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Public Act 103-0362 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section | ||||
14C-13 as follows:
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(105 ILCS 5/14C-13) (from Ch. 122, par. 14C-13)
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Sec. 14C-13. Advisory Council. | ||||
(a) There is created an Advisory Council
on Bilingual | ||||
Education, consisting of 17 members appointed by the State
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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
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sub-committees as it deems appropriate to review bilingual | ||||
education issues
including but not limited to certification, | ||||
finance and special education.
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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
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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; | ||
(2) whether and how educator certification | ||
requirements in this Article 14C and applicable State | ||
Board of Education rules should be modified; | ||
(3) whether and how bilingual education requirements | ||
in this Article 14C and applicable State Board of | ||
Education rules should be modified to address differences | ||
between elementary and secondary schools; and | ||
(4) whether and how to allow school districts to | ||
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 | ||
should be modified to be more flexible and achieve a | ||
higher success rate among Hispanic students in the | ||
classroom and on State assessments; | ||
(ii) whether and how bilingual education programs | ||
should be modified to increase parental involvement |
including the use of parent academies; | ||
(iii) whether and how bilingual education programs | ||
should be modified to increase cultural competency through | ||
a cultural competency program among bilingual teaching | ||
staff; and | ||
(iv) whether and how the bilingual parent advisory | ||
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. | ||
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 | ||
tests to effectively advocate for their children's | ||
academic success; | ||
(2) learn home strategies to increase their children's | ||
reading proficiency; | ||
(3) promote homework completion as a successful daily | ||
routine; | ||
(4) establish a positive and productive connection | ||
with their children's schools and teachers; and | ||
(5) build the character traits that lead to academic | ||
success, such as responsibility, persistence, a hard-work | ||
ethic, and the ability to delay gratification. | ||
"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, | ||
highly technological and globalist society is having on | ||
Illinois' public education system; | ||
(ii) analyze international, national, State, county, | ||
district, and local students' performance data and the | ||
achievement gaps that persistently exist between groups; | ||
(iii) realize the benefits and challenges of reaching | ||
proficiency in cultural competency; | ||
(iv) engage in conversations that lead to | ||
self-awareness and greater insight regarding diversity; | ||
and | ||
(v) learn strategies for building student-teacher | ||
relationships and making instruction more comprehensible | ||
and relevant for all students. | ||
(Source: P.A. 97-305, eff. 1-1-12; 97-915, eff. 1-1-13.)
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