Full Text of HB3687 99th General Assembly
HB3687 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016 HB3687 Introduced , by Rep. Litesa E. Wallace SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
| 105 ILCS 5/2-3.66 | from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.66 | 105 ILCS 5/2-3.66b | |
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Amends the School Code. Requires alternative and optional education programs for truants, the IHOPE Program, and graduation incentives programs to accept dropouts under the age of 24 (currently, under 20 for the graduation incentives programs and through the age of 21 for the IHOPE Program and the alternative and optional education programs for truants). Provides that a school district shall deny reenrollment in its secondary schools to any child 19 years of age or above who has dropped out of school and who could not attend classes during the normal school year and graduate before his or her twenty-fourth birthday (currently, his or her twenty-first birthday). Effective immediately.
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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,
| 3 | | represented in the General Assembly:
| 4 | | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections | 5 | | 2-3.66 and 2-3.66b as follows:
| 6 | | (105 ILCS 5/2-3.66) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.66)
| 7 | | Sec. 2-3.66. Truants' alternative and optional education | 8 | | programs. To
establish projects to offer modified | 9 | | instructional programs or other
services designed to prevent | 10 | | students from dropping out of school,
including programs | 11 | | pursuant to Section 2-3.41, and to serve as a part time
or full | 12 | | time option in lieu of regular school attendance and to award
| 13 | | grants to local school districts, educational service regions | 14 | | or community
college districts from appropriated funds to | 15 | | assist districts in
establishing such projects. The education | 16 | | agency may operate its own
program or enter into a contract | 17 | | with another not-for-profit entity to
implement the program. | 18 | | The projects shall allow dropouts, up to and
including age 21 | 19 | | or up to and including age 23 if the project is not conducted | 20 | | in the same public school facility as the regular education | 21 | | program , potential dropouts, including truants, uninvolved,
| 22 | | unmotivated and disaffected students, as defined by State Board | 23 | | of
Education rules and regulations, to enroll, as an |
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| 1 | | alternative to regular
school attendance, in an optional | 2 | | education program which may be
established by school board | 3 | | policy and is in conformance with rules adopted
by the State | 4 | | Board of Education. Truants' Alternative and Optional
| 5 | | Education programs funded pursuant to this Section shall be
| 6 | | planned by a student, the student's parents or legal guardians, | 7 | | unless the
student is 18 years or older, and school officials | 8 | | and shall culminate in
an individualized optional education | 9 | | plan. Such plan shall focus
on academic or vocational skills, | 10 | | or both, and may include, but not be
limited to, evening | 11 | | school, summer school, community college courses, adult
| 12 | | education, preparation courses for high school equivalency | 13 | | testing, vocational training, work experience, programs to
| 14 | | enhance self concept and parenting courses. School districts | 15 | | which are
awarded grants pursuant to this Section shall be | 16 | | authorized to provide day
care services to children of students | 17 | | who are eligible and desire to enroll
in programs established | 18 | | and funded under this Section, but only if and to
the extent | 19 | | that such day care is necessary to enable those eligible
| 20 | | students to attend and participate in the programs and courses | 21 | | which are
conducted pursuant to this Section.
School districts | 22 | | and regional offices of education may claim general State
aid | 23 | | under Section 18-8.05 for students enrolled in truants' | 24 | | alternative and
optional education programs, provided that | 25 | | such students are receiving services
that are supplemental to a | 26 | | program leading to a high school diploma and are
otherwise |
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| 1 | | eligible to be claimed for general State aid under Section | 2 | | 18-8.05.
| 3 | | (Source: P.A. 98-718, eff. 1-1-15 .)
