Public Act 0107 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1828 Enrolled LRB096 10930 NHT 21182 b

Public Act 096-0107

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act.

Section 5. Findings; declarations. The General Assembly finds and declares all of the following:

(1) Sound data collection, reporting, and analysis are critical to building a State education system capable of ensuring all Illinois students are adequately prepared for college and the global workforce. School districts and institutions of higher learning can improve instructional and educational decision-making using data that is collected and made available by this State.

(2) Reliable and sufficient education data is necessary to ensure that this State bases education policy decisions on valid, objective measures of student outcomes. Publicly accessible data on State, school district, and school performance allows the citizens of this State to assess local and statewide investments in education.

(3) A national collaborative effort among State education officials, national education organizations, and state and federal policymakers has defined the essential elements a State longitudinal data system should contain. Public Law 110-69, the America COMPETES Act, requires state longitudinal data systems to include all 10 elements identified by this national, collaborative effort for states to qualify for federal funding opportunities. The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 requires states to establish longitudinal data systems with all 10 elements to qualify for federal funding for education, public safety, and other government services.

(4) Public Law 110-134 requires the Illinois Early Learning Council to develop recommendations regarding the establishment of a unified data collection system for public early childhood education and development programs and services throughout this State, and those efforts should be coordinated with the development of this State's longitudinal data system.

(5) State education policymaking benefits from partnerships between State education agencies and entities with expertise in education research, including school districts, institutions of higher learning, and research organizations. This State should establish systems and processes to permit qualified researchers to assist with State evaluation and research functions in a manner consistent with privacy protection laws.

(6) State education systems and national policymaking benefit from multi-state collaborations that are informed by high quality data collection systems.

(7) This State is committed to establishing and maintaining a longitudinal student unit record data system that educators and policymakers can use to analyze and assess student progress from early learning programs through postsecondary education and into employment. The State Board of Education, the Illinois Community College Board, and the Board of Higher Education have designed, built, and deployed some of the fundamental components of a longitudinal data system and have engaged in extensive efforts to effectively link and use available education data. However, the various education data components maintained by this State must be integrated and managed in a cooperative manner to establish a data-driven, decision-making environment for this State's education system.

(8) The longitudinal data system established by this Act is intended, among other purposes, to link student test scores, length of enrollment, and graduation records over time, as permitted by Section 1111(b)(3)(B) of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(3)(B)).

(9) Students will achieve improved learning outcomes as a result of the longitudinal data system established by this Act through instruction and educational programs informed by valid and reliable data.

(10) State use and management of education data must be in accordance with all legal requirements protecting student privacy and must protect personal information from intentional or accidental release to unauthorized persons and from intentional or accidental use for unauthorized purposes.

Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Community College Board" means the Illinois Community College Board.

"Community colleges" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 1-2 of the Public Community College Act.

"Early learning" means any publicly funded education and care program supporting young children not yet enrolled in kindergarten.

"Elementary" means kindergarten through eighth grade.

"Institution of higher learning" has the meaning ascribed to that term in Section 10 of the Higher Education Student Assistance Act.

"Longitudinal data system" means a student unit record data system that links student records from early learning through the postsecondary level, which may consist of separate student unit record systems integrated through agreement and data transfer mechanisms.

"Privacy protection laws" means the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. 1232g), the Illinois School Student Records Act, the Personal Information Protection Act, and any other State or federal law relating to the confidentiality and protection of personally identifiable information.

"Research organization" means a governmental entity, institution of higher learning, public policy or advocacy organization, or other person or entity conducting educational research that (i) is qualified to perform educational research and protect the privacy of student data, (ii) is seeking to perform research for a non-commercial purpose authorized by privacy protection laws, and (iii) agrees to perform the research pursuant to a written agreement meeting the requirements of privacy protection laws and this Act.

"School" means any elementary or secondary educational institution, charter school, vocational school, special education facility, or any other elementary or secondary educational agency or institution, but does not include a non-public school.

"Secondary" means ninth through twelfth grade.

"State Board" means the State Board of Education.

