101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5042

 

Introduced 2/18/2020, by Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.161
105 ILCS 5/2-3.164
105 ILCS 5/27-6.5
105 ILCS 5/34-18.43
105 ILCS 5/2-3.11 rep.
105 ILCS 5/2-3.168 rep.

    Amends the School Code. Removes language concerning a reading instruction advisory group, a reference to the chairperson of the State Charter School Commission in language creating the Attendance Commission, a physical fitness assessment task force, and an annual meeting of the Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force. Repeals Sections concerning a report on the condition of schools and the Advisory Council on At-Risk Students. Effective July 1, 2020.


LRB101 18964 NHT 68423 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5042LRB101 18964 NHT 68423 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
52-3.161, 2-3.164, 27-6.5, and 34-18.43 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.161)
7    Sec. 2-3.161. Definition of dyslexia; reading instruction
8advisory group; handbook.
9    (a) The State Board of Education shall incorporate, in both
10general education and special education, the following
11definition of dyslexia:
12        Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is
13    neurobiological in origin. Dyslexia is characterized by
14    difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition
15    and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These
16    difficulties typically result from a deficit in the
17    phonological component of language that is often
18    unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the
19    provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary
20    consequences may include problems in reading comprehension
21    and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of
22    vocabulary and background knowledge.
23    (b) (Blank). Subject to specific State appropriation or the

 

 

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1availability of private donations, the State Board of Education
2shall establish an advisory group to develop a training module
3or training modules to provide education and professional
4development to teachers, school administrators, and other
5education professionals regarding multi-sensory, systematic,
6and sequential instruction in reading. This advisory group
7shall complete its work before December 15, 2015 and is
8abolished on December 15, 2015. The State Board of Education
9shall reestablish the advisory group abolished on December 15,
102015 to complete the abolished group's work. The reestablished
11advisory group shall complete its work before December 31, 2016
12and is abolished on December 31, 2016. The provisions of this
13subsection (b), other than this sentence, are inoperative after
14December 31, 2016.
15    (c) The State Board of Education shall develop and maintain
16a handbook to be made available on its Internet website that
17provides guidance for pupils, parents or guardians, and
18teachers on the subject of dyslexia. The handbook shall
19include, but is not limited to:
20        (1) guidelines for teachers and parents or guardians on
21    how to identify signs of dyslexia;
22        (2) a description of educational strategies that have
23    been shown to improve the academic performance of pupils
24    with dyslexia; and
25        (3) a description of resources and services available
26    to pupils with dyslexia, parents or guardians of pupils

 

 

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1    with dyslexia, and teachers.
2    The State Board shall review the handbook once every 4
3years to update, if necessary, the guidelines, educational
4strategies, or resources and services made available in the
5handbook.
6(Source: P.A. 99-65, eff. 7-16-15; 99-78, eff. 7-20-15; 99-602,
7eff. 7-22-16; 99-603, eff. 7-22-16; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17;
8100-617, eff. 7-20-18.)
 
9    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.164)
10    (Section scheduled to be repealed on December 16, 2020)
11    Sec. 2-3.164. Attendance Commission.
12    (a) The Attendance Commission is created within the State
13Board of Education to study the issue of chronic absenteeism in
14this State and make recommendations for strategies to prevent
15chronic absenteeism. The Commission shall consist of all of the
16following members:
17        (1) The Director of the Department of Children and
18    Family Services or his or her designee.
19        (2) The Chairperson of the State Board of Education or
20    his or her designee.
21        (3) The Chairperson of the Board of Higher Education or
22    his or her designee.
23        (4) The Secretary of the Department of Human Services
24    or his or her designee.
25        (5) The Director of the Department of Public Health or

 

 

