Public Act 103-0979
 
SB3349 EnrolledLRB103 38145 RJT 68277 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 changing Section
2-3.169 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.169)
    Sec. 2-3.169. State Global Scholar Certification.
    (a) The State Global Scholar Certification Program is
established to recognized public and nonpublic high school
graduates who have attained global competence. State Global
Scholar Certification shall be awarded beginning with the
2017-2018 school year. School district or nonpublic school
participation in this certification is voluntary.
    (b) The purposes of State Global Scholar Certification are
as follows:
        (1) To recognize the value of a global education.
        (2) To certify attainment of global competence.
        (3) To provide employers with a method of identifying
    globally competent employees.
        (4) To provide colleges and universities with an
    additional method to recognize applicants seeking
    admission.
        (5) To prepare students with 21st century skills.
        (6) To encourage the development of a globally ready
    workforce in the STEM (science, technology, engineering,
    and mathematics), manufacturing, agriculture, and service
    sectors.
    (c) State Global Scholar Certification confirms attainment
of global competence, sufficient for meaningful use in college
and a career, by a graduating public or nonpublic high school
student.
    (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules as
may be necessary to establish the criteria that students must
achieve to earn State Global Scholar Certification, which
shall minimally include attainment of 6 units of credit in
globally focused courses, service learning experiences, global
collaboration or and dialogue, and passage of a capstone
project demonstrating global competency, as approved by the
participating school district or nonpublic school for this
purpose.
    (e) The State Board of Education shall do both of the
following:
        (1) Prepare and deliver to participating school
    districts or nonpublic schools an appropriate mechanism
    for designating State Global Scholar Certification on the
    diploma and transcript of a student indicating that the
    student has been awarded State Global Scholar
    Certification by the State Board of Education.
        (2) Provide other information the State Board of
    Education deems necessary for school districts or
    nonpublic schools to successfully participate in the
    certification.
    (f) A school district or nonpublic school that
participates in certification under this Section shall do both
of the following:
        (1) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify
    students who have earned State Global Scholar
    Certification.
        (2) Make the appropriate designation on the diploma
    and transcript of each student who earns State Global
    Scholar Certification.
    (g) No fee may be charged to a student to receive the
designation pursuant to the Section. Notwithstanding this
prohibition, costs may be incurred by the student in
demonstrating proficiency.
    (h) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules as
may be necessary to provide students attending schools that do
not offer State Global Scholar Certification the opportunity
to earn State Global Scholar Certification remotely beginning
with the 2026-2027 school year. These rules shall include, but
are not limited to, a list of all school courses and course
codes derived from the State Board of Education's Illinois
State Course Catalog and Illinois Virtual Course Catalog that
are designated as and qualify as globally focused coursework.
    If the provider of the online course determines and can
demonstrate that a student meets all of the criteria required
to earn State Global Scholar Certification, then the school
district or nonpublic school shall designate that the student
has earned State Global Scholar Certification on the student's
diploma and transcript.
    A school district or nonpublic school shall provide, upon
the request of a student, evidence to the student that the
student has completed at least 6 globally focused courses
required to earn State Global Scholar Certification for the
student to submit to the provider of the online course.
    A student enrolled in a school district or nonpublic
school that awarded State Global Scholar Certification prior
to the 2026-2027 school year and offered a course to complete
the capstone project requirement prior to the 2026-2027 school
year may not earn State Global Scholar Certification remotely
under this subsection (h).
(Source: P.A. 103-352, eff. 7-28-23.)

Effective Date: 1/1/2025