SB1569enr 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1569 Enrolled LRB101 09273 AXK 54367 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 Sections 1H-115, 2-3.64a-5, 2-3.71, 2-3.170, 10-19, 10-19.05, 10-20.56, 10-21.9, 14-8.02f, 14-8.02h, 17-2.11, 17-2A, 18-8.15, 21A-5, 21A-30, 21A-35, 21B-20, 21B-35, 21B-45, 21B-50, 24-11, 24-12, 24A-5, 27-3, 27-6.5, 27-8.1, 27-21, 27-22, 34-2.1, 34-2.2, 34-18.5, 34-85, and 34-85c and by adding Sections 10-30, 21B-110, 21B-115, 22-89, and 34-18.66 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/1H-115)

Sec. 1H-115. Abolition of Panel.

(a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (c), and (d), and (e) of this Section, the Panel shall be abolished 10 years after its creation.

(b) The State Board, upon recommendation of the Panel or petition of the school board, may abolish the Panel at any time after the Panel has been in existence for 3 years if no obligations of the Panel are outstanding or remain undefeased and upon investigation and finding that:

(1) none of the factors specified in Section 1A-8 of this Code remain applicable to the district; and

(2) there has been substantial achievement of the goals and objectives established pursuant to the financial plan and required under Section 1H-15 of this Code.

(c) The Panel of a district that otherwise meets all of the requirements for abolition of a Panel under subsection (b) of this Section, except for the fact that there are outstanding financial obligations of the Panel, may petition the State Board for reinstatement of all of the school board's powers and duties assumed by the Panel; and if approved by the State Board, then:

(1) the Panel shall continue in operation, but its powers and duties shall be limited to those necessary to manage and administer its outstanding obligations;

(2) the school board shall once again begin exercising all of the powers and duties otherwise allowed by statute; and

(3) the Panel shall be abolished as provided in subsection (a) of this Section.

(d) If the Panel of a district otherwise meets all of the requirements for abolition of a Panel under subsection (b) of this Section, except for outstanding obligations of the Panel, then the district may petition the State Board for abolition of the Panel if the district:

(1) establishes an irrevocable trust fund, the purpose of which is to provide moneys to defease the outstanding obligations of the Panel; and

(2) issues funding bonds pursuant to the provisions of Sections 19-8 and 19-9 of this Code.

A district with a Panel that falls under this subsection (d) shall be abolished as provided in subsection (a) of this Section.

(e) The duration of a Panel may be continued for more than 10 years after the date of its creation if the State Board extends the Panel's duration under paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of Section 18-8.15 of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 97-429, eff. 8-16-11; 98-463, eff. 8-16-13.)

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a-5)

Sec. 2-3.64a-5. State goals and assessment.

(a) For the assessment and accountability purposes of this Section, "students" includes those students enrolled in a public or State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board of control, a charter school operating in compliance with the Charter Schools Law, a school operated by a regional office of education under Section 13A-3 of this Code, or a public school administered by a local public agency or the Department of Human Services.

(b) The State Board of Education shall establish the academic standards that are to be applicable to students who are subject to State assessments under this Section. The State Board of Education shall not establish any such standards in final form without first providing opportunities for public participation and local input in the development of the final academic standards. Those opportunities shall include a well-publicized period of public comment and opportunities to file written comments.

(c) Beginning no later than the 2014-2015 school year, the State Board of Education shall annually assess all students enrolled in grades 3 through 8 in English language arts and mathematics.

Beginning no later than the 2017-2018 school year, the State Board of Education shall annually assess all students in science at one grade in grades 3 through 5, at one grade in grades 6 through 8, and at one grade in grades 9 through 12.

The State Board of Education shall annually assess schools that operate a secondary education program, as defined in Section 22-22 of this Code, in English language arts and mathematics. The State Board of Education shall administer no more than 3 assessments, per student, of English language arts and mathematics for students in a secondary education program. One of these assessments shall be recognized by this State's public institutions of higher education, as defined in the Board of Higher Education Act, for the purpose of student application or admissions consideration. The assessment administered by the State Board of Education for the purpose of student application to or admissions consideration by institutions of higher education must be administered on a school day during regular student attendance hours.

Students who do not take the State's final accountability assessment or its approved alternate assessment may not receive a regular high school diploma unless the student is exempted from taking the State assessments under subsection (d) of this Section because the student is enrolled in a program of adult and continuing education, as defined in the Adult Education Act, or the student is identified by the State Board of Education, through rules, as being exempt from the assessment.

The State Board of Education shall not assess students under this Section in subjects not required by this Section.

Districts shall inform their students of the timelines and procedures applicable to their participation in every yearly administration of the State assessments. The State Board of Education shall establish periods of time in each school year during which State assessments shall occur to meet the objectives of this Section.

The requirements of this subsection do not apply if the State Board of Education has received a waiver from the administration of assessments from the U.S. Department of Education.

(d) Every individualized educational program as described in Article 14 shall identify if the State assessment or components thereof require accommodation for the student. The State Board of Education shall develop rules governing the administration of an alternate assessment that may be available to students for whom participation in this State's regular assessments is not appropriate, even with accommodations as allowed under this Section.

Students receiving special education services whose individualized educational programs identify them as eligible for the alternative State assessments nevertheless shall have the option of also taking this State's regular final accountability assessment, which shall be administered in accordance with the eligible accommodations appropriate for meeting these students' respective needs.

All students determined to be English learners shall participate in the State assessments. The scores of those students who have been enrolled in schools in the United States for less than 12 months may not be used for the purposes of accountability. Any student determined to be an English learner shall receive appropriate assessment accommodations, including language supports, which shall be established by rule. Approved assessment accommodations must be provided until the student's English language skills develop to the extent that the student is no longer considered to be an English learner, as demonstrated through a State-identified English language proficiency assessment.

(e) The results or scores of each assessment taken under this Section shall be made available to the parents of each student.

In each school year, the scores attained by a student on the final accountability assessment must be placed in the student's permanent record pursuant to rules that the State Board of Education shall adopt for that purpose in accordance with Section 3 of the Illinois School Student Records Act. In each school year, the scores attained by a student on the State assessments administered in grades 3 through 8 must be placed in the student's temporary record.

(f) All schools shall administer the State's academic assessment of English language proficiency to all children determined to be English learners.

(g) All schools in this State that are part of the sample drawn by the National Center for Education Statistics, in collaboration with their school districts and the State Board of Education, shall administer the academic assessments under the National Assessment of Educational Progress carried out under Section 411(b)(2) of the federal National Education Statistics Act of 1994 (20 U.S.C. 9010) if the U.S. Secretary of Education pays the costs of administering the assessments.

(h) (Blank).

(i) For the purposes of this subsection (i), "academically based assessments" means assessments consisting of questions and answers that are measurable and quantifiable to measure the knowledge, skills, and ability of students in the subject matters covered by the assessments. All assessments administered pursuant to this Section must be academically based assessments. The scoring of academically based assessments shall be reliable, valid, and fair and shall meet the guidelines for assessment development and use prescribed by the American Psychological Association, the National Council on Measurement in Education, and the American Educational Research Association.

The State Board of Education shall review the use of all assessment item types in order to ensure that they are valid and reliable indicators of student performance aligned to the learning standards being assessed and that the development, administration, and scoring of these item types are justifiable in terms of cost.

(j) The State Superintendent of Education shall appoint a committee of no more than 21 members, consisting of parents, teachers, school administrators, school board members, assessment experts, regional superintendents of schools, and citizens, to review the State assessments administered by the State Board of Education. The Committee shall select one of its members as its chairperson. The Committee shall meet on an ongoing basis to review the content and design of the assessments (including whether the requirements of subsection (i) of this Section have been met), the time and money expended at the local and State levels to prepare for and administer the assessments, the collective results of the assessments as measured against the stated purpose of assessing student performance, and other issues involving the assessments identified by the Committee. The Committee shall make periodic recommendations to the State Superintendent of Education and the General Assembly concerning the assessments.

(k) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to implement this Section.

(Source: P.A. 99-30, eff. 7-10-15; 99-185, eff. 1-1-16; 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 100-7, eff. 7-1-17; 100-222, eff. 8-18-17; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 100-1046, eff. 8-23-18.)

(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) Except as otherwise provided under this subsection (a), any teacher of preschool children in the program authorized by this subsection shall hold a Professional Educator License with an early childhood education endorsement.

(3.5) Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year and until the 2023-2024 school year, an individual may teach preschool children in an early childhood program under this Section if he or she holds a Professional Educator License with an early childhood education endorsement or with short-term approval for early childhood education or he or she pursues a Professional Educator License and holds any of the following:

(A) An ECE Credential Level of 5 awarded by the Department of Human Services under the Gateways to Opportunity Program developed under Section 10-70 of the Department of Human Services Act.

(B) An Educator License with Stipulations with a transitional bilingual educator endorsement and he or she has (i) passed an early childhood education content test or (ii) completed no less than 9 semester hours of postsecondary coursework in the area of early childhood education.

(4) (Blank).

(4.5) 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, 2018 and every 2 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.

(7) Due to evidence that expulsion practices in the preschool years are linked to poor child outcomes and are employed inconsistently across racial and gender groups, early childhood programs receiving State funds under this subsection (a) shall prohibit expulsions. Planned transitions to settings that are able to better meet a child's needs are not considered expulsion under this paragraph (7).

(A) When persistent and serious challenging behaviors emerge, the early childhood program shall document steps taken to ensure that the child can participate safely in the program; including observations of initial and ongoing challenging behaviors, strategies for remediation and intervention plans to address the behaviors, and communication with the parent or legal guardian, including participation of the parent or legal guardian in planning and decision-making.

(B) The early childhood program shall, with parental or legal guardian consent as required, utilize a range of community resources, if available and deemed necessary, including, but not limited to, developmental screenings, referrals to programs and services administered by a local educational agency or early intervention agency under Parts B and C of the federal Individual with Disabilities Education Act, and consultation with infant and early childhood mental health consultants and the child's health care provider. The program shall document attempts to engage these resources, including parent or legal guardian participation and consent attempted and obtained. Communication with the parent or legal guardian shall take place in a culturally and linguistically competent manner.

(C) If there is documented evidence that all available interventions and supports recommended by a qualified professional have been exhausted and the program determines in its professional judgment that transitioning a child to another program is necessary for the well-being of the child or his or her peers and staff, with parent or legal guardian permission, both the current and pending programs shall create a transition plan designed to ensure continuity of services and the comprehensive development of the child. Communication with families shall occur in a culturally and linguistically competent manner.

(D) Nothing in this paragraph (7) shall preclude a parent's or legal guardian's right to voluntarily withdraw his or her child from an early childhood program. Early childhood programs shall request and keep on file, when received, a written statement from the parent or legal guardian stating the reason for his or her decision to withdraw his or her child.

(E) In the case of the determination of a serious safety threat to a child or others or in the case of behaviors listed in subsection (d) of Section 10-22.6 of this Code, the temporary removal of a child from attendance in group settings may be used. Temporary removal of a child from attendance in a group setting shall trigger the process detailed in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of this paragraph (7), with the child placed back in a group setting as quickly as possible.

(F) Early childhood programs may utilize and the State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services shall recommend training, technical support, and professional development resources to improve the ability of teachers, administrators, program directors, and other staff to promote social-emotional development and behavioral health, to address challenging behaviors, and to understand trauma and trauma-informed care, cultural competence, family engagement with diverse populations, the impact of implicit bias on adult behavior, and the use of reflective practice techniques. Support shall include the availability of resources to contract with infant and early childhood mental health consultants.

(G) Beginning on July 1, 2018, early childhood programs shall annually report to the State Board of Education, and, beginning in fiscal year 2020, the State Board of Education shall make available on a biennial basis, in an existing report, all of the following data for children from birth to age 5 who are served by the program:

(i) Total number served over the course of the program year and the total number of children who left the program during the program year.

(ii) Number of planned transitions to another program due to children's behavior, by children's race, gender, disability, language, class/group size, teacher-child ratio, and length of program day.

(iii) Number of temporary removals of a child from attendance in group settings due to a serious safety threat under subparagraph (E) of this paragraph (7), by children's race, gender, disability, language, class/group size, teacher-child ratio, and length of program day.

(iv) Hours of infant and early childhood mental health consultant contact with program leaders, staff, and families over the program year.

(H) Changes to services for children with an individualized education program or individual family service plan shall be construed in a manner consistent with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development and the Department of Children and Family Services, shall adopt rules to administer this paragraph (7).

(b) (Blank).

(c) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, grantees may serve children ages 0 to 12 of essential workers if the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. For the purposes of this subsection, essential workers include those outlined in Executive Order 20-8 and school employees. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to administer this subsection.

(Source: P.A. 100-105, eff. 1-1-18; 100-645, eff. 7-27-18.)

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.170)

Sec. 2-3.170. Property tax relief pool grants.

(a) As used in this Section,

"EAV" means equalized assessed valuation as defined under Section 18-8.15 of this Code.

"Property tax multiplier" equals one minus the square of the school district's Local Capacity Percentage, as defined in Section 18-8.15 of this Code.

"Local capacity percentage multiplier" means one minus the school district's Local Capacity Percentage, as defined in Section 18-8.15.

"State Board" means the State Board of Education.

(b) Subject to appropriation, the State Board shall provide grants to eligible school districts that provide tax relief to the school district's residents, which may be no greater than 1% of EAV for a unit district, 0.69% of EAV for an elementary school district, or 0.31% of EAV for a high school district, as provided in this Section.

(b-5) School districts may apply for property tax relief under this Section concurrently to setting their levy for the fiscal year. The intended relief may not be greater than 1% of the EAV for a unit district, 0.69% of the EAV for an elementary school district, or 0.31% of the EAV for a high school district, multiplied by the school district's local capacity percentage multiplier. The State Board shall process applications for relief, providing a grant to those districts with the highest operating tax rate, as determined by those districts with the highest percentage of the simple average operating tax rate of districts of the same type, either elementary, high school, or unit, first, in an amount equal to the intended relief multiplied by the property tax multiplier. The State Board shall provide grants to school districts in order of priority until the property tax relief pool is exhausted. If more school districts apply for relief under this subsection than there are funds available, the State Board must distribute the grants and prorate any remaining funds to the final school district that qualifies for grant relief. The abatement amount for that district must be equal to the grant amount divided by the property tax multiplier.

If a school district receives the State Board's approval of a grant under this Section by March 1 of the fiscal year, the school district shall present a duly authorized and approved abatement resolution by March 30 of the fiscal year to the county clerk of each county in which the school files its levy, authorizing the county clerk to lower the school district's levy by the amount designated in its application to the State Board. When the preceding requisites are satisfied, the county clerk shall reduce the amount collected for the school district by the amount indicated in the school district's abatement resolution for that fiscal year.

(c) (Blank).

(d) School districts seeking grants under this Section shall apply to the State Board each year. All applications to the State Board for grants shall include the amount of the tax relief intended by the school district.

(e) Each year, based on the most recent available data provided by school districts pursuant to Section 18-8.15 of this Code, the State Board shall calculate the order of priority for grant eligibility under subsection (b-5) and publish a list of the school districts eligible for relief. The State Board shall provide grants in the manner provided under subsection (b-5).

(f) The State Board shall publish a final list of eligible grant recipients and provide payment of the grants by March 1 of each year.

(g) If notice of eligibility from the State Board is received by a school district by March 1, then by March 30, the school district shall file an abatement of its property tax levy in an amount equal to the grant received under this Section divided by the property tax multiplier. Payment of all grant amounts shall be made by June 1 each fiscal year. The State Superintendent of Education shall establish the timeline in such cases in which notice cannot be made by March 1.

(h) The total property tax relief allowable to a school district under this Section shall be calculated based on the total amount of reduction in the school district's aggregate extension. The total grant shall be equal to the reduction, multiplied by the property tax multiplier. The reduction shall be equal to 1% of a district's EAV for a unit school district, 0.69% for an elementary school district, or 0.31% for a high school district, multiplied by the school district's local capacity percentage multiplier.

(i) If the State Board does not expend all appropriations allocated pursuant to this Section, then any remaining funds shall be allocated pursuant to Section 18-8.15 of this Code.

(j) The State Board shall prioritize payments under Section 18-8.15 of this Code over payments under this Section, if necessary.

(k) Any grants received by a school district shall be included in future calculations of that school district's Base Funding Minimum under Section 18-8.15 of this Code. Beginning with Fiscal Year 2020, if a school district receives a grant under this Section, the school district must present to the county clerk a duly authorized and approved abatement resolution by March 30 for the year in which the school district receives the grant and the successive fiscal year following the receipt of the grant, authorizing the county clerk to lower the school district's levy by the amount designated in its original application to the State Board. After receiving a resolution, the county clerk must reduce the amount collected for the school district by the amount indicated in the school district's abatement resolution for that fiscal year. If a school district does not abate in this amount for the successive fiscal year, the grant amount may not be included in the school district's Base Funding Minimum under Section 18-8.15 in the fiscal year following the tax year in which the abatement is not authorized and in any future fiscal year thereafter, and the county clerk must notify the State Board of the increase no later 30 days after it occurs.

(l) In the immediate 2 consecutive tax years year following receipt of a Property Tax Pool Relief Grant, the aggregate extension base levy of any school district receiving a grant under this Section, for purposes of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, shall include the tax relief the school district provided in the previous taxable year under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17; 100-582, eff. 3-23-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-17, eff. 6-14-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-19) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-19)

Sec. 10-19. Length of school term - experimental programs. Each school board shall annually prepare a calendar for the school term, specifying the opening and closing dates and providing a minimum term of at least 185 days to insure 176 days of actual pupil attendance, computable under Section 10-19.05, except that for the 1980-1981 school year only 175 days of actual pupil attendance shall be required because of the closing of schools pursuant to Section 24-2 on January 29, 1981 upon the appointment by the President of that day as a day of thanksgiving for the freedom of the Americans who had been held hostage in Iran. Any days allowed by law for teachers' institutes but not used as such or used as parental institutes as provided in Section 10-22.18d shall increase the minimum term by the school days not so used. Except as provided in Section 10-19.1, the board may not extend the school term beyond such closing date unless that extension of term is necessary to provide the minimum number of computable days. In case of such necessary extension school employees shall be paid for such additional time on the basis of their regular contracts. A school board may specify a closing date earlier than that set on the annual calendar when the schools of the district have provided the minimum number of computable days under this Section. Nothing in this Section prevents the board from employing superintendents of schools, principals and other nonteaching personnel for a period of 12 months, or in the case of superintendents for a period in accordance with Section 10-23.8, or prevents the board from employing other personnel before or after the regular school term with payment of salary proportionate to that received for comparable work during the school term. Remote learning days, blended remote learning days, and up to 5 remote and blended remote learning planning days established under Section 10-30 or 34-18.66 shall be deemed pupil attendance days for calculation of the length of a school term under this Section.

