Public Act 096-0948
 
SB2594 Enrolled LRB096 17075 MJR 32396 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    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
2-3.71 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.71)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71)
    Sec. 2-3.71. Grants for preschool educational programs.
    (a) Preschool program.
        (1) The State Board of Education shall implement and
    administer a grant program under the provisions of this
    subsection which shall consist of grants to public school
    districts and other eligible entities, as defined by the
    State Board of Education, to conduct voluntary preschool
    educational programs for children ages 3 to 5 which include
    a parent education component. A public school district
    which receives grants under this subsection may
    subcontract with other entities that are eligible to
    conduct a preschool educational program. These grants must
    be used to supplement, not supplant, funds received from
    any other source.
        (2) (Blank).
        (3) Any teacher of preschool children in the program
    authorized by this subsection shall hold an early childhood
    teaching certificate.
        (4) (Blank) This paragraph (4) applies before July 1,
    2006 and after June 30, 2010. The State Board of Education
    shall provide the primary source of funding through
    appropriations for the program. Such funds shall be
    distributed for the benefit of children who because of
    their home and community environment are subject to such
    language, cultural, economic and like disadvantages that
    they have been determined as a result of screening
    procedures to be at risk of academic failure. Such
    screening procedures shall be based on criteria
    established by the State Board of Education.
        (4.5) This paragraph (4.5) applies from July 1, 2006
    through June 30, 2010. The State Board of Education shall
    provide the primary source of funding through
    appropriations for the program. Such funds shall be
    distributed to achieve a goal of "Preschool for All
    Children" for the benefit of all children whose families
    choose to participate in the program. Based on available
    appropriations, newly funded programs shall be selected
    through a process giving first priority to qualified
    programs serving primarily at-risk children and second
    priority to qualified programs serving primarily children
    with a family income of less than 4 times the poverty
    guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by
    the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the
    authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). For purposes of this
    paragraph (4.5), at-risk children are those who because of
    their home and community environment are subject to such
    language, cultural, economic and like disadvantages to
    cause them to have been determined as a result of screening
    procedures to be at risk of academic failure. Such
    screening procedures shall be based on criteria
    established by the State Board of Education.
        Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (4.5),
    grantees under the program must enter into a memorandum of
    understanding with the appropriate local Head Start
    agency. This memorandum must be entered into no later than
    3 months after the award of a grantee's grant under the
    program, except that, in the case of the 2009-2010 program
    year, the memorandum must be entered into no later than the
    deadline set by the State Board of Education for
    applications to participate in the program in fiscal year
    2011, and must address collaboration between the grantee's
    program and the local Head Start agency on certain issues,
    which shall include without limitation the following:
            (A) educational activities, curricular objectives,
        and instruction;
            (B) public information dissemination and access to
        programs for families contacting programs;
            (C) service areas;
            (D) selection priorities for eligible children to
        be served by programs;
            (E) maximizing the impact of federal and State
        funding to benefit young children;
            (F) staff training, including opportunities for
        joint staff training;
            (G) technical assistance;
            (H) communication and parent outreach for smooth
        transitions to kindergarten;
            (I) provision and use of facilities,
        transportation, and other program elements;
            (J) facilitating each program's fulfillment of its
        statutory and regulatory requirements;
            (K) improving local planning and collaboration;
        and
            (L) providing comprehensive services for the
        neediest Illinois children and families.
    If the appropriate local Head Start agency is unable or
    unwilling to enter into a memorandum of understanding as
    required under this paragraph (4.5), the memorandum of
    understanding requirement shall not apply and the grantee
    under the program must notify the State Board of Education
    in writing of the Head Start agency's inability or
    unwillingness. The State Board of Education shall compile
    all such written notices and make them available to the
    public.
        (5) The State Board of Education shall develop and
    provide evaluation tools, including tests, that school
    districts and other eligible entities may use to evaluate
    children for school readiness prior to age 5. The State
    Board of Education shall require school districts and other
    eligible entities to obtain consent from the parents or
    guardians of children before any evaluations are
    conducted. The State Board of Education shall encourage
    local school districts and other eligible entities to
    evaluate the population of preschool children in their
    communities and provide preschool programs, pursuant to
    this subsection, where appropriate.
        (6) The State Board of Education shall report to the
    General Assembly by November 1, 2010 and every 3 years
    thereafter on the results and progress of students who were
    enrolled in preschool educational programs, including an
    assessment of which programs have been most successful in
    promoting academic excellence and alleviating academic
    failure. The State Board of Education shall assess the
    academic progress of all students who have been enrolled in
    preschool educational programs.
        On or before November 1 of each fiscal year in which
    the General Assembly provides funding for new programs
    under paragraph (4.5) of this Section, the State Board of
    Education shall report to the General Assembly on what
    percentage of new funding was provided to programs serving
    primarily at-risk children, what percentage of new funding
    was provided to programs serving primarily children with a
    family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty
    level, and what percentage of new funding was provided to
    other programs.
    (b) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 95-724, eff. 6-30-08; 96-119, eff. 8-4-09.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.