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Public Act 92-0025
HB3566 Enrolled LRB9202486NTsbA
AN ACT concerning schools.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing
Section 2-3.51 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.51) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.51)
Sec. 2-3.51. Reading Improvement Block Grant Program.
To improve the reading and study skills of children from
kindergarten through sixth grade in school districts. The
State Board of Education is authorized to administer a
Reading Improvement Block Grant Program. As used in this
Section:,
"School district" includes shall include those schools
designated as "laboratory schools".
"Scientifically based reading research" means the
application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures
to obtain valid knowledge relevant to reading development,
reading instruction, and reading difficulties. The term
includes research that employs systematic, empirical methods
that draw on observation or experiment, involves rigorous
data analysis that is adequate to test the stated hypotheses
and to justify the general conclusions drawn, relies on
measurements or observational methods that provide valid data
across evaluators and observers and across multiple
measurements and observations, and has been accepted by
peer-reviewed journal or approved by a panel of independent
experts through a comparably rigorous, objective and
scientific review.
(a) Funds for the Reading Improvement Block Grant
Program shall be distributed to school districts on the
following basis: 70% of monies shall be awarded on the prior
year's best 3 months average daily attendance and 30% shall
be distributed on the number of economically disadvantaged
(E.C.I.A. Chapter I) pupils in the district, provided that
the State Board may distribute an amount not to exceed 2% of
the monies appropriated for the Reading Improvement Block
Grant Program for the purpose of providing teacher training
and re-training in the teaching of reading. Program funds
shall be distributed to school districts in 2 semi-annual
installments, one payment on or before October 30, and one
payment prior to April 30, of each year. The State Board
shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the
implementation of this program. Programs provided with grant
funds shall not replace quality classroom reading
instruction, but shall instead supplement such instruction.
(a-5) Reading Improvement Block Grant Program funds
shall be used by school districts in the following manner:
(1) to hire reading specialists, reading teachers,
and reading aides in order to provide early reading
intervention in kindergarten through grade 2 and programs
of continued reading support for students in grades 3
through 6 to reduce class size in grades kindergarten
through 3 for the purpose of providing more intensified
reading instruction;
(2) in kindergarten through grade 2, to establish
short-term tutorial early reading intervention programs
for children who are at risk of failing to learn to read;
these programs shall (i) focus on scientifically based
research and best practices with proven long-term
results, (ii) identify students in need of help no later
than the middle of first grade, (iii) provide ongoing
training for teachers in the program, (iv) focus
instruction on strengthening a student's phonemic
awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension skills,
(v) provide a means to document and evaluate student
growth, and (vi) provide properly trained staff to extend
the time devoted in kindergarten through third grade to
intensified reading instruction, including phonic
instruction, either by lengthening the school day or
lengthening the school year;
(3) to create transitional grades for students
needing intensified reading instruction either between
the first and second grades or between the second and
third grades in accordance with the authority granted
school districts in Section 10-21.2 of this Code;
(3) (4) to continue direct reading instruction for
grades 3 4 through 6;
(4) (5) in grades 3 through 6, to establish
programs of support for students who demonstrate a need
for continued assistance in learning to read and in
maintaining reading achievement; these programs shall (i)
focus on scientifically based research and best practices
with proven long-term results, (ii) provide ongoing
training for teachers and other staff members in the
program, (iii) focus instruction on strengthening a
student's phonics, fluency, and comprehension skills in
grades 3 through 6, (iv) provide a means to evaluate and
document student growth, and (v) provide properly trained
staff to establish reading academies in schools that
focus on the mechanics of reading, the application of
reading skills, and the reading of rich literature and
that reflect a commitment of time and resources to these
functions;
(5) (6) in grades K through 6, to provide classroom
reading materials for students; each district may
allocate up to 25% of the funds for this purpose to
conduct intense vocabulary, spelling, and related writing
enrichment programs that promote better understanding of
language and words; and
(6) (7) to provide a long-term professional
development program for classroom teachers,
administrators, and other appropriate staff; the program
shall (i) focus on scientifically based research and best
practices with proven long-term results, (ii) provide a
means to evaluate student progress in reading as a result
of the training, (iii) and be provided by approved staff
development providers. to increase the availability of
reading specialists and teacher aides for reading; and
(8) to train and retrain teachers of kindergarten
through third grade to be proficient in the teaching of
reading, including phonic instruction.
(a-10) Reading Improvement Block Grant Program funds
shall be made available to each eligible school district
submitting an approved application developed by the State
Board beginning with the 1998-99 school year. Applications
shall include a proposed assessment method or methods for
measuring the reading growth of students who receive direct
instruction as a result of the funding and the impact of
staff development activities on student growth in reading
student reading skills. Such methods may include the reading
portion of the Illinois Standards Achievement Testing Goals
and Assessment Program. At the end of each school year the
district shall report performance of progress assessment
results to the State Board. Districts not demonstrating
performance progress using an approved assessment method
shall not be eligible for funding in the third or subsequent
years until such progress is established.
(a-15) The State Superintendent of Education, in
cooperation with the school districts participating in the
program, shall annually report to the leadership of the
General Assembly on the results of the Reading Improvement
Block Grant Program and the progress being made on improving
the reading skills of students in kindergarten through the
sixth grade.
(b) (Blank).
(c) (Blank).
(d) Grants under the Reading Improvement Program shall
be awarded provided there is an appropriation for the
program, and funding levels for each district shall be
prorated according to the amount of the appropriation.
(e) (Blank).
(f) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98; 90-640, eff. 1-1-99.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on
July 1, 2001.
Passed in the General Assembly May 31, 2001.
Approved June 28, 2001.
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