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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 Sections
522-90 and 2-3.64a-10 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a-10)
7    Sec. 2-3.64a-10. Kindergarten assessment.
8    (a) For the purposes of this Section, "kindergarten"
9includes both full-day and half-day kindergarten programs.
10    (b) Beginning no later than the 2021-2022 school year, the
11State Board of Education shall annually assess all public
12school students entering kindergarten using a common
13assessment tool, unless the State Board determines that a
14student is otherwise exempt. The common assessment tool must
15assess multiple developmental domains, including literacy,
16language, mathematics, and social and emotional development.
17The assessment must be valid, reliable, and developmentally
18appropriate to formatively assess a child's development and
19readiness for kindergarten.
20    (c) Results from the assessment may be used by the school
21to understand the child's development and readiness for
22kindergarten, to tailor instruction, and to measure the
23child's progress over time. Assessment results may also be

 

 

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1used to identify a need for the professional development of
2teachers and early childhood educators and to inform
3State-level and district-level policies and resource
4allocation.
5    The school shall make the assessment results available to
6the child's parent or guardian.
7    The assessment results may not be used (i) to prevent a
8child from enrolling in kindergarten or (ii) as the sole
9measure used in determining the grade promotion or retention
10of a student.
11    (d) On an annual basis, the State Board shall report
12publicly, at a minimum, data from the assessment for the State
13overall and for each school district. The State Board's report
14must disaggregate data by race and ethnicity, household
15income, students who are English learners, and students who
16have an individualized education program.
17    (e) The State Superintendent of Education shall appoint a
18committee of no more than 21 members, including consisting of
19parents, teachers, school administrators, assessment experts,
20and regional superintendents of schools, state policy
21advocates, early childhood administrators, and other
22stakeholders, to review, on an ongoing basis, the content and
23design of the assessment, the collective results of the
24assessment as measured against kindergarten-readiness
25standards, and other issues involving the assessment as
26identified by the committee.

 

 

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1    The committee shall make periodic recommendations to the
2State Superintendent of Education and the General Assembly
3concerning the assessments.
4    (f) The State Board may adopt rules to implement and
5administer this Section.
6(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)
 
7    (105 ILCS 5/22-90)
8    (Section scheduled to be repealed on February 1, 2023)
9    Sec. 22-90. Whole Child Task Force.
10    (a) The General Assembly makes all of the following
11findings:
12        (1) The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed systemic
13    inequities in American society. Students, educators, and
14    families throughout this State have been deeply affected
15    by the pandemic, and the impact of the pandemic will be
16    felt for years to come. The negative consequences of the
17    pandemic have impacted students and communities
18    differently along the lines of race, income, language, and
19    special needs. However, students in this State faced
20    significant unmet physical health, mental health, and
21    social and emotional needs even prior to the pandemic.
22        (2) The path to recovery requires a commitment from
23    adults in this State to address our students cultural,
24    physical, emotional, and mental health needs and to
25    provide them with stronger and increased systemic support

 

 

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1    and intervention.
2        (3) It is well documented that trauma and toxic stress
3    diminish a child's ability to thrive. Forms of childhood
4    trauma and toxic stress include adverse childhood
5    experiences, systemic racism, poverty, food and housing
6    insecurity, and gender-based violence. The COVID-19
7    pandemic has exacerbated these issues and brought them
8    into focus.
9        (4) It is estimated that, overall, approximately 40%
10    of children in this State have experienced at least one
11    adverse childhood experience and approximately 10% have
12    experienced 3 or more adverse childhood experiences.
13    However, the number of adverse childhood experiences is
14    higher for Black and Hispanic children who are growing up
15    in poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the number
16    of students who have experienced childhood trauma. Also,
17    the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted preexisting
18    inequities in school disciplinary practices that
19    disproportionately impact Black and Brown students.
20    Research shows, for example, that girls of color are
21    disproportionately impacted by trauma, adversity, and
22    abuse, and instead of receiving the care and
23    trauma-informed support they may need, many Black girls in
24    particular face disproportionately harsh disciplinary
25    measures.
26        (5) The cumulative effects of trauma and toxic stress

 

 

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1    adversely impact the physical health of students, as well
2    as their ability to learn, form relationships, and
3    self-regulate. If left unaddressed, these effects increase
4    a student's risk for depression, alcoholism, anxiety,
5    asthma, smoking, and suicide, all of which are risks that
6    disproportionately affect Black youth and may lead to a
7    host of medical diseases as an adult. Access to infant and
8    early childhood mental health services is critical to
9    ensure the social and emotional well-being of this State's
10    youngest children, particularly those children who have
11    experienced trauma.
12        (6) Although this State enacted measures through
13    Public Act 100-105 to address the high rate of early care
14    and preschool expulsions of infants, toddlers, and
15    preschoolers and the disproportionately higher rate of
16    expulsion for Black and Hispanic children, a recent study
17    found a wide variation in the awareness, understanding,
18    and compliance with the law by providers of early
19    childhood care. Further work is needed to implement the
20    law, which includes providing training to early childhood
21    care providers to increase their understanding of the law,
22    increasing the availability and access to infant and early
23    childhood mental health services, and building aligned
24    data collection systems to better understand expulsion
25    rates and to allow for accurate reporting as required by
26    the law.

