|
||||
Public Act 095-0387 |
||||
| ||||
| ||||
AN ACT concerning education.
| ||||
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| ||||
represented in the General Assembly:
| ||||
Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by changing and | ||||
renumbering Section 5.625, added by Public Acts 93-901 and | ||||
93-904, as follows:
| ||||
(30 ILCS 105/5.635)
| ||||
(Section scheduled to be repealed on August 31, 2007) | ||||
Sec. 5.635
5.625 . The Technology Immersion Pilot Project | ||||
Fund. This Section is
repealed on August 31, 2010
2007 .
| ||||
(Source: P.A. 93-901, eff. 8-10-04; 93-904, eff. 8-10-04; | ||||
revised 11-8-04.)
| ||||
Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing Section | ||||
2-3.135 as follows: | ||||
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.135)
| ||||
(Section scheduled to be repealed on August 31, 2007) | ||||
Sec. 2-3.135. Technology immersion pilot project.
| ||||
(a) The State Board of Education shall by rule establish a
| ||||
technology immersion pilot project to provide a wireless laptop | ||||
computer to each student, teacher, and relevant administrator | ||||
in a participating school and
implement the use of software, |
on-line courses, and other appropriate
learning technologies | ||
that have been shown to improve academic
achievement and the | ||
progress measures listed in subsection (f) of this
Section.
| ||
(b) The pilot project shall be for a period of at least 6
3
| ||
years. The
State Board shall establish a procedure and develop | ||
criteria for the
administration of the pilot project. In | ||
administering the pilot
project, the State Board shall:
| ||
(1) select participating school districts or schools;
| ||
(2) define the conditions for the distribution and use
| ||
of laptop computers and other technologies;
| ||
(3) purchase and distribute laptop computers and
other | ||
technologies;
| ||
(4) enter into contracts as necessary to implement the
| ||
pilot project;
| ||
(5) monitor local pilot project implementation; and
| ||
(6) conduct a final evaluation of the pilot project.
| ||
(c) The Technology Immersion Pilot Project Fund is created | ||
as a
special fund in the State treasury. All money in the | ||
Technology
Immersion Pilot Project Fund shall be used, subject | ||
to appropriation, by
the State Board for the pilot project. To | ||
implement the pilot project, the
State Board may use any funds | ||
appropriated by the General Assembly
for the purposes of the | ||
pilot project as well as any gift, grant, or donation
given for | ||
the pilot project. The State Board may solicit and accept a | ||
gift,
grant, or donation of any kind from any source, including | ||
from a
foundation, private entity, governmental entity, or |
institution
of higher education, for the implementation of the | ||
pilot project. Funds
for the pilot project may not be used for | ||
the construction of a building or
other facility.
| ||
The State Board shall use pilot project funds for the | ||
following:
| ||
(1) the purchase of wireless laptop computers
so that | ||
each student, teacher, and relevant administrator in a | ||
participating classroom has a wireless
laptop computer for | ||
use at school and at home;
| ||
(2) the purchase of other equipment, including
| ||
additional computer hardware and software;
| ||
(3) the hiring of technical support staff for school
| ||
districts or schools participating in the pilot project; | ||
and
| ||
(4) the purchase of technology-based learning
| ||
materials and resources.
| ||
The State Board may not allocate more than $10 million for | ||
the pilot project.
The pilot project may be implemented only if | ||
sufficient
funds are available under this Section for that | ||
purpose.
| ||
(d) A school district may apply to the State Board for the
| ||
establishment of a technology immersion pilot project for the | ||
entire
district or for a particular school or group of schools | ||
in the district.
| ||
The State Board shall select 7 school districts to | ||
participate in the pilot project. One school district shall be |
located in the City of Chicago, 3 school districts shall be | ||
located in the area that makes up the counties of DuPage, Kane, | ||
Lake, McHenry, Will, and that portion of Cook County that is | ||
located outside of the City of Chicago, and 3 school districts | ||
shall be located in the remainder of the State.
