(105 ILCS 5/14-13.01) (from Ch. 122, par. 14-13.01)
Sec. 14-13.01. Reimbursement payable by State; amounts for personnel and transportation. (a) Through fiscal year 2017, for staff working on behalf of children who have not been identified as eligible for special
education and for eligible children with physical
disabilities, including all
eligible children whose placement has been determined under Section 14-8.02 in
hospital or home instruction, 1/2 of the teacher's salary but not more than
$1,000 annually per child or $9,000 per teacher, whichever is less. (a-5) A child qualifies for home or hospital instruction if it is anticipated that, due to a medical condition, the child will be unable to attend school, and instead must be instructed at home or in the hospital, for a period of 2 or more consecutive weeks or on an ongoing intermittent basis. For purposes of this Section, "ongoing intermittent basis" means that the child's medical condition is of such a nature or severity that it is anticipated that the child will be absent from school due to the medical condition for periods of at least 2 days at a time multiple times during the school year totaling at least 10 days or more of absences. There shall be no requirement that a child be absent from school a minimum number of days before the child qualifies for home or hospital instruction. In order to establish eligibility for home or hospital services, a student's parent or guardian must submit to the child's school district of residence a written statement from a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, a licensed physician assistant, or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse stating the existence of such medical condition, the impact on the child's ability to participate in education, and the anticipated duration or nature of the child's absence from school. Home or hospital instruction may commence upon receipt of a written physician's, physician assistant's, or advanced practice registered nurse's statement in accordance with this Section, but instruction shall commence not later than 5 school days after the school district receives the physician's, physician assistant's, or advanced practice registered nurse's statement. Special education and related services required by the child's IEP or services and accommodations required by the child's federal Section 504 plan must be implemented as part of the child's home or hospital instruction, unless the IEP team or federal Section 504 plan team determines that modifications are necessary during the home or hospital instruction due to the child's condition. (a-10) Through fiscal year 2017, eligible children
to be included in any reimbursement under this paragraph must regularly
receive a minimum of one hour of instruction each school day, or in lieu
thereof of a minimum of 5 hours of instruction in each school week in
order to qualify for full reimbursement under this Section. If the
attending physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse for such a child has certified that the child should
not receive as many as 5 hours of instruction in a school week, however,
reimbursement under this paragraph on account of that child shall be
computed proportionate to the actual hours of instruction per week for
that child divided by 5. (a-15) The State Board of Education shall establish rules governing the required qualifications of staff providing home or hospital instruction.
(b) For children described in Section 14-1.02, 80% of the cost of
transportation approved as a related service in the Individualized Education Program for each student
in order to take advantage of special educational facilities.
Transportation costs shall be determined in the same fashion as provided
in Section 29-5 of this Code. For purposes of this subsection (b), the dates for
processing claims specified in Section 29-5 shall apply.
(c) Through fiscal year 2017, for each qualified worker, the annual sum of
$9,000.
(d) Through fiscal year 2017, for one full-time qualified director of the special education
program of each school district which maintains a fully approved program
of special education, the annual sum of $9,000. Districts participating in a joint agreement special
education program shall not receive such reimbursement if reimbursement is made
for a director of the joint agreement program.
(e) (Blank).
(f) (Blank).
(g) Through fiscal year 2017, for readers working with blind or partially seeing children, 1/2
of their salary but not more than $400 annually per child. Readers may
be employed to assist such children and shall not be required to be
certified but prior to employment shall meet standards set up by the
State Board of Education.
(h) Through fiscal year 2017, for non-certified employees, as defined by rules promulgated by the State Board of Education, who deliver services to students with IEPs, 1/2 of the salary paid or
$3,500 per employee, whichever is less.
(i) The State Board of Education shall set standards and prescribe rules
for determining the allocation of reimbursement under this section on
less than a full time basis and for less than a school year.
