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Sen. Cristina H. Pacione-Zayas
Filed: 4/27/2021
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1 | | AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1832
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2 | | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1832 by replacing |
3 | | everything after the enacting clause with the following:
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4 | | "Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended by |
5 | | adding Section 3-80 as follows: |
6 | | (110 ILCS 805/3-80 new) |
7 | | Sec. 3-80. Early childhood education bachelor of applied |
8 | | science degree. |
9 | | (a) Illinois faces a shortage of qualified early childhood |
10 | | educators, with high vacancy rates in child care centers, |
11 | | community-based early childhood programs, and school-based |
12 | | classrooms across the State. Beyond addressing the current |
13 | | need, growing federal and State commitments to expanding early |
14 | | childhood services, including the recommendations put forth in |
15 | | the Governor's Illinois Commission on Equitable Early |
16 | | Childhood Education and Care Funding report in March 2021, |
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1 | | suggests that Illinois must be prepared to meet the growing |
2 | | demand for a qualified workforce to deliver these services in |
3 | | the coming years. |
4 | | To meet this growing demand, the Illinois higher education |
5 | | system must support our incumbent early childhood workforce |
6 | | through credential and degree attainment. The workforce is |
7 | | overwhelmingly made up of women and women of color, and many |
8 | | are balancing full-time employment, family needs, and other |
9 | | responsibilities. Often, traditional bachelor degree programs |
10 | | are not accessible to place-bound, full-time working parents. |
11 | | In Illinois, there is a history of partnership among early |
12 | | childhood providers, stakeholders, and higher education to |
13 | | identify workforce needs and strategies to help promote access |
14 | | to higher education and degree completion among the workforce. |
15 | | Illinois institutions of higher education have taken steps to |
16 | | demonstrate a commitment to the early childhood field, as well |
17 | | as underserved student populations. Hybrid program models, |
18 | | cohort program models, and scholarships and financial |
19 | | incentives for students help to promote access to many early |
20 | | childhood degree programs in Illinois. |
21 | | Over the past 2 decades, Illinois has attempted numerous |
22 | | strategies to develop and support partnerships among |
23 | | institutions of higher education that are focused on the |
24 | | State's early childhood workforce. Through these broader |
25 | | initiatives, as well as many individual local partnerships, |
26 | | community colleges and public and private universities have |
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1 | | worked to implement articulation agreements, credit transfer |
2 | | agreements, and program delivery models, although not all |
3 | | partnerships have been maintained. Such initiatives include |
4 | | all of the following: |
5 | | (1) In 2004, Illinois developed the Associate of Arts |
6 | | in Teaching (AAT) degree model to promote articulation |
7 | | among 2-year and 4-year institutions of higher education. |
8 | | However, with the challenges in credit transfer |
9 | | contributing to the limited viability and success of the |
10 | | degree model, the State Board stopped approving the AAT |
11 | | degree model and has worked across the higher education |
12 | | system to discontinue these programs. |
13 | | (2) In 2013, Illinois dedicated federal Race to the |
14 | | Top funds to create the Early Childhood Educator |
15 | | Preparation Program Innovation (EPPI) Grant program. Among |
16 | | other goals, the EPPI Grant program aimed to foster the |
17 | | creation or further development of partnerships between |
18 | | 2-year and 4-year preparation programs between |
19 | | institutions of higher education, promote articulation and |
20 | | alignment of curriculum between 2-year and 4-year |
21 | | programs, and support early childhood educator preparation |
22 | | programs in designing curriculum to incorporate new State |
23 | | standards and program requirements. While the EPPI Grant |
24 | | program led to some effective partnerships that still |
25 | | remain intact today, program evaluations found varying |
26 | | levels of partnership and that, in many cases, successful |
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1 | | agreements were contingent upon individual relationships |
2 | | or individual leaders within institutions. |
3 | | (3) Through the Illinois Articulation Initiative |
4 | | (IAI), there are 3 early childhood courses approved for |
5 | | articulation among participating institutions. More than |
6 | | 100 Illinois colleges and universities participate in the |
7 | | IAI, though challenges with inconsistent participation and |
8 | | recognition do exist. |
9 | | (4) Most recently, the creation of competency-based |
10 | | education components for early childhood education will |
11 | | help ensure that higher education and credential programs |
12 | | are designed to prepare early childhood educators to |
13 | | demonstrate the same critical core competencies. The |