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1    his or her designee.
2        (6) The Chairperson of the Illinois Community College
3    Board or his or her designee.
4        (7) (Blank). The Chairperson of the State Charter
5    School Commission or his or her designee.
6        (8) An individual that deals with children's
7    disabilities, impairments, and social emotional issues,
8    appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
9        (9) One member from each of the following
10    organizations, appointed by the State Superintendent of
11    Education:
12            (A) A non-profit organization that advocates for
13        students in temporary living situations.
14            (B) An Illinois-focused, non-profit organization
15        that advocates for the well-being of all children and
16        families in this State.
17            (C) An Illinois non-profit, anti-crime
18        organization of law enforcement that researches and
19        recommends early learning and youth development
20        strategies to reduce crime.
21            (D) An Illinois non-profit organization that
22        conducts community-organizing around family issues.
23            (E) A statewide professional teachers'
24        organization.
25            (F) A different statewide professional teachers'
26        organization.

 

 

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1            (G) A professional teachers' organization in a
2        city having a population exceeding 500,000.
3            (H) An association representing school
4        administrators.
5            (I) An association representing school board
6        members.
7            (J) An association representing school principals.
8            (K) An association representing regional
9        superintendents of schools.
10            (L) An association representing parents.
11            (M) An association representing high school
12        districts.
13            (N) An association representing large unit
14        districts.
15            (O) An organization that advocates for healthier
16        school environments in Illinois.
17            (P) An organization that advocates for the health
18        and safety of Illinois youth and families by providing
19        capacity building services.
20            (Q) A statewide association of local philanthropic
21        organizations that advocates for effective
22        educational, health, and human service policies to
23        improve this State's communities.
24            (R) A statewide organization that advocates for
25        partnerships among schools, families, and the
26        community that provide access to support and remove

 

 

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1        barriers to learning and development, using schools as
2        hubs.
3            (S) An organization representing statewide
4        programs actively involved in truancy intervention.
5    Attendance Commission members shall serve without
6compensation but shall be reimbursed for their travel expenses
7from appropriations to the State Board of Education available
8for that purpose and subject to the rules of the appropriate
9travel control board.
10    (b) The Attendance Commission shall meet initially at the
11call of the State Superintendent of Education. The members
12shall elect a chairperson at their initial meeting. Thereafter,
13the Attendance Commission shall meet at the call of the
14chairperson. The Attendance Commission shall hold hearings on a
15periodic basis to receive testimony from the public regarding
16attendance.
17    (c) The Attendance Commission shall identify strategies,
18mechanisms, and approaches to help parents, educators,
19principals, superintendents, and the State Board of Education
20address and prevent chronic absenteeism and shall recommend to
21the General Assembly and State Board of Education:
22        (1) a standard for attendance and chronic absenteeism,
23    defining attendance as a calculation of standard clock
24    hours in a day that equal a full day based on instructional
25    minutes for both a half day and a full day per learning
26    environment;

 

 

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1        (2) mechanisms to improve data systems to monitor and
2    track chronic absenteeism across this State in a way that
3    identifies trends from prekindergarten through grade 12
4    and allows the identification of students who need
5    individualized chronic absenteeism prevention plans;
6        (3) mechanisms for reporting and accountability for
7    schools and districts across this State, including
8    creating multiple measure indexes for reporting;
9        (4) best practices for utilizing attendance and
10    chronic absenteeism data to create multi-tiered systems of
11    support and prevention that will result in students being
12    ready for college and career; and
13        (5) new initiatives and responses to ongoing
14    challenges presented by chronic absenteeism.
15    (d) The State Board of Education shall provide
16administrative support to the Commission. The Attendance
17Commission shall submit an initial report to the General
18Assembly and the State Board of Education no later than March
1915, 2016. The Attendance Commission shall submit an annual
20report to the General Assembly and the State Board of Education
21no later than December 15, 2016 and each December 15
22thereafter.
23    (e) The Attendance Commission is abolished and this Section
24is repealed on December 16, 2020.
25(Source: P.A. 99-432, eff. 8-21-15; 99-601, eff. 7-22-16;
2699-642, eff. 7-28-16.)
 