A school board may make such changes in its calendar for the school term as may be required by any changes in the legal school holidays prescribed in Section 24-2. A school board may make changes in its calendar for the school term as may be necessary to reflect the utilization of teachers' institute days as parental institute days as provided in Section 10-22.18d.

The calendar for the school term and any changes must be submitted to and approved by the regional superintendent of schools before the calendar or changes may take effect.

With the prior approval of the State Board of Education and subject to review by the State Board of Education every 3 years, any school board may, by resolution of its board and in agreement with affected exclusive collective bargaining agents, establish experimental educational programs, including but not limited to programs for e-learning days as authorized under Section 10-20.56 of this Code, self-directed learning, or outside of formal class periods, which programs when so approved shall be considered to comply with the requirements of this Section as respects numbers of days of actual pupil attendance and with the other requirements of this Act as respects courses of instruction.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17; 101-12, eff. 7-1-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-19.05)

Sec. 10-19.05. Daily pupil attendance calculation.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, for a pupil of legal school age and in kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12, a day of attendance shall be counted only for sessions of not less than 5 clock hours of school work per day under direct supervision of (i) teachers or (ii) non-teaching personnel or volunteer personnel when engaging in non-teaching duties and supervising in those instances specified in subsection (a) of Section 10-22.34 and paragraph 10 of Section 34-18. Days of attendance by pupils through verified participation in an e-learning program adopted by a school board and verified by the regional office of education or intermediate service center for the school district under Section 10-20.56 of this Code shall be considered as full days of attendance under this Section.

(b) A pupil regularly enrolled in a public school for only a part of the school day may be counted on the basis of one-sixth of a school day for every class hour of instruction of 40 minutes or more attended pursuant to such enrollment, unless a pupil is enrolled in a block-schedule format of 80 minutes or more of instruction, in which case the pupil may be counted on the basis of the proportion of minutes of school work completed each day to the minimum number of minutes that school work is required to be held that day.

(c) A session of 4 or more clock hours may be counted as a day of attendance upon certification by the regional superintendent of schools and approval by the State Superintendent of Education to the extent that the district has been forced to use daily multiple sessions.

(d) A session of 3 or more clock hours may be counted as a day of attendance (1) when the remainder of the school day or at least 2 hours in the evening of that day is utilized for an in-service training program for teachers, up to a maximum of 10 days per school year, provided that a district conducts an in-service training program for teachers in accordance with Section 10-22.39 of this Code, or, in lieu of 4 such days, 2 full days may be used, in which event each such day may be counted as a day required for a legal school calendar pursuant to Section 10-19 of this Code; (2) when, of the 5 days allowed under item (1), a maximum of 4 days are used for parent-teacher conferences, or, in lieu of 4 such days, 2 full days are used, in which case each such day may be counted as a calendar day required under Section 10-19 of this Code, provided that the full-day, parent-teacher conference consists of (i) a minimum of 5 clock hours of parent-teacher conferences, (ii) both a minimum of 2 clock hours of parent-teacher conferences held in the evening following a full day of student attendance and a minimum of 3 clock hours of parent-teacher conferences held on the day immediately following evening parent-teacher conferences, or (iii) multiple parent-teacher conferences held in the evenings following full days of student attendance in which the time used for the parent-teacher conferences is equivalent to a minimum of 5 clock hours; and (3) when days in addition to those provided in items (1) and (2) are scheduled by a school pursuant to its school improvement plan adopted under Article 34 or its revised or amended school improvement plan adopted under Article 2, provided that (i) such sessions of 3 or more clock hours are scheduled to occur at regular intervals, (ii) the remainder of the school days in which such sessions occur are utilized for in-service training programs or other staff development activities for teachers, and (iii) a sufficient number of minutes of school work under the direct supervision of teachers are added to the school days between such regularly scheduled sessions to accumulate not less than the number of minutes by which such sessions of 3 or more clock hours fall short of 5 clock hours. Days scheduled for in-service training programs, staff development activities, or parent-teacher conferences may be scheduled separately for different grade levels and different attendance centers of the district.

(e) A session of not less than one clock hour of teaching hospitalized or homebound pupils on-site or by telephone to the classroom may be counted as a half day of attendance; however, these pupils must receive 4 or more clock hours of instruction to be counted for a full day of attendance.

(f) A session of at least 4 clock hours may be counted as a day of attendance for first grade pupils and pupils in full-day kindergartens, and a session of 2 or more hours may be counted as a half day of attendance by pupils in kindergartens that provide only half days of attendance.

(g) For children with disabilities who are below the age of 6 years and who cannot attend 2 or more clock hours because of their disability or immaturity, a session of not less than one clock hour may be counted as a half day of attendance; however, for such children whose educational needs require a session of 4 or more clock hours, a session of at least 4 clock hours may be counted as a full day of attendance.

(h) A recognized kindergarten that provides for only a half day of attendance by each pupil shall not have more than one half day of attendance counted in any one day. However, kindergartens may count 2 and a half days of attendance in any 5 consecutive school days. When a pupil attends such a kindergarten for 2 half days on any one school day, the pupil shall have the following day as a day absent from school, unless the school district obtains permission in writing from the State Superintendent of Education. Attendance at kindergartens that provide for a full day of attendance by each pupil shall be counted the same as attendance by first grade pupils. Only the first year of attendance in one kindergarten shall be counted, except in the case of children who entered the kindergarten in their fifth year whose educational development requires a second year of kindergarten as determined under rules of the State Board of Education.

(i) On the days when the State's final accountability assessment is administered under subsection (c) of Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code, the day of attendance for a pupil whose school day must be shortened to accommodate required testing procedures may be less than 5 clock hours and shall be counted toward the 176 days of actual pupil attendance required under Section 10-19 of this Code, provided that a sufficient number of minutes of school work in excess of 5 clock hours are first completed on other school days to compensate for the loss of school work on the examination days.

(j) Pupils enrolled in a remote educational program established under Section 10-29 of this Code may be counted on the basis of a one-fifth day of attendance for every clock hour of instruction attended in the remote educational program, provided that, in any month, the school district may not claim for a student enrolled in a remote educational program more days of attendance than the maximum number of days of attendance the district can claim (i) for students enrolled in a building holding year-round classes if the student is classified as participating in the remote educational program on a year-round schedule or (ii) for students enrolled in a building not holding year-round classes if the student is not classified as participating in the remote educational program on a year-round schedule.

(j-5) The clock hour requirements of subsections (a) through (j) of this Section do not apply if the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. The State Superintendent of Education may establish minimum clock hour requirements under Sections 10-30 and 34-18.66 if the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.

(k) Pupil participation in any of the following activities shall be counted toward the calculation of clock hours of school work per day:

(1) Instruction in a college course in which a student is dually enrolled for both high school credit and college credit.

(2) Participation in a Supervised Career Development Experience, as defined in Section 10 of the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act, in which student participation and learning outcomes are supervised by an educator licensed under Article 21B.

(3) Participation in a youth apprenticeship, as jointly defined in rules of the State Board of Education and Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, in which student participation and outcomes are supervised by an educator licensed under Article 21B.

(4) Participation in a blended learning program approved by the school district in which course content, student evaluation, and instructional methods are supervised by an educator licensed under Article 21B.

(Source: P.A. 101-12, eff. 7-1-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.56)

Sec. 10-20.56. E-learning days.

(a) The State Board of Education shall establish and maintain, for implementation in school districts, a program for use of electronic-learning (e-learning) days, as described in this Section. School districts may utilize a program approved under this Section for use during remote learning days and blended remote learning days under Section 10-30 or 34-18.66.

(b) The school board of a school district may, by resolution, adopt a research-based program or research-based programs for e-learning days district-wide that shall permit student instruction to be received electronically while students are not physically present in lieu of the district's scheduled emergency days as required by Section 10-19 of this Code. The research-based program or programs may not exceed the minimum number of emergency days in the approved school calendar and must be verified by the regional office of education or intermediate service center for the school district on or before September 1st annually to ensure access for all students. The regional office of education or intermediate service center shall ensure that the specific needs of all students are met, including special education students and English learners, and that all mandates are still met using the proposed research-based program. The e-learning program may utilize the Internet, telephones, texts, chat rooms, or other similar means of electronic communication for instruction and interaction between teachers and students that meet the needs of all learners. The e-learning program shall address the school district's responsibility to ensure that all teachers and staff who may be involved in the provision of e-learning have access to any and all hardware and software that may be required for the program. If a proposed program does not address this responsibility, the school district must propose an alternate program.

(c) Before its adoption by a school board, the school board must hold a public hearing on a school district's initial proposal for an e-learning program or for renewal of such a program, at a regular or special meeting of the school board, in which the terms of the proposal must be substantially presented and an opportunity for allowing public comments must be provided. Notice of such public hearing must be provided at least 10 days prior to the hearing by:

(1) publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district;

(2) written or electronic notice designed to reach the parents or guardians of all students enrolled in the school district; and

(3) written or electronic notice designed to reach any exclusive collective bargaining representatives of school district employees and all those employees not in a collective bargaining unit.

(d) The regional office of education or intermediate service center for the school district must timely verify that a proposal for an e-learning program has met the requirements specified in this Section and that the proposal contains provisions designed to reasonably and practicably accomplish the following:

(1) to ensure and verify at least 5 clock hours of instruction or school work, as required under Section 10-19.05, for each student participating in an e-learning day;

(2) to ensure access from home or other appropriate remote facility for all students participating, including computers, the Internet, and other forms of electronic communication that must be utilized in the proposed program;

(2.5) to ensure that non-electronic materials are made available to students participating in the program who do not have access to the required technology or to participating teachers or students who are prevented from accessing the required technology;

(3) to ensure appropriate learning opportunities for students with special needs;

(4) to monitor and verify each student's electronic participation;

(5) to address the extent to which student participation is within the student's control as to the time, pace, and means of learning;

(6) to provide effective notice to students and their parents or guardians of the use of particular days for e-learning;

(7) to provide staff and students with adequate training for e-learning days' participation;

(8) to ensure an opportunity for any collective bargaining negotiations with representatives of the school district's employees that would be legally required, including all classifications of school district employees who are represented by collective bargaining agreements and who would be affected in the event of an e-learning day;

(9) to review and revise the program as implemented to address difficulties confronted; and

(10) to ensure that the protocol regarding general expectations and responsibilities of the program is communicated to teachers, staff, and students at least 30 days prior to utilizing an e-learning day.

The school board's approval of a school district's initial e-learning program and renewal of the e-learning program shall be for a term of 3 years.

(e) The State Board of Education may adopt rules consistent with the provision of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 100-760, eff. 8-10-18; 101-12, eff. 7-1-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-21.9) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-21.9)

Sec. 10-21.9. Criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex Offender Database and Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database.

(a) Licensed and nonlicensed applicants for employment with a school district, except school bus driver applicants, are required as a condition of employment to authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history records check to determine if such applicants have been convicted of any disqualifying, enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or have been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. Authorization for the check shall be furnished by the applicant to the school district, except that if the applicant is a substitute teacher seeking employment in more than one school district, a teacher seeking concurrent part-time employment positions with more than one school district (as a reading specialist, special education teacher or otherwise), or an educational support personnel employee seeking employment positions with more than one district, any such district may require the applicant to furnish authorization for the check to the regional superintendent of the educational service region in which are located the school districts in which the applicant is seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee. Upon receipt of this authorization, the school district or the appropriate regional superintendent, as the case may be, shall submit the applicant's name, sex, race, date of birth, social security number, fingerprint images, and other identifiers, as prescribed by the Department of State Police, to the Department. The regional superintendent submitting the requisite information to the Department of State Police shall promptly notify the school districts in which the applicant is seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee that the check of the applicant has been requested. The Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based criminal history records check, records of convictions, forever and hereinafter, until expunged, to the president of the school board for the school district that requested the check, or to the regional superintendent who requested the check. The Department shall charge the school district or the appropriate regional superintendent a fee for conducting such check, which fee shall be deposited in the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the cost of the inquiry; and the applicant shall not be charged a fee for such check by the school district or by the regional superintendent, except that those applicants seeking employment as a substitute teacher with a school district may be charged a fee not to exceed the cost of the inquiry. Subject to appropriations for these purposes, the State Superintendent of Education shall reimburse school districts and regional superintendents for fees paid to obtain criminal history records checks under this Section.

(a-5) The school district or regional superintendent shall further perform a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database, as authorized by the Sex Offender Community Notification Law, for each applicant. The check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database must be conducted by the school district or regional superintendent once for every 5 years that an applicant remains employed by the school district.

(a-6) The school district or regional superintendent shall further perform a check of the Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database, as authorized by the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Community Notification Law, for each applicant. The check of the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database must be conducted by the school district or regional superintendent once for every 5 years that an applicant remains employed by the school district.

(b) Any information concerning the record of convictions obtained by the president of the school board or the regional superintendent shall be confidential and may only be transmitted to the superintendent of the school district or his designee, the appropriate regional superintendent if the check was requested by the school district, the presidents of the appropriate school boards if the check was requested from the Department of State Police by the regional superintendent, the State Board of Education and a school district as authorized under subsection (b-5), the State Superintendent of Education, the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, any other person necessary to the decision of hiring the applicant for employment, or for clarification purposes the Department of State Police or Statewide Sex Offender Database, or both. A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the Department of State Police shall be provided to the applicant for employment. Upon the check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database, the school district or regional superintendent shall notify an applicant as to whether or not the applicant has been identified in the Database. If a check of an applicant for employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee in more than one school district was requested by the regional superintendent, and the Department of State Police upon a check ascertains that the applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or has not been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State and so notifies the regional superintendent and if the regional superintendent upon a check ascertains that the applicant has not been identified in the Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database, then the regional superintendent shall issue to the applicant a certificate evidencing that as of the date specified by the Department of State Police the applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or has not been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State and evidencing that as of the date that the regional superintendent conducted a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database, the applicant has not been identified in the Database. The school board of any school district may rely on the certificate issued by any regional superintendent to that substitute teacher, concurrent part-time teacher, or concurrent educational support personnel employee or may initiate its own criminal history records check of the applicant through the Department of State Police and its own check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database as provided in this Section. Any unauthorized release of confidential information may be a violation of Section 7 of the Criminal Identification Act.

(b-5) If a criminal history records check or check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database is performed by a regional superintendent for an applicant seeking employment as a substitute teacher with a school district, the regional superintendent may disclose to the State Board of Education whether the applicant has been issued a certificate under subsection (b) based on those checks. If the State Board receives information on an applicant under this subsection, then it must indicate in the Educator Licensure Information System for a 90-day period that the applicant has been issued or has not been issued a certificate.

(c) No school board shall knowingly employ a person who has been convicted of any offense that would subject him or her to license suspension or revocation pursuant to Section 21B-80 of this Code, except as provided under subsection (b) of Section 21B-80. Further, no school board shall knowingly employ a person who has been found to be the perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of any minor under 18 years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. As a condition of employment, each school board must consider the status of a person who has been issued an indicated finding of abuse or neglect of a child by the Department of Children and Family Services under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act or by a child welfare agency of another jurisdiction.

(d) No school board shall knowingly employ a person for whom a criminal history records check and a Statewide Sex Offender Database check have has not been initiated.

(e) Within 10 days after a superintendent, regional office of education, or entity that provides background checks of license holders to public schools receives information of a pending criminal charge against a license holder for an offense set forth in Section 21B-80 of this Code, the superintendent, regional office of education, or entity must notify the State Superintendent of Education of the pending criminal charge.

If permissible by federal or State law, no later than 15 business days after receipt of a record of conviction or of checking the Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database or the Statewide Sex Offender Database and finding a registration, the superintendent of the employing school board or the applicable regional superintendent shall, in writing, notify the State Superintendent of Education of any license holder who has been convicted of a crime set forth in Section 21B-80 of this Code. Upon receipt of the record of a conviction of or a finding of child abuse by a holder of any license issued pursuant to Article 21B or Section 34-8.1 or 34-83 of the School Code, the State Superintendent of Education may initiate licensure suspension and revocation proceedings as authorized by law. If the receipt of the record of conviction or finding of child abuse is received within 6 months after the initial grant of or renewal of a license, the State Superintendent of Education may rescind the license holder's license.

(e-5) The superintendent of the employing school board shall, in writing, notify the State Superintendent of Education and the applicable regional superintendent of schools of any license holder whom he or she has reasonable cause to believe has committed an intentional act of abuse or neglect with the result of making a child an abused child or a neglected child, as defined in Section 3 of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, and that act resulted in the license holder's dismissal or resignation from the school district. This notification must be submitted within 30 days after the dismissal or resignation. The license holder must also be contemporaneously sent a copy of the notice by the superintendent. All correspondence, documentation, and other information so received by the regional superintendent of schools, the State Superintendent of Education, the State Board of Education, or the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board under this subsection (e-5) is confidential and must not be disclosed to third parties, except (i) as necessary for the State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee to investigate and prosecute pursuant to Article 21B of this Code, (ii) pursuant to a court order, (iii) for disclosure to the license holder or his or her representative, or (iv) as otherwise provided in this Article and provided that any such information admitted into evidence in a hearing is exempt from this confidentiality and non-disclosure requirement. Except for an act of willful or wanton misconduct, any superintendent who provides notification as required in this subsection (e-5) shall have immunity from any liability, whether civil or criminal or that otherwise might result by reason of such action.

