Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB0693
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Full Text of SB0693  100th General Assembly

SB0693 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  

 


 
100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB0693

 

Introduced 1/30/2017, by Sen. Michael Connelly

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/27-22  from Ch. 122, par. 27-22
105 ILCS 5/27-23.11 new

    Amends the School Code. Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, requires every public high school to include in its curriculum instruction in the free enterprise system through a course lasting at least one semester, which each student entering the 9th grade in the 2018-2019 school year or a subsequent school year must successfully complete as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma. Requires the State Board of Education to adopt free enterprise content standards and develop the curriculum, carry out appropriate professional development training for teachers of the course, and submit a report to the General Assembly on course implementation. Sets forth minimum areas of instruction to be included in the course.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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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 Section
527-22 and by adding Section 27-23.11 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/27-22)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-22)
7    Sec. 27-22. Required high school courses.
8    (a) As a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma,
9each pupil entering the 9th grade in the 1984-1985 school year
10through the 2004-2005 school year must, in addition to other
11course requirements, successfully complete the following
12courses:
13        (1) three years of language arts;
14        (2) two years of mathematics, one of which may be
15    related to computer technology;
16        (3) one year of science;
17        (4) two years of social studies, of which at least one
18    year must be history of the United States or a combination
19    of history of the United States and American government;
20    and
21        (5) One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C)
22    foreign language, which shall be deemed to include American
23    Sign Language or (D) vocational education.

 

 

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1    (b) As a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma,
2each pupil entering the 9th grade in the 2005-2006 school year
3must, in addition to other course requirements, successfully
4complete all of the following courses:
5        (1) Three years of language arts.
6        (2) Three years of mathematics.
7        (3) One year of science.
8        (4) Two years of social studies, of which at least one
9    year must be history of the United States or a combination
10    of history of the United States and American government.
11        (5) One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C)
12    foreign language, which shall be deemed to include American
13    Sign Language, or (D) vocational education.
14    (c) As a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma,
15each pupil entering the 9th grade in the 2006-2007 school year
16must, in addition to other course requirements, successfully
17complete all of the following courses:
18        (1) Three years of language arts.
19        (2) Two years of writing intensive courses, one of
20    which must be English and the other of which may be English
21    or any other subject. When applicable, writing-intensive
22    courses may be counted towards the fulfillment of other
23    graduation requirements.
24        (3) Three years of mathematics, one of which must be
25    Algebra I and one of which must include geometry content.
26        (4) One year of science.

 

 

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1        (5) Two years of social studies, of which at least one
2    year must be history of the United States or a combination
3    of history of the United States and American government.
4        (6) One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C)
5    foreign language, which shall be deemed to include American
6    Sign Language, or (D) vocational education.
7    (d) As a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma,
8each pupil entering the 9th grade in the 2007-2008 school year
9must, in addition to other course requirements, successfully
10complete all of the following courses:
11        (1) Three years of language arts.
12        (2) Two years of writing intensive courses, one of
13    which must be English and the other of which may be English
14    or any other subject. When applicable, writing-intensive
15    courses may be counted towards the fulfillment of other
16    graduation requirements.
17        (3) Three years of mathematics, one of which must be
18    Algebra I and one of which must include geometry content.
19        (4) Two years of science.
20        (5) Two years of social studies, of which at least one
21    year must be history of the United States or a combination
22    of history of the United States and American government.
23        (6) One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C)
24    foreign language, which shall be deemed to include American
25    Sign Language, or (D) vocational education.
26    (e) As a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma,

 

 

