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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 13Band 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.A22district may, however, enroll the child in an alternative23learning 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.