093_SB0307sam001
LRB093 08658 NHT 12322 a
1 AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 307
2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend Senate Bill 307 by replacing
3 the title with the following:
4 "AN ACT regarding early learning, which may be referred
5 to as the Early Learning Illinois Act."; and
6 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
7 following:
8 "Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing
9 Sections 1C-1, 1C-2, 2-3.71, and 2-3.71a as follows:
10 (105 ILCS 5/1C-1)
11 Sec. 1C-1. Purpose. The purpose of this Article is to
12 permit greater flexibility and efficiency in the distribution
13 and use of certain State funds available to local education
14 agencies or other entities as specified in subsection (c) of
15 Section 1C-2 of this Code for the improvement of the quality
16 of educational services pursuant to locally established
17 priorities.
18 This Article does not apply to school districts having a
19 population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants, except for
20 services to children under the age of 3 years.
21 (Source: P.A. 88-555, eff. 7-27-94; 89-15, eff. 5-30-95;
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1 89-397, eff. 8-20-95; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96.)
2 (105 ILCS 5/1C-2)
3 Sec. 1C-2. Block grants.
4 (a) For fiscal year 1999, and each fiscal year
5 thereafter, the State Board of Education shall award to
6 school districts (or other entities as specified in
7 subsection (c)) block grants as described in this Section
8 subsections (b) and (c). The State Board of Education may
9 adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement this
10 Section. In accordance with Section 2-3.32, all state block
11 grants are subject to an audit. Therefore, block grant
12 receipts and block grant expenditures shall be recorded to
13 the appropriate fund code.
14 (b) A Professional Development Block Grant shall be
15 created by combining the existing School Improvement Block
16 Grant and the REI Initiative. These funds shall be
17 distributed to school districts based on the number of
18 full-time certified instructional staff employed in the
19 district.
20 (c) An Early Childhood Education Block Grant shall be
21 created by combining the following programs: Preschool
22 Education, Parental Training and Prevention Initiative.
23 These funds shall be distributed to school districts or and
24 other entities on a competitive basis. Eleven Eight percent
25 of this grant shall be used to fund programs for children
26 ages 0-3.
27 (Source: P.A. 89-397, eff. 8-20-95; 90-548, eff. 1-1-98;
28 90-653, eff. 7-29-98.)
29 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.71) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71)
30 Sec. 2-3.71. Grants for preschool educational and
31 related model research-training programs.
32 (a) Preschool program.
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1 (1) The State Board of Education shall implement
2 and administer a grant program under the provisions of
3 this subsection which shall consist of grants to public
4 school districts or other entities to conduct preschool
5 educational programs for children ages 3 to 5 which
6 include a parent education component. A public school
7 district which receives grants under this subsection may
8 subcontract with other entities a private school,
9 not-for-profit corporation or other governmental agency
10 to conduct a preschool educational program. Except as
11 otherwise provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this
12 subsection, all teachers of such programs shall (i) hold
13 early childhood teaching certificates issued under
14 Article 21, or (ii) hold elementary certificates issued
15 under Article 21 with kindergarten or preschool
16 experience, or (iii) hold baccalaureate degrees in child
17 development, or (iv) meet the requirements for
18 supervising a day care center under the Child Care Act of
19 1969, as amended.
20 (2) After December 31, 1989, any persons newly
21 hired to teach in the program authorized pursuant to this
22 subsection shall hold the certification required pursuant
23 to subparagraphs (i), (ii) or (iii) of paragraph (1) of
24 this subsection.
25 (3) After July 1, 1998, any teacher in the program
26 authorized by this subsection shall hold an early
27 childhood teaching certificate.
28 (4) The State Board of Education shall provide the
29 primary source of funding through appropriations for this
30 program. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b),
31 such funds shall be distributed for the benefit of
32 children who because of their home and community
33 environment are subject to such language, cultural,
34 economic and like disadvantages that they have been
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1 determined as a result of screening procedures to be at
2 risk of academic failure. Such screening procedures
3 shall be based on criteria established by the State Board
4 of Education.
5 (5) The State Board of Education shall develop and
6 provide evaluation tools, including tests, that school
7 districts may use to evaluate children for school
8 readiness prior to age 5. The State Board of Education
9 shall require school districts to obtain consent from the
10 parents or guardians of children before any evaluations
11 are conducted. The State Board of Education shall
12 encourage local school districts to evaluate the
13 population of preschool children in their districts and
14 provide preschool programs, pursuant to this subsection,
15 where appropriate.
16 (6) The State Board of Education shall report to
17 the General Assembly by July 1, 1989 and every 3 years
18 thereafter, on the results and progress of students who
19 were enrolled in preschool educational programs,
20 including an assessment of which programs have been most
21 successful in promoting academic excellence and
22 alleviating academic failure. The State Board of
23 Education shall assess the academic progress of all
24 students who have been enrolled in preschool educational
25 programs.
