95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0507

 

Introduced 2/8/2007, by Sen. Deanna Demuzio

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
30 ILCS 105/5.635
105 ILCS 5/2-3.135

    Amends the School Code and the State Finance Act. Extends the technology immersion pilot project established by the State Board of Education for another 2 years. Extends the repeal of provisions concerning the technology immersion pilot project to August 31, 2009 (instead of August 31, 2007). Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning education.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by changing and
5 renumbering Section 5.625, added by Public Acts 93-901 and
6 93-904, as follows:
 
7     (30 ILCS 105/5.635)
8     (Section scheduled to be repealed on August 31, 2007)
9     Sec. 5.635 5.625. The Technology Immersion Pilot Project
10 Fund. This Section is repealed on August 31, 2009 2007.
11 (Source: P.A. 93-901, eff. 8-10-04; 93-904, eff. 8-10-04;
12 revised 11-8-04.)
 
13     Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing Section
14 2-3.135 as follows:
 
15     (105 ILCS 5/2-3.135)
16     (Section scheduled to be repealed on August 31, 2007)
17     Sec. 2-3.135. Technology immersion pilot project.
18     (a) The State Board of Education shall by rule establish a
19 technology immersion pilot project to provide a wireless laptop
20 computer to each student, teacher, and relevant administrator
21 in a participating school and implement the use of software,

 

 

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1 on-line courses, and other appropriate learning technologies
2 that have been shown to improve academic achievement and the
3 progress measures listed in subsection (f) of this Section.
4     (b) The pilot project shall be for a period of at least 5 3
5 years. The State Board shall establish a procedure and develop
6 criteria for the administration of the pilot project. In
7 administering the pilot project, the State Board shall:
8         (1) select participating school districts or schools;
9         (2) define the conditions for the distribution and use
10     of laptop computers and other technologies;
11         (3) purchase and distribute laptop computers and other
12     technologies;
13         (4) enter into contracts as necessary to implement the
14     pilot project;
15         (5) monitor local pilot project implementation; and
16         (6) conduct a final evaluation of the pilot project.
17     (c) The Technology Immersion Pilot Project Fund is created
18 as a special fund in the State treasury. All money in the
19 Technology Immersion Pilot Project Fund shall be used, subject
20 to appropriation, by the State Board for the pilot project. To
21 implement the pilot project, the State Board may use any funds
22 appropriated by the General Assembly for the purposes of the
23 pilot project as well as any gift, grant, or donation given for
24 the pilot project. The State Board may solicit and accept a
25 gift, grant, or donation of any kind from any source, including
26 from a foundation, private entity, governmental entity, or

 

 

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1 institution of higher education, for the implementation of the
2 pilot project. Funds for the pilot project may not be used for
3 the construction of a building or other facility.
4     The State Board shall use pilot project funds for the
5 following:
6         (1) the purchase of wireless laptop computers so that
7     each student, teacher, and relevant administrator in a
8     participating classroom has a wireless laptop computer for
9     use at school and at home;
10         (2) the purchase of other equipment, including
11     additional computer hardware and software;
12         (3) the hiring of technical support staff for school
13     districts or schools participating in the pilot project;
14     and
15         (4) the purchase of technology-based learning
16     materials and resources.
17     The State Board may not allocate more than $10 million for
18 the pilot project. The pilot project may be implemented only if
19 sufficient funds are available under this Section for that
20 purpose.
21     (d) A school district may apply to the State Board for the
22 establishment of a technology immersion pilot project for the
23 entire district or for a particular school or group of schools
24 in the district.
25     The State Board shall select 7 school districts to
26 participate in the pilot project. One school district shall be

 

 