| 4 | | (105 ILCS 5/2-3.66b) | 5 | | Sec. 2-3.66b. IHOPE Program. | 6 | | (a) There is established the Illinois Hope and Opportunity | 7 | | Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program. The State Board of | 8 | | Education shall implement and administer the IHOPE Program. The | 9 | | goal of the IHOPE Program is to develop a comprehensive system | 10 | | in this State to re-enroll significant numbers of high school | 11 | | dropouts in programs that will enable them to earn their high | 12 | | school diploma. | 13 | | (b) The IHOPE Program shall award grants, subject to | 14 | | appropriation for this purpose, to educational service regions | 15 | | and a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code | 16 | | from appropriated funds to assist in establishing | 17 | | instructional programs and other services designed to | 18 | | re-enroll high school dropouts. From any funds appropriated for | 19 | | the IHOPE Program, the State Board of Education may use up to | 20 | | 5% for administrative costs, including the performance of a | 21 | | program evaluation and the hiring of staff to implement and | 22 | | administer the program. | 23 | | The IHOPE Program shall provide incentive grant funds for | 24 | | regional offices of education and a school district organized | 25 | | under Article 34 of this Code to develop partnerships with |
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| 1 | | school districts, public community colleges, and community | 2 | | groups to build comprehensive plans to re-enroll high school | 3 | | dropouts in their regions or districts. | 4 | | Programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall allow high | 5 | | school dropouts, up to and including age 21 or up to and | 6 | | including age 23 if the program is not conducted in the same | 7 | | public school facility as the regular education program, | 8 | | notwithstanding Section 26-2 of this Code, to re-enroll in an | 9 | | educational program in conformance with rules adopted by the | 10 | | State Board of Education. Programs may include without | 11 | | limitation comprehensive year-round programming, evening | 12 | | school, summer school, community college courses, adult | 13 | | education, vocational training, work experience, programs to | 14 | | enhance self-concept, and parenting courses. Any student in the | 15 | | IHOPE Program who wishes to earn a high school diploma must | 16 | | meet the prerequisites to receiving a high school diploma | 17 | | specified in Section 27-22 of this Code and any other | 18 | | graduation requirements of the student's district of | 19 | | residence. Any student who successfully completes the | 20 | | requirements for his or her graduation shall receive a diploma | 21 | | identifying the student as graduating from his or her district | 22 | | of residence. | 23 | | (c) In order to be eligible for funding under the IHOPE | 24 | | Program, an interested regional office of education or a school | 25 | | district organized under Article 34 of this Code shall develop | 26 | | an IHOPE Plan to be approved by the State Board of Education. |
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| 1 | | The State Board of Education shall develop rules for the IHOPE | 2 | | Program that shall set forth the requirements for the | 3 | | development of the IHOPE Plan. Each Plan shall involve school | 4 | | districts, public community colleges, and key community | 5 | | programs that work with high school dropouts located in an | 6 | | educational service region or the City of Chicago before the | 7 | | Plan is sent to the State Board for approval. No funds may be | 8 | | distributed to a regional office of education or a school | 9 | | district organized under Article 34 of this Code until the | 10 | | State Board has approved the Plan. | 11 | | (d) A regional office of education or a school district | 12 | | organized under Article 34 of this Code may operate its own | 13 | | program funded by the IHOPE Program or enter into a contract | 14 | | with other not-for-profit entities, including school | 15 | | districts, public community colleges, and not-for-profit | 16 | | community-based organizations, to operate a program. | 17 | | A regional office of education or a school district | 18 | | organized under Article 34 of this Code that receives an IHOPE | 19 | | grant from the State Board of Education may provide funds under | 20 | | a sub-grant, as specified in the IHOPE Plan, to other | 21 | | not-for-profit entities to provide services according to the | 22 | | IHOPE Plan that was developed. These other entities may include | 23 | | school districts, public community colleges, or not-for-profit | 24 | | community-based organizations or a cooperative partnership | 25 | | among these entities. | 26 | | (e) In order to distribute funding based upon the need to |