"State Education Authorities" means the State Board, Community College Board, and Board of Higher Education.

Section 15. Establishment of the longitudinal data system and data warehouse.

(a) The State Education Authorities shall jointly establish and maintain a longitudinal data system by entering into one or more agreements that link early learning, elementary, and secondary school student unit records with institution of higher learning student unit records. To the extent authorized by this Section and Section 20 of this Act:

(1) the State Board is responsible for collecting and maintaining authoritative enrollment, completion, and student characteristic information on early learning, public school (kindergarten through grade 12), and non-public school (kindergarten through grade 12) students;

(2) the Community College Board is responsible for collecting and maintaining authoritative enrollment, completion, and student characteristic information on community college students; and

(3) the Board of Higher Education is responsible for collecting and maintaining authoritative enrollment, completion, and student characteristic information on students enrolled in institutions of higher learning, other than community colleges.

(b) On or before June 30, 2013, subject to the availability of funding through appropriations made specifically for the purposes of this Act, the State Education Authorities shall improve and expand the longitudinal data system to enable the State Education Authorities to perform or cause to be performed all of the following activities and functions:

(1) Reduce, to the maximum extent possible, the data collection burden on school districts and institutions of higher learning by using data submitted to the system for multiple reporting and analysis functions.

(2) Provide authorized officials of early learning programs, schools, school districts, and institutions of higher learning with access to their own student-level data, summary reports, and data that can be integrated with additional data maintained outside of the system to inform education decision-making.

(3) Link data to instructional management tools that support instruction and assist collaboration among teachers and postsecondary instructors.

(4) Enhance and expand existing high school-to-postsecondary reporting systems to inform school and school district officials, education policymakers, and members of the public about public school students' performance in postsecondary education.

(5) Provide data reporting, analysis, and planning tools that assist with financial oversight, human resource management, and other education support functions.

(6) Improve student access to educational opportunities by linking data to student college and career planning portals, facilitating the submission of electronic transcripts and scholarship and financial aid applications, and enabling the transfer of student records to officials of a school or institution of higher learning where a student enrolls or seeks or intends to enroll.

(7) Establish a public Internet web interface that provides non-confidential data reports and permits queries so that parents, the media, and other members of the public can more easily access information pertaining to statewide, district, and school performance.

(8) Provide research and reports to the General Assembly that assist with evaluating the effectiveness of specific programs and that enable legislators to analyze educational performance within their legislative districts.

(9) Allow the State Education Authorities to efficiently meet federal and State reporting requirements by drawing data for required reports from multiple State systems.

(10) Establish a system to evaluate teacher and administrator preparation programs using student academic growth as one component of evaluation.

(11) In accordance with a data sharing agreement entered into between the State Education Authorities and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, establish procedures and systems to evaluate the relationship between need-based financial aid and student enrollment and success in institutions of higher learning.

(12) In accordance with data sharing agreements entered into between the State Education Authorities and health and human service agencies, establish procedures and systems to evaluate the relationship between education and other student and family support systems.

(13) In accordance with data sharing agreements entered into between the State Education Authorities and employment and workforce development agencies, establish procedures and systems to evaluate the relationship between education programs and outcomes and employment fields, employment locations, and employment outcomes.

(c) On or before June 30, 2013, subject to the availability of funding through appropriations made specifically for the purposes of this Act, the State Board shall establish a data warehouse that integrates data from multiple student unit record systems and supports all of the uses and functions of the longitudinal data system set forth in this Act. The data warehouse must be developed in cooperation with the Community College Board and the Board of Higher Education and must have the ability to integrate longitudinal data from early learning through the postsecondary level in accordance with one or more data sharing agreements entered into among the State Education Authorities. The data warehouse, as integrated with the longitudinal data system, must include, but is not limited to, all of the following elements:

(1) A unique statewide student identifier that connects student data across key databases across years. The unique statewide student identifier must not be derived from a student's social security number and must be provided to institutions of higher learning to assist with linkages between early learning through secondary and postsecondary data.