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1 located in the City of Chicago, 3 school districts shall be
2 located in the area that makes up the counties of DuPage, Kane,
3 Lake, McHenry, Will, and that portion of Cook County that is
4 located outside of the City of Chicago, and 3 school districts
5 shall be located in the remainder of the State.
6     The State Board shall select the participating districts
7 and schools for the pilot project based on each district's or
8 school's need for the pilot project. In selecting participants,
9 the State Board shall consider the following criteria:
10         (1) whether the district or school has limited access
11     to educational resources that could be improved through the
12     use of wireless laptop computers and other technologies;
13         (2) whether the district or school has the following
14     problems and whether those problems can be mitigated
15     through the use of wireless laptop computers and other
16     technologies:
17             (A) documented teacher shortages in critical
18         areas;
19             (B) limited access to advanced placement courses;
20             (C) low rates of satisfactory performance on
21         assessment instruments under Section 2-3.64 of this
22         Code; and
23             (D) high dropout rates;
24         (3) the district's or school's readiness to
25     incorporate technology into its classrooms;
26         (4) the possibility of obtaining a trained technology

 

 

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1     support staff and high-speed Internet services for the
2     district or school; and
3         (5) the methods the district or school will use to
4     measure the progress of the pilot project in the district
5     or school in accordance with subsection (f) of this
6     Section.
7     The State Board shall if possible select at least 9 schools
8 to participate in the pilot project, with at least 3 from the
9 school district located in the City of Chicago and one from
10 each of the other school districts selected.
11     (e) Each participating school district or school shall
12 establish a technology immersion committee to assist in
13 developing and implementing the technology immersion pilot
14 project.
15     The school board of a participating district or of a
16 district in which a participating school is located shall
17 appoint individuals to the committee. The committee may be
18 composed of the following:
19         (1) educators;
20         (2) district-level administrators;
21         (3) community leaders;
22         (4) parents of students who attend a participating
23     school; and
24         (5) any other individual the school board finds
25     appropriate.
26     The committee shall develop an academic improvement plan

 

 

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1 that details how the pilot project should be implemented in the
2 participating district or school. In developing the academic
3 improvement plan, the committee shall consider (i) the
4 educational problems in the district or school that could be
5 mitigated through the implementation of the pilot project and
6 (ii) the technological and nontechnological resources that are
7 necessary to ensure the successful implementation of the pilot
8 project.
9     The committee shall recommend to the school board how the
10 pilot project funds should be used to implement the academic
11 improvement plan. The committee may recommend annually any
12 necessary changes in the academic improvement plan to the
13 school board. The State Board must approve the academic
14 improvement plan or any changes in the academic improvement
15 plan before disbursing pilot project funds to the school board.
16     (f) The school board of each school district participating
17 in the pilot project shall send an annual progress report to
18 the State Board no later than August 1 of each year that the
19 district is participating in the pilot project. The report must
20 state in detail the type of plan being used in the district or
21 school and the effect of the pilot project on the district or
22 school, including the following:
23         (1) the academic progress of students who are
24     participating in the pilot project, as measured by
25     performance on assessment instruments;
26         (2) if applicable, a comparison of student progress in

 

 

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1     a school or classroom that is participating in the pilot
2     project as compared with student progress in the schools or
3     classrooms in the district that are not participating in
4     the pilot project;
5         (3) any elements of the pilot project that contribute
6     to improved student performance on assessment instruments
7     administered under Section 2-3.64 of this Code or any other
8     assessment instrument required by the State Board;
9         (4) any cost savings and improved efficiency relating
10     to school personnel and the maintenance of facilities;
11         (5) any effect on student dropout and attendance rates;
12         (6) any effect on student enrollment in higher
13     education;
14         (7) any effect on teacher performance and retention;
15         (8) any improvement in communications among students,
16     teachers, parents, and administrators;
17         (9) any improvement in parental involvement in the
18     education of the parent's child;
19         (10) any effect on community involvement and support
20     for the district or school; and
21         (11) any increased student proficiency in technologies
22     that will help prepare the student for becoming a member of
23     the workforce.
24     (g) Each student participating in the pilot project may
25 retain the wireless laptop computer provided under the pilot
26 project as long as the student is enrolled in a school in a

 

 

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1 participating school district.
2     (h) After the expiration of the 5-year 3-year pilot
3 project, the State Board shall review the pilot project based
4 on the annual reports the State Board receives from the school
5 board of participating school districts.
6     (i) This Section is repealed on August 31, 2009 2007.
7 (Source: P.A. 93-901, eff. 8-10-04; 93-904, eff. 8-10-04.)
 
8     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9 becoming law.