(f) After January 1, 1990 the provisions of this Section shall apply to all employees of persons or firms holding contracts with any school district including, but not limited to, food service workers, school bus drivers and other transportation employees, who have direct, daily contact with the pupils of any school in such district. For purposes of criminal history records checks and checks of the Statewide Sex Offender Database on employees of persons or firms holding contracts with more than one school district and assigned to more than one school district, the regional superintendent of the educational service region in which the contracting school districts are located may, at the request of any such school district, be responsible for receiving the authorization for a criminal history records check prepared by each such employee and submitting the same to the Department of State Police and for conducting a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database for each employee. Any information concerning the record of conviction and identification as a sex offender of any such employee obtained by the regional superintendent shall be promptly reported to the president of the appropriate school board or school boards.

(f-5) Upon request of a school or school district, any information obtained by a school district pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section within the last year must be made available to the requesting school or school district.

(g) Prior to the commencement of any student teaching experience or required internship (which is referred to as student teaching in this Section) in the public schools, a student teacher is required to authorize a fingerprint-based criminal history records check. Authorization for and payment of the costs of the check must be furnished by the student teacher to the school district where the student teaching is to be completed. Upon receipt of this authorization and payment, the school district shall submit the student teacher's name, sex, race, date of birth, social security number, fingerprint images, and other identifiers, as prescribed by the Department of State Police, to the Department of State Police. The Department of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint-based criminal history records check, records of convictions, forever and hereinafter, until expunged, to the president of the school board for the school district that requested the check. The Department shall charge the school district a fee for conducting the check, which fee must not exceed the cost of the inquiry and must be deposited into the State Police Services Fund. The school district shall further perform a check of the Statewide Sex Offender Database, as authorized by the Sex Offender Community Notification Law, and of the Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database, as authorized by the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act, for each student teacher. No school board may knowingly allow a person to student teach for whom a criminal history records check, a Statewide Sex Offender Database check, and a Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database check have not been completed and reviewed by the district.

A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the Department of State Police must be provided to the student teacher. Any information concerning the record of convictions obtained by the president of the school board is confidential and may only be transmitted to the superintendent of the school district or his or her designee, the State Superintendent of Education, the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, or, for clarification purposes, the Department of State Police or the Statewide Sex Offender Database or Statewide Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Database. Any unauthorized release of confidential information may be a violation of Section 7 of the Criminal Identification Act.

No school board shall knowingly allow a person to student teach who has been convicted of any offense that would subject him or her to license suspension or revocation pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 21B-80 of this Code, except as provided under subsection (b) of Section 21B-80. Further, no school board shall allow a person to student teach if he or she has been found to be the perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of a minor under 18 years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987. Each school board must consider the status of a person to student teach who has been issued an indicated finding of abuse or neglect of a child by the Department of Children and Family Services under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act or by a child welfare agency of another jurisdiction.

(h) (Blank).

(Source: P.A. 101-72, eff. 7-12-19; 101-531, eff. 8-23-19; revised 12-3-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/10-30 new)

Sec. 10-30. Remote and blended remote learning. This Section applies if the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.

(1) If the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the State Superintendent of Education may declare a requirement to use remote learning days or blended remote learning days for a school district, multiple school districts, a region, or the entire State. During remote learning days, schools shall conduct instruction remotely. During blended remote learning days, schools may utilize hybrid models of in-person and remote instruction. Once declared, remote learning days or blended remote learning days shall be implemented in grades pre-kindergarten through 12 as days of attendance and shall be deemed pupil attendance days for calculation of the length of a school term under Section 10-19.

(2) For purposes of this Section, a remote learning day or blended remote learning day may be met through a district's implementation of an e-learning program under Section 10-20.56.

(3) For any district that does not implement an e-learning program under Section 10-20.56, the district shall adopt a remote and blended remote learning day plan approved by the district superintendent. Each district may utilize remote and blended remote learning planning days, consecutively or in separate increments, to develop, review, or amend its remote and blended remote learning day plan or provide professional development to staff regarding remote education. Up to 5 remote and blended remote learning planning days may be deemed pupil attendance days for calculation of the length of a school term under Section 10-19.

(4) Each remote and blended remote learning day plan shall address the following:

(i) accessibility of the remote instruction to all students enrolled in the district;

(ii) if applicable, a requirement that the remote learning day and blended remote learning day activities reflect State learning standards;

(iii) a means for students to confer with an educator, as necessary;

(iv) the unique needs of students in special populations, including, but not limited to, students eligible for special education under Article 14, students who are English learners as defined in Section 14C-2, and students experiencing homelessness under the Education for Homeless Children Act, or vulnerable student populations;

(v) how the district will take attendance and monitor and verify each student's remote participation; and

(vi) transitions from remote learning to on-site learning upon the State Superintendent's declaration that remote learning days or blended remote learning days are no longer deemed necessary.

(5) The district superintendent shall periodically review and amend the district's remote and blended remote learning day plan, as needed, to ensure the plan meets the needs of all students.

(6) Each remote and blended remote learning day plan shall be posted on the district's Internet website where other policies, rules, and standards of conduct are posted and shall be provided to students and faculty.

(7) This Section does not create any additional employee bargaining rights and does not remove any employee bargaining rights.

(8) Statutory and regulatory curricular mandates and offerings may be administered via a district's remote and blended remote learning day plan, except that a district may not offer individual behind-the-wheel instruction required by Section 27-24.2 via a district's remote and blended remote learning day plan. This Section does not relieve schools and districts from completing all statutory and regulatory curricular mandates and offerings.

(105 ILCS 5/14-8.02f)

Sec. 14-8.02f. Individualized education program meeting protections.

(a) (Blank).

(b) This subsection (b) applies only to a school district organized under Article 34. No later than 10 calendar days prior to a child's individualized education program meeting or as soon as possible if a meeting is scheduled within 10 calendar days with written parental consent, the school board or school personnel must provide the child's parent or guardian with a written notification of the services that require a specific data collection procedure from the school district for services related to the child's individualized education program. The notification must indicate, with a checkbox, whether specific data has been collected for the child's individualized education program services. For purposes of this subsection (b), individualized education program services must include, but are not limited to, paraprofessional support, an extended school year, transportation, therapeutic day school, and services for specific learning disabilities.

(c) Beginning on July 1, 2020, no later than 3 school days prior to a child's individualized education program eligibility meeting or meeting to determine a child's eligibility for special education and related services or to review a child's individualized education program, or as soon as possible if an individualized education program meeting is scheduled within 3 school days with the written consent of the child's parent or guardian, the local education agency must provide the child's parent or guardian with copies of all written material that will be considered by the individualized education program team at the meeting so that the parent or guardian may participate in the meeting as a fully-informed team member. The parent or guardian shall have the option of choosing from the available methods of delivery, which must include regular mail and picking up the materials at school. For a meeting to determine the child's eligibility for special education, the The written material must include, but is not limited to, all evaluations and collected data that will be considered at the meeting. For and, for a child who is already eligible for special education and related services has an individualized education program, the written material must include a copy of all individualized education program components that will be discussed by the individualized education program team, other than the components related to the educational and related service minutes proposed for the child and the child's educational placement. Parents shall also be informed of their right to review and copy their child's school student records prior to any special education eligibility or individualized education program review meeting, subject to the requirements of applicable federal and State law.

(d) Local education agencies must make related service logs that record the delivery type of related services administered under the child's individualized education program and the minutes of each type of related service that has been administered available to the child's parent or guardian at the annual review of the child's individualized education program and must also provide a copy of the related service logs at any time upon request of the child's parent or guardian. For purposes of this subsection (d), related services for which a log must be made are: speech and language services, occupational therapy services, physical therapy services, school social work services, school counseling services, school psychology services, and school nursing services. The local education agency must inform the child's parent or guardian within 20 school days from the beginning of the school year or upon establishment of an individualized education program of his or her ability to request those related service logs.

(d-5) If, at a meeting to develop or revise a child's individualized education program, the individualized education program team determines that a certain service is services are required in order for the child to receive a free, appropriate public education and that service is those services are not implemented administered within 10 school days after the service was to be initiated as a date or frequency set forth by the child's individualized education program, then the local education agency shall provide the child's parent or guardian with written notification that the service has those services have not yet been implemented administered to the child. The notification must be provided to the child's parent or guardian within 3 school days of the local education agency's non-compliance with the child's individualized education program and must inform include information on the parent or guardian about the school district's procedures for requesting parent's or guardian's ability to request compensatory services. In this subsection (d-5) (d), "school days" does not include days where a child is absent from school for reasons unrelated to a lack of individualized education program services or when the service is available, but the child is unavailable.

(e) The State Board of Education may create a telephone hotline to address complaints regarding the special education services or lack of special education services of a school district subject to this Section. If a hotline is created, it must be available to all students enrolled in the school district, parents or guardians of those students, and school personnel. If a hotline is created, any complaints received through the hotline must be registered and recorded with the State Board's monitor of special education policies. No student, parent or guardian, or member of school personnel may be retaliated against for submitting a complaint through a telephone hotline created by the State Board under this subsection (e).

(f) A school district subject to this Section may not use any measure that would prevent or delay an individualized education program team from adding a service to the program or create a time restriction in which a service is prohibited from being added to the program. The school district may not build functions into its computer software that would remove any services from a student's individualized education program without the approval of the program team and may not prohibit the program team from adding a service to the program.

(Source: P.A. 100-993, eff. 8-20-18; 101-515, eff. 8-23-19; 101-598, eff. 12-6-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/14-8.02h)

Sec. 14-8.02h. Response to scientific, research-based intervention.

(a) In this Section, "response to scientific, research-based intervention" or "multi-tiered system systems of support" means a tiered process of appropriate instruction and support school support that utilizes differentiated instructional strategies for students, provides students with an evidence-based curriculum and scientific, research-based interventions aligned with State standards, continuously monitors student performance using scientific scientifically, research-based progress monitoring instruments, and makes data-driven educational decisions based on a student's response to the interventions. Response to scientific, research-based intervention or a multi-tiered system systems of support uses use a problem-solving method to define the problem, analyzes analyze the problem using data to determine why there is a discrepancy between what is expected and what is occurring, establishes establish one or more student performance goals, develops develop an intervention plan to address the performance goals, and delineates delineate how the student's progress will be monitored and how implementation integrity will be ensured.

(b) (Blank). A school district may utilize response to scientific, research-based intervention or multi-tiered systems of support as part of an evaluation procedure to determine if a child is eligible for special education services due to a specific learning disability. A school district may utilize the data generated during the response to scientific, research-based intervention or multi-tiered systems of support process in an evaluation to determine if a child is eligible for special education services due to any category of disability.

(c) The response to scientific, research-based intervention or a multi-tiered system systems of support process should use must involve a collaborative team approach and include the engagement of and regular communication with the child's parent or guardian , with the parent or guardian of a student being part of the collaborative team. The parent or guardian of a child shall be provided with written notice of the school district's use of scientific, research-based intervention or a multi-tiered system of support for the child and may be part of the collaborative team approach at the discretion of the school district student must be involved in the data sharing and decision-making processes of support under this Section. The parent or guardian shall be provided all data collected and reviewed by the school district with regard to the child in the scientific, research-based intervention or multi-tiered system of support process. The State Board of Education may provide guidance to a school districts district and identify available resources related to facilitating parent parental or guardian engagement participation in the response to scientific, research-based intervention or a multi-tiered system systems of support process.

(d) Nothing in this Section affects the responsibility of a school district to identify, locate, and evaluate children with disabilities who are in need of special education services in accordance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, this Code, or any applicable federal or State rules.

(Source: P.A. 101-515, eff. 8-23-19; 101-598, eff. 12-6-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/17-2.11) (from Ch. 122, par. 17-2.11)

Sec. 17-2.11. School board power to levy a tax or to borrow money and issue bonds for fire prevention, safety, energy conservation, accessibility, school security, and specified repair purposes.

(a) Whenever, as a result of any lawful order of any agency, other than a school board, having authority to enforce any school building code applicable to any facility that houses students, or any law or regulation for the protection and safety of the environment, pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act, any school district having a population of less than 500,000 inhabitants is required to alter or reconstruct any school building or permanent, fixed equipment; the district may, by proper resolution, levy a tax for the purpose of making such alteration or reconstruction, based on a survey report by an architect or engineer licensed in this State, upon all of the taxable property of the district at the value as assessed by the Department of Revenue and at a rate not to exceed 0.05% per year for a period sufficient to finance such alteration or reconstruction, upon the following conditions:

(1) When there are not sufficient funds available in the operations and maintenance fund of the school district, the school facility occupation tax fund of the district, or the fire prevention and safety fund of the district, as determined by the district on the basis of rules adopted by the State Board of Education, to make such alteration or reconstruction or to purchase and install such permanent, fixed equipment so ordered or determined as necessary. Appropriate school district records must be made available to the State Superintendent of Education, upon request, to confirm this insufficiency.

(2) When a certified estimate of an architect or engineer licensed in this State stating the estimated amount necessary to make the alteration or reconstruction or to purchase and install the equipment so ordered has been secured by the school district, and the estimate has been approved by the regional superintendent of schools having jurisdiction over the district and the State Superintendent of Education. Approval must not be granted for any work that has already started without the prior express authorization of the State Superintendent of Education. If the estimate is not approved or is denied approval by the regional superintendent of schools within 3 months after the date on which it is submitted to him or her, the school board of the district may submit the estimate directly to the State Superintendent of Education for approval or denial.

In the case of an emergency situation, where the estimated cost to effectuate emergency repairs is less than the amount specified in Section 10-20.21 of this Code, the school district may proceed with such repairs prior to approval by the State Superintendent of Education, but shall comply with the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection (a) as soon thereafter as may be as well as Section 10-20.21 of this Code. If the estimated cost to effectuate emergency repairs is greater than the amount specified in Section 10-20.21 of this Code, then the school district shall proceed in conformity with Section 10-20.21 of this Code and with rules established by the State Board of Education to address such situations. The rules adopted by the State Board of Education to deal with these situations shall stipulate that emergency situations must be expedited and given priority consideration. For purposes of this paragraph, an emergency is a situation that presents an imminent and continuing threat to the health and safety of students or other occupants of a facility, requires complete or partial evacuation of a building or part of a building, or consumes one or more of the 5 emergency days built into the adopted calendar of the school or schools or would otherwise be expected to cause such school or schools to fall short of the minimum school calendar requirements.

(b) Whenever any such district determines that it is necessary for energy conservation purposes that any school building or permanent, fixed equipment should be altered or reconstructed and that such alterations or reconstruction will be made with funds not necessary for the completion of approved and recommended projects contained in any safety survey report or amendments thereto authorized by Section 2-3.12 of this Act; the district may levy a tax or issue bonds as provided in subsection (a) of this Section.

(c) Whenever any such district determines that it is necessary for accessibility purposes and to comply with the school building code that any school building or equipment should be altered or reconstructed and that such alterations or reconstruction will be made with funds not necessary for the completion of approved and recommended projects contained in any safety survey report or amendments thereto authorized under Section 2-3.12 of this Act, the district may levy a tax or issue bonds as provided in subsection (a) of this Section.

(d) Whenever any such district determines that it is necessary for school security purposes and the related protection and safety of pupils and school personnel that any school building or property should be altered or reconstructed or that security systems and equipment (including but not limited to intercom, early detection and warning, access control and television monitoring systems) should be purchased and installed, and that such alterations, reconstruction or purchase and installation of equipment will be made with funds not necessary for the completion of approved and recommended projects contained in any safety survey report or amendment thereto authorized by Section 2-3.12 of this Act and will deter and prevent unauthorized entry or activities upon school property by unknown or dangerous persons, assure early detection and advance warning of any such actual or attempted unauthorized entry or activities and help assure the continued safety of pupils and school staff if any such unauthorized entry or activity is attempted or occurs; the district may levy a tax or issue bonds as provided in subsection (a) of this Section.

If such a school district determines that it is necessary for school security purposes and the related protection and safety of pupils and school staff to hire a school resource officer or that personnel costs for school counselors, mental health experts, or school resource officers are necessary and the district determines that it does not need funds for any of the other purposes set forth in this Section, then the district may levy a tax or issue bonds as provided in subsection (a).

(e) If a school district does not need funds for other fire prevention and safety projects, including the completion of approved and recommended projects contained in any safety survey report or amendments thereto authorized by Section 2-3.12 of this Act, and it is determined after a public hearing (which is preceded by at least one published notice (i) occurring at least 7 days prior to the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the school district and (ii) setting forth the time, date, place, and general subject matter of the hearing) that there is a substantial, immediate, and otherwise unavoidable threat to the health, safety, or welfare of pupils due to disrepair of school sidewalks, playgrounds, parking lots, or school bus turnarounds and repairs must be made; then the district may levy a tax or issue bonds as provided in subsection (a) of this Section.

(f) For purposes of this Section a school district may replace a school building or build additions to replace portions of a building when it is determined that the effectuation of the recommendations for the existing building will cost more than the replacement costs. Such determination shall be based on a comparison of estimated costs made by an architect or engineer licensed in the State of Illinois. The new building or addition shall be equivalent in area (square feet) and comparable in purpose and grades served and may be on the same site or another site. Such replacement may only be done upon order of the regional superintendent of schools and the approval of the State Superintendent of Education.

(g) The filing of a certified copy of the resolution levying the tax when accompanied by the certificates of the regional superintendent of schools and State Superintendent of Education shall be the authority of the county clerk to extend such tax.

(h) The county clerk of the county in which any school district levying a tax under the authority of this Section is located, in reducing raised levies, shall not consider any such tax as a part of the general levy for school purposes and shall not include the same in the limitation of any other tax rate which may be extended.

Such tax shall be levied and collected in like manner as all other taxes of school districts, subject to the provisions contained in this Section.

(i) The tax rate limit specified in this Section may be increased to .10% upon the approval of a proposition to effect such increase by a majority of the electors voting on that proposition at a regular scheduled election. Such proposition may be initiated by resolution of the school board and shall be certified by the secretary to the proper election authorities for submission in accordance with the general election law.

