101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB0254

 

Introduced , by Rep. Will Guzzardi

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.136a new
105 ILCS 5/10-20.69 new
105 ILCS 5/34-18.61 new

    Amends the School Code. Provides that, no later than day 60 of instruction in each school year, a school board shall report to the State Board of Education for kindergarten through grade 12 classes certain information about actively employed teachers, pupil-teacher ratios, class instructors, and class sections; defines terms. Requires the State Board of Education to publish the information contained in the reports on its Internet website no later than December 1, 2020 and annually thereafter. Sets forth class size goals to be achieved by the 2021-2022 school year.


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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,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections
52-3.136a, 10-20.69, and 34-18.61 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.136a new)
7    Sec. 2-3.136a. Class size publication. No later than
8December 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the State Board of
9Education shall make available on its Internet website the
10information collected under subsection (d) of Sections
1110-20.69 and 34-18.61 of this Code.
 
12    (105 ILCS 5/10-20.69 new)
13    Sec. 10-20.69. Class size reporting and reduction goals.
14    (a) The General Assembly finds that limiting class sizes is
15an evidence-based practice that greatly benefits the
16educational development of students enrolled in public
17schools. The General Assembly also finds that decades of
18research support the following conclusions:
19        (1) Increasing class sizes is detrimental to a
20    student's educational outcomes.
21        (2) The benefits of smaller classes are greater for
22    low-income children, children of color, and young

 

 

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1    children.
2        (3) Class size effects are persistent and the cost of
3    decreasing class sizes is offset by the future social and
4    educational cost savings.
5        (4) The benefits of small class sizes include not only
6    improving student academic achievement, but also enhancing
7    social-emotional outcomes and improved school culture.
8    (b) The purposes of this Section are (i) to inform others
9about class size policy by having accurate data of class sizes
10in Illinois public schools and (ii) to set class size targets
11for classes in kindergarten through grade 12.
12    (c) In this Section:
13    "Class" means a setting in which organized instruction of
14academic course content is regularly provided to a group of
15students for a given scheduled period of time.
16    "Class instructor" means a teacher who has been assigned to
17teach students in a class at a public school.
18    "Class section" means a single class where a class
19instructor is assigned to teach more than one class per school
20day.
21    "Class size" means the number of students in a class who
22appear on the class roster and for whom the class instructor is
23primarily responsible and accountable.
24    "Pupil-teacher ratio" means the total number of students in
25a school divided by the total number of teachers working in
26that school.

 

 

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1    "Teacher" means an individual instructing students at a
2public school.
3    "Total caseload" means the total number of students taught
4by a class instructor assigned to multiple class sections,
5summed across all those assigned class sections.
6    (d) No later than day 60 of instruction in each school
7year, a school board shall report for kindergarten through
8grade 12 classes all of the following information to the State
9Board of Education:
10        (1) The total number of teachers actively employed
11    within a school district, listed by individual school.
12        (2) The pupil-teacher ratios for each school district.
13        (3) The number of class instructors, by grade level and
14    subject, in every school district.
15        (4) For teachers assigned to teach multiple class
16    sections, the class size of each class section and the
17    total caseload, listed by teacher.
18        (5) For teachers assigned to a single class, the class
19    size for that class, listed by teacher.
20    (e) The goal of the General Assembly is to make adequate
21provisions to ensure that, by the beginning of the 2021-2022
22school year, the following class size goals are met:
23        (1) Class size shall not exceed 18 students for a class
24    of kindergarten students or a class of multi-grade students
25    that includes kindergarten students.
26        (2) Class size shall not exceed 22 students for a class

 

 

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1    that includes students in grades 1 through 5.
2        (3) Class size shall not exceed 25 students for a class
3    that includes students in grades 6 through 12.
4        (4) The total caseload per teacher for teachers
5    assigned as class instructors for multiple class sections
6    shall not exceed 150 students.
 
7    (105 ILCS 5/34-18.61 new)
8    Sec. 34-18.61. Class size reporting and reduction goals.
9    (a) The General Assembly finds that limiting class sizes is
10an evidence-based practice that greatly benefits the
11educational development of students enrolled in public
12schools. The General Assembly also finds that decades of
13research support the following conclusions:
14        (1) Increasing class sizes is detrimental to a
15    student's educational outcomes.
16        (2) The benefits of smaller classes are greater for
17    low-income children, children of color, and young
18    children.
19        (3) Class size effects are persistent and the cost of
20    decreasing class sizes is offset by the future social and
21    educational cost savings.
22        (4) The benefits of small class sizes include not only
23    improving student academic achievement, but also enhancing
24    social-emotional outcomes and improved school culture.
25    (b) The purposes of this Section are (i) to inform others

 

 

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1about class size policy by having accurate data of class sizes
2in Illinois public schools and (ii) to set class size targets
3for classes in kindergarten through grade 12.
4    (c) In this Section:
5    "Class" means a setting in which organized instruction of
6academic course content is regularly provided to a group of
7students for a given scheduled period of time.
8    "Class instructor" means a teacher who has been assigned to
9teach students in a class at a public school.
10    "Class section" means a single class where a class
11instructor is assigned to teach more than one class per school
12day.
13    "Class size" means the number of students in a class who
14appear on the class roster and for whom the class instructor is
15primarily responsible and accountable.
16    "Pupil-teacher ratio" means the total number of students in
17a school divided by the total number of teachers working in
18that school.
19    "Teacher" means an individual instructing students at a
20public school.
21    "Total caseload" means the total number of students taught
22by a class instructor assigned to multiple class sections,
23summed across all those assigned class sections.
24    (d) No later than day 60 of instruction in each school
25year, the board shall report for kindergarten through grade 12
26classes all of the following information to the State Board of

 

 

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1Education:
2        (1) The total number of teachers actively employed
3    within the district, listed by individual school.
4        (2) The pupil-teacher ratios for the district.
5        (3) The number of class instructors, by grade level and
6    subject, in the district.
7        (4) For teachers assigned to teach multiple class
8    sections, the class size of each class section and the
9    total caseload, listed by teacher.
10        (5) For teachers assigned to a single class, the class
11    size for that class, listed by teacher.
12    (e) The goal of the General Assembly is to make adequate
13provisions to ensure that, by the beginning of the 2021-2022
14school year, the following class size goals are met:
15        (1) Class size shall not exceed 18 students for a class
16    of kindergarten students or a class of multi-grade students
17    that includes kindergarten students.
18        (2) Class size shall not exceed 22 students for a class
19    that includes students in grades 1 through 5.
20        (3) Class size shall not exceed 25 students for a class
21    that includes students in grades 6 through 12.
22        (4) The total caseload per teacher for teachers
23    assigned as class instructors for multiple class sections
24    shall not exceed 150 students.