| ||
The State Board shall select the participating districts | ||
and
schools for the pilot project based on each district's or | ||
school's
need for the pilot project. In selecting participants, | ||
the State Board
shall consider the following criteria:
| ||
(1) whether the district or school has limited access
| ||
to educational resources that could be improved through the | ||
use of
wireless laptop computers and other technologies;
| ||
(2) whether the district or school has the following
| ||
problems and whether those problems can be mitigated | ||
through
the use of wireless laptop computers and other
| ||
technologies:
| ||
(A) documented teacher shortages in critical
| ||
areas;
| ||
(B) limited access to advanced placement
courses;
| ||
(C) low rates of satisfactory performance on
| ||
assessment instruments under Section 2-3.64 of this | ||
Code;
and
| ||
(D) high dropout rates;
| ||
(3) the district's or school's readiness to
| ||
incorporate technology into its classrooms;
| ||
(4) the possibility of obtaining a trained technology
|
support staff and high-speed Internet services for the | ||
district or
school; and
| ||
(5) the methods the district or school will use to
| ||
measure the progress of the pilot project in the district | ||
or school
in accordance with subsection (f) of this | ||
Section.
| ||
The State Board shall if possible select at least 9 schools | ||
to
participate in the pilot project, with at least 3 from the | ||
school district located in the City of Chicago and one from | ||
each of the other school districts selected.
| ||
(e) Each participating school district or school shall | ||
establish a
technology immersion committee to assist in | ||
developing and
implementing the technology immersion pilot | ||
project.
| ||
The school board of a participating
district or of a | ||
district in which a participating school is
located shall | ||
appoint individuals to the committee. The committee may be
| ||
composed of the following:
| ||
(1) educators;
| ||
(2) district-level administrators;
| ||
(3) community leaders;
| ||
(4) parents of students who attend a participating
| ||
school; and
| ||
(5) any other individual the school board finds | ||
appropriate.
| ||
The committee shall develop an academic improvement plan |
that
details how the pilot project should be implemented in the
| ||
participating district or school. In developing the academic
| ||
improvement plan, the committee shall consider (i) the | ||
educational
problems in the district or school that could be | ||
mitigated through the
implementation of the pilot project and | ||
(ii) the technological and
nontechnological resources that are | ||
necessary to ensure the successful
implementation of the pilot | ||
project.
| ||
The committee shall recommend to the school board how
the | ||
pilot project funds should be used to implement the academic
| ||
improvement plan. The committee may recommend annually any
| ||
necessary changes in the academic improvement plan to the | ||
school
board. The State Board must approve the academic | ||
improvement plan
or any changes in the academic improvement | ||
plan before disbursing
pilot project funds to the school board.
| ||
(f) The school board of each school district participating | ||
in the pilot
project shall send an annual progress report to | ||
the State Board no later
than August 1 of each year that the | ||
district is participating in the pilot
project. The report must | ||
state in detail the type of plan being used in the
district or | ||
school and the effect of the pilot project on the district or
| ||
school, including the following:
| ||
(1) the academic progress of students who are
| ||
participating in the pilot project, as measured by | ||
performance on
assessment instruments;
| ||
(2) if applicable, a comparison of student progress in
|
a school or classroom that is participating in the pilot | ||
project as
compared with student progress in the schools or | ||
classrooms in
the district that are not participating in | ||
the pilot project;
| ||
(3) any elements of the pilot project that contribute
| ||
to improved student performance on assessment instruments
| ||
administered under Section 2-3.64 of this Code or any other
| ||
assessment instrument required by the State Board;
| ||
(4) any cost savings and improved efficiency relating
| ||
to school personnel and the maintenance of facilities;
| ||
(5) any effect on student dropout and attendance
rates;
| ||
(6) any effect on student enrollment in higher
| ||
education;
| ||
(7) any effect on teacher performance and retention;
| ||
(8) any improvement in communications among students,
| ||
teachers, parents, and administrators;
| ||
(9) any improvement in parental involvement in the
| ||
education of the parent's child;
| ||
(10) any effect on community involvement and support
| ||
for the district or school; and
| ||
(11) any increased student proficiency in technologies | ||
that
will help prepare the student for becoming a member of | ||
the
workforce.
| ||
(g) Each student participating in the pilot project may | ||
retain the
wireless laptop computer provided under the pilot | ||
project as long
as the student is enrolled in a school in a |
participating school district.
| ||
(h) After the expiration of the 6-year
3-year pilot | ||
project, the
State Board shall review the pilot project based | ||
on the annual reports the
State Board receives from the school | ||
board of participating school
districts.
| ||
(i) This Section is repealed on August 31, 2010
2007 .
| ||
(Source: P.A. 93-901, eff. 8-10-04; 93-904, eff. 8-10-04.)
| ||
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect August | ||
30, 2007.
|