(2) Student-level enrollment, demographic, and program participation information, including information on participation in dual credit programs.

(3) The ability to match individual students' elementary and secondary test records from year to year to measure academic growth.

(4) Information on untested students in the elementary and secondary levels, and the reasons they were not tested.

(5) A teacher and administrator identifier system with the ability to match students to early learning, elementary, and secondary teachers and elementary and secondary administrators. Information able to be obtained only as a result of the linkage of teacher and student data through the longitudinal data system may not be used by a school district for decisions involving teacher pay or teacher benefits unless the district and the exclusive bargaining representative of the district's teachers, if any, have agreed to this use. Information able to be obtained only as a result of the linkage of teacher and student data through the longitudinal data system may not be used by a school district as part of an evaluation under Article 24A of the School Code unless, in good faith cooperation with the school district's teachers or, where applicable, the exclusive bargaining representative of the school district's teachers, the school district has developed an evaluation plan or substantive change to an evaluation plan that specifically describes the school district's rationale for using this information for evaluations, how this information will be used as part of the evaluation process, and how this information will relate to evaluation standards. However, nothing in this subdivision (5) or elsewhere in this Act limits or restricts (i) a district's use of any local or State data that has been obtained independently from the linkage of teacher and student data through the longitudinal data system or (ii) a charter school's use of any local or State data in connection with teacher pay, benefits, or evaluations.

(6) Student-level transcript information, including information on courses completed and grades earned, from middle and high schools. The State Board shall establish a statewide course classification system based upon the federal School Codes for Exchange of Data or a similar course classification system. Each school district and charter school shall map its course descriptions to the statewide course classification system for the purpose of State reporting. School districts and charter schools are not required to change or modify the locally adopted course descriptions used for all other purposes. The State Board shall establish or contract for the establishment of a technical support and training system to assist schools and districts with the implementation of this item (6) and shall, to the extent possible, collect transcript data using a system that permits automated reporting from district student information systems.

(7) Student-level college readiness test scores.

(8) Student-level graduation and dropout data.

(9) The ability to match early learning through secondary student unit records with institution of higher learning student unit record systems.

(10) A State data audit system assessing data quality, validity, and reliability.

(d) Using data provided to and maintained by the longitudinal data system, the State Education Authorities may, in addition to functions and activities specified elsewhere in this Section, perform and undertake the following:

(1) research for or on behalf of early learning programs, schools, school districts, or institutions of higher learning, which may be performed by one or more State Education Authorities or through agreements with research organizations meeting all of the requirements of this Act and privacy protection laws; and

(2) audits or evaluations of federal or State-supported education programs and activities to enforce federal or State legal requirements with respect to those programs. Each State Education Authority may assist another State Education Authority with audit, evaluation, or enforcement activities and may disclose education records with each other for those activities relating to any early learning through postsecondary program. The State Education Authorities may disclose student information to authorized officials of a student's former early learning program, school, or school district to assist with the evaluation of federal or State-supported education programs.

(e) In establishing, operating, and expanding the longitudinal data system, the State Education Authorities shall convene stakeholders and create opportunities for input and advice in the areas of data ownership, data use, research priorities, data management, confidentiality, data access, and reporting from the system. Such stakeholders include, but are not limited to, public and non-public institutions of higher learning, school districts, charter schools, non-public elementary and secondary schools, early learning programs, teachers, professors, parents, principals and administrators, school research consortiums, education policy and advocacy organizations, news media, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the Illinois Education Research Council, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Illinois Early Learning Council, and the Legislative Research Unit.

(f) Representatives of the State Education Authorities shall report to and advise the Illinois P-20 Council on the implementation, operation, and expansion of the longitudinal data system.

(g) Appropriations made to the State Education Authorities for the purposes of this Act shall be used exclusively for expenses for the development and operation of the longitudinal data system. Authorized expenses of the State Education Authorities may relate to contracts with outside vendors for the development and operation of the system, agreements with other governmental entities or research organizations for authorized uses and functions of the system, technical support and training for entities submitting data to the system, or regular or contractual employees necessary for the system's development or operation.

