a period of at  least  one  year.  For
10    purposes  of  this Section, residence is that abode which the
11    applicant considers  his  home.  Applicants  may  provide  as
12    sufficient  proof  of such residence a picture identification
13    card and two pieces of  correctly  addressed  and  postmarked
14    mail.  Such  regional  superintendent  shall determine if the
15    applicant meets statutory and regulatory state standards.  If
16    qualified the applicant shall at the time of such application
17    pay a fee established by the State Board of Education,  which
18    fee  shall  be paid into a special fund under the control and
19    supervision of  the  regional  superintendent.   Such  moneys
20    received by the regional superintendent shall be used, first,
21    for  the  expenses  incurred in administering and scoring the
22    examination, and next for other educational programs that are
23    developed and designed  by  the  regional  superintendent  of
24    schools  to  assist  those who successfully complete the high
25    school  level  test  of  General  Education  Development   in
26    furthering  their  academic  development  or their ability to
27    secure and retain gainful employment, including programs  for
28    the  competitive  award  based  on  test scores of college or
29    adult education scholarship  grants  or  similar  educational
30    incentives.   Any  excess  moneys  shall  be  paid  into  the
31    institute fund.
32        Any  applicant  who  has  achieved  the  minimum  passing
33    standards  as  established  by  the  State Board of Education
34    shall be notified in writing by the  regional  superintendent
 
                            -3-                LRB9211186NTdv
 1    and  shall be issued a high school equivalency certificate on
 2    the forms provided by the State Superintendent of  Education.
 3    The  regional superintendent shall then certify to the Office
 4    of the State Superintendent of Education  the  score  of  the
 5    applicant  and such other and additional information that may
 6    be required by the State Superintendent  of  Education.   The
 7    moneys received therefrom shall be used in the same manner as
 8    provided for in this Section.
 9        Any  applicant  who  has attained the age of 18 years and
10    maintained residence in the State of Illinois and  is  not  a
11    high   school  graduate  but  whose  high  school  class  has
12    graduated or any ward of the Department  of  Corrections  who
13    has  attained the age of 17 years, any inmate confined in any
14    branch of the Illinois State  Penitentiary  or  in  a  county
15    correctional  facility  who has attained the age of 17 years,
16    or any member of the armed forces of  the  United  States  on
17    active  duty  who has attained the age of 17 years and who is
18    stationed in Illinois or is a legal resident of Illinois,  or
19    any female who has attained the age of 17 years and is either
20    pregnant  or  the mother of one or more children, or any male
21    who has attained the age of 17 years and is the father of one
22    or  more  children,  or  any  person  who  has   successfully
23    completed  an  alternative  education  program  under Section
24    2-3.81  or,  Article  13A,  or  Article  13B  and  meets  the
25    requirements prescribed by the State Board of  Education,  is
26    eligible  to  apply for a high school equivalency certificate
27    upon showing evidence that he  has  completed,  successfully,
28    the  high school level General Educational Development Tests,
29    administered by the United  States  Armed  Forces  Institute,
30    official  GED  Centers  established  in  other  states, or at
31    Veterans' Administration Hospitals or the office of the State
32    Superintendent of Education  administered  for  the  Illinois
33    State  Penitentiary System and the Department of Corrections.
34    Such applicant shall apply to the regional superintendent  of
 
                            -4-                LRB9211186NTdv
 1    the  region  wherein  he  has  maintained residence, and upon
 2    payment of a fee established by the State Board of  Education
 3    the   regional  superintendent  shall  issue  a  high  school
 4    equivalency certificate, and immediately  thereafter  certify
 5    to  the  State  Superintendent  of Education the score of the
 6    applicant and such other and additional information as may be
 7    required by the State Superintendent of Education.
 8        Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  this  Section,  any
 9    applicant who has been out of school for at  least  one  year
10    may   request  the  regional  superintendent  of  schools  to
11    administer the restricted GED test upon written  request  of:
12    The director of a program who certifies to the Chief Examiner
13    of  an official GED center that the applicant has completed a
14    program of instruction provided by such agencies as  the  Job
15    Corps,  the Postal Service Academy or apprenticeship training
16    program; an employer or  program  director  for  purposes  of
17    entry  into apprenticeship programs; another State Department
18    of Education in order to meet regulations established by that
19    Department of  Education,  a  post  high  school  educational
20    institution  for  purposes  of  admission,  the Department of
21    Professional Regulation for licensing purposes, or the  Armed
22    Forces  for  induction purposes.  The regional superintendent
23    shall  administer  such  test  and  the  applicant  shall  be
24    notified in writing  that  he  is  eligible  to  receive  the
25    Illinois  High  School  Equivalency Certificate upon reaching
26    age 18, provided he meets the standards  established  by  the
27    State Board of Education.
28        Any  test administered under this Section to an applicant
29    who  does  not  speak  and  understand  English  may  at  the
30    discretion of the administering agency be given and  answered
31    in  any  language  in which the test is printed. The regional
32    superintendent of schools may waive any fees required by this
33    Section in case of hardship.
34        In  counties  of  over   3,000,000   population   a   GED
 
                            -5-                LRB9211186NTdv
 1    certificate issued on or after July 1, 1994 shall contain the
 2    signatures  of  the  State  Superintendent  of Education, the
 3    superintendent, president or other chief executive officer of
 4    the institution where GED instruction occurred and any  other
 5    signatures   authorized   by   the  State  Superintendent  of
 6    Education.
 7    (Source: P.A. 92-42, eff. 1-1-02.)

 8        (105 ILCS 5/26-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-2)
 9        Sec. 26-2.  Enrolled pupils  below  7  or  over  16.  Any
10    person  having custody or control of a child who is below the
11    age of 7 years or above the  age  of  16  years  and  who  is
12    enrolled  in any of grades 1 through 12, in the public school
13    shall cause him to attend the public school in  the  district
14    wherein  he  resides when it is in session during the regular
15    school term unless he is excused under paragraphs 2, 3, 4  or
16    5 of Section 26-1.
17        A   school   district  shall  deny  reenrollment  in  its
18    secondary schools to any child above the age of 16 years  who
19    has  dropped  out of school and who could not, because of age
20    and lack of credits, attend classes during the normal  school
21    year  and graduate before his or her twenty-first birthday. A
22    district may, however, enroll the  child  in  an  alternative
23    learning opportunities program established under Article 13B.
24    No  child  shall be denied reenrollment for the above reasons
25    unless the school district first offers the child due process
26    as required in cases of expulsion under Section 10-22.6.   If
27    a  child is denied reenrollment after being provided with due
28    process, the school district must provide counseling to  that
29    child  and  must direct that child to alternative educational
30    programs, including adult education programs,  that  lead  to
31    graduation  or  receipt  of  a  GED diploma.  No child may be
32    denied reenrollment in  violation  of  the  Individuals  with
33    Disabilities Education Act or the Americans with Disabilities
 
                            -6-                LRB9211186NTdv
 1    Act.
 2    (Source: P.A. 92-42, eff. 1-1-02.)

 3        (105 ILCS 5/Art. 13B rep.)
 4        Section  10.   The  School  Code  is amended by repealing
 5    Article 13B.

 6        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
 7    becoming law.

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