When any school district eligible for reimbursement under this
Section operates a school or program approved by the State
Superintendent of Education for a number of days in excess of the
adopted school calendar but not to exceed 235 school days, such
reimbursement shall be increased by 1/180 of the amount or rate paid
hereunder for each day such school is operated in excess of 180 days per
calendar year.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any school district receiving
a payment under this Section or under Section 14-7.02, 14-7.02b, or
29-5 of this Code may classify all or a portion of the funds that it receives
in a particular fiscal year or from evidence-based funding pursuant to Section 18-8.15
of this Code as
funds received in connection with any funding program for which it is
entitled to receive funds from the State in that fiscal year (including,
without limitation, any funding program referenced in this Section),
regardless of the source or timing of the receipt. The district may not
classify more funds as funds received in connection with the funding
program than the district is entitled to receive in that fiscal year for that
program. Any
classification by a district must be made by a resolution of its board of
education. The resolution must identify the amount of any payments or evidence-based funding
to be classified under this paragraph and must specify
the funding program to which the funds are to be treated as received in
connection therewith. This resolution is controlling as to the
classification of funds referenced therein. A certified copy of the
resolution must be sent to the State Superintendent of Education.
The resolution shall still take effect even though a copy of the resolution has
not been sent to the State
Superintendent of Education in a timely manner.
No
classification under this paragraph by a district shall affect the total amount
or timing of money the district is entitled to receive under this Code.
No classification under this paragraph by a district shall
in any way relieve the district from or affect any
requirements that otherwise would apply with respect to
that funding program, including any
accounting of funds by source, reporting expenditures by
original source and purpose,
reporting requirements,
or requirements of providing services.
No funding shall be provided to school districts under this Section after fiscal year 2017. In fiscal year 2018 and each fiscal year thereafter, all funding received by a school district from the State pursuant to Section 18-8.15 of this Code that is attributable to personnel reimbursements for special education pupils must be used for special education services authorized under this Code. (Source: P.A. 100-443, eff. 8-25-17; 100-465, eff. 8-31-17; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/14-15.01) (from Ch. 122, par. 14-15.01) Sec. 14-15.01. Community and Residential Services Authority. (a)(1) The Community and Residential Services Authority is hereby created and shall consist of the following members: A representative of the State Board of Education; Four representatives of the Department of Human |
| Services appointed by the Secretary of Human Services, with one member from the Division of Community Health and Prevention, one member from the Division of Developmental Disabilities, one member from the Division of Mental Health, and one member from the Division of Rehabilitation Services;
|
|
A representative of the Department of Children and
|
|
A representative of the Department of Juvenile
|
|
A representative of the Department of Healthcare and
|
|
A representative of the Attorney General's Disability
|
| Rights Advocacy Division;
|
|
The Chairperson and Minority Spokesperson of the
|
| House and Senate Committees on Elementary and Secondary Education or their designees; and
|
|
Six persons appointed by the Governor. Five of such
|
| appointees shall be experienced or knowledgeable relative to provision of services for individuals with a behavior disorder or a severe emotional disturbance and shall include representatives of both the private and public sectors, except that no more than 2 of those 5 appointees may be from the public sector and at least 2 must be or have been directly involved in provision of services to such individuals. The remaining member appointed by the Governor shall be or shall have been a parent of an individual with a behavior disorder or a severe emotional disturbance, and that appointee may be from either the private or the public sector.
|
|
(2) Members appointed by the Governor shall be appointed for terms of 4 years and shall continue to serve until their respective successors are appointed; provided that the terms of the original appointees shall expire on August 1, 1990. Any vacancy in the office of a member appointed by the Governor shall be filled by appointment of the Governor for the remainder of the term.
