HJ0041

LRB094 12003 RAS 45046 r






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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The overarching goal of the federal No Child Left 
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Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 is to enhance student achievement and 
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academic success and to make schools accountable for the 
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students' academic achievements; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Individual states are responsible for 
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interpreting NCLB mandates in their own laws; and

 
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    WHEREAS, NCLB requires individual states to design and 
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implement testing systems, set academic standards and hold 
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schools accountable for meeting those standards, define what 
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constitutes a "highly qualified" teacher and establish their 
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own plans for ensuring that there is a "highly qualified" 
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teacher in every classroom, and determine the allocation of 
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millions of federal education funds to improve student 
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achievement; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The State Board of Education is currently in the 
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process of presenting changes in the Illinois Accountability 
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Workbook to the U.S. Department of Education for approval to 
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provide more flexibility to schools and school districts under 
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NCLB; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The State Board of Education is proposing 5 
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aspects of change regarding subgroup size to ensure that the 
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State's accountability system is more reliable and valid, which 
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include considering overall changes in subgroup size, changing 
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the subgroup size for LEP students, changing the subgroup size 
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for students with disabilities, considering changes in 
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district subgroup numbers, and considering the use of a 
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confidence interval; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The State Board of Education is also proposing to 
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change how districts are identified as not making adequate 
 


 






HJ0041
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LRB094 12003 RAS 45046 r




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yearly progress (AYP) so that no district will be determined to 
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not meet AYP unless one or more of its schools or one or more of 
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its underlying grade spans have not made AYP in the same 
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subject area; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Other proposed changes include redefining a full 
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academic year for the purposes of calculating AYP so that 
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students must be enrolled in a school district as of May 1st 
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and remain in the school district through the next year's State 
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assessment; using an adapted assessment with a modified 
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readability level as part of its State assessment system; and 
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using the same subgroup in the determination of AYP; therefore, 
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be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE 
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SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the members of the House and 
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Senate support the State Board of Education and their proposed 
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modifications to the Illinois Accountability Workbook; and be 
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it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That we urge the U.S. Department of Education to 
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approve these modifications; and be it further

 
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RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be  presented 
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to the State Board of Education and the U.S. Department of 
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Education.