Section 20. Collection and maintenance of data.

(a) The State Board is authorized to collect and maintain data from school districts, schools, and early learning programs and disclose this data to the longitudinal data system for the purposes set forth in this Act. The State Board shall collect data from charter schools with more than one campus in a manner that can be disaggregated by campus site. The State Board may also disclose data to the longitudinal data system that the State Board is otherwise authorized by law to collect and maintain.

On or before July 1, 2010, the State Board shall establish procedures through which State-recognized, non-public schools may elect to participate in the longitudinal data system by disclosing data to the State Board for one or more of the purposes set forth in this Act.

Subject to the availability of funding through appropriations made specifically for the purposes of this Act, the State Board shall establish or contract for the establishment of a technical support and training system to assist school districts, schools, and early learning programs with data submission, use, and analysis.

(b) The Community College Board is authorized to collect and maintain data from community college districts and disclose this data to the longitudinal data system for the purposes set forth in this Act. The Community College Board may also disclose data to the longitudinal data system that the Community College Board is otherwise authorized by law to collect and maintain.

Subject to the availability of funding through appropriations made specifically for the purposes of this Act, the Community College Board shall establish or contract for the establishment of a technical support and training system to assist community colleges with data submission, use, and analysis.

(c) The Board of Higher Education is authorized to collect and maintain data from any public institution of higher learning, other than community colleges, and disclose this data to the longitudinal data system for the purposes set forth in this Act. The Board of Higher Education may also disclose data to the longitudinal data system that the Board of Higher Education is otherwise authorized by law to collect and maintain.

Beginning on July 1, 2012, the Board of Higher Education is authorized to collect and maintain data from any non-public institution of higher learning enrolling one or more students receiving Monetary Award Program grants, pursuant to Section 35 of the Higher Education Student Assistance Act, and disclose this data to the longitudinal data system for the purposes set forth in this Act. Prior to July 1, 2012, any non-public institution of higher learning may elect to participate in the longitudinal data system by disclosing data for one or more of the purposes set forth in this Act to the Board of Higher Education or to a consortium that has contracted with the Board of Higher Education pursuant to this subsection (c).

The Board of Higher Education may contract with one or more voluntary consortiums of non-public institutions of higher learning established for the purpose of data sharing, research, and analysis. The contract may allow the consortium to collect data from participating institutions on behalf of the Board of Higher Education. The contract may provide for consultation with a representative committee of participating institutions and a representative of one or more organizations representing the participating institutions prior to the use of data from the consortium for a data sharing arrangement entered into with any party other than a State Education Authority pursuant to Section 25 of this Act. The contract may further provide that individual institutions of higher learning shall have the right to opt out of specific uses of their data or portions thereof for reasons specified in the contract. Student-level data submitted by each institution of higher learning participating in a consortium that has contracted with the Board of Higher Education pursuant to this paragraph shall remain the property of that institution. Upon notice to the consortium and the Board of Higher Education, any non-public institution of higher learning shall have the right to remove its data from the consortium if the institution has reasonable cause to believe that there is a threat to the security of its data or its data is used in a manner that violates the terms of the contract between the consortium and the Board of Higher Education. In the event data is removed from a consortium pursuant to the preceding sentence, the data must be returned by the institution to the consortium after the basis for removal has been corrected. The data submitted from the consortium to the Board of Higher Education must be used only for agreed-upon purposes, as stated in the terms of the contract between the consortium and the Board of Higher Education. Non-public institutions of higher learning submitting student-level data to a consortium that has contracted with the Board of Higher Education pursuant to this paragraph shall not be required to submit student-level data to the Board of Higher Education.

Subject to the availability of funding through appropriations made specifically for the purposes of this Act, the Board of Higher Education shall establish or contract for the establishment of a technical support and training system to assist institutions of higher learning, other than community colleges, with data submission, use, and analysis. The Board of Higher Education may make available grant funding to a consortium of non-public institutions of higher learning to provide assistance in the development of a data collection system. The Board of Higher Education shall engage in a cooperative planning process with public and non-public institutions of higher learning and statewide higher education associations in connection with all of the activities authorized by this subsection (c).