A vacancy in the office of a member appointed by the Governor exists when one or more of the following events occur:
(i) An appointee dies;
(ii) An appointee files a written resignation with
|
|
(iii) An appointee ceases to be a legal resident of
|
| the State of Illinois; or
|
|
(iv) An appointee fails to attend a majority of
|
| regularly scheduled Authority meetings in a fiscal year.
|
|
Members who are representatives of an agency shall serve at the will of the agency head. Membership on the Authority shall cease immediately upon cessation of their affiliation with the agency. If such a vacancy occurs, the appropriate agency head shall appoint another person to represent the agency.
If a legislative member of the Authority ceases to be Chairperson or Minority Spokesperson of the designated Committees, they shall automatically be replaced on the Authority by the person who assumes the position of Chairperson or Minority Spokesperson.
(b) The Community and Residential Services Authority shall have the following powers and duties:
(1) Serve as a Parent/Guardian Navigator Assistance
|
| Program, to work directly with parents/guardians of youth with behavioral health concerns to provide assistance coordinating efforts with public agencies, including but not limited to local school district, State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Department of Public Health, and Department of Juvenile Justice.
|
|
(2) Work in conjunction with the new Care Portal and
|
| Care Portal Team to utilize the centralized IT platform for communication and case management, including collaboration on the development of Portal training, communications to the public, business processes for case triage, assignment, and referral.
|
|
(3) To develop and submit to the Governor, the
|
| General Assembly, the Directors of the agencies represented on the Authority, and State Board of Education a master plan for operating the Parent/Guardian Navigator Assistance Program, including how referrals are made, plan for dispute relative to plans of service or funding for plans of service, plans to include parents with lived experience as peer supports.
|
|
(4) (Blank).
(5) (Blank).
(6) (Blank).
(7) (Blank).
(8) (Blank).
(c)(1) The members of the Authority shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be entitled to reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred while performing their duties.
(2) The Authority may appoint special study groups to operate under the direction of the Authority and persons appointed to such groups shall receive only reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
(3) The Authority shall elect from its membership a chairperson, vice-chairperson and secretary.
(4) The Authority may employ and fix the compensation of such employees and technical assistants as it deems necessary to carry out its powers and duties under this Act. Staff assistance for the Authority shall be provided by the State Board of Education.
(5) Funds for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the Authority shall be appropriated to the State Board of Education in a separate line item.
(d)(1) The Authority shall have power to promulgate rules and regulations to carry out its powers and duties under this Act.
(2) The Authority may accept monetary gifts or grants from the federal government or any agency thereof, from any charitable foundation or professional association or from any other reputable source for implementation of any program necessary or desirable to the carrying out of the general purposes of the Authority. Such gifts and grants may be held in trust by the Authority and expended in the exercise of its powers and performance of its duties as prescribed by law.
(3) The Authority shall submit an annual report of its activities and expenditures to the Governor, the General Assembly, the directors of agencies represented on the Authority, and the State Superintendent of Education, due January 1 of each year.
(e) The Executive Director of the Authority or his or her designee shall be added as a participant on the Interagency Clinical Team established in the intergovernmental agreement among the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Human Services, the State Board of Education, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Public Health, with consent of the youth or the youth's guardian or family pursuant to the Custody Relinquishment Prevention Act.
(Source: P.A. 102-43, eff. 7-6-21; 103-546, eff. 8-11-23.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/14-16) Sec. 14-16. Participation in graduation ceremony.
(a) This Section may be referred to as Brittany's Law. The General Assembly finds the following: (1) Each year, school districts across this State |
| celebrate their students' accomplishments through graduation ceremonies at which high school diplomas are bestowed upon students who have completed their high school requirements.
|
|
(2) There are children with disabilities in this
|
| State who have finished 4 years of high school, but whose individualized education programs prescribe the continuation of special education, transition planning, transition services, or related services beyond the completion of 4 years of high school.
|
|
(3) It is well-established that the awarding of a
|
| high school diploma to and the high school graduation of a child with a disability is tantamount to the termination of eligibility for special education and related services for the student under applicable federal law.