26 (7) If the amount appropriated for grants under
27 this subsection (a) in any given fiscal year exceeds the
28 amount appropriated in fiscal year 2003, then grants
29 under this subsection (a) may be made to entities other
30 than school districts, provided that these entities
31 comply with all of the provisions of this subsection (a)
32 applicable to school districts.
33 (b) Up to 5% of the amounts annually appropriated for
34 purposes of preschool educational programs under this Section
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1 may be used by the State Board of Education for grants to
2 school districts and public and private institutions of
3 higher education to establish and implement coordinated model
4 programs which include both a research component in early
5 childhood development and psychology and a personnel training
6 component in preferred teaching methodologies in effective
7 preschool educational programs. The State Board of Education
8 shall by rule establish criteria for the content, objectives
9 and manner of implementing model programs which may qualify
10 for grant awards under this subsection. Such criteria may
11 include considerations of the ability of a proposed model
12 program to serve children from preschool and early childhood
13 age groupings, including children therefrom who are or may
14 not be at risk, and of the ability of the proposed model
15 program to incorporate program site student teaching, for
16 early childhood certification purposes, of the children
17 actually served by the model program. The State Board of
18 Education shall establish standards within its rules for the
19 form of grant applications submitted under this subsection
20 and for evaluating those applications against the qualifying
21 criteria established as provided in this subsection for model
22 program content, objectives and implementation.
23 If the amount appropriated for grants under this
24 subsection (b) in any given fiscal year exceeds the amount
25 appropriated in fiscal year 2003, then grants under this
26 subsection (b) may be made to entities other than school
27 districts, provided that these entities comply with all of
28 the provisions of this subsection (b) applicable to school
29 districts.
30 (Source: P.A. 86-316; 86-400; 86-1028; 87-141; 87-515;
31 87-895.)
32 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.71a) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71a)
33 Sec. 2-3.71a. Grants for model pilot early childhood
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1 parental training programs.
2 The State Board of Education shall implement and
3 administer a grant program consisting of grants to public
4 school districts to conduct model pilot early childhood
5 parental training programs for the parents or caregivers of
6 children in the period of life from birth to kindergarten. A
7 public school district that receives grants under this
8 Section may contract with other entities another district,
9 private school, not-for-profit corporation or other
10 governmental agency to conduct an early childhood parental
11 training program. A school board shall employ appropriately
12 qualified personnel for its early childhood parental training
13 program, including but not limited to certified teachers,
14 counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers.
15 (a) As used in this Section, "parental training" means
16 and includes instruction in the following:
17 (1) Child growth and development, including prenatal
18 development.
19 (2) Childbirth and child care.
20 (3) Family structure, function and management.
21 (4) Prenatal and postnatal care for mothers and infants.
22 (5) Prevention of child abuse.
23 (6) The physical, mental, emotional, social, economic
24 and psychological aspects of interpersonal and family
25 relationships.
26 (7) Parenting skill development.
27 The programs shall include activities that require
28 substantial participation and interaction between parent or
29 caregiver and child.
30 (b) The Board shall award annual grants on a competitive
31 basis, providing that an annual appropriation is made for
32 this purpose from State, federal or private funds. Nothing
33 in this Section shall preclude school districts from applying
34 for or accepting private funds to establish and implement
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1 programs.
2 (c) The State Board of Education shall assist those
3 districts offering early childhood parental training
4 programs, upon request, in developing instructional
5 materials, training teachers and staff, and establishing
6 appropriate time allotments for each of the areas included in
7 such instruction.
8 (d) School districts may offer early childhood parental
9 training courses during that period of the day which is not
10 part of the regular school day. Residents of the school
11 district may enroll in such courses. The school board may
12 establish fees and collect such charges as may be necessary
13 for attendance at such courses in an amount not to exceed the
14 per capita cost of the operation thereof, except that the
15 board may waive all or part of such charges if it determines
16 that the parent or caregiver is indigent or that the
17 educational needs of the parent or caregiver require his or
18 her attendance at such courses.
19 (e) Parents or caregivers who participate in early
20 childhood parental training programs under this Section may
21 be eligible for reasonable reimbursement of any incidental
22 transportation and child care expenses from the school
23 district receiving the grant from the State Board of
24 Education.
25 (f) Districts receiving grants pursuant to this Section
26 shall coordinate programs created under this Section with
27 other preschool educational programs, including "at-risk"
28 preschool programs, special and vocational education, and
29 related services provided by other governmental agencies and
30 not-for-profit agencies.
31 (g) The State Board of Education shall report to the
32 General Assembly by July 1, 1991, on the results of the
33 programs funded pursuant to this Section and whether a need
34 continues for such programs.
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1 (h) If the amount appropriated for grants under this
2 Section in any given fiscal year exceeds the amount
3 appropriated in fiscal year 2003, then grants under this
4 Section may be made to entities other than school districts,
5 provided that these entities comply with all of the
6 provisions of this Section applicable to school districts.
7 (Source: P.A. 85-1046.)
8 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on
9 July 1, 2003.".