95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB3065

 

Introduced 9/22/2008, by Sen. James T. Meeks

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.148 new

    Amends the School Code. Establishes the 21st Century School Reform Initiative Pilot Program in which 4 clusters (a cluster being a high school and all of the prekindergarten, elementary, middle, and junior high schools from which a majority of students will attend that high school) must be selected within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act for participation in the program for 3 school years. Sets forth provisions concerning how the clusters are to be selected, the establishment of a State oversight committee and local oversight committees, the recruitment of 3 superintendent advisors, the completion of a comprehensive needs assessment, the requirements that the cluster schools must meet, and the adoption of rules by the State Board of Education. Requires that the State oversight committee submit a report on or before January 1, 2012 to the General Assembly summarizing the results of the program and making recommendations on its expansion. Effective immediately.


LRB095 22553 AMC 52939 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3065 LRB095 22553 AMC 52939 b

1     AN ACT concerning education, which may be referred to as
2 the 21st Century School Reform Initiative Act.
 
3     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
 
5     Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
6 2-3.148 as follows:
 
7     (105 ILCS 5/2-3.148 new)
8     Sec. 2-3.148. 21st Century School Reform Initiative Pilot
9 Program.
10     (a) As used in this Section:
11     "Cluster" means a high school and all of the
12 prekindergarten, elementary, middle, and junior high schools
13 from which a majority of students will attend that high school.
14     "Program" means the 21st Century School Reform Initiative
15 Pilot Program.
16     (b) The 21st Century School Reform Initiative Pilot Program
17 is established. Four clusters must be selected within 30 days
18 after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th
19 General Assembly for participation in the program for 3 school
20 years as follows:
21         (1) The chief executive officer of the Chicago Board of
22     Education shall select 2 clusters in the City of Chicago.
23         (2) The State Superintendent of Education shall select

 

 

SB3065 - 2 - LRB095 22553 AMC 52939 b

1     one cluster in South Suburban Cook County.
2         (3) The State Superintendent of Education shall select
3     one cluster in a county downstate.
4     Clusters must be selected through a prioritization process
5 that considers the following:
6         (A) the number of years the high school within the
7     cluster has remained on academic watch status; and
8         (B) the overall percentage of students in the school
9     with State assessment scores demonstrating proficiency.
10     Subject to appropriation, the State Board of Education
11 shall make funds available to each school district containing a
12 cluster for the purposes of implementing this Section.
13     (c) Within 30 days after the effective date of this
14 amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, a State oversight
15 committee must be established consisting of all of the
16 following members:
17         (1) The State Superintendent of Education or his or her
18     designee.
19         (2) The Governor or his or her designee.
20         (3) One member appointed by the President of the
21     Senate.
22         (4) The lead sponsors of this amendatory Act of the
23     95th General Assembly.
24         (5) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
25     Senate.
26         (6) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of

 

 

SB3065 - 3 - LRB095 22553 AMC 52939 b

1     Representatives.
2         (7) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
3     House of Representatives.
4         (8) One member appointed by the Governor representing
5     the business community.
6         (9) One member appointed by Governor representing an
7     association representing teachers.
8         (10) One member appointed by the Governor representing
9     an association representing school boards.
10     The State oversight committee shall recruit 3
11 superintendents or retired superintendents of high-performing
12 school districts to serve as superintendent advisors to conduct
13 needs assessments and evaluations, advise local oversight
14 committees, monitor progress and implementation of the
15 program, and conduct systematic on-site visits to each of the
16 clusters. For the duration of this project, the superintendent
17 advisors shall provide regular reports to the oversight
18 committee. On or before January 1, 2012, the State oversight
19 committee shall submit a report to the General Assembly
20 summarizing the results of the program and making
21 recommendations on its expansion.
22     (d) Within 30 days after the selection of a cluster, a
23 local oversight committee must be established for that cluster
24 and shall consist of all of the following members:
25         (1) One school district administrator, external to the
26     cluster.

 

 

SB3065 - 4 - LRB095 22553 AMC 52939 b

1         (2) The principal of a high school, external to the
2     cluster.
3         (3) One parent of a student attending a school within
4     the cluster.
5         (4) Two teachers in schools within the cluster.
6         (5) One business professional.
7         (6) One representative of the State Board of Education.
8         (7) One high school student.
9         (8) One middle school student.
10     (e) The superintendent advisors must complete a
11 comprehensive needs assessment to identify areas of deficiency
12 in each cluster school. The data collected during the needs
13 assessment process must be reviewed and analyzed by the school,
14 local oversight committee, and superintendent advisors. The
15 superintendent advisors shall determine whether vertical
16 articulation occurs between grade levels and schools. The State
17 oversight committee shall review the following goals and areas
18 during the needs assessment and determine whether a school
19 needs improvement in any of the following areas:
20         (1) Curriculum is aligned to State and national
21     standards, all students possess a grade-appropriate common
22     core of knowledge, rigorous and relevant standards are
23     expected, individual grading policies are effective, high
24     school course offerings are adequate, and instruction is
25     provided in appropriate kindergarten through grade 8
26     content areas.

