Section 675.50  Application Requirements

Each application for approval to provide SES in Illinois shall consist of the components described in this Section and shall be submitted as specified by the State Superintendent.

a)         A summary of services that indicates:

1)         the subject areas available;

2)         the grade levels served;

3)         the total program hours per student, provided that, for any program proposing fewer than 30 instructional hours per subject, the applicant must supply specific evidence that the program has resulted in increased student achievement in that subject, including verification from school district administrators in which the program has been previously provided;

4)         the proposed locations of service delivery;

5)         the minimum number of students required by the eligible applicant in order to offer SES to a district and an indication of any districts in which that minimum will apply to each site served rather than to the district in the aggregate;

6)         whether the eligible applicant can provide services to students of limited English proficiency (LEP) and, if so, the languages in which the eligible applicant provides instruction and the maximum number of LEP students the eligible applicant can serve in each district;

7)         whether the eligible applicant can provide services to students with disabilities and, if so, the accommodations or modifications the eligible applicant can offer and the maximum number of students with disabilities the eligible applicant can serve in each district;

8)         the time of day and months during which SES will be offered;

9)         the ratio of instructors to children, as determined by the provider; and

10)         the districts the eligible applicant seeks to serve.

b)         A rationale for the eligible applicant's SES program, including:

1)         Evidence that the program complies with Section 675.40 of this Part; and

2)         Evidence of effectiveness that complies with either subsection (b)(2)(A) or subsection (b)(2)(B) of this Section.

A)        General Method

i)          Evidence that the curriculum and pedagogy proposed for each subject encompassed in the application have a positive impact on students' achievement in that subject, particularly for low-income, underachieving students, as demonstrated by scores on the State assessment or on a nationally recognized assessment; and

ii)         At least five but no more than ten letters of reference from previous clients (families, districts, or teachers) offering testimonial information on the positive impact of the program proposed in the application and including contact information, starting and ending dates of service provided, and school and district names for each reference.

B)        Alternate Method

i)          Evidence that the eligible applicant has a minimum of three years' experience serving youth  through activities such as tutoring, mentoring or other extracurricular programs;

ii)         Evidence that the curriculum and pedagogy to be used by the eligible applicant in a given subject have been demonstrated to have a positive impact on students' achievement in that subject, particularly for low-income, underachieving students, as demonstrated by scores on the State assessment or on a nationally recognized assessment;

iii)        At least five but no more than ten letters of reference from previous clients (families, districts, or teachers) offering testimonial information on the positive impact of the youth services provided by the eligible applicant and including contact information, starting and ending dates of service provided, and school and district names for each reference; and

iv)        An agreement to limit services to no more than 200 children during the first two years of SES.

c)         The specific procedures to be used and frequency of reports of student progress to teachers, district staff, and parents/families (including a description of how information will be provided to parents and families in a format and language they can understand).

d)         A description of the qualifications of instructional staff, including such resumes and other information on qualifications as ISBE may require.  If the applicant intends to assign tutors who reside outside the United States, the application shall identify their countries of residence and, for each of those countries, the national and either regional or local law enforcement authorities from which fingerprint-based checks of criminal history records will be obtained that will be comparable to those required under Section 10-21.9 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/10-21.9].  Individuals residing in countries where checks of these types are not available shall not be assigned as tutors.

e)         Proof of liability insurance in amounts deemed sufficient by ISBE to protect the district and ISBE in light of the number of students to be served by the provider.

f)         Evidence that the eligible applicant possesses a sound management structure.

g)         Evidence that the provider has adequate financial, organizational and technical resources to administer the proposed program.  This evidence shall include, but need not be limited to:

1)         completed federal tax returns (or the equivalent for non-profit entities) for the two most recent years; and

2)         verified financial documents identified either in subsection (g)(2)(A) or (g)(2)(B) of this Section, as applicable to the provider.

A)        If the provider has a total gross income or revenue as reported to the Internal Revenue Service on its most recently submitted income tax return (or the equivalent for non-profit entities) in excess of $500,000, then the provider shall supply an audit of financial statements or an organization-wide A-133 audit completed within the past two years from an independent Licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  This must be an audit and not a compilation, review or other type of CPA report.

B)        If the provider has a total gross income or revenue as reported to the Internal Revenue Service on its most recently submitted income tax return (or the equivalent for non-profit entities) equal to or less than $500,000, then the provider shall supply verified financial documents covering the two most recently completed fiscal years.  This requirement may be satisfied in one of the following three ways:

i)          Profit and loss statements, cash flow statements, and net assets statements.  These statements must be signed and dated by a person attesting to the accuracy of the numbers contained in the statements.  The relationship of the signatory to the provider must also be stated or described; or

ii)         a compilation report from an independent CPA who is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; or

iii)        a review report from an independent CPA who is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. 

h)         Proof of legal authority to conduct business in Illinois.

i)          Information on the eligible applicant's estimated per-pupil program cost, calculated as set forth in Section 675.210 of this Part for a sample or hypothetical district for which the provider assumes cost factors to be representative.  If the provider's costs will vary based on the number of students enrolled, costs must be provided for various enrollment ranges.  Providers must specify the assumptions upon which occupancy costs are shown for services in district facilities.

j)          Such certifications, assurances, and/or additional information as ISBE may require in order to verify any information reported by the eligible applicant or otherwise to fulfill its duties with respect to the administration of SES.

(Source:  Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 2285, effective January 20, 2011)