(j) When taxes are levied by any school district for fire prevention, safety, energy conservation, and school security purposes as specified in this Section, and the purposes for which the taxes have been levied are accomplished and paid in full, and there remain funds on hand in the Fire Prevention and Safety Fund from the proceeds of the taxes levied, including interest earnings thereon, the school board by resolution shall use such excess and other board restricted funds, excluding bond proceeds and earnings from such proceeds, as follows:

(1) for other authorized fire prevention, safety, energy conservation, required safety inspections, school security purposes, sampling for lead in drinking water in schools, and for repair and mitigation due to lead levels in the drinking water supply; or

(2) for transfer to the Operations and Maintenance Fund for the purpose of abating an equal amount of operations and maintenance purposes taxes. Notwithstanding subdivision (2) of this subsection (j) and subsection (k) of this Section, through June 30, 2021 2020, the school board may, by proper resolution following a public hearing set by the school board or the president of the school board (that is preceded (i) by at least one published notice over the name of the clerk or secretary of the board, occurring at least 7 days and not more than 30 days prior to the hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation within the school district and (ii) by posted notice over the name of the clerk or secretary of the board, at least 48 hours before the hearing, at the principal office of the school board or at the building where the hearing is to be held if a principal office does not exist, with both notices setting forth the time, date, place, and subject matter of the hearing), transfer surplus life safety taxes and interest earnings thereon to the Operations and Maintenance Fund for building repair work.

(k) If any transfer is made to the Operation and Maintenance Fund, the secretary of the school board shall within 30 days notify the county clerk of the amount of that transfer and direct the clerk to abate the taxes to be extended for the purposes of operations and maintenance authorized under Section 17-2 of this Act by an amount equal to such transfer.

(l) If the proceeds from the tax levy authorized by this Section are insufficient to complete the work approved under this Section, the school board is authorized to sell bonds without referendum under the provisions of this Section in an amount that, when added to the proceeds of the tax levy authorized by this Section, will allow completion of the approved work.

(m) Any bonds issued pursuant to this Section shall bear interest at a rate not to exceed the maximum rate authorized by law at the time of the making of the contract, shall mature within 20 years from date, and shall be signed by the president of the school board and the treasurer of the school district.

(n) In order to authorize and issue such bonds, the school board shall adopt a resolution fixing the amount of bonds, the date thereof, the maturities thereof, rates of interest thereof, place of payment and denomination, which shall be in denominations of not less than $100 and not more than $5,000, and provide for the levy and collection of a direct annual tax upon all the taxable property in the school district sufficient to pay the principal and interest on such bonds to maturity. Upon the filing in the office of the county clerk of the county in which the school district is located of a certified copy of the resolution, it is the duty of the county clerk to extend the tax therefor in addition to and in excess of all other taxes heretofore or hereafter authorized to be levied by such school district.

(o) After the time such bonds are issued as provided for by this Section, if additional alterations or reconstructions are required to be made because of surveys conducted by an architect or engineer licensed in the State of Illinois, the district may levy a tax at a rate not to exceed .05% per year upon all the taxable property of the district or issue additional bonds, whichever action shall be the most feasible.

(p) This Section is cumulative and constitutes complete authority for the issuance of bonds as provided in this Section notwithstanding any other statute or law to the contrary.

(q) With respect to instruments for the payment of money issued under this Section either before, on, or after the effective date of Public Act 86-004 (June 6, 1989), it is, and always has been, the intention of the General Assembly (i) that the Omnibus Bond Acts are, and always have been, supplementary grants of power to issue instruments in accordance with the Omnibus Bond Acts, regardless of any provision of this Act that may appear to be or to have been more restrictive than those Acts, (ii) that the provisions of this Section are not a limitation on the supplementary authority granted by the Omnibus Bond Acts, and (iii) that instruments issued under this Section within the supplementary authority granted by the Omnibus Bond Acts are not invalid because of any provision of this Act that may appear to be or to have been more restrictive than those Acts.

(r) When the purposes for which the bonds are issued have been accomplished and paid for in full and there remain funds on hand from the proceeds of the bond sale and interest earnings therefrom, the board shall, by resolution, use such excess funds in accordance with the provisions of Section 10-22.14 of this Act.

(s) Whenever any tax is levied or bonds issued for fire prevention, safety, energy conservation, and school security purposes, such proceeds shall be deposited and accounted for separately within the Fire Prevention and Safety Fund.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17; 101-455, eff. 8-23-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/17-2A) (from Ch. 122, par. 17-2A)

Sec. 17-2A. Interfund transfers.

(a) The school board of any district having a population of less than 500,000 inhabitants may, by proper resolution following a public hearing set by the school board or the president of the school board (that is preceded (i) by at least one published notice over the name of the clerk or secretary of the board, occurring at least 7 days and not more than 30 days prior to the hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation within the school district and (ii) by posted notice over the name of the clerk or secretary of the board, at least 48 hours before the hearing, at the principal office of the school board or at the building where the hearing is to be held if a principal office does not exist, with both notices setting forth the time, date, place, and subject matter of the hearing), transfer money from (1) the Educational Fund to the Operations and Maintenance Fund or the Transportation Fund, (2) the Operations and Maintenance Fund to the Educational Fund or the Transportation Fund, (3) the Transportation Fund to the Educational Fund or the Operations and Maintenance Fund, or (4) the Tort Immunity Fund to the Operations and Maintenance Fund of said district, provided that, except during the period from July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2021 2020, such transfer is made solely for the purpose of meeting one-time, non-recurring expenses. Except during the period from July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2021 2020 and except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this Section, any other permanent interfund transfers authorized by any provision or judicial interpretation of this Code for which the transferee fund is not precisely and specifically set forth in the provision of this Code authorizing such transfer shall be made to the fund of the school district most in need of the funds being transferred, as determined by resolution of the school board.

(b) (Blank).

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this Section or any other provision of this Code to the contrary, the school board of any school district (i) that is subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, (ii) that is an elementary district servicing students in grades K through 8, (iii) whose territory is in one county, (iv) that is eligible for Section 7002 Federal Impact Aid, and (v) that has no more than $81,000 in funds remaining from refinancing bonds that were refinanced a minimum of 5 years prior to January 20, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-926) may make a one-time transfer of the funds remaining from the refinancing bonds to the Operations and Maintenance Fund of the district by proper resolution following a public hearing set by the school board or the president of the school board, with notice as provided in subsection (a) of this Section, so long as the district meets the qualifications set forth in this subsection (c) on January 20, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-926).

(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this Section or any other provision of this Code to the contrary, the school board of any school district (i) that is subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, (ii) that is a community unit school district servicing students in grades K through 12, (iii) whose territory is in one county, (iv) that owns property designated by the United States as a Superfund site pursuant to the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), and (v) that has an excess accumulation of funds in its bond fund, including funds accumulated prior to July 1, 2000, may make a one-time transfer of those excess funds accumulated prior to July 1, 2000 to the Operations and Maintenance Fund of the district by proper resolution following a public hearing set by the school board or the president of the school board, with notice as provided in subsection (a) of this Section, so long as the district meets the qualifications set forth in this subsection (d) on August 4, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 100-32).

(Source: P.A. 99-713, eff. 8-5-16; 99-922, eff. 1-17-17; 99-926, eff. 1-20-17; 100-32, eff. 8-4-17; 100-465, eff. 8-31-17; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18.)

(105 ILCS 5/18-8.15)

Sec. 18-8.15. Evidence-Based Funding Evidence-based funding for student success for the 2017-2018 and subsequent school years.

(a) General provisions.

(1) The purpose of this Section is to ensure that, by June 30, 2027 and beyond, this State has a kindergarten through grade 12 public education system with the capacity to ensure the educational development of all persons to the limits of their capacities in accordance with Section 1 of Article X of the Constitution of the State of Illinois. To accomplish that objective, this Section creates a method of funding public education that is evidence-based; is sufficient to ensure every student receives a meaningful opportunity to learn irrespective of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or community-income level; and is sustainable and predictable. When fully funded under this Section, every school shall have the resources, based on what the evidence indicates is needed, to:

(A) provide all students with a high quality education that offers the academic, enrichment, social and emotional support, technical, and career-focused programs that will allow them to become competitive workers, responsible parents, productive citizens of this State, and active members of our national democracy;

(B) ensure all students receive the education they need to graduate from high school with the skills required to pursue post-secondary education and training for a rewarding career;

(C) reduce, with a goal of eliminating, the achievement gap between at-risk and non-at-risk students by raising the performance of at-risk students and not by reducing standards; and

(D) ensure this State satisfies its obligation to assume the primary responsibility to fund public education and simultaneously relieve the disproportionate burden placed on local property taxes to fund schools.

(2) The Evidence-Based Funding evidence-based funding formula under this Section shall be applied to all Organizational Units in this State. The Evidence-Based Funding evidence-based funding formula outlined in this Act is based on the formula outlined in Senate Bill 1 of the 100th General Assembly, as passed by both legislative chambers. As further defined and described in this Section, there are 4 major components of the Evidence-Based Funding evidence-based funding model:

(A) First, the model calculates a unique Adequacy Target adequacy target for each Organizational Unit in this State that considers the costs to implement research-based activities, the unit's student demographics, and regional wage differences difference.

(B) Second, the model calculates each Organizational Unit's Local Capacity local capacity, or the amount each Organizational Unit is assumed to contribute toward towards its Adequacy Target adequacy target from local resources.

(C) Third, the model calculates how much funding the State currently contributes to the Organizational Unit, and adds that to the unit's Local Capacity local capacity to determine the unit's overall current adequacy of funding.

(D) Finally, the model's distribution method allocates new State funding to those Organizational Units that are least well-funded, considering both Local Capacity local capacity and State funding, in relation to their Adequacy Target adequacy target.

(3) An Organizational Unit receiving any funding under this Section may apply those funds to any fund so received for which that Organizational Unit is authorized to make expenditures by law.

(4) As used in this Section, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed in this paragraph (4):

"Adequacy Target" is defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of this Section.

"Adjusted EAV" is defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (d) of this Section.

"Adjusted Local Capacity Target" is defined in paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of this Section.

"Adjusted Operating Tax Rate" means a tax rate for all Organizational Units, for which the State Superintendent shall calculate and subtract for the Operating Tax Rate a transportation rate based on total expenses for transportation services under this Code, as reported on the most recent Annual Financial Report in Pupil Transportation Services, function 2550 in both the Education and Transportation funds and functions 4110 and 4120 in the Transportation fund, less any corresponding fiscal year State of Illinois scheduled payments excluding net adjustments for prior years for regular, vocational, or special education transportation reimbursement pursuant to Section 29-5 or subsection (b) of Section 14-13.01 of this Code divided by the Adjusted EAV. If an Organizational Unit's corresponding fiscal year State of Illinois scheduled payments excluding net adjustments for prior years for regular, vocational, or special education transportation reimbursement pursuant to Section 29-5 or subsection (b) of Section 14-13.01 of this Code exceed the total transportation expenses, as defined in this paragraph, no transportation rate shall be subtracted from the Operating Tax Rate.

"Allocation Rate" is defined in paragraph (3) of subsection (g) of this Section.

"Alternative School" means a public school that is created and operated by a regional superintendent of schools and approved by the State Board.

"Applicable Tax Rate" is defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of this Section.

"Assessment" means any of those benchmark, progress monitoring, formative, diagnostic, and other assessments, in addition to the State accountability assessment, that assist teachers' needs in understanding the skills and meeting the needs of the students they serve.

"Assistant principal" means a school administrator duly endorsed to be employed as an assistant principal in this State.

"At-risk student" means a student who is at risk of not meeting the Illinois Learning Standards or not graduating from elementary or high school and who demonstrates a need for vocational support or social services beyond that provided by the regular school program. All students included in an Organizational Unit's Low-Income Count, as well as all English learner and disabled students attending the Organizational Unit, shall be considered at-risk students under this Section.

"Average Student Enrollment" or "ASE" for fiscal year 2018 means, for an Organizational Unit, the greater of the average number of students (grades K through 12) reported to the State Board as enrolled in the Organizational Unit on October 1 in the immediately preceding school year, plus the pre-kindergarten students who receive special education services of 2 or more hours a day as reported to the State Board on December 1 in the immediately preceding school year, or the average number of students (grades K through 12) reported to the State Board as enrolled in the Organizational Unit on October 1, plus the pre-kindergarten students who receive special education services of 2 or more hours a day as reported to the State Board on December 1, for each of the immediately preceding 3 school years. For fiscal year 2019 and each subsequent fiscal year, "Average Student Enrollment" or "ASE" means, for an Organizational Unit, the greater of the average number of students (grades K through 12) reported to the State Board as enrolled in the Organizational Unit on October 1 and March 1 in the immediately preceding school year, plus the pre-kindergarten students who receive special education services as reported to the State Board on October 1 and March 1 in the immediately preceding school year, or the average number of students (grades K through 12) reported to the State Board as enrolled in the Organizational Unit on October 1 and March 1, plus the pre-kindergarten students who receive special education services as reported to the State Board on October 1 and March 1, for each of the immediately preceding 3 school years. For the purposes of this definition, "enrolled in the Organizational Unit" means the number of students reported to the State Board who are enrolled in schools within the Organizational Unit that the student attends or would attend if not placed or transferred to another school or program to receive needed services. For the purposes of calculating "ASE", all students, grades K through 12, excluding those attending kindergarten for a half day and students attending an alternative education program operated by a regional office of education or intermediate service center, shall be counted as 1.0. All students attending kindergarten for a half day shall be counted as 0.5, unless in 2017 by June 15 or by March 1 in subsequent years, the school district reports to the State Board of Education the intent to implement full-day kindergarten district-wide for all students, then all students attending kindergarten shall be counted as 1.0. Special education pre-kindergarten students shall be counted as 0.5 each. If the State Board does not collect or has not collected both an October 1 and March 1 enrollment count by grade or a December 1 collection of special education pre-kindergarten students as of August 31, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 100-465) this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, it shall establish such collection for all future years. For any year in which where a count by grade level was collected only once, that count shall be used as the single count available for computing a 3-year average ASE. Funding for programs operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center must be calculated using the Evidence-Based Funding evidence-based funding formula under this Section for the 2019-2020 school year and each subsequent school year until separate adequacy formulas are developed and adopted for each type of program. ASE for a program operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center must be determined by the March 1 enrollment for the program. For the 2019-2020 school year, the ASE used in the calculation must be the first-year ASE and, in that year only, the assignment of students served by a regional office of education or intermediate service center shall not result in a reduction of the March enrollment for any school district. For the 2020-2021 school year, the ASE must be the greater of the current-year ASE or the 2-year average ASE. Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, the ASE must be the greater of the current-year ASE or the 3-year average ASE. School districts shall submit the data for the ASE calculation to the State Board within 45 days of the dates required in this Section for submission of enrollment data in order for it to be included in the ASE calculation. For fiscal year 2018 only, the ASE calculation shall include only enrollment taken on October 1.

"Base Funding Guarantee" is defined in paragraph (10) of subsection (g) of this Section.

"Base Funding Minimum" is defined in subsection (e) of this Section.

"Base Tax Year" means the property tax levy year used to calculate the Budget Year allocation of primary State aid.

"Base Tax Year's Extension" means the product of the equalized assessed valuation utilized by the county clerk in the Base Tax Year multiplied by the limiting rate as calculated by the county clerk and defined in PTELL.

"Bilingual Education Allocation" means the amount of an Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target attributable to bilingual education divided by the Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target, the product of which shall be multiplied by the amount of new funding received pursuant to this Section. An Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target attributable to bilingual education shall include all additional investments in English learner students' adequacy elements.

"Budget Year" means the school year for which primary State aid is calculated and awarded under this Section.

"Central office" means individual administrators and support service personnel charged with managing the instructional programs, business and operations, and security of the Organizational Unit.

"Comparable Wage Index" or "CWI" means a regional cost differentiation metric that measures systemic, regional variations in the salaries of college graduates who are not educators. The CWI utilized for this Section shall, for the first 3 years of Evidence-Based Funding implementation, be the CWI initially developed by the National Center for Education Statistics, as most recently updated by Texas A & M University. In the fourth and subsequent years of Evidence-Based Funding implementation, the State Superintendent shall re-determine the CWI using a similar methodology to that identified in the Texas A & M University study, with adjustments made no less frequently than once every 5 years.

"Computer technology and equipment" means computers servers, notebooks, network equipment, copiers, printers, instructional software, security software, curriculum management courseware, and other similar materials and equipment.

"Computer technology and equipment investment allocation" means the final Adequacy Target amount of an Organizational Unit assigned to Tier 1 or Tier 2 in the prior school year attributable to the additional $285.50 per student computer technology and equipment investment grant divided by the Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target, the result of which shall be multiplied by the amount of new funding received pursuant to this Section. An Organizational Unit assigned to a Tier 1 or Tier 2 final Adequacy Target attributable to the received computer technology and equipment investment grant shall include all additional investments in computer technology and equipment adequacy elements.

"Core subject" means mathematics; science; reading, English, writing, and language arts; history and social studies; world languages; and subjects taught as Advanced Placement in high schools.

"Core teacher" means a regular classroom teacher in elementary schools and teachers of a core subject in middle and high schools.

"Core Intervention teacher (tutor)" means a licensed teacher providing one-on-one or small group tutoring to students struggling to meet proficiency in core subjects.

"CPPRT" means corporate personal property replacement tax funds paid to an Organizational Unit during the calendar year one year before the calendar year in which a school year begins, pursuant to "An Act in relation to the abolition of ad valorem personal property tax and the replacement of revenues lost thereby, and amending and repealing certain Acts and parts of Acts in connection therewith", certified August 14, 1979, as amended (Public Act 81-1st S.S.-1).

"EAV" means equalized assessed valuation as defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (d) of this Section and calculated in accordance with paragraph (3) of subsection (d) of this Section.

"ECI" means the Bureau of Labor Statistics' national employment cost index for civilian workers in educational services in elementary and secondary schools on a cumulative basis for the 12-month calendar year preceding the fiscal year of the Evidence-Based Funding calculation.

"EIS Data" means the employment information system data maintained by the State Board on educators within Organizational Units.

"Employee benefits" means health, dental, and vision insurance offered to employees of an Organizational Unit, the costs associated with the statutorily required payment of the normal cost of the Organizational Unit's teacher pensions, Social Security employer contributions, and Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund employer contributions.

"English learner" or "EL" means a child included in the definition of "English learners" under Section 14C-2 of this Code participating in a program of transitional bilingual education or a transitional program of instruction meeting the requirements and program application procedures of Article 14C of this Code. For the purposes of collecting the number of EL students enrolled, the same collection and calculation methodology as defined above for "ASE" shall apply to English learners, with the exception that EL student enrollment shall include students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.