 

 

SB3065 - 5 - LRB095 22553 AMC 52939 b

1         (2) Discipline policies are effective, as evidenced by
2     a review of suspensions and expulsions, on-site
3     observations of student behavior, and interviews with
4     staff, students, parents, and administrators.
5         (3) Professional development opportunities are
6     provided to staff, and teacher mentoring and induction
7     programs are effective, as evidenced by classroom visits
8     and staff surveys.
9         (4) Leadership training is provided for
10     administrators.
11         (5) Assessment tools used by the school are effective
12     and formative, and summative evaluations are conducted.
13     Based upon the results of the comprehensive needs
14 assessment, the superintendent advisors, in conjunction with
15 the State oversight committee and the local oversight
16 committee, shall determine which areas need improvement and
17 create a plan for the cluster to improve those areas of
18 deficiency. The plan must outline the procedures that will be
19 put in place to execute the requirements in subsections (f)
20 thorough (j) of this Section. The plan must be filed with the
21 State Board of Education within 120 days after the
22 establishment of the local oversight committee.
23     (f) Each school within the cluster must incorporate the
24 core instructional components of literacy, mathematics,
25 technology, and fine arts and provide instruction in character
26 education.

 

 

SB3065 - 6 - LRB095 22553 AMC 52939 b

1         (1) Literacy instruction must be provided in every
2     course of study and for each grade-level. Emphasis must be
3     given to teaching pre-reading, reading, and post-reading
4     skills, common literacy strategies across all grade
5     levels, and discipline-specific reading strategies. A
6     literacy coach must be employed in each school.
7         (2) Each high school student must take and successful
8     pass Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II or Trigonometry in
9     order to graduate, and all students must be prepared to
10     take Algebra I in grade 9. The mathematics curriculum must
11     emphasize real-world applications of classical
12     mathematical principles and the integration of technology.
13         (3) Each classroom must be equipped with a minimum of
14     one interactive whiteboard, one video projector, and 4
15     computers. Each school shall contain a minimum of one
16     35-station computer lab per 250 students. A laptop and
17     wireless Internet access within the school building must be
18     provided to each teacher. The superintendent advisors and
19     local oversight committees shall work together to evaluate
20     computer programs that provide (i) prompt feedback in
21     assessing student deficiencies in core subjects, (ii)
22     access to video libraries of instructional films aligned to
23     the Illinois Learning Standards, (iii) databases of
24     questions or activities related to classroom lesson plans,
25     and (iv) the ability for parents to monitor grades,
26     homework assignments, and learning activities from home

 

 

SB3065 - 7 - LRB095 22553 AMC 52939 b

1     and provide access to those programs that the
2     superintendent advisors, State oversight committee, and
3     local oversight committees determine would be beneficial
4     to each school.
5         (4) Each school must provide students in each grade
6     with at least one course in fine arts per year.
7         (5) Each school must provide age-appropriate
8     instruction to students in each grade level on character
9     education to encourage students to think critically and act
10     responsibly. Such instruction may include information
11     concerning goal-setting, self-esteem, time management,
12     proper conduct, responsibility for actions, leadership,
13     service to the community, and study skills.
14     (g) Each school within the cluster must implement a
15 professional development model that provides training to all
16 teachers at each grade level. Professional development must be
17 based on current research and must be appropriate for serving
18 the diverse needs of the students within the school and
19 district. A teacher induction and mentoring program must be
20 implemented for each cluster, and all cluster schools must
21 provide a mentor for each administrator. The superintendent
22 advisors, the State oversight committee, and the local
23 oversight committees shall determine qualifications for
24 mentors. Areas of professional development that may be provided
25 shall include leadership development, training in a variety of
26 instructional strategies, and training on new teacher and

 

 

SB3065 - 8 - LRB095 22553 AMC 52939 b

1 administrator mentoring programs.
2     (h) Cluster schools must implement the following
3 intervention programs and offer participation in one or more
4 programs to students whom staff of the school determines would
5 benefit from the program:
6         (1) before-school and after-school tutoring;
7         (2) tutoring during the school day;
8         (3) weekend tutoring;
9         (4) accelerated and remediation summer school; and
10         (5) credit recovery programs.
11 A mentoring program providing academic coaches to students may
12 be established and implemented.
13     (i) A cluster school must implement a parent partnership
14 program to encourage parental involvement and interest.
15     (j) Each school within a cluster shall administer
16 additional assessments of progress to evaluate the success of
17 the program. Schools must each provide evidence of progress
18 toward the achievement of learning outcomes at least one time
19 per week to the State oversight committee and local oversight
20 committee. In addition to the Illinois Standards Achievement
21 Test and the Prairie State Achievement Examination, schools
22 must administer a nationally normed test each year to all
23 students in the cluster and release the scores to the State
24 oversight committee and local oversight committee or the
25 superintendent advisors for data tracking purposes. School
26 administrators in the cluster must ensure that annual

 

 

SB3065 - 9 - LRB095 22553 AMC 52939 b

1 performance reviews are conducted for each staff member and
2 teacher.
3     (k) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the
4 implementation of this Section.
 
5     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
6 becoming law.