(d) The State Education Authorities shall establish procedures and requirements relating to the submission of data authorized to be collected pursuant to this Section, including requirements for data specifications, quality, security, and timeliness. All early learning programs, schools, school districts, and institutions of higher learning subject to the data collection authority of a State Education Authority pursuant to this Section shall comply with the State Education Authority's procedures and requirements for data submissions. A State Education Authority may require that staff responsible for collecting, validating, and submitting data participate in training and technical assistance offered by this State if data is not submitted in accordance with applicable procedures and requirements.

Section 25. Data sharing.

(a) The State Education Authorities may disclose data from the longitudinal data system collected pursuant to Section 20 of this Act only in connection with a data sharing arrangement meeting the requirements of this Section.

(b) Any State agency, board, authority, or commission may enter into a data sharing arrangement with one or more of the State Education Authorities to share data to support the research and evaluation activities authorized by this Act. State Education Authorities may also enter into data sharing arrangements with other governmental entities, institutions of higher learning, and research organizations that support the research and evaluation activities authorized by this Act.

(c) Any data sharing arrangement entered into pursuant to this Section must:

(1) be permissible under and undertaken in accordance with privacy protection laws;

(2) be approved by the following persons:

(A) the State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee for the use of early learning, public school, and non-public school student data;

(B) the chief executive officer of the Community College Board or his or her designee for the use of community college student data; and

(C) the executive director of the Board of Higher Education or his or her designee for the use of student data from an institution of higher learning, other than a community college;

(3) not permit the personal identification of any person by individuals other than authorized representatives of the recipient entity that have legitimate interests in the information;

(4) ensure the destruction or return of the data when no longer needed for the authorized purposes under the data sharing arrangement; and

(5) be performed pursuant to a written agreement with the recipient entity that does the following:

(A) specifies the purpose, scope, and duration of the data sharing arrangement;

(B) requires the recipient of the data to use personally identifiable information from education records to meet only the purpose or purposes of the data sharing arrangement stated in the written agreement;

(C) describes specific data access, use, and security restrictions that the recipient will undertake; and

(D) includes such other terms and provisions as the State Education Authorities deem necessary to carry out the intent and purposes of this Act.

Section 30. Subject to privacy protection laws. The collection, use, maintenance, disclosure, and sharing of data authorized by this Act must be conducted in accordance with privacy protection laws. The State Education Authorities shall each develop security measures and procedures that protect personal information from intentional or accidental release to unauthorized persons and from intentional or accidental use for unauthorized purposes.

Section 35. No impact on existing authority. This Act does not modify or diminish any responsibilities or authority that a State Education Authority or the State Education Authorities collectively may otherwise have under law with respect to the collection, use, maintenance, disclosure, and sharing of data.

Section 40. Evaluation. Subject to the availability of funding through appropriations made specifically for the purposes of this Act, the State Education Authorities shall contract with an independent outside evaluator for oversight of the development and operation of the longitudinal data system. The independent outside evaluator shall annually submit a report to the State Education Authorities, the Illinois P-20 Council, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and the President and Minority Leader of the Senate. The report shall include without limitation (i) an evaluation of the extent to which the system is being developed and operated to achieve the purposes, objectives, and requirements of this Act; (ii) an evaluation of the oversight and governance of the system by the State Education Authorities and any recommendations to improve the oversight and governance of the system; and (iii) an evaluation of the security measures and procedures developed by the State Education Authorities to protect personally identifiable information and any recommendations to further ensure the privacy of personally identifiable information.

Section 500. The School Code is amended by changing Section 27A-5 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/27A-5)

Sec. 27A-5. Charter school; legal entity; requirements.

(a) A charter school shall be a public, nonsectarian, nonreligious, non-home based, and non-profit school. A charter school shall be organized and operated as a nonprofit corporation or other discrete, legal, nonprofit entity authorized under the laws of the State of Illinois.

