(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.
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(2) A priority emphasis on language arts and
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(3) The use of multiple valid assessments that assess
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| 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.
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(4) The use of score ranges on assessments that are
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| appropriate for the school or district population, including the use of local norms for achievement to identify high potential students.
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(5) A process of identification of gifted and
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| talented children that is of equal rigor in each area of aptitude addressed by the program.
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(6) The use of identification procedures that
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| appropriately correspond with the planned programs, curricula, and services.
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(7) A fair and equitable decision-making process.
(8) The availability of a fair and impartial appeal
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| 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.
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(9) Procedures for annually informing the community
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| at-large, including parents, about the program and the methods used for the identification of gifted and talented children.
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(10) Procedures for notifying parents or guardians of
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| a child of a decision affecting that child's participation in a program.
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(11) A description of how gifted and talented
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| 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.
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(12) An explanation of how the program emphasizes
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| higher-level skills attainment, including problem-solving, critical thinking, creative thinking, and research skills, as embedded within relevant content areas.
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(13) A methodology for measuring academic growth for
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| 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.
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(14) The collection of data on growth in learning for
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| children in a program for gifted and talented children and the reporting of the data to the State Board of Education.
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(15) The designation of a supervisor responsible for
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| overseeing the educational program for gifted and talented children.
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(16) A showing that the certified teachers who are
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| 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.
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(17) Plans for the continuation of professional
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| development for staff assigned to the program serving gifted and talented children.
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(Source: P.A. 99-706, eff. 7-29-16.)
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(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;
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(2) a fair and equitable decision-making process that
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| involves multiple persons and includes a student's parents or guardians;
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(3) procedures for notifying parents or guardians of
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| a child of a decision affecting that child's participation in an accelerated placement program; and
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(4) an assessment process that includes multiple
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| valid, reliable indicators.
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(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
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| language arts shall be automatically enrolled into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in English, social studies, humanities, or related subjects.
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(2) A student who exceeds State standards in
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| mathematics shall be automatically enrolled into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in mathematics.
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(3) A student who exceeds State standards in science
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| shall be automatically enrolled into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in science.
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(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
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| 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.
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(2) A student who meets State standards in
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| mathematics shall be automatically eligible to enroll in the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in mathematics.
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(3) A student who meets State standards in science
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| shall be automatically eligible to enroll in the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework in science.
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(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
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| 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;
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(2) a process for referral that allows for multiple
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| 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;
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(3) a provision that provides that children
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| 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;
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(4) procedures to provide support and promote success
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| for students who are newly enrolled in an accelerated placement program;
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(5) a process for the school district to review and
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| utilize disaggregated data on participation in an accelerated placement program to address gaps among demographic groups in accelerated placement opportunities; and
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(6) procedures to promote equity, which may
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| incorporate one or more of the following evidence-based practices:
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(A) the use of multiple tools to assess
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| exceptional potential and provide several pathways into advanced academic programs when assessing student need for advanced academic or accelerated programming;
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(B) providing enrichment opportunities starting
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| in the early grades to address achievement gaps that occur at school entry and provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their advanced potential;
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(C) the use of universal screening combined with
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| local school-based norms for placement in accelerated and advanced learning programs;
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(D) developing a continuum of services to
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| 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
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(E) providing professional learning in gifted
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| 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.
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(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.)
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