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1each pupil entering the 9th grade in the 2008-2009 school year
2or a subsequent school year must, in addition to other course
3requirements, successfully complete all of the following
4courses:
5        (1) Four years of language arts.
6        (2) Two years of writing intensive courses, one of
7    which must be English and the other of which may be English
8    or any other subject. When applicable, writing-intensive
9    courses may be counted towards the fulfillment of other
10    graduation requirements.
11        (3) Three years of mathematics, one of which must be
12    Algebra I, one of which must include geometry content, and
13    one of which may be an Advanced Placement computer science
14    course if the pupil successfully completes Algebra II or an
15    integrated mathematics course with Algebra II content.
16        (4) Two years of science.
17        (5) Two years of social studies, of which at least one
18    year must be history of the United States or a combination
19    of history of the United States and American government
20    and, beginning with pupils entering the 9th grade in the
21    2016-2017 school year and each school year thereafter, at
22    least one semester must be civics, which shall help young
23    people acquire and learn to use the skills, knowledge, and
24    attitudes that will prepare them to be competent and
25    responsible citizens throughout their lives. Civics course
26    content shall focus on government institutions, the

 

 

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1    discussion of current and controversial issues, service
2    learning, and simulations of the democratic process.
3    School districts may utilize private funding available for
4    the purposes of offering civics education.
5        (6) One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C)
6    foreign language, which shall be deemed to include American
7    Sign Language, or (D) vocational education.
8        (7) Beginning with pupils entering the 9th grade in the
9    2018-2019 school year and each school year thereafter, one
10    semester of free enterprise education under Section
11    27-23.11 of this Code.
12    (f) The State Board of Education shall develop and inform
13school districts of standards for writing-intensive
14coursework.
15    (f-5) If a school district offers an Advanced Placement
16computer science course to high school students, then the
17school board must designate that course as equivalent to a high
18school mathematics course and must denote on the student's
19transcript that the Advanced Placement computer science course
20qualifies as a mathematics-based, quantitative course for
21students in accordance with subdivision (3) of subsection (e)
22of this Section.
23    (g) This amendatory Act of 1983 does not apply to pupils
24entering the 9th grade in 1983-1984 school year and prior
25school years or to students with disabilities whose course of
26study is determined by an individualized education program.

 

 

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1    This amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly does not
2apply to pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2004-2005 school
3year or a prior school year or to students with disabilities
4whose course of study is determined by an individualized
5education program.
6    (h) The provisions of this Section are subject to the
7provisions of Section 27-22.05 of this Code and the
8Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act.
9(Source: P.A. 98-885, eff. 8-15-14; 99-434, eff. 7-1-16 (see
10P.A. 99-485 for the effective date of changes made by P.A.
1199-434); 99-485, eff. 11-20-15; 99-674, eff. 7-29-16.)
 
12    (105 ILCS 5/27-23.11 new)
13    Sec. 27-23.11. Free enterprise education.
14    (a) The General Assembly makes the following findings and
15declarations:
16        (1) A flourishing economy arises from private sector
17    initiative and entrepreneurship working in a free market
18    protected by the rule of law and nurtured by limited
19    government that guarantees private ownership rights,
20    economic liberty, and equality of opportunity. The
21    foundation of a growing national economy, the free
22    enterprise system creates wealth, jobs, and prosperity and
23    sustains political stability.
24        (2) The American free enterprise system depends on
25    well-educated citizens. Today, too many students in the

 

 

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1    United States do not understand the basic characteristics
2    of the free enterprise system and its importance to
3    economic growth and the creation of wealth and jobs. These
4    students do not understand the free enterprise system's
5    central role in the tremendous economic growth experienced
6    in the United States since its founding, as well as the
7    challenges faced by individuals, companies, and
8    entrepreneurs in establishing, building, and managing a
9    business and their contributions to American society.
10        (3) Most efforts by federal and state governments have
11    generally focused on economics and personal financial
12    literacy, but a full and complete understanding of the
13    American free enterprise system requires a diligent study
14    of not only economics and personal finance but also other
15    disciplines, including history, political science,
16    geography, culture, and current events.
17        (4) According to the Council for Economic Education's
18    2009 Survey of the States, titled Economic and Personal
19    Finance Education in Our Nation's Schools, 21 states now
20    require an economics course as a high school graduation
21    requirement while 13 states require students to take
22    personal finance (individually or as a component of an
23    economics course) as a high school graduation requirement.
24    Four states require a course in entrepreneurship as a
25    component of a high school course (usually economics) in
26    order to graduate.