"Essential Elements" means those elements, resources, and educational programs that have been identified through academic research as necessary to improve student success, improve academic performance, close achievement gaps, and provide for other per student costs related to the delivery and leadership of the Organizational Unit, as well as the maintenance and operations of the unit, and which are specified in paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of this Section.

"Evidence-Based Funding" means State funding provided to an Organizational Unit pursuant to this Section.

"Extended day" means academic and enrichment programs provided to students outside the regular school day before and after school or during non-instructional times during the school day.

"Extension Limitation Ratio" means a numerical ratio in which the numerator is the Base Tax Year's Extension and the denominator is the Preceding Tax Year's Extension.

"Final Percent of Adequacy" is defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (f) of this Section.

"Final Resources" is defined in paragraph (3) of subsection (f) of this Section.

"Full-time equivalent" or "FTE" means the full-time equivalency compensation for staffing the relevant position at an Organizational Unit.

"Funding Gap" is defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (g).

"Guidance counselor" means a licensed guidance counselor who provides guidance and counseling support for students within an Organizational Unit.

"Hybrid District" means a partial elementary unit district created pursuant to Article 11E of this Code.

"Instructional assistant" means a core or special education, non-licensed employee who assists a teacher in the classroom and provides academic support to students.

"Instructional facilitator" means a qualified teacher or licensed teacher leader who facilitates and coaches continuous improvement in classroom instruction; provides instructional support to teachers in the elements of research-based instruction or demonstrates the alignment of instruction with curriculum standards and assessment tools; develops or coordinates instructional programs or strategies; develops and implements training; chooses standards-based instructional materials; provides teachers with an understanding of current research; serves as a mentor, site coach, curriculum specialist, or lead teacher; or otherwise works with fellow teachers, in collaboration, to use data to improve instructional practice or develop model lessons.

"Instructional materials" means relevant instructional materials for student instruction, including, but not limited to, textbooks, consumable workbooks, laboratory equipment, library books, and other similar materials.

"Laboratory School" means a public school that is created and operated by a public university and approved by the State Board.

"Librarian" means a teacher with an endorsement as a library information specialist or another individual whose primary responsibility is overseeing library resources within an Organizational Unit.

"Limiting rate for Hybrid Districts" means the combined elementary school and high school limiting limited rates.

"Local Capacity" is defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of this Section.

"Local Capacity Percentage" is defined in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Section.

"Local Capacity Ratio" is defined in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Section.

"Local Capacity Target" is defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Section.

"Low-Income Count" means, for an Organizational Unit in a fiscal year, the higher of the average number of students for the prior school year or the immediately preceding 3 school years who, as of July 1 of the immediately preceding fiscal year (as determined by the Department of Human Services), are eligible for at least one of the following low-income low income programs: Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, excluding pupils who are eligible for services provided by the Department of Children and Family Services. Until such time that grade level low-income populations become available, grade level low-income populations shall be determined by applying the low-income percentage to total student enrollments by grade level. The low-income percentage is determined by dividing the Low-Income Count by the Average Student Enrollment. The low-income percentage for programs operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center must be set to the weighted average of the low-income percentages of all of the school districts in the service region. The weighted low-income percentage is the result of multiplying the low-income percentage of each school district served by the regional office of education or intermediate service center by each school district's Average Student Enrollment, summarizing those products and dividing the total by the total Average Student Enrollment for the service region.

"Maintenance and operations" means custodial services, facility and ground maintenance, facility operations, facility security, routine facility repairs, and other similar services and functions.

"Minimum Funding Level" is defined in paragraph (9) of subsection (g) of this Section.

"New Property Tax Relief Pool Funds" means, for any given fiscal year, all State funds appropriated under Section 2-3.170 of the School Code.

"New State Funds" means, for a given school year, all State funds appropriated for Evidence-Based Funding in excess of the amount needed to fund the Base Funding Minimum for all Organizational Units in that school year.

"Net State Contribution Target" means, for a given school year, the amount of State funds that would be necessary to fully meet the Adequacy Target of an Operational Unit minus the Preliminary Resources available to each unit.

"Nurse" means an individual licensed as a certified school nurse, in accordance with the rules established for nursing services by the State Board, who is an employee of and is available to provide health care-related services for students of an Organizational Unit.

"Operating Tax Rate" means the rate utilized in the previous year to extend property taxes for all purposes, except, Bond and Interest, Summer School, Rent, Capital Improvement, and Vocational Education Building purposes. For Hybrid Districts, the Operating Tax Rate shall be the combined elementary and high school rates utilized in the previous year to extend property taxes for all purposes, except, Bond and Interest, Summer School, Rent, Capital Improvement, and Vocational Education Building purposes.

"Organizational Unit" means a Laboratory School or any public school district that is recognized as such by the State Board and that contains elementary schools typically serving kindergarten through 5th grades, middle schools typically serving 6th through 8th grades, high schools typically serving 9th through 12th grades, a program established under Section 2-3.66 or 2-3.41, or a program operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center under Article 13A or 13B. The General Assembly acknowledges that the actual grade levels served by a particular Organizational Unit may vary slightly from what is typical.

"Organizational Unit CWI" is determined by calculating the CWI in the region and original county in which an Organizational Unit's primary administrative office is located as set forth in this paragraph, provided that if the Organizational Unit CWI as calculated in accordance with this paragraph is less than 0.9, the Organizational Unit CWI shall be increased to 0.9. Each county's current CWI value shall be adjusted based on the CWI value of that county's neighboring Illinois counties, to create a "weighted adjusted index value". This shall be calculated by summing the CWI values of all of a county's adjacent Illinois counties and dividing by the number of adjacent Illinois counties, then taking the weighted value of the original county's CWI value and the adjacent Illinois county average. To calculate this weighted value, if the number of adjacent Illinois counties is greater than 2, the original county's CWI value will be weighted at 0.25 and the adjacent Illinois county average will be weighted at 0.75. If the number of adjacent Illinois counties is 2, the original county's CWI value will be weighted at 0.33 and the adjacent Illinois county average will be weighted at 0.66. The greater of the county's current CWI value and its weighted adjusted index value shall be used as the Organizational Unit CWI.

"Preceding Tax Year" means the property tax levy year immediately preceding the Base Tax Year.

"Preceding Tax Year's Extension" means the product of the equalized assessed valuation utilized by the county clerk in the Preceding Tax Year multiplied by the Operating Tax Rate.

"Preliminary Percent of Adequacy" is defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (f) of this Section.

"Preliminary Resources" is defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (f) of this Section.

"Principal" means a school administrator duly endorsed to be employed as a principal in this State.

"Professional development" means training programs for licensed staff in schools, including, but not limited to, programs that assist in implementing new curriculum programs, provide data focused or academic assessment data training to help staff identify a student's weaknesses and strengths, target interventions, improve instruction, encompass instructional strategies for English learner, gifted, or at-risk students, address inclusivity, cultural sensitivity, or implicit bias, or otherwise provide professional support for licensed staff.

"Prototypical" means 450 special education pre-kindergarten and kindergarten through grade 5 students for an elementary school, 450 grade 6 through 8 students for a middle school, and 600 grade 9 through 12 students for a high school.

"PTELL" means the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law.

"PTELL EAV" is defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (d) of this Section.

"Pupil support staff" means a nurse, psychologist, social worker, family liaison personnel, or other staff member who provides support to at-risk or struggling students.

"Real Receipts" is defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of this Section.

"Regionalization Factor" means, for a particular Organizational Unit, the figure derived by dividing the Organizational Unit CWI by the Statewide Weighted CWI.

"School site staff" means the primary school secretary and any additional clerical personnel assigned to a school.

"Special education" means special educational facilities and services, as defined in Section 14-1.08 of this Code.

"Special Education Allocation" means the amount of an Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target attributable to special education divided by the Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target, the product of which shall be multiplied by the amount of new funding received pursuant to this Section. An Organizational Unit's final Adequacy Target attributable to special education shall include all special education investment adequacy elements.

"Specialist teacher" means a teacher who provides instruction in subject areas not included in core subjects, including, but not limited to, art, music, physical education, health, driver education, career-technical education, and such other subject areas as may be mandated by State law or provided by an Organizational Unit.

"Specially Funded Unit" means an Alternative School, safe school, Department of Juvenile Justice school, special education cooperative or entity recognized by the State Board as a special education cooperative, State-approved charter school, or alternative learning opportunities program that received direct funding from the State Board during the 2016-2017 school year through any of the funding sources included within the calculation of the Base Funding Minimum or Glenwood Academy.

"Supplemental Grant Funding" means supplemental general State aid funding received by an Organizational Organization Unit during the 2016-2017 school year pursuant to subsection (H) of Section 18-8.05 of this Code (now repealed).

"State Adequacy Level" is the sum of the Adequacy Targets of all Organizational Units.

"State Board" means the State Board of Education.

"State Superintendent" means the State Superintendent of Education.

"Statewide Weighted CWI" means a figure determined by multiplying each Organizational Unit CWI times the ASE for that Organizational Unit creating a weighted value, summing all Organizational Units' Unit's weighted values, and dividing by the total ASE of all Organizational Units, thereby creating an average weighted index.

"Student activities" means non-credit producing after-school programs, including, but not limited to, clubs, bands, sports, and other activities authorized by the school board of the Organizational Unit.

"Substitute teacher" means an individual teacher or teaching assistant who is employed by an Organizational Unit and is temporarily serving the Organizational Unit on a per diem or per period-assignment basis to replace replacing another staff member.

"Summer school" means academic and enrichment programs provided to students during the summer months outside of the regular school year.

"Supervisory aide" means a non-licensed staff member who helps in supervising students of an Organizational Unit, but does so outside of the classroom, in situations such as, but not limited to, monitoring hallways and playgrounds, supervising lunchrooms, or supervising students when being transported in buses serving the Organizational Unit.

"Target Ratio" is defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (g).

"Tier 1", "Tier 2", "Tier 3", and "Tier 4" are defined in paragraph (3) of subsection (g).

"Tier 1 Aggregate Funding", "Tier 2 Aggregate Funding", "Tier 3 Aggregate Funding", and "Tier 4 Aggregate Funding" are defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (g).

(b) Adequacy Target calculation.

(1) Each Organizational Unit's Adequacy Target is the sum of the Organizational Unit's cost of providing Essential Elements, as calculated in accordance with this subsection (b), with the salary amounts in the Essential Elements multiplied by a Regionalization Factor calculated pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection (b).

(2) The Essential Elements are attributable on a pro rata basis related to defined subgroups of the ASE of each Organizational Unit as specified in this paragraph (2), with investments and FTE positions pro rata funded based on ASE counts in excess or less than the thresholds set forth in this paragraph (2). The method for calculating attributable pro rata costs and the defined subgroups thereto are as follows:

(A) Core class size investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding required to support that number of FTE core teacher positions as is needed to keep the respective class sizes of the Organizational Unit to the following maximum numbers:

(i) For grades kindergarten through 3, the Organizational Unit shall receive funding required to support one FTE core teacher position for every 15 Low-Income Count students in those grades and one FTE core teacher position for every 20 non-Low-Income Count students in those grades.

(ii) For grades 4 through 12, the Organizational Unit shall receive funding required to support one FTE core teacher position for every 20 Low-Income Count students in those grades and one FTE core teacher position for every 25 non-Low-Income Count students in those grades.

The number of non-Low-Income Count students in a grade shall be determined by subtracting the Low-Income students in that grade from the ASE of the Organizational Unit for that grade.

(B) Specialist teacher investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover that number of FTE specialist teacher positions that correspond to the following percentages:

(i) if the Organizational Unit operates an elementary or middle school, then 20.00% of the number of the Organizational Unit's core teachers, as determined under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph (2); and

(ii) if such Organizational Unit operates a high school, then 33.33% of the number of the Organizational Unit's core teachers.

(C) Instructional facilitator investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE instructional facilitator position for every 200 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students of the Organizational Unit.

(D) Core intervention teacher (tutor) investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE teacher position for each prototypical elementary, middle, and high school.

(E) Substitute teacher investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover substitute teacher costs that is equal to 5.70% of the minimum pupil attendance days required under Section 10-19 of this Code for all full-time equivalent core, specialist, and intervention teachers, school nurses, special education teachers and instructional assistants, instructional facilitators, and summer school and extended day extended-day teacher positions, as determined under this paragraph (2), at a salary rate of 33.33% of the average salary for grade K through 12 teachers and 33.33% of the average salary of each instructional assistant position.

(F) Core guidance counselor investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE guidance counselor for each 450 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 5 students, plus one FTE guidance counselor for each 250 grades 6 through 8 ASE middle school students, plus one FTE guidance counselor for each 250 grades 9 through 12 ASE high school students.

(G) Nurse investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE nurse for each 750 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students across all grade levels it serves.

(H) Supervisory aide investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE for each 225 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 5 students, plus one FTE for each 225 ASE middle school students, plus one FTE for each 200 ASE high school students.

(I) Librarian investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE librarian for each prototypical elementary school, middle school, and high school and one FTE aide or media technician for every 300 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students.

(J) Principal investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE principal position for each prototypical elementary school, plus one FTE principal position for each prototypical middle school, plus one FTE principal position for each prototypical high school.

(K) Assistant principal investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed to cover one FTE assistant principal position for each prototypical elementary school, plus one FTE assistant principal position for each prototypical middle school, plus one FTE assistant principal position for each prototypical high school.

(L) School site staff investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the funding needed for one FTE position for each 225 ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 5 students, plus one FTE position for each 225 ASE middle school students, plus one FTE position for each 200 ASE high school students.

(M) Gifted investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $40 per kindergarten through grade 12 ASE.

(N) Professional development investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $125 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students for trainers and other professional development-related expenses for supplies and materials.

(O) Instructional material investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $190 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students to cover instructional material costs.

(P) Assessment investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $25 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students student to cover assessment costs.

(Q) Computer technology and equipment investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $285.50 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students to cover computer technology and equipment costs. For the 2018-2019 school year and subsequent school years, Organizational Units assigned to Tier 1 and Tier 2 in the prior school year shall receive an additional $285.50 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students to cover computer technology and equipment costs in the Organizational Organization Unit's Adequacy Target. The State Board may establish additional requirements for Organizational Unit expenditures of funds received pursuant to this subparagraph (Q), including a requirement that funds received pursuant to this subparagraph (Q) may be used only for serving the technology needs of the district. It is the intent of Public Act 100-465 this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly that all Tier 1 and Tier 2 districts receive the addition to their Adequacy Target in the following year, subject to compliance with the requirements of the State Board.

(R) Student activities investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive the following funding amounts to cover student activities: $100 per kindergarten through grade 5 ASE student in elementary school, plus $200 per ASE student in middle school, plus $675 per ASE student in high school.

(S) Maintenance and operations investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $1,038 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students for day-to-day maintenance and operations expenditures, including salary, supplies, and materials, as well as purchased services, but excluding employee benefits. The proportion of salary for the application of a Regionalization Factor and the calculation of benefits is equal to $352.92.

(T) Central office investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive $742 per student of the combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students to cover central office operations, including administrators and classified personnel charged with managing the instructional programs, business and operations of the school district, and security personnel. The proportion of salary for the application of a Regionalization Factor and the calculation of benefits is equal to $368.48.

(U) Employee benefit investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive 30% of the total of all salary-calculated elements of the Adequacy Target, excluding substitute teachers and student activities investments, to cover benefit costs. For central office and maintenance and operations investments, the benefit calculation shall be based upon the salary proportion of each investment. If at any time the responsibility for funding the employer normal cost of teacher pensions is assigned to school districts, then that amount certified by the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois to be paid by the Organizational Unit for the preceding school year shall be added to the benefit investment. For any fiscal year in which a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code is responsible for paying the employer normal cost of teacher pensions, then that amount of its employer normal cost plus the amount for retiree health insurance as certified by the Public School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago to be paid by the school district for the preceding school year that is statutorily required to cover employer normal costs and the amount for retiree health insurance shall be added to the 30% specified in this subparagraph (U). The Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois and the Public School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago shall submit such information as the State Superintendent may require for the calculations set forth in this subparagraph (U).

(V) Additional investments in low-income students. In addition to and not in lieu of all other funding under this paragraph (2), each Organizational Unit shall receive funding based on the average teacher salary for grades K through 12 to cover the costs of:

(i) one FTE intervention teacher (tutor) position for every 125 Low-Income Count students;

(ii) one FTE pupil support staff position for every 125 Low-Income Count students;

(iii) one FTE extended day teacher position for every 120 Low-Income Count students; and

(iv) one FTE summer school teacher position for every 120 Low-Income Count students.

(W) Additional investments in English learner students. In addition to and not in lieu of all other funding under this paragraph (2), each Organizational Unit shall receive funding based on the average teacher salary for grades K through 12 to cover the costs of:

(i) one FTE intervention teacher (tutor) position for every 125 English learner students;

(ii) one FTE pupil support staff position for every 125 English learner students;

(iii) one FTE extended day teacher position for every 120 English learner students;

(iv) one FTE summer school teacher position for every 120 English learner students; and

(v) one FTE core teacher position for every 100 English learner students.

(X) Special education investments. Each Organizational Unit shall receive funding based on the average teacher salary for grades K through 12 to cover special education as follows:

(i) one FTE teacher position for every 141 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students;

(ii) one FTE instructional assistant for every 141 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students; and

(iii) one FTE psychologist position for every 1,000 combined ASE of pre-kindergarten children with disabilities and all kindergarten through grade 12 students.

(3) For calculating the salaries included within the Essential Elements, the State Superintendent shall annually calculate average salaries to the nearest dollar using the employment information system data maintained by the State Board, limited to public schools only and excluding special education and vocational cooperatives, schools operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice, and charter schools, for the following positions:

(A) Teacher for grades K through 8.

(B) Teacher for grades 9 through 12.

(C) Teacher for grades K through 12.

(D) Guidance counselor for grades K through 8.

(E) Guidance counselor for grades 9 through 12.

(F) Guidance counselor for grades K through 12.

(G) Social worker.

(H) Psychologist.

(I) Librarian.

(J) Nurse.

(K) Principal.

(L) Assistant principal.