 

 

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1    (105 ILCS 5/27-6.5)
2    Sec. 27-6.5. Physical fitness assessments in schools.
3    (a) As used in this Section, "physical fitness assessment"
4means a series of assessments to measure aerobic capacity, body
5composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and
6flexibility.
7    (b) To measure the effectiveness of State Goal 20 of the
8Illinois Learning Standards for Physical Development and
9Health, beginning with the 2016-2017 school year and every
10school year thereafter, the State Board of Education shall
11require all public schools to use a scientifically-based,
12health-related physical fitness assessment for grades 3
13through 12 and periodically report fitness information to the
14State Board of Education, as set forth in subsection
15subsections (c) and (e) of this Section, to assess student
16fitness indicators.
17    Public schools shall integrate health-related fitness
18testing into the curriculum as an instructional tool, except in
19grades before the 3rd grade. Fitness tests must be appropriate
20to students' developmental levels and physical abilities. The
21testing must be used to teach students how to assess their
22fitness levels, set goals for improvement, and monitor progress
23in reaching their goals. Fitness scores shall not be used for
24grading students or evaluating teachers.
25    (c) (Blank). On or before October 1, 2014, the State

 

 

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1Superintendent of Education shall appoint a 15-member
2stakeholder and expert task force, including members
3representing organizations that represent physical education
4teachers, school officials, principals, health promotion and
5disease prevention advocates and experts, school health
6advocates and experts, and other experts with operational and
7academic expertise in the measurement of fitness. The task
8force shall make recommendations to the State Board of
9Education on the following:
10        (1) methods for ensuring the validity and uniformity of
11    reported physical fitness assessment scores, including
12    assessment administration protocols and professional
13    development approaches for physical education teachers;
14        (2) how often physical fitness assessment scores
15    should be reported to the State Board of Education;
16        (3) the grade levels within elementary, middle, and
17    high school categories for which physical fitness
18    assessment scores should be reported to the State Board of
19    Education;
20        (4) the minimum fitness indicators that should be
21    reported to the State Board of Education, including, but
22    not limited to, a score for aerobic capacity (for grades 4
23    through 12); muscular strength; endurance; and
24    flexibility;
25        (5) the demographic information that should accompany
26    the scores, including, but not limited to, grade and

 

 

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1    gender;
2        (6) the development of protocols regarding the
3    protection of students' confidentiality and individual
4    information and identifiers; and
5        (7) how physical fitness assessment data should be
6    reported by the State Board of Education to the public,
7    including potential correlations with student academic
8    achievement, attendance, and discipline data and other
9    recommended uses of the reported data.
10    The State Board of Education shall provide administrative
11and other support to the task force.
12    The task force shall submit its recommendations on physical
13fitness assessments on or before April 1, 2015. The task force
14may also recommend methods for assessing student progress on
15State Goals 19 and 21 through 24 of the Illinois Learning
16Standards for Physical Development and Health. The task force
17is dissolved on April 30, 2015.
18    The provisions of this subsection (c), other than this
19sentence, are inoperative after March 31, 2016.
20    (d) The State Board of Education must On or before December
2131, 2015, the State Board of Education shall use the
22recommendations of the task force under subsection (c) of this
23Section to adopt rules for the implementation of physical
24fitness assessments under this Section by each public school
25for the 2016-2017 school year and every school year thereafter.
26    (e) The On or before September 1, 2016, the State Board of

 

 

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1Education shall adopt rules for data submission by school
2districts and develop a system for collecting and reporting the
3aggregated fitness information from the physical fitness
4assessments. This system shall also support the collection of
5data from school districts that use a fitness testing software
6program.
7    (f) School districts may report the aggregate findings of
8physical fitness assessments by grade level and school to
9parents and members of the community through typical
10communication channels, such as Internet websites, school
11newsletters, school board reports, and presentations.
12Districts may also provide individual fitness assessment
13reports to students' parents.
14    (g) Nothing in this Section precludes schools from
15implementing a physical fitness assessment before the
162016-2017 school year or from implementing more robust forms of
17a physical fitness assessment.
18(Source: P.A. 98-859, eff. 8-4-14.)
 
