101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB3977

 

Introduced 1/8/2020, by Rep. Rita Mayfield

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/10-20.56

    Amends the School Code. Permits student instruction to be received electronically under a school district's program for e-learning days while students are not physically present because a school was selected to be a polling place under the Election Code.


LRB101 15453 CMG 64785 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3977LRB101 15453 CMG 64785 b

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 changing Section
510-20.56 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/10-20.56)
7    Sec. 10-20.56. E-learning days.
8    (a) The State Board of Education shall establish and
9maintain, for implementation in school districts, a program for
10use of electronic-learning (e-learning) days, as described in
11this Section.
12    (b) The school board of a school district may, by
13resolution, adopt a research-based program or research-based
14programs for e-learning days district-wide that shall permit
15student instruction to be received electronically while
16students are not physically present in lieu of the district's
17scheduled emergency days as required by Section 10-19 of this
18Code or because a school was selected to be a polling place
19under Section 11-4.1 of the Election Code. The research-based
20program or programs may not exceed the minimum number of
21emergency days in the approved school calendar and must be
22verified by the regional office of education or intermediate
23service center for the school district on or before September

 

 

HB3977- 2 -LRB101 15453 CMG 64785 b

11st annually to ensure access for all students. The regional
2office of education or intermediate service center shall ensure
3that the specific needs of all students are met, including
4special education students and English learners, and that all
5mandates are still met using the proposed research-based
6program. The e-learning program may utilize the Internet,
7telephones, texts, chat rooms, or other similar means of
8electronic communication for instruction and interaction
9between teachers and students that meet the needs of all
10learners. The e-learning program shall address the school
11district's responsibility to ensure that all teachers and staff
12who may be involved in the provision of e-learning have access
13to any and all hardware and software that may be required for
14the program. If a proposed program does not address this
15responsibility, the school district must propose an alternate
16program.
17    (c) Before its adoption by a school board, the school board
18must hold a public hearing on a school district's initial
19proposal for an e-learning program or for renewal of such a
20program, at a regular or special meeting of the school board,
21in which the terms of the proposal must be substantially
22presented and an opportunity for allowing public comments must
23be provided. Notice of such public hearing must be provided at
24least 10 days prior to the hearing by:
25        (1) publication in a newspaper of general circulation
26    in the school district;

 

 

HB3977- 3 -LRB101 15453 CMG 64785 b

1        (2) written or electronic notice designed to reach the
2    parents or guardians of all students enrolled in the school
3    district; and
4        (3) written or electronic notice designed to reach any
5    exclusive collective bargaining representatives of school
6    district employees and all those employees not in a
7    collective bargaining unit.
8    (d) The regional office of education or intermediate
9service center for the school district must timely verify that
10a proposal for an e-learning program has met the requirements
11specified in this Section and that the proposal contains
12provisions designed to reasonably and practicably accomplish
13the following:
14        (1) to ensure and verify at least 5 clock hours of
15    instruction or school work, as required under Section
16    10-19.05, for each student participating in an e-learning
17    day;
18        (2) to ensure access from home or other appropriate
19    remote facility for all students participating, including
20    computers, the Internet, and other forms of electronic
21    communication that must be utilized in the proposed
22    program;
23        (2.5) to ensure that non-electronic materials are made
24    available to students participating in the program who do
25    not have access to the required technology or to
26    participating teachers or students who are prevented from

 

 

HB3977- 4 -LRB101 15453 CMG 64785 b

1    accessing the required technology;
2        (3) to ensure appropriate learning opportunities for
3    students with special needs;
4        (4) to monitor and verify each student's electronic
5    participation;
6        (5) to address the extent to which student
7    participation is within the student's control as to the
8    time, pace, and means of learning;
9        (6) to provide effective notice to students and their
10    parents or guardians of the use of particular days for
11    e-learning;
12        (7) to provide staff and students with adequate
13    training for e-learning days' participation;
14        (8) to ensure an opportunity for any collective
15    bargaining negotiations with representatives of the school
16    district's employees that would be legally required,
17    including all classifications of school district employees
18    who are represented by collective bargaining agreements
19    and who would be affected in the event of an e-learning
20    day;
21        (9) to review and revise the program as implemented to
22    address difficulties confronted; and
23        (10) to ensure that the protocol regarding general
24    expectations and responsibilities of the program is
25    communicated to teachers, staff, and students at least 30
26    days prior to utilizing an e-learning day.

 

 

HB3977- 5 -LRB101 15453 CMG 64785 b

1    The school board's approval of a school district's initial
2e-learning program and renewal of the e-learning program shall
3be for a term of 3 years.
4    (e) The State Board of Education may adopt rules consistent
5with the provision of this Section.
6(Source: P.A. 100-760, eff. 8-10-18; 101-12, eff. 7-1-19.)