(b) A charter school may be established under this Article by creating a new school or by converting an existing public school or attendance center to charter school status. Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, in all new applications submitted to the State Board or a local school board to establish a charter school in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, operation of the charter school shall be limited to one campus. The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly do not apply to charter schools existing or approved on or before the effective date of this amendatory Act.

(c) A charter school shall be administered and governed by its board of directors or other governing body in the manner provided in its charter. The governing body of a charter school shall be subject to the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act.

(d) A charter school shall comply with all applicable health and safety requirements applicable to public schools under the laws of the State of Illinois.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in the School Code, a charter school shall not charge tuition; provided that a charter school may charge reasonable fees for textbooks, instructional materials, and student activities.

(f) A charter school shall be responsible for the management and operation of its fiscal affairs including, but not limited to, the preparation of its budget. An audit of each charter school's finances shall be conducted annually by an outside, independent contractor retained by the charter school.

(g) A charter school shall comply with all provisions of this Article and its charter. A charter school is exempt from all other State laws and regulations in the School Code governing public schools and local school board policies, except the following:

(1) Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of the School Code regarding criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex Offender Database of applicants for employment;

(2) Sections 24-24 and 34-84A of the School Code regarding discipline of students;

(3) The Local Governmental and Governmental Employees Tort Immunity Act;

(4) Section 108.75 of the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986 regarding indemnification of officers, directors, employees, and agents;

(5) The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act;

(6) The Illinois School Student Records Act; and

(7) Section 10-17a of the School Code regarding school report cards; and .

(8) The P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act.

(h) A charter school may negotiate and contract with a school district, the governing body of a State college or university or public community college, or any other public or for-profit or nonprofit private entity for: (i) the use of a school building and grounds or any other real property or facilities that the charter school desires to use or convert for use as a charter school site, (ii) the operation and maintenance thereof, and (iii) the provision of any service, activity, or undertaking that the charter school is required to perform in order to carry out the terms of its charter. However, a charter school that is established on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and that operates in a city having a population exceeding 500,000 may not contract with a for-profit entity to manage or operate the school during the period that commences on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and concludes at the end of the 2004-2005 school year. Except as provided in subsection (i) of this Section, a school district may charge a charter school reasonable rent for the use of the district's buildings, grounds, and facilities. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a school district shall be provided by the district at cost. Any services for which a charter school contracts with a local school board or with the governing body of a State college or university or public community college shall be provided by the public entity at cost.

(i) In no event shall a charter school that is established by converting an existing school or attendance center to charter school status be required to pay rent for space that is deemed available, as negotiated and provided in the charter agreement, in school district facilities. However, all other costs for the operation and maintenance of school district facilities that are used by the charter school shall be subject to negotiation between the charter school and the local school board and shall be set forth in the charter.

(j) A charter school may limit student enrollment by age or grade level.

(Source: P.A. 93-3, eff. 4-16-03; 93-909, eff. 8-12-04; 94-219, eff. 7-14-05.)

Section 505. The Illinois School Student Records Act is amended by changing Section 6 as follows:

(105 ILCS 10/6) (from Ch. 122, par. 50-6)

Sec. 6. (a) No school student records or information contained therein may be released, transferred, disclosed or otherwise disseminated, except as follows:

(1) To a parent or student or person specifically designated as a representative by a parent, as provided in paragraph (a) of Section 5;

(2) To an employee or official of the school or school district or State Board with current demonstrable educational or administrative interest in the student, in furtherance of such interest;

(3) To the official records custodian of another school within Illinois or an official with similar responsibilities of a school outside Illinois, in which the student has enrolled, or intends to enroll, upon the request of such official or student;

(4) To any person for the purpose of research, statistical reporting, or planning, provided that such research, statistical reporting, or planning is permissible under and undertaken in accordance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g) no student or parent can be identified from the information released and the person to whom the information is released signs an affidavit agreeing to comply with all applicable statutes and rules pertaining to school student records;

