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| Public Act 100-0421 | ||||
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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 changing the | ||||
heading of Article 14A and Sections 14A-15, 14A-25, and 14A-35 | ||||
and by adding Sections 14A-17 and 14A-32 as follows: | ||||
(105 ILCS 5/Art. 14A heading) | ||||
ARTICLE 14A. GIFTED AND TALENTED CHILDREN AND CHILDREN ELIGIBLE | ||||
FOR ACCELERATED PLACEMENT
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(Source: P.A. 94-151, eff. 7-8-05; 94-410, eff. 8-2-05.) | ||||
(105 ILCS 5/14A-15) | ||||
Sec. 14A-15. Purpose. The purpose of this Article is to | ||||
provide encouragement, assistance, and guidance to school | ||||
districts in the development and improvement of educational | ||||
programs for gifted and talented children and children eligible | ||||
for accelerated placement as defined in Sections Section 14A-20 | ||||
and 14A-17 of this Code. School districts shall continue to | ||||
have the authority and flexibility to design education programs | ||||
for gifted and talented children in response to community | ||||
needs, but these programs must comply with the requirements | ||||
established in Section 14A-30 of this Code by no later than | ||||
September 1, 2006 in order to merit approval by the State Board | ||||
of Education in order to qualify for State funding for the | ||
education of gifted and talented children, should such funding | ||
become available.
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(Source: P.A. 94-151, eff. 7-8-05; 94-410, eff. 8-2-05.) | ||
(105 ILCS 5/14A-17 new) | ||
Sec. 14A-17. Accelerated placement. For purposes of this | ||
Article, "accelerated placement" means the placement of a child | ||
in an educational setting with curriculum that is usually | ||
reserved for children who are older or in higher grades than | ||
the child. "Accelerated placement" under this Article or other | ||
school district-adopted policies shall include, but need not be | ||
limited to, the following types of acceleration: early entrance | ||
to kindergarten or first grade, accelerating a child in a | ||
single subject, and grade acceleration. | ||
(105 ILCS 5/14A-25) | ||
Sec. 14A-25. Non-discrimination. Eligibility for | ||
participation in programs established pursuant to this Article | ||
shall be determined solely through identification of a child as | ||
gifted, or talented, or eligible for accelerated placement. No | ||
program or placement shall condition participation upon race, | ||
religion, sex, disability, or any factor other than the | ||
identification of the child as gifted, or talented, or eligible | ||
for placement.
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(Source: P.A. 94-151, eff. 7-8-05; 94-410, eff. 8-2-05.) | ||
(105 ILCS 5/14A-32 new) | ||
Sec. 14A-32. Accelerated placement; school district | ||
responsibilities. | ||
(a) Each school district shall have a policy that allows | ||
for accelerated placement that includes or incorporates by | ||
reference the following components: | ||
(1) a provision that provides that participation in | ||
accelerated placement is not limited to those children who | ||
have been identified as gifted and talented, but rather is | ||
open to all children who demonstrate high ability and who | ||
may benefit from accelerated placement; | ||
(2) a fair and equitable decision-making process that | ||
involves multiple persons and includes a student's parents | ||
or guardians; | ||
(3) procedures for notifying parents or guardians of a | ||
child of a decision affecting that child's participation in | ||
an accelerated placement program; and | ||
(4) an assessment process that includes multiple | ||
valid, reliable indicators. | ||
(b) Further, a school district's accelerated placement | ||
policy may include or incorporate by reference, but need not be | ||
limited to, the following components: | ||
(1) procedures for annually informing the community | ||
at-large, including parents or guardians, about the | ||
accelerated placement program and the methods used for the | ||
identification of children eligible for accelerated | ||
placement; | ||
(2) a process for referral that allows for multiple | ||
referrers, including a child's parents or guardians; other | ||
referrers may include licensed education professionals, | ||
the child, with the written consent of a parent or | ||
guardian, a peer, through a licensed education | ||
professional who has knowledge of the referred child's | ||
abilities, or, in case of possible early entrance, a | ||
preschool educator, pediatrician, or psychologist who | ||
knows the child; and | ||
(3) a provision that provides that children | ||
participating in an accelerated placement program and | ||
their parents or guardians will be provided a written plan | ||
detailing the type of acceleration the child will receive | ||
and strategies to support the child. | ||
(c) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to | ||
determine data to be collected regarding accelerated placement | ||
and a method of making the information available to the public. | ||
(105 ILCS 5/14A-35) | ||
Sec. 14A-35. Administrative functions of the State Board of | ||
Education for gifted and talented children programs.
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(a) The State Board of Education must designate a staff | ||
person who shall be in charge of educational programs for | ||
gifted and talented children. This staff person shall, at a | ||
minimum, (i) be responsible for developing an approval process | ||
for educational programs for gifted and talented children by no | ||
later than September 1, 2006, (ii) receive and maintain the | ||
written descriptions of all programs for gifted and talented | ||
children in the State, (iii) collect and maintain the annual | ||
growth in learning data submitted by a school, school district, | ||
or cooperative of school districts, (iv) identify potential | ||
funding sources for the education of gifted and talented | ||
children, and (v) serve as the main contact person at the State | ||
Board of Education for program supervisors and other school | ||
officials, parents, and other stakeholders regarding the | ||
education of gifted and talented children. | ||
(b) Subject to the availability of funds for these | ||
purposes, the State Board of Education may perform a variety of | ||
additional administrative functions with respect to the | ||
education of gifted and talented children, including, but not | ||
limited to, supervision, quality assurance, compliance | ||
monitoring, and oversight of local programs, analysis of | ||
performance outcome data submitted by local educational | ||
agencies, the establishment of personnel standards, and a | ||
program of personnel development for teachers and | ||
administrative personnel in the education of gifted and | ||
talented children.
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(Source: P.A. 94-151, eff. 7-8-05; 94-410, eff. 8-2-05.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||
2018.
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