Public Act 099-0780
 
HB4983 EnrolledLRB099 18328 NHT 42702 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 adding Section
2-3.167 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.167 new)
    Sec. 2-3.167. State Global Scholar Certification.
    (a) The State Global Scholar Certification Program is
established to recognized public high school graduates who have
attained global competence. State Global Scholar Certification
shall be awarded beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.
School district 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 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 units of credit in globally
focused courses, service learning experiences, global
collaboration and dialogue, and passage of a capstone project
demonstrating global competency, as approved by the
participating school district for this purpose.
    (e) The State Board of Education shall do both of the
following:
        (1) Prepare and deliver to participating school
    districts 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 to
    successfully participate in the certification.
    (f) A school district 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.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.