 

 

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1        (5) These efforts have met with limited success. The
2    Nation's Report Card, the most recent test of students in
3    economics at grade 12 in the National Assessment of
4    Educational Progress, shows the overall average economics
5    score to be at the Basic achievement level on a 3-tiered
6    system of Basic, Proficient, and Advanced.
7        (6) Although the United States Congress provides funds
8    to promote student economic and personal financial
9    literacy through the federal Excellence in Economic
10    Education Act of 2001, the Act focuses narrowly upon the
11    promotion of economic and personal financial literacy,
12    rather than a study of the American free enterprise system,
13    which requires an interdisciplinary study of economics,
14    political science, history, geography, culture, and
15    current events.
16        (7) In recent years, Americans have endured difficult
17    economic circumstances, resulting in the loss of millions
18    of jobs, businesses, and homes. Only a vibrant free
19    enterprise system can meet the challenge our nation faces
20    to revive the economy, to restore the millions of jobs
21    lost, and to create the millions of new jobs needed in
22    coming years simply to track population growth. Students
23    should have a thorough understanding of the crucial role
24    the American free enterprise system has played and can
25    continue to play in achieving economic growth and
26    prosperity and political stability in the United States.

 

 

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1        (8) The study of the free enterprise system is critical
2    to the development of students as productive citizens who
3    understand the American economic and political system and
4    the critical and central role of American business and
5    entrepreneurs in the creation of wealth, jobs, and economic
6    growth and prosperity.
7    (b) Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, every public
8high school shall include in its curriculum instruction in the
9free enterprise system through a course lasting at least one
10semester, which each student entering the 9th grade in the
112018-2019 school year or a subsequent school year must take.
12    (c) The State Board of Education shall adopt free
13enterprise content standards consistent with this Section. The
14State Board of Education shall determine or otherwise develop
15the curriculum, which shall include, at a minimum, the areas of
16instruction designated in subsection (f) of this Section. In
17carrying out this subsection (c), the State Board of Education
18may contract with one or more organizations that have expertise
19in the development of standards and curriculum in the areas of
20instruction designated in subsection (f) of this Section.
21    (d) The State Board of Education shall carry out
22appropriate professional development training for teachers of
23the free enterprise course required under this Section. In
24carrying out this subsection (d), the State Board of Education
25may contract with one or more organizations that have expertise
26in the areas of instruction designated in subsection (f) of

 

 

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1this Section.
2    (e) Not later than 18 months after the effective date of
3this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, the State
4Board of Education shall submit a report to the General
5Assembly on implementation of this Section.
6    (f) At a minimum, the following areas of instruction shall
7be included in the free enterprise course required under this
8Section:
9        (1) The basic characteristics of a free enterprise
10    system, including the roles played by the rule of law,
11    private property ownership, profit and loss, competition
12    and regulation, supply and demand, consumers and
13    producers, and technological innovation in creating and
14    sustaining a free enterprise system.
15        (2) The benefits of economic growth, wealth creation,
16    and technological innovation and the role played by the
17    free enterprise system in achieving these benefits as
18    compared to other economic systems.
19        (3) The importance of the rule of law, private
20    ownership rights, economic liberty, and equality of
21    opportunity to the free enterprise system, and the role of
22    the United States Constitution and Declaration of
23    Independence in preserving these rights and freedoms.
24        (4) The impact of government spending, regulations,
25    and tax, monetary, and trade policies upon economic growth,
26    entrepreneurship, productivity, and technological

 

 

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1    innovation.
2        (5) The opportunities presented by, and the challenges
3    of, starting a business.