|
|
(4) Many children with disabilities who will
|
| continue their public education in accordance with their individualized education programs after finishing 4 years of high school wish to celebrate their accomplishments by participating in a graduation ceremony with their classmates.
|
|
(5) The opportunity for classmates with disabilities
|
| and those without disabilities to celebrate their accomplishments together only occurs once, and the opportunity to celebrate the receipt of a diploma several years after one's classmates have graduated diminishes the experience for students whose age peers have left high school several years earlier.
|
|
(b) Beginning March 1, 2005, each school district that operates a high school must have a policy and procedures that allow a child with a disability who will have completed 4 years of high school at the end of a school year to participate in the graduation ceremony of the student's high school graduating class and receive a certificate of completion if the student's individualized education program prescribes special education, transition planning, transition services, or related services beyond the student's 4 years of high school. The policy and procedures must require timely and meaningful written notice to children with disabilities and their parents or guardians about the school district's policy and procedures adopted in accordance with this Section.
(c) The State Board of Education shall monitor and enforce compliance with the provisions of this Section and is authorized to adopt rules for that purpose.
(Source: P.A. 93-1079, eff. 1-21-05.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/14A-30) Sec. 14A-30. Funding of local gifted education programs. A local program for the education of gifted and talented children may be approved for funding by the State Board of Education, pursuant to a request for proposals process, if funds for that purpose are available and, beginning with the beginning of the 2010-2011 academic year, if the local program submits an application for funds that includes a comprehensive plan (i) showing that the applicant is capable of meeting a portion of the following requirements, (ii) showing the program elements currently in place and a timeline for implementation of other elements, and (iii) demonstrating to the satisfaction of the State Board of Education that the applicant is capable of implementing a program of gifted education consistent with this Article: (1) The use of assessment instruments, such as |
| nonverbal ability tests and tests in students' native languages, and a selection process that is equitable to and inclusive of underrepresented groups, including low-income students, minority students, students with disabilities, twice-exceptional students, and English learners.
|
|
(2) A priority emphasis on language arts and
|
|
(3) The use of multiple valid assessments that assess
|
| both demonstrated achievement and potential for achievement, including cognitive ability tests and general or subject specific achievement tests, applied universally to all students, and appropriate for the content focus of the gifted services that will be provided. School districts and schools may add other local, valid assessments, such as portfolios. Assessments and selection processes must ensure multiple pathways into the program.
|
|
(4) The use of score ranges on assessments that are
|
| appropriate for the school or district population, including the use of local norms for achievement to identify high potential students.
|
|
(5) A process of identification of gifted and
|
| talented children that is of equal rigor in each area of aptitude addressed by the program.
|
|
(6) The use of identification procedures that
|
| appropriately correspond with the planned programs, curricula, and services.
|
|
(7) A fair and equitable decision-making process.
(8) The availability of a fair and impartial appeal
|
| process within the school, school district, or cooperative of school districts operating a program for parents or guardians whose children are aggrieved by a decision of the school, school district, or cooperative of school districts regarding eligibility for participation in a program.
|
|
(9) Procedures for annually informing the community
|
| at-large, including parents, about the program and the methods used for the identification of gifted and talented children.
|
|
(10) Procedures for notifying parents or guardians of
|
| a child of a decision affecting that child's participation in a program.
|
|
(11) A description of how gifted and talented
|
| children will be grouped and instructed in order to maximize the educational benefits the children derive from participation in the program, including curriculum modifications and options that accelerate and add depth and complexity to the curriculum content.
|
|
(12) An explanation of how the program emphasizes
|
| higher-level skills attainment, including problem-solving, critical thinking, creative thinking, and research skills, as embedded within relevant content areas.
|
|
(13) A methodology for measuring academic growth for
|
| gifted and talented children and a procedure for communicating a child's progress to his or her parents or guardian, including, but not limited to, a report card.