For the purposes of this paragraph (3), "teacher" includes core teachers, specialist and elective teachers, instructional facilitators, tutors, special education teachers, pupil support staff teachers, English learner teachers, extended day extended-day teachers, and summer school teachers. Where specific grade data is not required for the Essential Elements, the average salary for corresponding positions shall apply. For substitute teachers, the average teacher salary for grades K through 12 shall apply.

For calculating the salaries included within the Essential Elements for positions not included within EIS Data, the following salaries shall be used in the first year of implementation of Evidence-Based Funding:

(i) school site staff, $30,000; and

(ii) non-instructional assistant, instructional assistant, library aide, library media tech, or supervisory aide: $25,000.

In the second and subsequent years of implementation of Evidence-Based Funding, the amounts in items (i) and (ii) of this paragraph (3) shall annually increase by the ECI.

The salary amounts for the Essential Elements determined pursuant to subparagraphs (A) through (L), (S) and (T), and (V) through (X) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of this Section shall be multiplied by a Regionalization Factor.

(c) Local Capacity capacity calculation.

(1) Each Organizational Unit's Local Capacity represents an amount of funding it is assumed to contribute toward its Adequacy Target for purposes of the Evidence-Based Funding formula calculation. "Local Capacity" means either (i) the Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Target as calculated in accordance with paragraph (2) of this subsection (c) if its Real Receipts are equal to or less than its Local Capacity Target or (ii) the Organizational Unit's Adjusted Local Capacity, as calculated in accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection (c) if Real Receipts are more than its Local Capacity Target.

(2) "Local Capacity Target" means, for an Organizational Unit, that dollar amount that is obtained by multiplying its Adequacy Target by its Local Capacity Ratio.

(A) An Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Percentage is the conversion of the Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Ratio, as such ratio is determined in accordance with subparagraph (B) of this paragraph (2), into a cumulative distribution resulting in a percentile ranking to determine each Organizational Unit's relative position to all other Organizational Units in this State. The calculation of Local Capacity Percentage is described in subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (2).

(B) An Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Ratio in a given year is the percentage obtained by dividing its Adjusted EAV or PTELL EAV, whichever is less, by its Adequacy Target, with the resulting ratio further adjusted as follows:

(i) for Organizational Units serving grades kindergarten through 12 and Hybrid Districts, no further adjustments shall be made;

(ii) for Organizational Units serving grades kindergarten through 8, the ratio shall be multiplied by 9/13;

(iii) for Organizational Units serving grades 9 through 12, the Local Capacity Ratio shall be multiplied by 4/13; and

(iv) for an Organizational Unit with a different grade configuration than those specified in items (i) through (iii) of this subparagraph (B), the State Superintendent shall determine a comparable adjustment based on the grades served.

(C) The Local Capacity Percentage is equal to the percentile ranking of the district. Local Capacity Percentage converts each Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Ratio to a cumulative distribution resulting in a percentile ranking to determine each Organizational Unit's relative position to all other Organizational Units in this State. The Local Capacity Percentage cumulative distribution resulting in a percentile ranking for each Organizational Unit shall be calculated using the standard normal distribution of the score in relation to the weighted mean and weighted standard deviation and Local Capacity Ratios of all Organizational Units. If the value assigned to any Organizational Unit is in excess of 90%, the value shall be adjusted to 90%. For Laboratory Schools, the Local Capacity Percentage shall be set at 10% in recognition of the absence of EAV and resources from the public university that are allocated to the Laboratory School. For programs operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center, the Local Capacity Percentage must be set at 10% in recognition of the absence of EAV and resources from school districts that are allocated to the regional office of education or intermediate service center. The weighted mean for the Local Capacity Percentage shall be determined by multiplying each Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Ratio times the ASE for the unit creating a weighted value, summing the weighted values of all Organizational Units, and dividing by the total ASE of all Organizational Units. The weighted standard deviation shall be determined by taking the square root of the weighted variance of all Organizational Units' Local Capacity Ratio, where the variance is calculated by squaring the difference between each unit's Local Capacity Ratio and the weighted mean, then multiplying the variance for each unit times the ASE for the unit to create a weighted variance for each unit, then summing all units' weighted variance and dividing by the total ASE of all units.

(D) For any Organizational Unit, the Organizational Unit's Adjusted Local Capacity Target shall be reduced by either (i) the school board's remaining contribution pursuant to paragraph (ii) of subsection (b-4) of Section 16-158 of the Illinois Pension Code in a given year, or (ii) the board of education's remaining contribution pursuant to paragraph (iv) of subsection (b) of Section 17-129 of the Illinois Pension Code absent the employer normal cost portion of the required contribution and amount allowed pursuant to subdivision (3) of Section 17-142.1 of the Illinois Pension Code in a given year. In the preceding sentence, item (i) shall be certified to the State Board of Education by the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois and item (ii) shall be certified to the State Board of Education by the Public School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of the City of Chicago.

(3) If an Organizational Unit's Real Receipts are more than its Local Capacity Target, then its Local Capacity shall equal an Adjusted Local Capacity Target as calculated in accordance with this paragraph (3). The Adjusted Local Capacity Target is calculated as the sum of the Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Target and its Real Receipts Adjustment. The Real Receipts Adjustment equals the Organizational Unit's Real Receipts less its Local Capacity Target, with the resulting figure multiplied by the Local Capacity Percentage.

As used in this paragraph (3), "Real Percent of Adequacy" means the sum of an Organizational Unit's Real Receipts, CPPRT, and Base Funding Minimum, with the resulting figure divided by the Organizational Unit's Adequacy Target.

(d) Calculation of Real Receipts, EAV, and Adjusted EAV for purposes of the Local Capacity calculation.

(1) An Organizational Unit's Real Receipts are the product of its Applicable Tax Rate and its Adjusted EAV. An Organizational Unit's Applicable Tax Rate is its Adjusted Operating Tax Rate for property within the Organizational Unit.

(2) The State Superintendent shall calculate the equalized assessed valuation Equalized Assessed Valuation, or EAV, of all taxable property of each Organizational Unit as of September 30 of the previous year in accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection (d). The State Superintendent shall then determine the Adjusted EAV of each Organizational Unit in accordance with paragraph (4) of this subsection (d), which Adjusted EAV figure shall be used for the purposes of calculating Local Capacity.

(3) To calculate Real Receipts and EAV, the Department of Revenue shall supply to the State Superintendent the value as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue of all taxable property of every Organizational Unit, together with (i) the applicable tax rate used in extending taxes for the funds of the Organizational Unit as of September 30 of the previous year and (ii) the limiting rate for all Organizational Units subject to property tax extension limitations as imposed under PTELL.

(A) The Department of Revenue shall add to the equalized assessed value of all taxable property of each Organizational Unit situated entirely or partially within a county that is or was subject to the provisions of Section 15-176 or 15-177 of the Property Tax Code (i) an amount equal to the total amount by which the homestead exemption allowed under Section 15-176 or 15-177 of the Property Tax Code for real property situated in that Organizational Unit exceeds the total amount that would have been allowed in that Organizational Unit if the maximum reduction under Section 15-176 was (I) $4,500 in Cook County or $3,500 in all other counties in tax year 2003 or (II) $5,000 in all counties in tax year 2004 and thereafter and (ii) an amount equal to the aggregate amount for the taxable year of all additional exemptions under Section 15-175 of the Property Tax Code for owners with a household income of $30,000 or less. The county clerk of any county that is or was subject to the provisions of Section 15-176 or 15-177 of the Property Tax Code shall annually calculate and certify to the Department of Revenue for each Organizational Unit all homestead exemption amounts under Section 15-176 or 15-177 of the Property Tax Code and all amounts of additional exemptions under Section 15-175 of the Property Tax Code for owners with a household income of $30,000 or less. It is the intent of this subparagraph (A) that if the general homestead exemption for a parcel of property is determined under Section 15-176 or 15-177 of the Property Tax Code rather than Section 15-175, then the calculation of EAV shall not be affected by the difference, if any, between the amount of the general homestead exemption allowed for that parcel of property under Section 15-176 or 15-177 of the Property Tax Code and the amount that would have been allowed had the general homestead exemption for that parcel of property been determined under Section 15-175 of the Property Tax Code. It is further the intent of this subparagraph (A) that if additional exemptions are allowed under Section 15-175 of the Property Tax Code for owners with a household income of less than $30,000, then the calculation of EAV shall not be affected by the difference, if any, because of those additional exemptions.

(B) With respect to any part of an Organizational Unit within a redevelopment project area in respect to which a municipality has adopted tax increment allocation financing pursuant to the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act, Division 74.4 of Article 11 of the Illinois Municipal Code, or the Industrial Jobs Recovery Law, Division 74.6 of Article 11 of the Illinois Municipal Code, no part of the current EAV of real property located in any such project area that which is attributable to an increase above the total initial EAV of such property shall be used as part of the EAV of the Organizational Unit, until such time as all redevelopment project costs have been paid, as provided in Section 11-74.4-8 of the Tax Increment Allocation Redevelopment Act or in Section 11-74.6-35 of the Industrial Jobs Recovery Law. For the purpose of the EAV of the Organizational Unit, the total initial EAV or the current EAV, whichever is lower, shall be used until such time as all redevelopment project costs have been paid.

(B-5) The real property equalized assessed valuation for a school district shall be adjusted by subtracting from the real property value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, for the district an amount computed by dividing the amount of any abatement of taxes under Section 18-170 of the Property Tax Code by 3.00% for a district maintaining grades kindergarten through 12, by 2.30% for a district maintaining grades kindergarten through 8, or by 1.05% for a district maintaining grades 9 through 12 and adjusted by an amount computed by dividing the amount of any abatement of taxes under subsection (a) of Section 18-165 of the Property Tax Code by the same percentage rates for district type as specified in this subparagraph (B-5).

(C) For Organizational Units that are Hybrid Districts, the State Superintendent shall use the lesser of the adjusted equalized assessed valuation for property within the partial elementary unit district for elementary purposes, as defined in Article 11E of this Code, or the adjusted equalized assessed valuation for property within the partial elementary unit district for high school purposes, as defined in Article 11E of this Code.

(4) An Organizational Unit's Adjusted EAV shall be the average of its EAV over the immediately preceding 3 years or its EAV in the immediately preceding year if the EAV in the immediately preceding year has declined by 10% or more compared to the 3-year average. In the event of Organizational Unit reorganization, consolidation, or annexation, the Organizational Unit's Adjusted EAV for the first 3 years after such change shall be as follows: the most current EAV shall be used in the first year, the average of a 2-year EAV or its EAV in the immediately preceding year if the EAV declines by 10% or more compared to the 2-year average for the second year, and a 3-year average EAV or its EAV in the immediately preceding year if the Adjusted adjusted EAV declines by 10% or more compared to the 3-year average for the third year. For any school district whose EAV in the immediately preceding year is used in calculations, in the following year, the Adjusted EAV shall be the average of its EAV over the immediately preceding 2 years or the immediately preceding year if that year represents a decline of 10% or more compared to the 2-year average.

"PTELL EAV" means a figure calculated by the State Board for Organizational Units subject to PTELL as described in this paragraph (4) for the purposes of calculating an Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Ratio. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (4), the PTELL EAV of an Organizational Unit shall be equal to the product of the equalized assessed valuation last used in the calculation of general State aid under Section 18-8.05 of this Code (now repealed) or Evidence-Based Funding under this Section and the Organizational Unit's Extension Limitation Ratio. If an Organizational Unit has approved or does approve an increase in its limiting rate, pursuant to Section 18-190 of the Property Tax Code, affecting the Base Tax Year, the PTELL EAV shall be equal to the product of the equalized assessed valuation last used in the calculation of general State aid under Section 18-8.05 of this Code (now repealed) or Evidence-Based Funding under this Section multiplied by an amount equal to one plus the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for all items published by the United States Department of Labor for the 12-month calendar year preceding the Base Tax Year, plus the equalized assessed valuation of new property, annexed property, and recovered tax increment value and minus the equalized assessed valuation of disconnected property.

As used in this paragraph (4), "new property" and "recovered tax increment value" shall have the meanings set forth in the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law.

(e) Base Funding Minimum calculation.

(1) For the 2017-2018 school year, the Base Funding Minimum of an Organizational Unit or a Specially Funded Unit shall be the amount of State funds distributed to the Organizational Unit or Specially Funded Unit during the 2016-2017 school year prior to any adjustments and specified appropriation amounts described in this paragraph (1) from the following Sections, as calculated by the State Superintendent: Section 18-8.05 of this Code (now repealed); Section 5 of Article 224 of Public Act 99-524 (equity grants); Section 14-7.02b of this Code (funding for children requiring special education services); Section 14-13.01 of this Code (special education facilities and staffing), except for reimbursement of the cost of transportation pursuant to Section 14-13.01; Section 14C-12 of this Code (English learners); and Section 18-4.3 of this Code (summer school), based on an appropriation level of $13,121,600. For a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code, the Base Funding Minimum also includes (i) the funds allocated to the school district pursuant to Section 1D-1 of this Code attributable to funding programs authorized by the Sections of this Code listed in the preceding sentence; and (ii) the difference between (I) the funds allocated to the school district pursuant to Section 1D-1 of this Code attributable to the funding programs authorized by Section 14-7.02 (non-public special education reimbursement), subsection (b) of Section 14-13.01 (special education transportation), Section 29-5 (transportation), Section 2-3.80 (agricultural education), Section 2-3.66 (truants' alternative education), Section 2-3.62 (educational service centers), and Section 14-7.03 (special education - orphanage) of this Code and Section 15 of the Childhood Hunger Relief Act (free breakfast program) and (II) the school district's actual expenditures for its non-public special education, special education transportation, transportation programs, agricultural education, truants' alternative education, services that would otherwise be performed by a regional office of education, special education orphanage expenditures, and free breakfast, as most recently calculated and reported pursuant to subsection (f) of Section 1D-1 of this Code. The Base Funding Minimum for Glenwood Academy shall be $625,500. For programs operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center, the Base Funding Minimum must be the total amount of State funds allocated to those programs in the 2018-2019 school year and amounts provided pursuant to Article 34 of Public Act 100-586 and Section 3-16 of this Code. All programs established after June 5, 2019 (the effective date of Public Act 101-10) this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly and administered by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center must have an initial Base Funding Minimum set to an amount equal to the first-year ASE multiplied by the amount of per pupil funding received in the previous school year by the lowest funded similar existing program type. If the enrollment for a program operated by a regional office of education or an intermediate service center is zero, then it may not receive Base Funding Minimum funds for that program in the next fiscal year, and those funds must be distributed to Organizational Units under subsection (g).

(2) For the 2018-2019 and subsequent school years, the Base Funding Minimum of Organizational Units and Specially Funded Units shall be the sum of (i) the amount of Evidence-Based Funding for the prior school year, (ii) the Base Funding Minimum for the prior school year, and (iii) any amount received by a school district pursuant to Section 7 of Article 97 of Public Act 100-21.

(3) Subject to approval by the General Assembly as provided in this paragraph (3), an Organizational Unit that meets all of the following criteria, as determined by the State Board, shall have District Intervention Money added to its Base Funding Minimum at the time the Base Funding Minimum is calculated by the State Board:

(A) The Organizational Unit is operating under an Independent Authority under Section 2-3.25f-5 of this Code for a minimum of 4 school years or is subject to the control of the State Board pursuant to a court order for a minimum of 4 school years.

(B) The Organizational Unit was designated as a Tier 1 or Tier 2 Organizational Unit in the previous school year under paragraph (3) of subsection (g) of this Section.

(C) The Organizational Unit demonstrates sustainability through a 5-year financial and strategic plan.

(D) The Organizational Unit has made sufficient progress and achieved sufficient stability in the areas of governance, academic growth, and finances.

As part of its determination under this paragraph (3), the State Board may consider the Organizational Unit's summative designation, any accreditations of the Organizational Unit, or the Organizational Unit's financial profile, as calculated by the State Board.

If the State Board determines that an Organizational Unit has met the criteria set forth in this paragraph (3), it must submit a report to the General Assembly, no later than January 2 of the fiscal year in which the State Board makes it determination, on the amount of District Intervention Money to add to the Organizational Unit's Base Funding Minimum. The General Assembly must review the State Board's report and may approve or disapprove, by joint resolution, the addition of District Intervention Money. If the General Assembly fails to act on the report within 40 calendar days from the receipt of the report, the addition of District Intervention Money is deemed approved. If the General Assembly approves the amount of District Intervention Money to be added to the Organizational Unit's Base Funding Minimum, the District Intervention Money must be added to the Base Funding Minimum annually thereafter.

For the first 4 years following the initial year that the State Board determines that an Organizational Unit has met the criteria set forth in this paragraph (3) and has received funding under this Section, the Organizational Unit must annually submit to the State Board, on or before November 30, a progress report regarding its financial and strategic plan under subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (3). The plan shall include the financial data from the past 4 annual financial reports or financial audits that must be presented to the State Board by November 15 of each year and the approved budget financial data for the current year. The plan shall be developed according to the guidelines presented to the Organizational Unit by the State Board. The plan shall further include financial projections for the next 3 fiscal years and include a discussion and financial summary of the Organizational Unit's facility needs. If the Organizational Unit does not demonstrate sufficient progress toward its 5-year plan or if it has failed to file an annual financial report, an annual budget, a financial plan, a deficit reduction plan, or other financial information as required by law, the State Board may establish a Financial Oversight Panel under Article 1H of this Code. However, if the Organizational Unit already has a Financial Oversight Panel, the State Board may extend the duration of the Panel.

(f) Percent of Adequacy and Final Resources calculation.

(1) The Evidence-Based Funding formula establishes a Percent of Adequacy for each Organizational Unit in order to place such units into tiers for the purposes of the funding distribution system described in subsection (g) of this Section. Initially, an Organizational Unit's Preliminary Resources and Preliminary Percent of Adequacy are calculated pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection (f). Then, an Organizational Unit's Final Resources and Final Percent of Adequacy are calculated to account for the Organizational Unit's poverty concentration levels pursuant to paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection (f).

(2) An Organizational Unit's Preliminary Resources are equal to the sum of its Local Capacity Target, CPPRT, and Base Funding Minimum. An Organizational Unit's Preliminary Percent of Adequacy is the lesser of (i) its Preliminary Resources divided by its Adequacy Target or (ii) 100%.