(5) Pursuant to a court order, provided that the parent shall be given prompt written notice upon receipt of such order of the terms of the order, the nature and substance of the information proposed to be released in compliance with such order and an opportunity to inspect and copy the school student records and to challenge their contents pursuant to Section 7;

(6) To any person as specifically required by State or federal law;

(6.5) To juvenile authorities when necessary for the discharge of their official duties who request information prior to adjudication of the student and who certify in writing that the information will not be disclosed to any other party except as provided under law or order of court. For purposes of this Section "juvenile authorities" means: (i) a judge of the circuit court and members of the staff of the court designated by the judge; (ii) parties to the proceedings under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and their attorneys; (iii) probation officers and court appointed advocates for the juvenile authorized by the judge hearing the case; (iv) any individual, public or private agency having custody of the child pursuant to court order; (v) any individual, public or private agency providing education, medical or mental health service to the child when the requested information is needed to determine the appropriate service or treatment for the minor; (vi) any potential placement provider when such release is authorized by the court for the limited purpose of determining the appropriateness of the potential placement; (vii) law enforcement officers and prosecutors; (viii) adult and juvenile prisoner review boards; (ix) authorized military personnel; (x) individuals authorized by court;

(7) Subject to regulations of the State Board, in connection with an emergency, to appropriate persons if the knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons;

(8) To any person, with the prior specific dated written consent of the parent designating the person to whom the records may be released, provided that at the time any such consent is requested or obtained, the parent shall be advised in writing that he has the right to inspect and copy such records in accordance with Section 5, to challenge their contents in accordance with Section 7 and to limit any such consent to designated records or designated portions of the information contained therein;

(9) To a governmental agency, or social service agency contracted by a governmental agency, in furtherance of an investigation of a student's school attendance pursuant to the compulsory student attendance laws of this State, provided that the records are released to the employee or agent designated by the agency;

(10) To those SHOCAP committee members who fall within the meaning of "state and local officials and authorities", as those terms are used within the meaning of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, for the purposes of identifying serious habitual juvenile offenders and matching those offenders with community resources pursuant to Section 5-145 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, but only to the extent that the release, transfer, disclosure, or dissemination is consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; or

(11) To the Department of Healthcare and Family Services in furtherance of the requirements of Section 2-3.131, 3-14.29, 10-28, or 34-18.26 of the School Code or Section 10 of the School Breakfast and Lunch Program Act.

(12) To the State Board or another State government agency or between or among State government agencies in order to evaluate or audit federal and State programs or perform research and planning, but only to the extent that the release, transfer, disclosure, or dissemination is consistent with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g 1221 et seq.).

(b) No information may be released pursuant to subparagraphs (3) or (6) of paragraph (a) of this Section 6 unless the parent receives prior written notice of the nature and substance of the information proposed to be released, and an opportunity to inspect and copy such records in accordance with Section 5 and to challenge their contents in accordance with Section 7. Provided, however, that such notice shall be sufficient if published in a local newspaper of general circulation or other publication directed generally to the parents involved where the proposed release of information is pursuant to subparagraph 6 of paragraph (a) in this Section 6 and relates to more than 25 students.

(c) A record of any release of information pursuant to this Section must be made and kept as a part of the school student record and subject to the access granted by Section 5. Such record of release shall be maintained for the life of the school student records and shall be available only to the parent and the official records custodian. Each record of release shall also include:

(1) The nature and substance of the information released;

(2) The name and signature of the official records custodian releasing such information;

(3) The name of the person requesting such information, the capacity in which such a request has been made, and the purpose of such request;

(4) The date of the release; and

(5) A copy of any consent to such release.

(d) Except for the student and his parents, no person to whom information is released pursuant to this Section and no person specifically designated as a representative by a parent may permit any other person to have access to such information without a prior consent of the parent obtained in accordance with the requirements of subparagraph (8) of paragraph (a) of this Section.

(e) Nothing contained in this Act shall prohibit the publication of student directories which list student names, addresses and other identifying information and similar publications which comply with regulations issued by the State Board.

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 95-793, eff. 1-1-09.)

Section 999. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.