|
|
(14) The collection of data on growth in learning for
|
| children in a program for gifted and talented children and the reporting of the data to the State Board of Education.
|
|
(15) The designation of a supervisor responsible for
|
| overseeing the educational program for gifted and talented children.
|
|
(16) A showing that the certified teachers who are
|
| assigned to teach gifted and talented children understand the characteristics and educational needs of children and are able to differentiate the curriculum and apply instructional methods to meet the needs of the children.
|
|
(17) Plans for the continuation of professional
|
| development for staff assigned to the program serving gifted and talented children.
|
|
(Source: P.A. 99-706, eff. 7-29-16.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/14A-32) Sec. 14A-32. Accelerated placement; school district responsibilities. (a) Each school district shall have a policy that allows for accelerated placement that includes or incorporates by reference the following components: (1) a provision that provides that participation in |
| accelerated placement is not limited to those children who have been identified as gifted and talented, but rather is open to all children who demonstrate high ability and who may benefit from accelerated placement;
|
|
(2) a fair and equitable decision-making process that
|
| involves multiple persons and includes a student's parents or guardians;
|
|
(3) procedures for notifying parents or guardians of
|
| a child of a decision affecting that child's participation in an accelerated placement program; and
|
|
(4) an assessment process that includes multiple
|
| valid, reliable indicators.
|
|
(a-5) By no later than the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, a school district's accelerated placement policy shall allow for the automatic enrollment, in the following school term, of a student into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework offered by the high school if the student meets or exceeds State standards in English language arts, mathematics, or science on a State assessment administered under Section 2-3.64a-5 as follows:
(1) A student who exceeds State standards in English
|
| language arts shall be automatically enrolled into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in English, social studies, humanities, or related subjects.
|
|
(2) A student who exceeds State standards in
|
| mathematics shall be automatically enrolled into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in mathematics.
|
|
(3) A student who exceeds State standards in science
|
| shall be automatically enrolled into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in science.
|
|
(a-10) By no later than the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year, a school district's accelerated placement policy shall allow for automatic eligibility, in the following school term, for a student to enroll in the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework offered by the high school if the student meets State standards in English language arts, mathematics, or science on a State assessment administered under Section 2-3.64a-5 as follows:
(1) A student who meets State standards in English
|
| language arts shall be automatically eligible to enroll in the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in English, social studies, humanities, or related subjects.
|
|
(2) A student who meets State standards in
|
| mathematics shall be automatically eligible to enroll in the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in mathematics.
|
|
(3) A student who meets State standards in science
|
| shall be automatically eligible to enroll in the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in science.
|
|
(a-15) For a student entering grade 12, the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in English language arts or mathematics shall be a dual credit course, as defined in the Dual Credit Quality Act, an Advanced Placement course, as defined in Section 10 of the College and Career Success for All Students Act, or an International Baccalaureate course; otherwise, the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework under this subsection (a-15) may include a dual credit course, as defined in the Dual Credit Quality Act, an Advanced Placement course, as defined in Section 10 of the College and Career Success for All Students Act, an International Baccalaureate course, an honors class, an enrichment opportunity, a gifted program, or another program offered by the district.
A school district may use the student's most recent State assessment results to determine whether a student meets or exceeds State standards. For a student entering grade 9, results from the State assessment taken in grades 6 through 8 may be used. For other high school grades, the results from a locally selected, nationally normed assessment may be used instead of the State assessment if those results are the most recent.
(a-20) A school district's accelerated placement policy may allow for the waiver of a course or unit of instruction completion requirement if (i) completion of the course or unit of instruction is required by this Code or rules adopted by the State Board of Education as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma and (ii) the school district has determined that the student has demonstrated mastery of or competency in the content of the course or unit of instruction. The school district shall maintain documentation of this determination of mastery or competency for each student, that shall include identification of the learning standards or competencies reviewed, the methods of measurement used, student performance, the date of the determination, and identification of the district personnel involved in the determination process.
