HB4084 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 18037 NHT 63260 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB4084

Introduced , by Rep. Naomi D. Jakobsson

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/2-3.71e new
105 ILCS 5/3-11	from Ch. 122, par. 3-11

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to establish a pilot project to provide early screening and intervention services for children with risk factors for dyslexia, subject to appropriation. Requires the State Superintendent of Education to select 3 school districts to participate in the pilot project. Sets forth provisions concerning district qualifications and requirements, the duration and goal of the pilot project, consultation, reporting, and rules. Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, allows teachers institutes to include instruction on the indicators of dyslexia, which instruction must be provided by a dyslexia specialist. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section 2-3.71e and by changing Section 3-11 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.71e new)

Sec. 2-3.71e. Dyslexia pilot project.

(a) In this Section:

"Dyslexia" means a specific learning disorder that is neurological in origin and that is characterized by unexpected difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities not consistent with the person's intelligence, motivation, and sensory capabilities, which difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language.

"Pilot project" means the pilot project established under subsection (b) of this Section.

(b) The State Board of Education shall establish a pilot project to provide early screening and intervention services for children with risk factors for dyslexia, including low phonemic awareness. The State Superintendent of Education shall select 3 school districts to participate in the pilot project, one of which must be located in an urban setting, one of which must be located in a suburban setting, and one of which must be located in a rural setting. Each of these districts must have an early childhood program already in place.

To be considered for the pilot project, a school district shall submit a proposal to the State Board of Education that identifies a method of screening children for low phonemic awareness and other risk factors for dyslexia, provides for the enrollment of children identified as having risk factors for dyslexia in a reading program staffed by teachers trained in multisensory structured language programs, and includes a methodology for evaluating the effects of the reading program on the children's identified risk factors.

The pilot project shall operate for 3 full school years, beginning with the school year that begins at least 3 months after the effective date of this Section.

(c) The establishment and operation of the pilot project is subject to appropriation.

(d) The goal of the pilot project is to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of early reading assistance programs for children with risk factors for dyslexia and to evaluate whether those programs can reduce future special education costs.

(e) The State Superintendent of Education shall consult with an organization that specializes in multisensory structured language programs for the treatment of dyslexia in establishing and operating the pilot project.

(f) Under the pilot project, each participating school district, through early childhood reading instruction and reading assistance programs, shall screen children 6 years of age or younger for indications of dyslexia, provide appropriate reading intervention services for those children suspected of having dyslexia, and administer assessments, approved by the State Superintendent of Education, to ascertain whether the intervention services improve those students' reading and learning. If a child is suspected of having dyslexia, the district shall notify the child's parent or guardian of that fact and that the child, as part of the pilot project, is eligible to receive reading intervention services to measure the effectiveness of early reading assistance programs. The district shall require the parent or guardian to indicate in writing that the parent or guardian voluntarily and knowingly consents to the child's participation in the pilot project for the provision of reading intervention services. Each district shall provide to the parents or guardians of children suspected of having dyslexia information about the learning disability, recommended multisensory treatments, and possible services under this Code.

(g) Each participating school district shall report annually to the State Board of Education data about the operation and results of the pilot project, as required by the State Board in the manner prescribed by the State Board.

(h) Not later than the 31st day of December of the third school year in which the pilot project is operating, the State Board of Education shall submit a report to the General Assembly containing the State Board's evaluation of the results of the pilot project and legislative recommendations on whether to continue, expand, or make changes to the pilot project.

(i) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to implement this Section.

(105 ILCS 5/3-11) (from Ch. 122, par. 3-11)

Sec. 3-11. Institutes or inservice training workshops. In counties of less than 2,000,000 inhabitants, the regional superintendent may arrange for or conduct district, regional, or county institutes, or equivalent professional educational experiences, not more than 4 days annually. Of those 4 days, 2 days may be used as a teacher's and educational support personnel workshop, when approved by the regional superintendent, up to 2 days may be used for conducting parent-teacher conferences, or up to 2 days may be utilized as parental institute days as provided in Section 10-22.18d. Educational support personnel may be exempt from a workshop if the workshop is not relevant to the work they do. A school district may use one of its 4 institute days on the last day of the school term. "Institute" or "Professional educational experiences" means any educational gathering, demonstration of methods of instruction, visitation of schools or other institutions or facilities, sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness seminar, or training in First Aid (which may include cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillator training) held or approved by the regional superintendent and declared by him to be an institute day, or parent-teacher conferences. With the concurrence of the State Superintendent of Education, he or she may employ such assistance as is necessary to conduct the institute. Two or more adjoining counties may jointly hold an institute. Institute instruction shall be free to holders of certificates good in the county or counties holding the institute, and to those who have paid an examination fee and failed to receive a certificate.

In counties of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants, the regional superintendent may arrange for or conduct district, regional, or county inservice training workshops, or equivalent professional educational experiences, not more than 4 days annually. Of those 4 days, 2 days may be used as a teacher's and educational support personnel workshop, when approved by the regional superintendent, up to 2 days may be used for conducting parent-teacher conferences, or up to 2 days may be utilized as parental institute days as provided in Section 10-22.18d. Educational support personnel may be exempt from a workshop if the workshop is not relevant to the work they do. A school district may use one of those 4 days on the last day of the school term. "Inservice Training Workshops" or "Professional educational experiences" means any educational gathering, demonstration of methods of instruction, visitation of schools or other institutions or facilities, sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness seminar, or training in First Aid (which may include cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillator training) held or approved by the regional superintendent and declared by him to be an inservice training workshop, or parent-teacher conferences. With the concurrence of the State Superintendent of Education, he may employ such assistance as is necessary to conduct the inservice training workshop. With the approval of the regional superintendent, 2 or more adjoining districts may jointly hold an inservice training workshop. In addition, with the approval of the regional superintendent, one district may conduct its own inservice training workshop with subject matter consultants requested from the county, State or any State institution of higher learning.

Such teachers institutes as referred to in this Section may be held on consecutive or separate days at the option of the regional superintendent having jurisdiction thereof.

Whenever reference is made in this Act to "teachers institute", it shall be construed to include the inservice training workshops or equivalent professional educational experiences provided for in this Section.

Any institute advisory committee existing on April 1, 1995, is dissolved and the duties and responsibilities of the institute advisory committee are assumed by the regional office of education advisory board.

Districts providing inservice training programs shall constitute inservice committees, 1/2 of which shall be teachers, 1/4 school service personnel and 1/4 administrators to establish program content and schedules.

The teachers institutes shall include teacher training committed to (i) peer counseling programs and other anti-violence and conflict resolution programs, including without limitation programs for preventing at risk students from committing violent acts, and (ii) educator ethics and teacher-student conduct.

Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, the teachers institutes shall include instruction on prevalent student chronic health conditions.

Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the teachers institutes may include instruction on the indicators of dyslexia, which instruction must be provided by a dyslexia specialist. "Dyslexia", for the purposes of this paragraph, means a specific learning disorder that is neurological in origin and that is characterized by unexpected difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities not consistent with the person's intelligence, motivation, and sensory capabilities, which difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language. "Dyslexia specialist", for the purposes of this paragraph, means a person who is trained and certified in a multisensory structured language program that meets standards from a recognized organization that specializes in issues surrounding dyslexia or standards adopted by rule of the State Board of Education. Persons so certified may provide training for teachers of pre-kindergarten through grade 4 on the indicators of dyslexia and the types of instruction that children with dyslexia need to learn, read, write, and spell.

(Source: P.A. 96-431, eff. 8-13-09; 97-525, eff. 1-1-12.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.