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| 1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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| 4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections | ||||||
| 5 | 10-20.82 and 34-18.77 as follows: | ||||||
| 6 | (105 ILCS 5/10-20.82 new) | ||||||
| 7 | Sec. 10-20.82. Postsecondary mentoring program; | ||||||
| 8 | certificate. | ||||||
| 9 | (a) A school district may implement a program to allow | ||||||
| 10 | school personnel, including, but not limited to, athletic | ||||||
| 11 | coaches, school counselors, and administrative staff, who | ||||||
| 12 | possess comprehensive knowledge about postsecondary academic | ||||||
| 13 | or vocational options and opportunities to provide mentoring | ||||||
| 14 | services or guidance related to postsecondary academic and | ||||||
| 15 | vocational options to high school students. | ||||||
| 16 | (b) The services or guidance that postsecondary mentors | ||||||
| 17 | may provide or offer to students under this Section may | ||||||
| 18 | include, without limitations, the following services: | ||||||
| 19 | (1) connecting students to postsecondary opportunities | ||||||
| 20 | through college fairs, job fairs, and college visits; | ||||||
| 21 | (2) assisting students with the college application | ||||||
| 22 | and enrollment processes; | ||||||
| 23 | (3) informing students about postsecondary career | ||||||
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| 1 | options; | ||||||
| 2 | (4) providing assistance to students with financial | ||||||
| 3 | aid, including grants, scholarships, student loans, and | ||||||
| 4 | work-study programs; and | ||||||
| 5 | (5) assisting students in developing strategies for | ||||||
| 6 | reaching their postsecondary academic or career goals. | ||||||
| 7 | The State Board of Education may establish guidelines for | ||||||
| 8 | the services and guidance that may be offered to students | ||||||
| 9 | under the program. | ||||||
| 10 | (c) The participation of school personnel in the program | ||||||
| 11 | shall be on a voluntary basis only. School personnel | ||||||
| 12 | participating in the program may receive compensation for | ||||||
| 13 | their participation in the program. | ||||||
| 14 | (d) If a school district offers a program under this | ||||||
| 15 | Section, the school district may issue to school personnel who | ||||||
| 16 | participate in the program a certificate certifying that the | ||||||
| 17 | participant possesses sufficient knowledge to provide advice | ||||||
| 18 | and guidance to students about postsecondary academic or | ||||||
| 19 | vocational options and opportunities. The State Board of | ||||||
| 20 | Education may provide for the form of the certificate to be | ||||||
| 21 | made available for use by school districts. | ||||||
| 22 | (e) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules that | ||||||
| 23 | are necessary to implement this Section. | ||||||
| 24 | (105 ILCS 5/34-18.77 new) | ||||||
| 25 | Sec. 34-18.77. Postsecondary mentoring program; | ||||||
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| 1 | certificate. | ||||||
| 2 | (a) The school district may implement a program to allow | ||||||
| 3 | school personnel, including, but not limited to, athletic | ||||||
| 4 | coaches, school counselors, and administrative staff, who | ||||||
| 5 | possess comprehensive knowledge about postsecondary academic | ||||||
| 6 | or vocational options and opportunities to provide mentoring | ||||||
| 7 | services or guidance related to postsecondary academic and | ||||||
| 8 | vocational options to high school students. | ||||||
| 9 | (b) The services or guidance that postsecondary mentors | ||||||
| 10 | may provide or offer to students under this Section may | ||||||
| 11 | include, without limitation, the following services: | ||||||
| 12 | (1) connecting students to postsecondary opportunities | ||||||
| 13 | through college fairs, job fairs, and college visits; | ||||||
| 14 | (2) assisting students with the college application | ||||||
| 15 | and enrollment processes; | ||||||
| 16 | (3) informing students about postsecondary career | ||||||
| 17 | options; | ||||||
| 18 | (4) providing assistance to students with financial | ||||||
| 19 | aid, including grants, scholarships, student loans, and | ||||||
| 20 | work-study programs; and | ||||||
| 21 | (5) assisting students in developing strategies for | ||||||
| 22 | reaching their postsecondary academic or career goals. | ||||||
| 23 | The State Board of Education may establish guidelines for | ||||||
| 24 | the services and guidance that may be offered to students | ||||||
| 25 | under the program. | ||||||
| 26 | (c) The participation of school personnel in the program | ||||||
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| 1 | shall be on a voluntary basis only. School personnel | ||||||
| 2 | participating in the program may receive compensation for | ||||||
| 3 | their participation in the program. | ||||||
| 4 | (d) If the school district offers a program under this | ||||||
| 5 | Section, the school district may issue to school personnel who | ||||||
| 6 | participate in the program a certificate certifying that the | ||||||
| 7 | participant possesses sufficient knowledge to provide advice | ||||||
| 8 | and guidance to students about postsecondary academic or | ||||||
| 9 | vocational options and opportunities. The State Board of | ||||||
| 10 | Education may provide for the form of the certificate to be | ||||||
| 11 | made available for use by the school district. | ||||||
| 12 | (e) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules that | ||||||
| 13 | are necessary to implement this Section.
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| 14 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 15 | becoming law.
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