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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 41


 
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    WHEREAS, The overarching goal of the federal No Child Left 
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Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) is to enhance student achievement and 
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academic success and to make schools and school districts 
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accountable for their students' academic achievements; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Individual states are responsible for 
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interpreting NCLB mandates in their own laws; and

 
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    WHEREAS, NCLB requires individual states to design and 
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implement testing systems, set academic standards, hold 
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schools and school districts accountable for meeting those 
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standards, define what constitutes a "highly qualified" 
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teacher and establish their own plans for ensuring that there 
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is a "highly qualified" teacher in every classroom, and 
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determine the allocation of millions of federal education funds 
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to improve student achievement; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The State Board of Education is currently in the 
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process of presenting changes in the Illinois Accountability 
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Workbook to the U.S. Department of Education for approval to 
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provide more flexibility to schools and school districts under 
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NCLB and to ensure reliable and valid information for local 
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decision-making; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The State Board of Education is proposing several 
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aspects of change regarding subgroup size to ensure that the 
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State's accountability system is more reliable and valid, which 
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include considering an increased school and school district 
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subgroup size and the use of a confidence interval; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The State Board of Education is also proposing to 
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change how districts are identified as not making adequate 
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yearly progress (AYP) so that no district will be determined to 
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not meet AYP unless one or more of its underlying grade spans 
 


 






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have not made AYP; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The State Board of Education should include other 
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areas for maximum flexibility, such as redefining a full 
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academic year for the purposes of calculating AYP so that 
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students are enrolled in a school district for the longest 
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possible period of time prior to the administration of State 
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assessments, using the same subgroup of students in the 
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determination of AYP, and taking advantage of the recent 
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federal policy designed to help states better assist students 
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with disabilities; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The State Board of Education should work with the 
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U.S. Secretary of Education towards her goal of assisting 
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states to ensure they have the flexibility needed to raise 
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student achievement with additional alternatives and 
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flexibility to implement NCLB; therefore, be it
 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE 
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SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we support the State Board of 
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Education and the intent of its proposed modifications to the 
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Illinois Accountability Workbook; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That we urge the U.S. Department of Education to 
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approve these modifications; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be  
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presented to the State Board of Education and the U.S. 
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Department of Education.