 

 

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1        (7) Many educators and schools in this State have
2    embraced and implemented evidenced-based restorative
3    justice and trauma-responsive and culturally relevant
4    practices and interventions. However, the use of these
5    interventions on students is often isolated or is
6    implemented occasionally and only if the school has the
7    appropriate leadership, resources, and partners available
8    to engage seriously in this work. It would be malpractice
9    to deny our students access to these practices and
10    interventions, especially in the aftermath of a
11    once-in-a-century pandemic.
12    (b) The Whole Child Task Force is created for the purpose
13of establishing an equitable, inclusive, safe, and supportive
14environment in all schools for every student in this State.
15The task force shall have all of the following goals, which
16means key steps have to be taken to ensure that every child in
17every school in this State has access to teachers, social
18workers, school leaders, support personnel, and others who
19have been trained in evidenced-based interventions and
20restorative practices:
21        (1) To create a common definition of a
22    trauma-responsive school, a trauma-responsive district,
23    and a trauma-responsive community.
24        (2) To outline the training and resources required to
25    create and sustain a system of support for
26    trauma-responsive schools, districts, and communities and

 

 

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1    to identify this State's role in that work, including
2    recommendations concerning options for redirecting
3    resources from school resource officers to classroom-based
4    support.
5        (3) To identify or develop a process to conduct an
6    analysis of the organizations that provide training in
7    restorative practices, implicit bias, anti-racism, and
8    trauma-responsive systems, mental health services, and
9    social and emotional services to schools.
10        (4) To provide recommendations concerning the key data
11    to be collected and reported to ensure that this State has
12    a full and accurate understanding of the progress toward
13    ensuring that all schools, including programs and
14    providers of care to pre-kindergarten children, employ
15    restorative, anti-racist, and trauma-responsive
16    strategies and practices. The data collected must include
17    information relating to the availability of trauma
18    responsive support structures in schools as well as
19    disciplinary practices employed on students in person or
20    through other means, including during remote or blended
21    learning. It should also include information on the use
22    of, and funding for, school resource officers and other
23    similar police personnel in school programs.
24        (5) To recommend an implementation timeline, including
25    the key roles, responsibilities, and resources to advance
26    this State toward a system in which every school,

 

 

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1    district, and community is progressing toward becoming
2    trauma-responsive.
3        (6) To seek input and feedback from stakeholders,
4    including parents, students, and educators, who reflect
5    the diversity of this State.
6        (7) To recommend legislation, policies, and practices
7    to prevent learning loss in students during periods of
8    suspension and expulsion, including, but not limited to,
9    remote instruction.
10    (c) Members of the Whole Child Task Force shall be
11appointed by the State Superintendent of Education. Members of
12this task force must represent the diversity of this State and
13possess the expertise needed to perform the work required to
14meet the goals of the task force set forth under subsection
15(a). Members of the task force shall include all of the
16following:
17        (1) One member of a statewide professional teachers'
18    organization.
19        (2) One member of another statewide professional
20    teachers' organization.
21        (3) One member who represents a school district
22    serving a community with a population of 500,000 or more.
23        (4) One member of a statewide organization
24    representing social workers.
25        (5) One member of an organization that has specific
26    expertise in trauma-responsive school practices and

 

 

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1    experience in supporting schools in developing
2    trauma-responsive and restorative practices.
3        (6) One member of another organization that has
4    specific expertise in trauma-responsive school practices
5    and experience in supporting schools in developing
6    trauma-responsive and restorative practices.
7        (7) One member of a statewide organization that
8    represents school administrators.
9        (8) One member of a statewide policy organization that
10    works to build a healthy public education system that
11    prepares all students for a successful college, career,
12    and civic life.
13        (9) One member of a statewide organization that brings
14    teachers together to identify and address issues critical
15    to student success.
16        (10) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
17    the President of the Senate.
18        (11) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
19    the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
20        (12) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
21    the Minority Leader of the Senate.
22        (13) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
23    the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
24        (14) One member of a civil rights organization that
25    works actively on issues regarding student support.
26        (15) One administrator from a school district that has

 

 

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1    actively worked to develop a system of student support
2    that uses a trauma-informed lens.
3        (16) One educator from a school district that has
4    actively worked to develop a system of student support
5    that uses a trauma-informed lens.
6        (17) One member of a youth-led organization.
7        (18) One member of an organization that has
8    demonstrated expertise in restorative practices.
9        (19) One member of a coalition of mental health and
10    school practitioners who assist schools in developing and
11    implementing trauma-informed and restorative strategies
12    and systems.
13        (20) One member of an organization whose mission is to
14    promote the safety, health, and economic success of
15    children, youth, and families in this State.
16        (21) One member who works or has worked as a
17    restorative justice coach or disciplinarian.
18        (22) One member who works or has worked as a social
19    worker.
20        (23) One member of the State Board of Education.
21        (24) One member who represents a statewide principals'
22    organization.
23        (25) One member who represents a statewide
24    organization of school boards.
25        (26) One member who has expertise in pre-kindergarten
26    education.

 

 

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1        (27) One member who represents a school social worker
2    association.
3        (28) One member who represents an organization that
4    represents school districts in both the south suburbs and
5    collar counties.
6        (29) One member who is a licensed clinical
7    psychologist who (A) has a doctor of philosophy in the
8    field of clinical psychology and has an appointment at an
9    independent free-standing children's hospital located in
10    Chicago, (B) serves as associate professor at a medical
11    school located in Chicago, and (C) serves as the clinical
12    director of a coalition of voluntary collaboration of
13    organizations that are committed to applying a trauma lens
14    to their efforts on behalf of families and children in the
15    State.
16        (30) One member who represents a west suburban school
17    district.
18    (d) The Whole Child Task Force shall meet at the call of
19the State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee,
20who shall serve as as the chairperson. The State Board of
21Education shall provide administrative and other support to
22the task force. Members of the task force shall serve without
23compensation.
24    (e) The Whole Child Task Force shall submit a report of its
25findings and recommendations to the General Assembly, the
26Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, the State Board of

 

 

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1Education, and the Governor on or before February 1, 2022.
2Upon submitting its report, the task force is dissolved.
3    (f) This Section is repealed on February 1, 2023.
4(Source: P.A. 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)