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| 1 | | ensure delivery of programs that will have the greatest impact, | 2 | | IHOPE Program funding must be distributed based upon the | 3 | | proportion of dropouts in the educational service region or | 4 | | school district, in the case of a school district organized | 5 | | under Article 34 of this Code, to the total number of dropouts | 6 | | in this State. This formula shall employ the dropout data | 7 | | provided by school districts to the State Board of Education. | 8 | | A regional office of education or a school district | 9 | | organized under Article 34 of this Code may claim State aid | 10 | | under Section 18-8.05 of this Code for students enrolled in a | 11 | | program funded by the IHOPE Program, provided that the State | 12 | | Board of Education has approved the IHOPE Plan and that these | 13 | | students are receiving services that are meeting the | 14 | | requirements of Section 27-22 of this Code for receipt of a | 15 | | high school diploma and are otherwise eligible to be claimed | 16 | | for general State aid under Section 18-8.05 of this Code, | 17 | | including provisions related to the minimum number of days of | 18 | | pupil attendance pursuant to Section 10-19 of this Code and the | 19 | | minimum number of daily hours of school work and any exceptions | 20 | | thereto as defined by the State Board of Education in rules. | 21 | | (f) IHOPE categories of programming may include the | 22 | | following: | 23 | | (1) Full-time programs that are comprehensive, | 24 | | year-round programs. | 25 | | (2) Part-time programs combining work and study | 26 | | scheduled at various times that are flexible to the needs |
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| 1 | | of students. | 2 | | (3) Online programs and courses in which students take | 3 | | courses and complete on-site, supervised tests that | 4 | | measure the student's mastery of a specific course needed | 5 | | for graduation. Students may take courses online and earn | 6 | | credit or students may prepare to take supervised tests for | 7 | | specific courses for credit leading to receipt of a high | 8 | | school diploma. | 9 | | (4) Dual enrollment in which students attend high | 10 | | school classes in combination with community college | 11 | | classes or students attend community college classes while | 12 | | simultaneously earning high school credit and eventually a | 13 | | high school diploma. | 14 | | (g) In order to have successful comprehensive programs | 15 | | re-enrolling and graduating low-skilled high school dropouts, | 16 | | programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall include all of | 17 | | the following components: | 18 | | (1) Small programs (70 to 100 students) at a separate | 19 | | school site with a distinct identity. Programs may be | 20 | | larger with specific need and justification, keeping in | 21 | | mind that it is crucial to keep programs small to be | 22 | | effective. | 23 | | (2) Specific performance-based goals and outcomes and | 24 | | measures of enrollment, attendance, skills, credits, | 25 | | graduation, and the transition to college, training, and | 26 | | employment. |
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| 1 | | (3) Strong, experienced leadership and teaching staff | 2 | | who are provided with ongoing professional development. | 3 | | (4) Voluntary enrollment. | 4 | | (5) High standards for student learning, integrating | 5 | | work experience, and education, including during the | 6 | | school year and after school, and summer school programs | 7 | | that link internships, work, and learning. | 8 | | (6) Comprehensive programs providing extensive support | 9 | | services. | 10 | | (7) Small teams of students supported by full-time paid | 11 | | mentors who work to retain and help those students | 12 | | graduate. | 13 | | (8) A comprehensive technology learning center with | 14 | | Internet access and broad-based curriculum focusing on | 15 | | academic and career subject areas. | 16 | | (9) Learning opportunities that incorporate action | 17 | | into study. | 18 | | (h) Programs funded through the IHOPE Program must report | 19 | | data to the State Board of Education as requested. This | 20 | | information shall include, but is not limited to, student | 21 | | enrollment figures, attendance information, course completion | 22 | | data, graduation information, and post-graduation information, | 23 | | as available. | 24 | | (i) Rules must be developed by the State Board of Education | 25 | | to set forth the fund distribution process to regional offices | 26 | | of education and a school district organized under Article 34 |
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| 1 | | of this Code, the planning and the conditions upon which an | 2 | | IHOPE Plan would be approved by State Board, and other rules to | 3 | | develop the IHOPE Program.
| 4 | | (Source: P.A. 96-106, eff. 7-30-09.)
| 5 | | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | 6 | | becoming law.
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