(3) Except for Specially Funded Units, an Organizational Unit's Final Resources are equal the sum of its Local Capacity, CPPRT, and Adjusted Base Funding Minimum. The Base Funding Minimum of each Specially Funded Unit shall serve as its Final Resources, except that the Base Funding Minimum for State-approved charter schools shall not include any portion of general State aid allocated in the prior year based on the per capita tuition charge times the charter school enrollment.

(4) An Organizational Unit's Final Percent of Adequacy is its Final Resources divided by its Adequacy Target. An Organizational Unit's Adjusted Base Funding Minimum is equal to its Base Funding Minimum less its Supplemental Grant Funding, with the resulting figure added to the product of its Supplemental Grant Funding and Preliminary Percent of Adequacy.

(g) Evidence-Based Funding formula distribution system.

(1) In each school year under the Evidence-Based Funding formula, each Organizational Unit receives funding equal to the sum of its Base Funding Minimum and the unit's allocation of New State Funds determined pursuant to this subsection (g). To allocate New State Funds, the Evidence-Based Funding formula distribution system first places all Organizational Units into one of 4 tiers in accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection (g), based on the Organizational Unit's Final Percent of Adequacy. New State Funds are allocated to each of the 4 tiers as follows: Tier 1 Aggregate Funding equals 50% of all New State Funds, Tier 2 Aggregate Funding equals 49% of all New State Funds, Tier 3 Aggregate Funding equals 0.9% of all New State Funds, and Tier 4 Aggregate Funding equals 0.1% of all New State Funds. Each Organizational Unit within Tier 1 or Tier 2 receives an allocation of New State Funds equal to its tier Funding Gap, as defined in the following sentence, multiplied by the tier's Allocation Rate determined pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection (g). For Tier 1, an Organizational Unit's Funding Gap equals the tier's Target Ratio, as specified in paragraph (5) of this subsection (g), multiplied by the Organizational Unit's Adequacy Target, with the resulting amount reduced by the Organizational Unit's Final Resources. For Tier 2, an Organizational Unit's Funding Gap equals the tier's Target Ratio, as described in paragraph (5) of this subsection (g), multiplied by the Organizational Unit's Adequacy Target, with the resulting amount reduced by the Organizational Unit's Final Resources and its Tier 1 funding allocation. To determine the Organizational Unit's Funding Gap, the resulting amount is then multiplied by a factor equal to one minus the Organizational Unit's Local Capacity Target percentage. Each Organizational Unit within Tier 3 or Tier 4 receives an allocation of New State Funds equal to the product of its Adequacy Target and the tier's Allocation Rate, as specified in paragraph (4) of this subsection (g).

(2) To ensure equitable distribution of dollars for all Tier 2 Organizational Units, no Tier 2 Organizational Unit shall receive fewer dollars per ASE than any Tier 3 Organizational Unit. Each Tier 2 and Tier 3 Organizational Unit shall have its funding allocation divided by its ASE. Any Tier 2 Organizational Unit with a funding allocation per ASE below the greatest Tier 3 allocation per ASE shall get a funding allocation equal to the greatest Tier 3 funding allocation per ASE multiplied by the Organizational Unit's ASE. Each Tier 2 Organizational Unit's Tier 2 funding allocation shall be multiplied by the percentage calculated by dividing the original Tier 2 Aggregate Funding by the sum of all Tier 2 Organizational Units' Unit's Tier 2 funding allocation after adjusting districts' funding below Tier 3 levels.

(3) Organizational Units are placed into one of 4 tiers as follows:

(A) Tier 1 consists of all Organizational Units, except for Specially Funded Units, with a Percent of Adequacy less than the Tier 1 Target Ratio. The Tier 1 Target Ratio is the ratio level that allows for Tier 1 Aggregate Funding to be distributed, with the Tier 1 Allocation Rate determined pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection (g).

(B) Tier 2 consists of all Tier 1 Units and all other Organizational Units, except for Specially Funded Units, with a Percent of Adequacy of less than 0.90.

(C) Tier 3 consists of all Organizational Units, except for Specially Funded Units, with a Percent of Adequacy of at least 0.90 and less than 1.0.

(D) Tier 4 consists of all Organizational Units with a Percent of Adequacy of at least 1.0.

(4) The Allocation Rates for Tiers 1 through 4 are is determined as follows:

(A) The Tier 1 Allocation Rate is 30%.

(B) The Tier 2 Allocation Rate is the result of the following equation: Tier 2 Aggregate Funding, divided by the sum of the Funding Gaps for all Tier 2 Organizational Units, unless the result of such equation is higher than 1.0. If the result of such equation is higher than 1.0, then the Tier 2 Allocation Rate is 1.0.

(C) The Tier 3 Allocation Rate is the result of the following equation: Tier 3 Aggregate Funding, divided by the sum of the Adequacy Targets of all Tier 3 Organizational Units.

(D) The Tier 4 Allocation Rate is the result of the following equation: Tier 4 Aggregate Funding, divided by the sum of the Adequacy Targets of all Tier 4 Organizational Units.

(5) A tier's Target Ratio is determined as follows:

(A) The Tier 1 Target Ratio is the ratio level that allows for Tier 1 Aggregate Funding to be distributed with the Tier 1 Allocation Rate.

(B) The Tier 2 Target Ratio is 0.90.

(C) The Tier 3 Target Ratio is 1.0.

(6) If, at any point, the Tier 1 Target Ratio is greater than 90%, than all Tier 1 funding shall be allocated to Tier 2 and no Tier 1 Organizational Unit's funding may be identified.

(7) In the event that all Tier 2 Organizational Units receive funding at the Tier 2 Target Ratio level, any remaining New State Funds shall be allocated to Tier 3 and Tier 4 Organizational Units.

(8) If any Specially Funded Units, excluding Glenwood Academy, recognized by the State Board do not qualify for direct funding following the implementation of Public Act 100-465 this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly from any of the funding sources included within the definition of Base Funding Minimum, the unqualified portion of the Base Funding Minimum shall be transferred to one or more appropriate Organizational Units as determined by the State Superintendent based on the prior year ASE of the Organizational Units.

(8.5) If a school district withdraws from a special education cooperative, the portion of the Base Funding Minimum that is attributable to the school district may be redistributed to the school district upon withdrawal. The school district and the cooperative must include the amount of the Base Funding Minimum that is to be reapportioned re-apportioned in their withdrawal agreement and notify the State Board of the change with a copy of the agreement upon withdrawal.

(9) The Minimum Funding Level is intended to establish a target for State funding that will keep pace with inflation and continue to advance equity through the Evidence-Based Funding formula. The target for State funding of New Property Tax Relief Pool Funds is $50,000,000 for State fiscal year 2019 and subsequent State fiscal years. The Minimum Funding Level is equal to $350,000,000. In addition to any New State Funds, no more than $50,000,000 New Property Tax Relief Pool Funds may be counted toward towards the Minimum Funding Level. If the sum of New State Funds and applicable New Property Tax Relief Pool Funds are less than the Minimum Funding Level, than funding for tiers shall be reduced in the following manner:

(A) First, Tier 4 funding shall be reduced by an amount equal to the difference between the Minimum Funding Level and New State Funds until such time as Tier 4 funding is exhausted.

(B) Next, Tier 3 funding shall be reduced by an amount equal to the difference between the Minimum Funding Level and New State Funds and the reduction in Tier 4 funding until such time as Tier 3 funding is exhausted.

(C) Next, Tier 2 funding shall be reduced by an amount equal to the difference between the Minimum Funding Level level and New new State Funds and the reduction in Tier 4 and Tier 3.

(D) Finally, Tier 1 funding shall be reduced by an amount equal to the difference between the Minimum Funding level and New State Funds and the reduction in Tier 2, 3, and 4 funding. In addition, the Allocation Rate for Tier 1 shall be reduced to a percentage equal to the Tier 1 Allocation Rate allocation rate set by paragraph (4) of this subsection (g), multiplied by the result of New State Funds divided by the Minimum Funding Level.

(9.5) For State fiscal year 2019 and subsequent State fiscal years, if New State Funds exceed $300,000,000, then any amount in excess of $300,000,000 shall be dedicated for purposes of Section 2-3.170 of this Code up to a maximum of $50,000,000.

(10) In the event of a decrease in the amount of the appropriation for this Section in any fiscal year after implementation of this Section, the Organizational Units receiving Tier 1 and Tier 2 funding, as determined under paragraph (3) of this subsection (g), shall be held harmless by establishing a Base Funding Guarantee equal to the per pupil kindergarten through grade 12 funding received in accordance with this Section in the prior fiscal year. Reductions shall be made to the Base Funding Minimum of Organizational Units in Tier 3 and Tier 4 on a per pupil basis equivalent to the total number of the ASE in Tier 3-funded and Tier 4-funded Organizational Units divided by the total reduction in State funding. The Base Funding Minimum as reduced shall continue to be applied to Tier 3 and Tier 4 Organizational Units and adjusted by the relative formula when increases in appropriations for this Section resume. In no event may State funding reductions to Organizational Units in Tier 3 or Tier 4 exceed an amount that would be less than the Base Funding Minimum established in the first year of implementation of this Section. If additional reductions are required, all school districts shall receive a reduction by a per pupil amount equal to the aggregate additional appropriation reduction divided by the total ASE of all Organizational Units.

(11) The State Superintendent shall make minor adjustments to the distribution formula set forth in this subsection (g) to account for the rounding of percentages to the nearest tenth of a percentage and dollar amounts to the nearest whole dollar.

(h) State Superintendent administration of funding and district submission requirements.

(1) The State Superintendent shall, in accordance with appropriations made by the General Assembly, meet the funding obligations created under this Section.

(2) The State Superintendent shall calculate the Adequacy Target for each Organizational Unit and Net State Contribution Target for each Organizational Unit under this Section. No Evidence-Based Funding shall be distributed within an Organizational Unit without the approval of the unit's school board.

(3) Annually, the State Superintendent shall calculate and report to each Organizational Unit the unit's aggregate financial adequacy amount, which shall be the sum of the Adequacy Target for each Organizational Unit. The State Superintendent shall calculate and report separately for each Organizational Unit the unit's total State funds allocated for its students with disabilities. The State Superintendent shall calculate and report separately for each Organizational Unit the amount of funding and applicable FTE calculated for each Essential Element of the unit's Adequacy Target.

(4) Annually, the State Superintendent shall calculate and report to each Organizational Unit the amount the unit must expend on special education and bilingual education and computer technology and equipment for Organizational Units assigned to Tier 1 or Tier 2 that received an additional $285.50 per student computer technology and equipment investment grant to their Adequacy Target pursuant to the unit's Base Funding Minimum, Special Education Allocation, Bilingual Education Allocation, and computer technology and equipment investment allocation.

(5) Moneys distributed under this Section shall be calculated on a school year basis, but paid on a fiscal year basis, with payments beginning in August and extending through June. Unless otherwise provided, the moneys appropriated for each fiscal year shall be distributed in 22 equal payments at least 2 times monthly to each Organizational Unit. If moneys appropriated for any fiscal year are distributed other than monthly, the distribution shall be on the same basis for each Organizational Unit.

(6) Any school district that fails, for any given school year, to maintain school as required by law or to maintain a recognized school is not eligible to receive Evidence-Based Funding. In case of non-recognition of one or more attendance centers in a school district otherwise operating recognized schools, the claim of the district shall be reduced in the proportion that the enrollment in the attendance center or centers bears to the enrollment of the school district. "Recognized school" means any public school that meets the standards for recognition by the State Board. A school district or attendance center not having recognition status at the end of a school term is entitled to receive State aid payments due upon a legal claim that was filed while it was recognized.

(7) School district claims filed under this Section are subject to Sections 18-9 and 18-12 of this Code, except as otherwise provided in this Section.

(8) Each fiscal year, the State Superintendent shall calculate for each Organizational Unit an amount of its Base Funding Minimum and Evidence-Based Funding that shall be deemed attributable to the provision of special educational facilities and services, as defined in Section 14-1.08 of this Code, in a manner that ensures compliance with maintenance of State financial support requirements under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. An Organizational Unit must use such funds only for the provision of special educational facilities and services, as defined in Section 14-1.08 of this Code, and must comply with any expenditure verification procedures adopted by the State Board.

(9) All Organizational Units in this State must submit annual spending plans by the end of September of each year to the State Board as part of the annual budget process, which shall describe how each Organizational Unit will utilize the Base Funding Minimum Funding and Evidence-Based Funding funding it receives from this State under this Section with specific identification of the intended utilization of Low-Income, English learner, and special education resources. Additionally, the annual spending plans of each Organizational Unit shall describe how the Organizational Unit expects to achieve student growth and how the Organizational Unit will achieve State education goals, as defined by the State Board. The State Superintendent may, from time to time, identify additional requisites for Organizational Units to satisfy when compiling the annual spending plans required under this subsection (h). The format and scope of annual spending plans shall be developed by the State Superintendent and the State Board of Education. School districts that serve students under Article 14C of this Code shall continue to submit information as required under Section 14C-12 of this Code.

(10) No later than January 1, 2018, the State Superintendent shall develop a 5-year strategic plan for all Organizational Units to help in planning for adequacy funding under this Section. The State Superintendent shall submit the plan to the Governor and the General Assembly, as provided in Section 3.1 of the General Assembly Organization Act. The plan shall include recommendations for:

(A) a framework for collaborative, professional, innovative, and 21st century learning environments using the Evidence-Based Funding model;

(B) ways to prepare and support this State's educators for successful instructional careers;

(C) application and enhancement of the current financial accountability measures, the approved State plan to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, and the Illinois Balanced Accountability Measures in relation to student growth and elements of the Evidence-Based Funding model; and

(D) implementation of an effective school adequacy funding system based on projected and recommended funding levels from the General Assembly.

(11) On an annual basis, the State Superintendent must recalibrate all of the following per pupil elements of the Adequacy Target and applied to the formulas, based on the study of average expenses and as reported in the most recent annual financial report:

(A) Gifted under subparagraph (M) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b).

(B) Instructional materials under subparagraph (O) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b).

(C) Assessment under subparagraph (P) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b).

(D) Student activities under subparagraph (R) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b).

(E) Maintenance and operations under subparagraph (S) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b).

(F) Central office under subparagraph (T) of paragraph (2) of subsection (b).

(i) Professional Review Panel.

(1) A Professional Review Panel is created to study and review topics related to the implementation and effect of Evidence-Based Funding, as assigned by a joint resolution or Public Act of the General Assembly or a motion passed by the State Board of Education. The Panel must provide recommendations to and serve the Governor, the General Assembly, and the State Board. The State Superintendent or his or her designee must serve as a voting member and chairperson of the Panel. The State Superintendent must appoint a vice chairperson from the membership of the Panel. The Panel must advance recommendations based on a three-fifths majority vote of Panel panel members present and voting. A minority opinion may also accompany any recommendation of the Panel. The Panel shall be appointed by the State Superintendent, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection (i) and include the following members:

(A) Two appointees that represent district superintendents, recommended by a statewide organization that represents district superintendents.

(B) Two appointees that represent school boards, recommended by a statewide organization that represents school boards.

(C) Two appointees from districts that represent school business officials, recommended by a statewide organization that represents school business officials.

(D) Two appointees that represent school principals, recommended by a statewide organization that represents school principals.

(E) Two appointees that represent teachers, recommended by a statewide organization that represents teachers.

(F) Two appointees that represent teachers, recommended by another statewide organization that represents teachers.

(G) Two appointees that represent regional superintendents of schools, recommended by organizations that represent regional superintendents.

(H) Two independent experts selected solely by the State Superintendent.

(I) Two independent experts recommended by public universities in this State.

(J) One member recommended by a statewide organization that represents parents.

(K) Two representatives recommended by collective impact organizations that represent major metropolitan areas or geographic areas in Illinois.

(L) One member from a statewide organization focused on research-based education policy to support a school system that prepares all students for college, a career, and democratic citizenship.

(M) One representative from a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code.

The State Superintendent shall ensure that the membership of the Panel includes representatives from school districts and communities reflecting the geographic, socio-economic, racial, and ethnic diversity of this State. The State Superintendent shall additionally ensure that the membership of the Panel includes representatives with expertise in bilingual education and special education. Staff from the State Board shall staff the Panel.

(2) In addition to those Panel members appointed by the State Superintendent, 4 members of the General Assembly shall be appointed as follows: one member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, one member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and one member of the Senate appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate. There shall be one additional member appointed by the Governor. All members appointed by legislative leaders or the Governor shall be non-voting, ex officio members.

(3) The Panel must study topics at the direction of the General Assembly or State Board of Education, as provided under paragraph (1). The Panel may also study the following topics at the direction of the chairperson: (4)

(A) The format and scope of annual spending plans referenced in paragraph (9) of subsection (h) of this Section.

(B) The Comparable Wage Index under this Section.

(C) Maintenance and operations, including capital maintenance and construction costs.

(D) "At-risk student" definition.

(E) Benefits.

(F) Technology.

(G) Local Capacity Target.

(H) Funding for Alternative Schools, Laboratory Schools, safe schools, and alternative learning opportunities programs.

(I) Funding for college and career acceleration strategies.

(J) Special education investments.

(K) Early childhood investments, in collaboration with the Illinois Early Learning Council.

(4) (Blank).

(5) Within 5 years after the implementation of this Section, and every 5 years thereafter, the Panel shall complete an evaluative study of the entire Evidence-Based Funding model, including an assessment of whether or not the formula is achieving State goals. The Panel shall report to the State Board, the General Assembly, and the Governor on the findings of the study.

(6) (Blank).

(j) References. Beginning July 1, 2017, references in other laws to general State aid funds or calculations under Section 18-8.05 of this Code (now repealed) shall be deemed to be references to evidence-based model formula funds or calculations under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 100-465, eff. 8-31-17; 100-578, eff. 1-31-18; 100-582, eff. 3-23-18; 101-10, eff. 6-5-19; 101-17, eff. 6-14-19; revised 7-1-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/21A-5)

Sec. 21A-5. Definitions. In this Article:

"New teacher" means the holder of a professional educator license an Initial Teaching Certificate, as set forth in Section 21B-20 21-2 of this Code, who is employed by a public school and who has not previously participated in a new teacher induction and mentoring program required by this Article, except as provided in Section 21A-25 of this Code.