14 | | emphasis on core competencies could improve educator |
15 | | preparedness and could ease credit transfer and |
16 | | articulation processes moving forward. |
17 | | These programs and partnerships continue to benefit many |
18 | | early childhood education students across the State, but |
19 | | overall, these efforts have not produced adequate early |
20 | | childhood degrees to meet the demands in the field. These |
21 | | types of initiatives are highly contingent upon relationships |
22 | | and partnerships between specific institutions and are often |
23 | | impacted if an institution experiences turnover or program |
24 | | changes. Furthermore, these partnerships often do not address |
25 | | the geographic, structural, and economic barriers the |
26 | | incumbent workforce often faces in accessing bachelor's degree |
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1 | | programs while working full-time in the field. These ongoing |
2 | | challenges are not new and have been noted in the development |
3 | | of these previous efforts. |
4 | | As noted in the provisions of Public Act 101-654, the |
5 | | General Assembly recognizes the critical role of the early |
6 | | childhood workforce and, in response to challenges, including |
7 | | staffing shortages and barriers to higher education, calls |
8 | | upon the Board of Higher Education to better meet the needs of |
9 | | the early childhood workforce. |
10 | | Illinois must seek evidence-based, systemic solutions to |
11 | | expand access to and completion of early childhood bachelor |
12 | | degrees, including the community college baccalaureate degree |
13 | | pathway pursuant to this Section. This pathway would |
14 | | complement existing and future innovations in higher |
15 | | education, including potential statewide consortium efforts, |
16 | | all aimed at expanding access to degree pathways and |
17 | | completion. |
18 | | (b) A board of trustees may establish and offer a |
19 | | baccalaureate-level early childhood education program and |
20 | | confer a bachelor of applied science degree in early childhood |
21 | | education and a Professional Educator License with |
22 | | endorsements in early childhood education and early childhood |
23 | | special education if all of the following conditions are met: |
24 | | (1) The board meets all of the requirements as set |
25 | | forth in subsection (c) of this Section and has been |
26 | | approved by the State Board to offer a bachelor of applied |
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1 | | science degree in early childhood education. |
2 | | (2) After the program has been approved by the State |
3 | | Board, the Board of Higher Education shall consider the |
4 | | program for approval in a manner consistent with new |
5 | | bachelor's degree programs at public and private |
6 | | universities in this State. |
7 | | (3) The program has been approved by the State Board |
8 | | of Education, pursuant to Section 21B-105 of the School |
9 | | Code and 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.Subpart C. |
10 | | (4) The board has identified and documented, in |
11 | | writing, unmet early childhood workforce needs. The State |
12 | | Board may develop guidance on documentation, which may |
13 | | include traditional labor market data, employer surveys, |
14 | | community needs assessments, or additional available data |
15 | | sources. The board shall publish on its Internet website |
16 | | and make publicly available the documentation and shall |
17 | | present the documentation to the State Board. |
18 | | (5) The board meets all applicable accreditation |
19 | | requirements of the Higher Learning Commission. |
20 | | (c) The board shall demonstrate that the community college |
21 | | district has the expertise, resources, and student interest to |
22 | | establish and offer a baccalaureate-level early childhood |
23 | | education program. An application for approval from the State |
24 | | Board shall include, but is not limited to, all of the |
25 | | following: |
26 | | (1) The board shall describe the labor market need as |
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1 | | specified in paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of this |
2 | | Section. |
3 | | (2) The board shall describe the program's purpose, |
4 | | its target population, related occupations, and career |
5 | | paths. The board shall describe how the program aligns |
6 | | with any relevant State or local strategic plans and |
7 | | initiatives. |
8 | | (3) To prevent the duplication of services and |
9 | | programs, the board shall describe how the proposed |
10 | | program fills a gap in the early childhood education |
11 | | degree programs offered by other institutions of higher |
12 | | education by addressing all of the following: |
13 | | (A) If there are any existing early childhood |
14 | | education bachelor degree programs offered in the |
15 | | surrounding region. |
16 | | (B) If a similar bachelor's degree program is |
17 | | offered in the surrounding region, how the proposed |
18 | | program would complement rather than duplicate any |
19 | | existing programs in order to meet additional, unmet |
20 | | needs. |
21 | | (C) If there are any current partnerships with |
22 | | other institutions of higher education created to |
23 | | promote access and transfer for early childhood |
24 | | education students. If there are current partnerships |
