HB0004 EngrossedLRB102 02610 CMG 12613 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
510-20.56 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/10-20.56)
7    Sec. 10-20.56. E-learning days.
8    (a) The State Board of Education shall establish and
9maintain, for implementation in school districts, a program
10for use of electronic-learning (e-learning) days, as described
11in this Section. School districts may utilize a program
12approved under this Section for use during remote learning
13days and blended remote learning days under Section 10-30 or
1434-18.66.
15    (b) The school board of a school district may, by
16resolution, adopt a research-based program or research-based
17programs for e-learning days district-wide that shall permit
18student instruction to be received electronically while
19students are not physically present in lieu of the district's
20scheduled emergency days as required by Section 10-19 of this
21Code or because a school was selected to be a polling place
22under Section 11-4.1 of the Election Code. The research-based
23program or programs may not exceed the minimum number of

 

 

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1emergency days in the approved school calendar and must be
2verified by the regional office of education or intermediate
3service center for the school district on or before September
41st annually to ensure access for all students. The regional
5office of education or intermediate service center shall
6ensure that the specific needs of all students are met,
7including special education students and English learners, and
8that all mandates are still met using the proposed
9research-based program. The e-learning program may utilize the
10Internet, telephones, texts, chat rooms, or other similar
11means of electronic communication for instruction and
12interaction between teachers and students that meet the needs
13of all learners. The e-learning program shall address the
14school district's responsibility to ensure that all teachers
15and staff who may be involved in the provision of e-learning
16have access to any and all hardware and software that may be
17required for the program. If a proposed program does not
18address this responsibility, the school district must propose
19an alternate program.
20    (c) Before its adoption by a school board, the school
21board must hold a public hearing on a school district's
22initial proposal for an e-learning program or for renewal of
23such a program, at a regular or special meeting of the school
24board, in which the terms of the proposal must be
25substantially presented and an opportunity for allowing public
26comments must be provided. Notice of such public hearing must

 

 

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1be provided at least 10 days prior to the hearing by:
2        (1) publication in a newspaper of general circulation
3    in the school district;
4        (2) written or electronic notice designed to reach the
5    parents or guardians of all students enrolled in the
6    school district; and
7        (3) written or electronic notice designed to reach any
8    exclusive collective bargaining representatives of school
9    district employees and all those employees not in a
10    collective bargaining unit.
11    (d) The regional office of education or intermediate
12service center for the school district must timely verify that
13a proposal for an e-learning program has met the requirements
14specified in this Section and that the proposal contains
15provisions designed to reasonably and practicably accomplish
16the following:
17        (1) to ensure and verify at least 5 clock hours of
18    instruction or school work, as required under Section
19    10-19.05, for each student participating in an e-learning
20    day;
21        (2) to ensure access from home or other appropriate
22    remote facility for all students participating, including
23    computers, the Internet, and other forms of electronic
24    communication that must be utilized in the proposed
25    program;
26        (2.5) to ensure that non-electronic materials are made

 

 

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1    available to students participating in the program who do
2    not have access to the required technology or to
3    participating teachers or students who are prevented from
4    accessing the required technology;
5        (3) to ensure appropriate learning opportunities for
6    students with special needs;
7        (4) to monitor and verify each student's electronic
8    participation;
9        (5) to address the extent to which student
10    participation is within the student's control as to the
11    time, pace, and means of learning;
12        (6) to provide effective notice to students and their
13    parents or guardians of the use of particular days for
14    e-learning;
15        (7) to provide staff and students with adequate
16    training for e-learning days' participation;
17        (8) to ensure an opportunity for any collective
18    bargaining negotiations with representatives of the school
19    district's employees that would be legally required,
20    including all classifications of school district employees
21    who are represented by collective bargaining agreements
22    and who would be affected in the event of an e-learning
23    day;
24        (9) to review and revise the program as implemented to
25    address difficulties confronted; and
26        (10) to ensure that the protocol regarding general

 

 

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1    expectations and responsibilities of the program is
2    communicated to teachers, staff, and students at least 30
3    days prior to utilizing an e-learning day.
4    The school board's approval of a school district's initial
5e-learning program and renewal of the e-learning program shall
6be for a term of 3 years.
7    (e) The State Board of Education may adopt rules
8consistent with the provision of this Section.
9(Source: P.A. 100-760, eff. 8-10-18; 101-12, eff. 7-1-19;
10101-643, eff. 6-18-20.)