Higher Education Committee

Filed: 5/4/2005

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 463

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 463 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4     "Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
5 3-15.12 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/3-15.12)  (from Ch. 122, par. 3-15.12)
7     Sec. 3-15.12. High school equivalency testing program. The
8 regional superintendent of schools shall make available for
9 qualified individuals residing within the region a High School
10 Equivalency Testing Program. For that purpose the regional
11 superintendent alone or with other regional superintendents
12 may establish and supervise a testing center or centers to
13 administer the secure forms of the high school level Test of
14 General Educational Development to qualified persons. Such
15 centers shall be under the supervision of the regional
16 superintendent in whose region such centers are located,
17 subject to the approval of the President of the Illinois
18 Community College Board State Superintendent of Education.
19     An individual is eligible to apply to the regional
20 superintendent of schools for the region in which he resides if
21 he is: (a) a person who is 18 years of age or older, has
22 maintained residence in the State of Illinois and is not a high
23 school graduate, but whose high school class has graduated; (b)
24 a member of the armed forces of the United States on active

 

 

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1 duty who is 17 years of age or older and who is stationed in
2 Illinois or is a legal resident of Illinois; (c) a ward of the
3 Department of Corrections who is 17 years of age or older or an
4 inmate confined in any branch of the Illinois State
5 Penitentiary or in a county correctional facility who is 17
6 years of age or older; (d) a female who is 17 years of age or
7 older who is unable to attend school because she is either
8 pregnant or the mother of one or more children; (e) a male 17
9 years of age or older who is unable to attend school because he
10 is a father of one or more children; (f) a person who is
11 successfully completing an alternative education program under
12 Section 2-3.81, Article 13A, or Article 13B; (g) a person who
13 is enrolled in a youth education program sponsored by the
14 Illinois National Guard; or (h) a person who is 17 years of age
15 or older who has been a dropout for a period of at least one
16 year. For purposes of this Section, residence is that abode
17 which the applicant considers his home. Applicants may provide
18 as sufficient proof of such residence a picture identification
19 card and two pieces of correctly addressed and postmarked mail.
20 Such regional superintendent shall determine if the applicant
21 meets statutory and regulatory state standards. If qualified
22 the applicant shall at the time of such application pay a fee
23 established by the Illinois Community College Board State Board
24 of Education, which fee shall be paid into a special fund under
25 the control and supervision of the regional superintendent.
26 Such moneys received by the regional superintendent shall be
27 used, first, for the expenses incurred in administering and
28 scoring the examination, and next for other educational
29 programs that are developed and designed by the regional
30 superintendent of schools to assist those who successfully
31 complete the high school level test of General Education
32 Development in furthering their academic development or their
33 ability to secure and retain gainful employment, including
34 programs for the competitive award based on test scores of

 

 

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1 college or adult education scholarship grants or similar
2 educational incentives. Any excess moneys shall be paid into
3 the institute fund.
4     Any applicant who has achieved the minimum passing
5 standards as established by the Illinois Community College
6 Board State Board of Education shall be notified in writing by
7 the regional superintendent and shall be issued a high school
8 equivalency certificate on the forms provided by the Illinois
9 Community College Board State Superintendent of Education. The
10 regional superintendent shall then certify to the Illinois
11 Community College Board Office of the State Superintendent of
12 Education the score of the applicant and such other and
13 additional information that may be required by the Illinois
14 Community College Board State Superintendent of Education. The
15 moneys received therefrom shall be used in the same manner as
16 provided for in this Section.
17     Any applicant who has attained the age of 18 years and
18 maintained residence in the State of Illinois and is not a high
19 school graduate but whose high school class has graduated, or
20 any ward of the Department of Corrections who has attained the
21 age of 17 years, any inmate confined in any branch of the
22 Illinois State Penitentiary or in a county correctional
23 facility who has attained the age of 17 years, or any member of
24 the armed forces of the United States on active duty who has
25 attained the age of 17 years and who is stationed in Illinois
26 or is a legal resident of Illinois, or any female who has
27 attained the age of 17 years and is either pregnant or the
28 mother of one or more children, or any male who has attained
29 the age of 17 years and is the father of one or more children,
30 or any person who has successfully completed an alternative
31 education program under Section 2-3.81, Article 13A, or Article
32 13B and meets the requirements prescribed by the State Board of
33 Education, is eligible to apply for a high school equivalency
34 certificate (if he or she meets the requirements prescribed by

 

 