(a-25) A school district's accelerated placement policy must include a process through which the parent or guardian of each student who meets State standards is provided notification in writing of the student's eligibility for enrollment in accelerated courses. This notification must provide details on the procedures for the parent or guardian to enroll or not enroll the student in accelerated courses, in writing, on forms the school district makes available. If no course selection is made by the parent or guardian in accordance with procedures set forth by the school district, the student shall be automatically enrolled in the next most rigorous level of coursework. A school district must provide the parent or guardian of a student eligible for enrollment under subsection (a-5) or (a-10) with the option to instead have the student enroll in alternative coursework that better aligns with the student's postsecondary education or career goals. If applicable, a school district must provide notification to a student's parent or guardian that the student will receive a waiver of a course or unit of instruction completion requirement under subsections (a-5) or (a-10).
Nothing in subsection (a-5) or (a-10) may be interpreted to preclude other students from enrolling in advanced coursework per the policy of a school district.
(a-30) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit the implementation of policies that allow for automatic enrollment of students who meet standards on State assessments into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework offered by a high school.
(b) Further, a school district's accelerated placement policy may include or incorporate by reference, but need not be limited to, the following components:
(1) procedures for annually informing the community
|
| at-large, including parents or guardians, community-based organizations, and providers of out-of-school programs, about the accelerated placement program and the methods used for the identification of children eligible for accelerated placement, including strategies to reach groups of students and families who have been historically underrepresented in accelerated placement programs and advanced coursework;
|
|
(2) a process for referral that allows for multiple
|
| referrers, including a child's parents or guardians; other referrers may include licensed education professionals, the child, with the written consent of a parent or guardian, a peer, through a licensed education professional who has knowledge of the referred child's abilities, or, in case of possible early entrance, a preschool educator, pediatrician, or psychologist who knows the child;
|
|
(3) a provision that provides that children
|
| participating in an accelerated placement program and their parents or guardians will be provided a written plan detailing the type of acceleration the child will receive and strategies to support the child;
|
|
(4) procedures to provide support and promote success
|
| for students who are newly enrolled in an accelerated placement program;
|
|
(5) a process for the school district to review and
|
| utilize disaggregated data on participation in an accelerated placement program to address gaps among demographic groups in accelerated placement opportunities; and
|
|
(6) procedures to promote equity, which may
|
| incorporate one or more of the following evidence-based practices:
|
|
(A) the use of multiple tools to assess
|
| exceptional potential and provide several pathways into advanced academic programs when assessing student need for advanced academic or accelerated programming;
|
|
(B) providing enrichment opportunities starting
|
| in the early grades to address achievement gaps that occur at school entry and provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their advanced potential;
|
|
(C) the use of universal screening combined with
|
| local school-based norms for placement in accelerated and advanced learning programs;
|
|
(D) developing a continuum of services to
|
| identify and develop talent in all learners ranging from enriched learning experiences, such as problem-based learning, performance tasks, critical thinking, and career exploration, to accelerated placement and advanced academic programming; and
|
|
(E) providing professional learning in gifted
|
| education for teachers and other appropriate school personnel to appropriately identify and challenge students from diverse cultures and backgrounds who may benefit from accelerated placement or advanced academic programming.
|
|
(c) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to determine data to be collected and disaggregated by demographic group regarding accelerated placement, including the rates of students who participate in and successfully complete advanced coursework, and a method of making the information available to the public.
(d) On or before November 1, 2022, following a review of disaggregated data on the participation and successful completion rates of students enrolled in an accelerated placement program, each school district shall develop a plan to expand access to its accelerated placement program and to ensure the teaching capacity necessary to meet the increased demand.
(Source: P.A. 102-209, eff. 11-30-21 (See Section 5 of P.A. 102-671 for effective date of P.A. 102-209); 103-263, eff. 6-30-23; 103-743, eff. 8-2-24.)
|