25 | | with other institutions of higher education, the board |
26 | | shall describe the partnership and how the proposed |
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1 | | program will complement the efforts of its existing |
2 | | partnerships and transfer agreements. |
3 | | (D) How the proposed program will fill a gap in |
4 | | services for the target population. This may include |
5 | | program design, student support, affordability, or |
6 | | other relevant information. |
7 | | (4) The board shall demonstrate student interest in |
8 | | the proposed program. |
9 | | (5) The board shall demonstrate that the community |
10 | | college has developed quality curricula that align with |
11 | | federal, State, and local requirements and will prepare |
12 | | graduates with the appropriate level of skill to meet |
13 | | their educational goals. |
14 | | (6) The board shall verify the community college has |
15 | | the fiscal resources in place or has budgeted for |
16 | | financial support for the program in a cost-effective |
17 | | manner. |
18 | | (7) The board shall identify and document the faculty |
19 | | available for teaching the program, including the number |
20 | | of full-time faculty anticipated to teach in the program, |
21 | | and a description of their qualifications (including |
22 | | highest degree earned), teaching experience, professional |
23 | | experience, and licenses held. The board must also |
24 | | indicate how faculty are to be evaluated. |
25 | | (d) All institutions of higher education that offer |
26 | | associate degrees or bachelor's degrees shall be informed of |
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1 | | the proposed community college baccalaureate-level degree |
2 | | program and shall be given the opportunity to comment on the |
3 | | proposed program. The State Board shall develop the process |
4 | | for notification and comment regarding the proposed program. |
5 | | This process shall allow for the community college proposing |
6 | | the program to be provided with the comments received. The |
7 | | community college shall be given the opportunity to respond to |
8 | | comments by providing clarification or proposed changes to the |
9 | | State Board and the Board of Higher Education. |
10 | | (e) A community college district is prohibited from using |
11 | | semester credit hours generated in a baccalaureate degree |
12 | | program for grants received pursuant to Section 2-16.02 of |
13 | | this Act. |
14 | | (f) A community college offering educator licensure must |
15 | | establish standards and procedures for the denial of |
16 | | recommendation for licensure, in compliance with Section |
17 | | 21B-95 of the School Code. |
18 | | (g) A candidate for educator licensure must successfully |
19 | | complete the applicable testing requirements under Section |
20 | | 21B-30 of the School Code and any corresponding administrative |
21 | | rules prior to the issuance of an educator license and any |
22 | | endorsements. |
23 | | (h) The community college district shall offer and |
24 | | maintain an associate degree in early childhood education or a |
25 | | related field. |
26 | | (i) The State Board shall conduct a statewide evaluation |
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1 | | of all programs established under this Section. The results of |
2 | | the evaluation shall be reported, in writing, on or before |
3 | | July 1, 2028 to all of the following: |
4 | | (1) The Board of Higher Education. |
5 | | (2) The Speaker of the House of Representatives. |
6 | | (3) The Minority Leader of the House of |
7 | | Representatives. |
8 | | (4) The President of the Senate. |
9 | | (5) The Minority Leader of the Senate. |
10 | | (6) The Governor's Office of Management and Budget. |
11 | | The evaluation shall include, but is not limited to, all |
12 | | of the following: |
13 | | (A) The number of new programs established under this |
14 | | Section, including information identifying applicants, |
15 | | admissions, enrollments, demographic characteristics of |
16 | | students, and degree recipients. |
17 | | (B) The extent to which the programs established under |
18 | | this Section fulfill identified workforce needs. |
19 | | (C) Which community college districts applied for a |
20 | | program but were denied and why were they denied. |
21 | | (D) The cost of each program, the funding sources that |
22 | | were used to finance the program, and the average cost to |
23 | | attain a bachelor's degree under the program. |
24 | | (E) Time-to-degree rates and completion rates for each |
25 | | new program established under this Section. |
26 | | (F) The extent to which the programs established under |
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1 | | this Section are in compliance with the requirements of |
2 | | this Section. |
3 | | Boards of trustees shall submit the information necessary |
4 | | to conduct the evaluation required under this subsection (i), |
5 | | as determined by the evaluators, to the State Board. |
6 | | (j) Prior to the publication of the statewide evaluation |
7 | | of community college baccalaureate programs in early childhood |
8 | | education as described in subsection (i) of this Section, the |
9 | | Board of Higher Education and the State Board may not |
10 | | authorize a community college baccalaureate-level degree |
11 | | program in any additional field of study. ".
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