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1 the Illinois Community College Board) upon showing evidence
2 that he or she has completed, successfully, the high school
3 level General Educational Development Tests, administered by
4 the United States Armed Forces Institute, official GED Centers
5 established in other states, or at Veterans' Administration
6 Hospitals or the office of the State Superintendent of
7 Education administered for the Illinois State Penitentiary
8 System and the Department of Corrections. Such applicant shall
9 apply to the regional superintendent of the region wherein he
10 has maintained residence, and upon payment of a fee established
11 by the Illinois Community College Board State Board of
12 Education the regional superintendent shall issue a high school
13 equivalency certificate, and immediately thereafter certify to
14 the Illinois Community College Board State Superintendent of
15 Education the score of the applicant and such other and
16 additional information as may be required by the Illinois
17 Community College Board State Superintendent of Education.
18     Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, any
19 applicant who has been out of school for at least one year may
20 request the regional superintendent of schools to administer
21 the restricted GED test upon written request of: The director
22 of a program who certifies to the Chief Examiner of an official
23 GED center that the applicant has completed a program of
24 instruction provided by such agencies as the Job Corps, the
25 Postal Service Academy or apprenticeship training program; an
26 employer or program director for purposes of entry into
27 apprenticeship programs; another State Department of Education
28 in order to meet regulations established by that Department of
29 Education, a post high school educational institution for
30 purposes of admission, the Department of Professional
31 Regulation for licensing purposes, or the Armed Forces for
32 induction purposes. The regional superintendent shall
33 administer such test and the applicant shall be notified in
34 writing that he is eligible to receive the Illinois High School

 

 

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1 Equivalency Certificate upon reaching age 18, provided he meets
2 the standards established by the Illinois Community College
3 Board State Board of Education.
4     Any test administered under this Section to an applicant
5 who does not speak and understand English may at the discretion
6 of the administering agency be given and answered in any
7 language in which the test is printed. The regional
8 superintendent of schools may waive any fees required by this
9 Section in case of hardship.
10     In counties of over 3,000,000 population a GED certificate
11 issued on or after July 1, 1994 shall contain the signatures of
12 the President of the Illinois Community College Board State
13 Superintendent of Education, the superintendent, president or
14 other chief executive officer of the institution where GED
15 instruction occurred and any other signatures authorized by the
16 Illinois Community College Board State Superintendent of
17 Education.
18     The regional superintendent of schools shall furnish the
19 Illinois Community College Board with any information that the
20 Illinois Community College Board requests with regard to
21 testing and certificates under this Section.
22 (Source: P.A. 92-42, eff. 1-1-02.)
 
23     Section 10. The Public Community College Act is amended by
24 adding Sections 2-21 and 2-22 as follows:
 
25     (110 ILCS 805/2-21 new)
26     Sec. 2-21. High school equivalency testing. On the
27 effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General
28 Assembly, all powers and duties of the State Board of Education
29 and State Superintendent of Education with regard to high
30 school equivalency testing under the School Code shall be
31 transferred to the Illinois Community College Board. Within a
32 reasonable period of time after that date, all assets,

 

 

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1 liabilities, contracts, property, records, pending business,
2 and unexpended appropriations of the State Board of Education
3 with regard to high school equivalency testing shall be
4 transferred to the Illinois Community College Board. The
5 Illinois Community College Board may adopt any rules necessary
6 to carry out its responsibilities under the School Code with
7 regard to high school equivalency testing. All rules,
8 standards, and procedures adopted by the State Board of
9 Education under the School Code with regard to high school
10 equivalency testing shall continue in effect as the rules,
11 standards, and procedures of the Illinois Community College
12 Board, until they are modified by the Illinois Community
13 College Board.
 
14     (110 ILCS 805/2-22 new)
15     Sec. 2-22. High school equivalency certificates. On the
16 effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General
17 Assembly, all powers and duties of the State Board of Education
18 and State Superintendent of Education with regard to high
19 school equivalency certificates under the School Code shall be
20 transferred to the Illinois Community College Board. Within a
21 reasonable period of time after that date, all assets,
22 liabilities, contracts, property, records, pending business,
23 and unexpended appropriations of the State Board of Education
24 with regard to high school equivalency certificates shall be
25 transferred to the Illinois Community College Board. The
26 Illinois Community College Board may adopt any rules necessary
27 to carry out its responsibilities under the School Code with
28 regard to high school equivalency certificates and to carry
29 into efficient and uniform effect the provisions for the
30 issuance of high school equivalency certificates in this State.
31 All rules, standards, and procedures adopted by the State Board
32 of Education under the School Code with regard to high school
33 equivalency certificates shall continue in effect as the rules,

 

 

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1 standards, and procedures of the Illinois Community College
2 Board, until they are modified by the Illinois Community
3 College Board.
 
4     (105 ILCS 5/2-3.34 rep.)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.34)
5     Section 15. The School Code is amended by repealing Section
6 2-3.34.
 
7     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
8 becoming law.".