19    (105 ILCS 5/34-18.43)
20    Sec. 34-18.43. Establishing an equitable and effective
21school facility development process.
22    (a) The General Assembly finds all of the following:
23        (1) The Illinois Constitution recognizes that a
24    "fundamental goal of the People of the State is the
25    educational development of all persons to the limits of

 

 

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1    their capacities".
2        (2) Quality educational facilities are essential for
3    fostering the maximum educational development of all
4    persons through their educational experience from
5    pre-kindergarten through high school.
6        (3) The public school is a major institution in our
7    communities. Public schools offer resources and
8    opportunities for the children of this State who seek and
9    deserve quality education, but also benefit the entire
10    community that seeks improvement through access to
11    education.
12        (4) The equitable and efficient use of available
13    facilities-related resources among different schools and
14    among racial, ethnic, income, and disability groups is
15    essential to maximize the development of quality public
16    educational facilities for all children, youth, and
17    adults. The factors that impact the equitable and efficient
18    use of facility-related resources vary according to the
19    needs of each school community. Therefore, decisions that
20    impact school facilities should include the input of the
21    school community to the greatest extent possible.
22        (5) School openings, school closings, school
23    consolidations, school turnarounds, school phase-outs,
24    school construction, school repairs, school
25    modernizations, school boundary changes, and other related
26    school facility decisions often have a profound impact on

 

 

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1    education in a community. In order to minimize the negative
2    impact of school facility decisions on the community, these
3    decisions should be implemented according to a clear
4    system-wide criteria and with the significant involvement
5    of local school councils, parents, educators, and the
6    community in decision-making.
7        (6) The General Assembly has previously stated that it
8    intended to make the individual school in the City of
9    Chicago the essential unit for educational governance and
10    improvement and to place the primary responsibility for
11    school governance and improvement in the hands of parents,
12    teachers, and community residents at each school. A school
13    facility policy must be consistent with these principles.
14    (b) In order to ensure that school facility-related
15decisions are made with the input of the community and reflect
16educationally sound and fiscally responsible criteria, a
17Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force shall be established
18within 15 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act
19of the 96th General Assembly.
20    (c) The Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force shall
21consist of all of the following members:
22        (1) Two members of the House of Representatives
23    appointed by the Speaker of the House, at least one of whom
24    shall be a member of the Elementary & Secondary Education
25    Committee.
26        (2) Two members of the House of Representatives

 

 

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1    appointed by the Minority Leader of the House, at least one
2    of whom shall be a member of the Elementary & Secondary
3    Education Committee.
4        (3) Two members of the Senate appointed by the
5    President of the Senate, at least one of whom shall be a
6    member of the Education Committee.
7        (4) Two members of the Senate appointed by the Minority
8    Leader of the Senate, at least one of whom shall be a
9    member of the Education Committee.
10        (5) Two representatives of school community
11    organizations with past involvement in school facility
12    issues appointed by the Speaker of the House.
13        (6) Two representatives of school community
14    organizations with past involvement in school facility
15    issues appointed by the President of the Senate.
16        (7) The chief executive officer of the school district
17    or his or her designee.
18        (8) The president of the union representing teachers in
19    the schools of the district or his or her designee.
20        (9) The president of the association representing
21    principals in the schools of the district or his or her
22    designee.
23    (d) The Speaker of the House shall appoint one of the
24appointed House members as a co-chairperson of the Chicago
25Educational Facilities Task Force. The President of the Senate
26shall appoint one of the appointed Senate members as a

 

 

