Public Act 096-0106
 
SB1796 Enrolled LRB096 10970 NHT 21240 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
2-3.66b as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.66b new)
    Sec. 2-3.66b. IHOPE Program.
    (a) There is established the Illinois Hope and Opportunity
Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program. The State Board of
Education shall implement and administer the IHOPE Program. The
goal of the IHOPE Program is to develop a comprehensive system
in this State to re-enroll significant numbers of high school
dropouts in programs that will enable them to earn their high
school diploma.
    (b) The IHOPE Program shall award grants, subject to
appropriation for this purpose, to educational service regions
and a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code
from appropriated funds to assist in establishing
instructional programs and other services designed to
re-enroll high school dropouts. From any funds appropriated for
the IHOPE Program, the State Board of Education may use up to
5% for administrative costs, including the performance of a
program evaluation and the hiring of staff to implement and
administer the program.
    The IHOPE Program shall provide incentive grant funds for
regional offices of education and a school district organized
under Article 34 of this Code to develop partnerships with
school districts, public community colleges, and community
groups to build comprehensive plans to re-enroll high school
dropouts in their regions or districts.
    Programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall allow high
school dropouts, up to and including age 21 notwithstanding
Section 26-2 of this Code, to re-enroll in an educational
program in conformance with rules adopted by the State Board of
Education. Programs may include without limitation
comprehensive year-round programming, evening school, summer
school, community college courses, adult education, vocational
training, work experience, programs to enhance self-concept,
and parenting courses. Any student in the IHOPE Program who
wishes to earn a high school diploma must meet the
prerequisites to receiving a high school diploma specified in
Section 27-22 of this Code and any other graduation
requirements of the student's district of residence. Any
student who successfully completes the requirements for his or
her graduation shall receive a diploma identifying the student
as graduating from his or her district of residence.
    (c) In order to be eligible for funding under the IHOPE
Program, an interested regional office of education or a school
district organized under Article 34 of this Code shall develop
an IHOPE Plan to be approved by the State Board of Education.
The State Board of Education shall develop rules for the IHOPE
Program that shall set forth the requirements for the
development of the IHOPE Plan. Each Plan shall involve school
districts, public community colleges, and key community
programs that work with high school dropouts located in an
educational service region or the City of Chicago before the
Plan is sent to the State Board for approval. No funds may be
distributed to a regional office of education or a school
district organized under Article 34 of this Code until the
State Board has approved the Plan.
    (d) A regional office of education or a school district
organized under Article 34 of this Code may operate its own
program funded by the IHOPE Program or enter into a contract
with other not-for-profit entities, including school
districts, public community colleges, and not-for-profit
community-based organizations, to operate a program.
    A regional office of education or a school district
organized under Article 34 of this Code that receives an IHOPE
grant from the State Board of Education may provide funds under
a sub-grant, as specified in the IHOPE Plan, to other
not-for-profit entities to provide services according to the
IHOPE Plan that was developed. These other entities may include
school districts, public community colleges, or not-for-profit
community-based organizations or a cooperative partnership
among these entities.
    (e) In order to distribute funding based upon the need to
ensure delivery of programs that will have the greatest impact,
IHOPE Program funding must be distributed based upon the
proportion of dropouts in the educational service region or
school district, in the case of a school district organized
under Article 34 of this Code, to the total number of dropouts
in this State. This formula shall employ the dropout data
provided by school districts to the State Board of Education.
    A regional office of education or a school district
organized under Article 34 of this Code may claim State aid
under Section 18-8.05 of this Code for students enrolled in a
program funded by the IHOPE Program, provided that the State
Board of Education has approved the IHOPE Plan and that these
students are receiving services that are meeting the
requirements of Section 27-22 of this Code for receipt of a
high school diploma and are otherwise eligible to be claimed
for general State aid under Section 18-8.05 of this Code,
including provisions related to the minimum number of days of
pupil attendance pursuant to Section 10-19 of this Code and the
minimum number of daily hours of school work and any exceptions
thereto as defined by the State Board of Education in rules.
    (f) IHOPE categories of programming may include the
following:
        (1) Full-time programs that are comprehensive,
    year-round programs.
        (2) Part-time programs combining work and study
    scheduled at various times that are flexible to the needs
    of students.
        (3) Online programs and courses in which students take
    courses and complete on-site, supervised tests that
    measure the student's mastery of a specific course needed
    for graduation. Students may take courses online and earn
    credit or students may prepare to take supervised tests for
    specific courses for credit leading to receipt of a high
    school diploma.
        (4) Dual enrollment in which students attend high
    school classes in combination with community college
    classes or students attend community college classes while
    simultaneously earning high school credit and eventually a
    high school diploma.
    (g) In order to have successful comprehensive programs
re-enrolling and graduating low-skilled high school dropouts,
programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall include all of
the following components:
        (1) Small programs (70 to 100 students) at a separate
    school site with a distinct identity. Programs may be
    larger with specific need and justification, keeping in
    mind that it is crucial to keep programs small to be
    effective.
        (2) Specific performance-based goals and outcomes and
    measures of enrollment, attendance, skills, credits,
    graduation, and the transition to college, training, and
    employment.
        (3) Strong, experienced leadership and teaching staff
    who are provided with ongoing professional development.
        (4) Voluntary enrollment.
        (5) High standards for student learning, integrating
    work experience, and education, including during the
    school year and after school, and summer school programs
    that link internships, work, and learning.
        (6) Comprehensive programs providing extensive support
    services.
        (7) Small teams of students supported by full-time paid
    mentors who work to retain and help those students
    graduate.
        (8) A comprehensive technology learning center with
    Internet access and broad-based curriculum focusing on
    academic and career subject areas.
        (9) Learning opportunities that incorporate action
    into study.
    (h) Programs funded through the IHOPE Program must report
data to the State Board of Education as requested. This
information shall include, but is not limited to, student
enrollment figures, attendance information, course completion
data, graduation information, and post-graduation information,
as available.
    (i) Rules must be developed by the State Board of Education
to set forth the fund distribution process to regional offices
of education and a school district organized under Article 34
of this Code, the planning and the conditions upon which an
IHOPE Plan would be approved by State Board, and other rules to
develop the IHOPE Program.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2009.