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1co-chairperson of the Chicago Educational Facilities Task
2Force. Members appointed by the legislative leaders shall be
3appointed for the duration of the Chicago Educational
4Facilities Task Force; in the event of a vacancy, the
5appointment to fill the vacancy shall be made by the
6legislative leader of the same chamber and party as the leader
7who made the original appointment.
8    (e) The Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force shall
9call on independent experts, as needed, to gather and analyze
10pertinent information on a pro bono basis, provided that these
11experts have no previous or on-going financial interest in
12school facility issues related to the school district. The
13Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force shall secure pro bono
14expert assistance within 15 days after the establishment of the
15Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force.
16    (f) The Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force shall be
17empowered to gather further evidence in the form of testimony
18or documents or other materials.
19    (g) The Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force, with the
20help of the independent experts, shall analyze past Chicago
21experiences and data with respect to school openings, school
22closings, school consolidations, school turnarounds, school
23phase-outs, school construction, school repairs, school
24modernizations, school boundary changes, and other related
25school facility decisions on students. The Chicago Educational
26Facilities Task Force shall consult widely with stakeholders,

 

 

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1including public officials, about these facility issues and
2their related costs and shall examine relevant best practices
3from other school systems for dealing with these issues
4systematically and equitably. These initial investigations
5shall include opportunities for input from local stakeholders
6through hearings, focus groups, and interviews.
7    (h) The Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force shall
8prepare recommendations describing how the issues set forth in
9subsection (g) of this Section can be addressed effectively
10based upon educationally sound and fiscally responsible
11practices.
12    (i) The Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force shall
13hold hearings in separate areas of the school district at times
14that shall maximize school community participation to obtain
15comments on draft recommendations. The final hearing shall take
16place no later than 15 days prior to the completion of the
17final recommendations.
18    (j) The Chicago Educational Facilities Task Force shall
19prepare final proposed policy and legislative recommendations
20for the General Assembly, the Governor, and the school
21district. The recommendations may address issues, standards,
22and procedures set forth in this Section. The final
23recommendations shall be made available to the public through
24posting on the school district's Internet website and other
25forms of publication and distribution in the school district at
26least 7 days before the recommendations are submitted to the

 

 

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1General Assembly, the Governor, and the school district.
2    (k) The recommendations may address issues of system-wide
3criteria for ensuring clear priorities, equity, and
4efficiency.
5    Without limitation, the final recommendations may propose
6significant decision-making roles for key stakeholders,
7including the individual school and community; recommend clear
8criteria or processes for establishing criteria for making
9school facility decisions; and include clear criteria for
10setting priorities with respect to school openings, school
11closings, school consolidations, school turnarounds, school
12phase-outs, school construction, school repairs, school
13modernizations, school boundary changes, and other related
14school facility decisions, including the encouragement of
15multiple community uses for school space.
16    Without limitation, the recommendations may propose
17criteria for student mobility; the transferring of students to
18lower performing schools; teacher mobility; insufficient
19notice to and the lack of inclusion in decision-making of local
20school councils, parents, and community members about school
21facility decisions; and costly facilities-related expenditures
22due to poor educational and facilities planning.
23    (l) The State Board of Education and the school district
24shall provide administrative support to the Chicago
25Educational Facilities Task Force.
26    (m) After recommendations have been issued, the Chicago

 

 

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1Educational Facilities Task Force shall meet at least once
2annually, upon the call of the chairs, for the purpose of
3reviewing Chicago public schools' compliance with the
4provisions of Sections 34-200 through 34-235 of this Code
5concerning school action and facility master planning. The Task
6Force shall prepare a report to the General Assembly, the
7Governor's Office, the Mayor of the City of Chicago, and the
8Chicago Board of Education indicating how the district has met
9the requirements of the provisions of Sections 34-200 through
1034-235 of this Code concerning school action and facility
11master planning.
12(Source: P.A. 96-803, eff. 10-30-09; 97-333, eff. 8-12-11;
1397-473, eff. 1-1-12; 97-474, eff. 8-22-11.)
 
14    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.11 rep.)
15    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.168 rep.)
16    Section 10. The School Code is amended by repealing
17Sections 2-3.11 and 2-3.168.
 
18    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
192020.