"Public school" means any school operating pursuant to the authority of this Code, including without limitation a school district, a charter school, a cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board of control, and a school operated by a regional office of education or State agency.

(Source: P.A. 93-355, eff. 1-1-04.)

(105 ILCS 5/21A-30)

Sec. 21A-30. Evaluation of programs. The State Board of Education and the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Teacher Certification Board shall jointly contract with an independent party to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of new teacher induction and mentoring programs established pursuant to this Article. The first report of this evaluation shall be presented to the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2009. Subsequent evaluations shall be conducted and reports presented to the General Assembly on or before January 1 of every third year thereafter.

(Source: P.A. 93-355, eff. 1-1-04.)

(105 ILCS 5/21A-35)

Sec. 21A-35. Rules. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Teacher Certification Board, shall adopt rules for the implementation of this Article.

(Source: P.A. 93-355, eff. 1-1-04.)

(105 ILCS 5/21B-20)

Sec. 21B-20. Types of licenses. The State Board of Education shall implement a system of educator licensure, whereby individuals employed in school districts who are required to be licensed must have one of the following licenses: (i) a professional educator license; (ii) an educator license with stipulations; (iii) a substitute teaching license; or (iv) until June 30, 2023, a short-term substitute teaching license. References in law regarding individuals certified or certificated or required to be certified or certificated under Article 21 of this Code shall also include individuals licensed or required to be licensed under this Article. The first year of all licenses ends on June 30 following one full year of the license being issued.

The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such rules as may be necessary to govern the requirements for licenses and endorsements under this Section.

(1) Professional Educator License. Persons who (i) have successfully completed an approved educator preparation program and are recommended for licensure by the Illinois institution offering the educator preparation program, (ii) have successfully completed the required testing under Section 21B-30 of this Code, (iii) have successfully completed coursework on the psychology of, the identification of, and the methods of instruction for the exceptional child, including without limitation children with learning disabilities, (iv) have successfully completed coursework in methods of reading and reading in the content area, and (v) have met all other criteria established by rule of the State Board of Education shall be issued a Professional Educator License. All Professional Educator Licenses are valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the license being issued. The Professional Educator License shall be endorsed with specific areas and grade levels in which the individual is eligible to practice. For an early childhood education endorsement, an individual may satisfy the student teaching requirement of his or her early childhood teacher preparation program through placement in a setting with children from birth through grade 2, and the individual may be paid and receive credit while student teaching. The student teaching experience must meet the requirements of and be approved by the individual's early childhood teacher preparation program.

Individuals can receive subsequent endorsements on the Professional Educator License. Subsequent endorsements shall require a minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework in the endorsement area and passage of the applicable content area test, unless otherwise specified by rule.

(2) Educator License with Stipulations. An Educator License with Stipulations shall be issued an endorsement that limits the license holder to one particular position or does not require completion of an approved educator program or both.

An individual with an Educator License with Stipulations must not be employed by a school district or any other entity to replace any presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be replaced for any reason.

An Educator License with Stipulations may be issued with the following endorsements:

(A) (Blank).

(B) Alternative provisional educator. An alternative provisional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who, at the time of applying for the endorsement, has done all of the following:

(i) Graduated from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum of a bachelor's degree.

(ii) Successfully completed the first phase of the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers, as described in Section 21B-50 of this Code.

(iii) Passed a content area test, as required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.

The alternative provisional educator endorsement is valid for 2 years of teaching and may be renewed for a third year by an individual meeting the requirements set forth in Section 21B-50 of this Code.

(C) Alternative provisional superintendent. An alternative provisional superintendent endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations entitles the holder to serve only as a superintendent or assistant superintendent in a school district's central office. This endorsement may only be issued to an applicant who, at the time of applying for the endorsement, has done all of the following:

(i) Graduated from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum of a master's degree in a management field other than education.

(ii) Been employed for a period of at least 5 years in a management level position in a field other than education.

(iii) Successfully completed the first phase of an alternative route to superintendent endorsement program, as provided in Section 21B-55 of this Code.

(iv) Passed a content area test required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.

The endorsement is valid for 2 fiscal years in order to complete one full year of serving as a superintendent or assistant superintendent.

(D) (Blank).

(E) Career and technical educator. A career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has a minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or an accredited trade and technical institution and has a minimum of 2,000 hours of experience outside of education in each area to be taught.

The career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed. For individuals who were issued the career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations on or after January 1, 2015, the license may be renewed if the individual passes a test of work proficiency, as required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.

An individual who holds a valid career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations but does not hold a bachelor's degree may substitute teach in career and technical education classrooms.

(F) Part-time provisional career and technical educator or provisional career and technical educator. A part-time provisional career and technical educator endorsement or a provisional career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has a minimum of 8,000 hours of work experience in the skill for which the applicant is seeking the endorsement. It is the responsibility of each employing school board and regional office of education to provide verification, in writing, to the State Superintendent of Education at the time the application is submitted that no qualified teacher holding a Professional Educator License or an Educator License with Stipulations with a career and technical educator endorsement is available and that actual circumstances require such issuance.

The provisional career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed for 5 years. For individuals who were issued the provisional career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations on or after January 1, 2015, the license may be renewed if the individual passes a test of work proficiency, as required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.

A part-time provisional career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued for teaching no more than 2 courses of study for grades 6 through 12. The part-time provisional career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed for 5 years if the individual makes application for renewal.

An individual who holds a provisional or part-time provisional career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations but does not hold a bachelor's degree may substitute teach in career and technical education classrooms.

(G) Transitional bilingual educator. A transitional bilingual educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued for the purpose of providing instruction in accordance with Article 14C of this Code to an applicant who provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all of the following requirements:

(i) Possesses adequate speaking, reading, and writing ability in the language other than English in which transitional bilingual education is offered.

(ii) Has the ability to successfully communicate in English.

(iii) Either possessed, within 5 years previous to his or her applying for a transitional bilingual educator endorsement, a valid and comparable teaching certificate or comparable authorization issued by a foreign country or holds a degree from an institution of higher learning in a foreign country that the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the United States.

A transitional bilingual educator endorsement shall be valid for prekindergarten through grade 12, is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued, and shall not be renewed.

Persons holding a transitional bilingual educator endorsement shall not be employed to replace any presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be replaced for any reason.

(H) Language endorsement. In an effort to alleviate the shortage of teachers speaking a language other than English in the public schools, an individual who holds an Educator License with Stipulations may also apply for a language endorsement, provided that the applicant provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all of the following requirements:

(i) Holds a transitional bilingual endorsement.

(ii) Has demonstrated proficiency in the language for which the endorsement is to be issued by passing the applicable language content test required by the State Board of Education.

(iii) Holds a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or, for individuals educated in a country other than the United States, holds a degree from an institution of higher learning in a foreign country that the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the United States.

(iv) (Blank).

A language endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for prekindergarten through grade 12 for the same validity period as the individual's transitional bilingual educator endorsement on the Educator License with Stipulations and shall not be renewed.

(I) Visiting international educator. A visiting international educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an individual who is being recruited by a particular school district that conducts formal recruitment programs outside of the United States to secure the services of qualified teachers and who meets all of the following requirements:

(i) Holds the equivalent of a minimum of a bachelor's degree issued in the United States.

(ii) Has been prepared as a teacher at the grade level for which he or she will be employed.

(iii) Has adequate content knowledge in the subject to be taught.

(iv) Has an adequate command of the English language.

A holder of a visiting international educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations shall be permitted to teach in bilingual education programs in the language that was the medium of instruction in his or her teacher preparation program, provided that he or she passes the English Language Proficiency Examination or another test of writing skills in English identified by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.

A visiting international educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 5 3 years and shall not be renewed.

(J) Paraprofessional educator. A paraprofessional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who holds a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and either holds an associate's degree or a minimum of 60 semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or has passed a paraprofessional competency test under subsection (c-5) of Section 21B-30. The paraprofessional educator endorsement is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed through application and payment of the appropriate fee, as required under Section 21B-40 of this Code. An individual who holds only a paraprofessional educator endorsement is not subject to additional requirements in order to renew the endorsement.

(K) Chief school business official. A chief school business official endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who qualifies by having a master's degree or higher, 2 years of full-time administrative experience in school business management or 2 years of university-approved practical experience, and a minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate credit in a program approved by the State Board of Education for the preparation of school business administrators and by passage of the applicable State tests, including an applicable content area test.

The chief school business official endorsement may also be affixed to the Educator License with Stipulations of any holder who qualifies by having a master's degree in business administration, finance, accounting, or public administration and who completes an additional 6 semester hours of internship in school business management from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and passes the applicable State tests, including an applicable content area test. This endorsement shall be required for any individual employed as a chief school business official.

The chief school business official endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed if the license holder completes renewal requirements as required for individuals who hold a Professional Educator License endorsed for chief school business official under Section 21B-45 of this Code and such rules as may be adopted by the State Board of Education.

The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules necessary to implement Public Act 100-288.

(L) Provisional in-state educator. A provisional in-state educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to a candidate who has completed an Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher education and who has not successfully completed an evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness but who meets all of the following requirements:

(i) Holds at least a bachelor's degree.

(ii) Has completed an approved educator preparation program at an Illinois institution.

(iii) Has passed an applicable content area test, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.

(iv) Has attempted an evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness and received a minimum score on that assessment, as established by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.

A provisional in-state educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for one full fiscal year after the date of issuance and may not be renewed.

(M) (Blank). School support personnel intern. A school support personnel intern endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued as specified by rule.

(N) Specialized services Special education area. A specialized services special education area endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued as defined and specified by rule.

(3) Substitute Teaching License. A Substitute Teaching License may be issued to qualified applicants for substitute teaching in all grades of the public schools, prekindergarten through grade 12. Substitute Teaching Licenses are not eligible for endorsements. Applicants for a Substitute Teaching License must hold a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for 5 years.

Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for substitute teaching in every county of this State. If an individual has had his or her Professional Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations suspended or revoked, then that individual is not eligible to obtain a Substitute Teaching License.

A substitute teacher may only teach in the place of a licensed teacher who is under contract with the employing board. If, however, there is no licensed teacher under contract because of an emergency situation, then a district may employ a substitute teacher for no longer than 30 calendar days per each vacant position in the district if the district notifies the appropriate regional office of education within 5 business days after the employment of the substitute teacher in the emergency situation. An emergency situation is one in which an unforeseen vacancy has occurred and (i) a teacher is unable to fulfill his or her contractual duties or (ii) teacher capacity needs of the district exceed previous indications, and the district is actively engaged in advertising to hire a fully licensed teacher for the vacant position.

There is no limit on the number of days that a substitute teacher may teach in a single school district, provided that no substitute teacher may teach for longer than 90 school days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the same school year. A substitute teacher who holds a Professional Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations shall not teach for more than 120 school days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the same school year. The limitations in this paragraph (3) on the number of days a substitute teacher may be employed do not apply to any school district operating under Article 34 of this Code.

A school district may not require an individual who holds a valid Professional Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations to seek or hold a Substitute Teaching License to teach as a substitute teacher.

(4) Short-Term Substitute Teaching License. Beginning on July 1, 2018 and until June 30, 2023, the State Board of Education may issue a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License. A Short-Term Substitute Teaching License may be issued to a qualified applicant for substitute teaching in all grades of the public schools, prekindergarten through grade 12. Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are not eligible for endorsements. Applicants for a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License must hold an associate's degree or have completed at least 60 credit hours from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for substitute teaching in every county of this State. If an individual has had his or her Professional Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations suspended or revoked, then that individual is not eligible to obtain a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License.

The provisions of Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this Code apply to short-term substitute teachers.

An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License may teach no more than 5 consecutive days per licensed teacher who is under contract. For teacher absences lasting 6 or more days per licensed teacher who is under contract, a school district may not hire an individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License. An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License must complete the training program under Section 10-20.67 or 34-18.60 of this Code to be eligible to teach at a public school. This paragraph (4) is inoperative on and after July 1, 2023.

(Source: P.A. 100-8, eff. 7-1-17; 100-13, eff. 7-1-17; 100-288, eff. 8-24-17; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-821, eff. 9-3-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-594, eff. 12-5-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/21B-35)

Sec. 21B-35. Minimum requirements for educators trained in other states or countries.

(a) Any applicant who has not been entitled by an Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher education applying for a Professional Educator License endorsed in a teaching field or school support personnel area must meet the following requirements:

(1) the applicant must:

(A) hold a comparable and valid educator license or certificate, as defined by rule, with similar grade level and content area credentials from another state, with the State Board of Education having the authority to determine what constitutes similar grade level and content area credentials from another state; and

(B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education; and or

(C) have demonstrated proficiency in the English language by either passing the English language proficiency test required by the State Board of Education or providing evidence of completing a postsecondary degree at an institution in which the mode of instruction was English; or

(2) the applicant must:

(A) have completed a state-approved program for the licensure area sought, including coursework concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional child, methods of reading and reading in the content area, and instructional strategies for English learners;

(B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education;

(C) have successfully met all Illinois examination requirements, except that:

(i) (blank);

(ii) an applicant who has successfully completed a test of content, as defined by rules, at the time of initial licensure in another state is not required to complete a test of content; and

(iii) an applicant for a teaching endorsement who has successfully completed an evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness, as defined by rules, at the time of initial licensure in another state is not required to complete an evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness; and

(D) for an applicant for a teaching endorsement, have completed student teaching or an equivalent experience or, for an applicant for a school service personnel endorsement, have completed an internship or an equivalent experience.

(b) In order to receive a Professional Educator License endorsed in a teaching field or school support personnel area, applicants trained in another country must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Have completed a comparable education program in another country.

(2) Have had transcripts evaluated by an evaluation service approved by the State Superintendent of Education.

(3) Have a degree comparable to a degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

(4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional child, methods of reading and reading in the content area, and instructional strategies for English learners.

(5) (Blank).

(6) (Blank).

(7) Have successfully met all State licensure examination requirements. Applicants who have successfully completed a test of content, as defined by rules, at the time of initial licensure in another country shall not be required to complete a test of content. Applicants for a teaching endorsement who have successfully completed an evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness, as defined by rules, at the time of initial licensure in another country shall not be required to complete an evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness.

(8) Have completed student teaching or an equivalent experience.

(9) Have demonstrated proficiency in the English language by either passing the English language proficiency test required by the State Board of Education or providing evidence of completing a postsecondary degree at an institution in which the mode of instruction was English.

(b-5) All applicants who have not been entitled by an Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher education and applicants trained in another country applying for a Professional Educator License endorsed for principal or superintendent must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, pass the English language proficiency test required by the State Board of Education, and must hold a comparable and valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of Education having the authority to determine what constitutes similar grade level and subject matter credentials from another state, or must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Have completed an educator preparation program approved by another state or comparable educator program in another country leading to the receipt of a license or certificate for the Illinois endorsement sought.

(2) Have successfully met all State licensure examination requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code. Applicants who have successfully completed a test of content, as defined by rules, at the time of initial licensure in another state or country shall not be required to complete a test of content.

(2.5) Have completed an internship, as defined by rule.

(3) (Blank).

(4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional child, methods of reading and reading in the content area, and instructional strategies for English learners.

(4.5) Have demonstrated proficiency in the English language by either passing the English language proficiency test required by the State Board of Education or providing evidence of completing a postsecondary degree at an institution in which the mode of instruction was English.

(5) Have completed a master's degree.

(6) Have successfully completed teaching, school support, or administrative experience as defined by rule.

(b-7) All applicants who have not been entitled by an Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher education applying for a Professional Educator License endorsed for Director of Special Education must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of Education having the authority to determine what constitutes similar grade level and subject matter credentials from another state, or must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Have completed a master's degree.

(2) Have 2 years of full-time experience providing special education services.

(3) Have successfully completed all examination requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code. Applicants who have successfully completed a test of content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial licensure in another state or country shall not be required to complete a test of content.

(4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional child, methods of reading and reading in the content area, and instructional strategies for English learners.

(b-10) All applicants who have not been entitled by an Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher education applying for a Professional Educator License endorsed for chief school business official must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of Education having the authority to determine what constitutes similar grade level and subject matter credentials from another state, or must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Have completed a master's degree in school business management, finance, or accounting.

(2) Have successfully completed an internship in school business management or have 2 years of experience as a school business administrator.

(3) Have successfully met all State examination requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code. Applicants who have successfully completed a test of content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial licensure in another state or country shall not be required to complete a test of content.

(4) Have completed modules aligned to standards concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional child, methods of reading and reading in the content area, and instructional strategies for English learners.

(c) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such rules as may be necessary to implement this Section.

(Source: P.A. 100-13, eff. 7-1-17; 100-584, eff. 4-6-18; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/21B-45)

Sec. 21B-45. Professional Educator License renewal.

(a) Individuals holding a Professional Educator License are required to complete the licensure renewal requirements as specified in this Section, unless otherwise provided in this Code.

Individuals holding a Professional Educator License shall meet the renewal requirements set forth in this Section, unless otherwise provided in this Code. If an individual holds a license endorsed in more than one area that has different renewal requirements, that individual shall follow the renewal requirements for the position for which he or she spends the majority of his or her time working.

(b) All Professional Educator Licenses not renewed as provided in this Section shall lapse on September 1 of that year. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, if a license holder's electronic mail address is available, the State Board of Education shall send him or her notification electronically that his or her license will lapse if not renewed, to be sent no more than 6 months prior to the license lapsing. Lapsed licenses may be immediately reinstated upon (i) payment by the applicant of a $500 penalty to the State Board of Education or (ii) the demonstration of proficiency by completing 9 semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the content area that most aligns with one or more of the educator's endorsement areas. Any and all back fees, including without limitation registration fees owed from the time of expiration of the license until the date of reinstatement, shall be paid and kept in accordance with the provisions in Article 3 of this Code concerning an institute fund and the provisions in Article 21B of this Code concerning fees and requirements for registration. Licenses not registered in accordance with Section 21B-40 of this Code shall lapse after a period of 6 months from the expiration of the last year of registration or on January 1 of the fiscal year following initial issuance of the license. An unregistered license is invalid after September 1 for employment and performance of services in an Illinois public or State-operated school or cooperative and in a charter school. Any license or endorsement may be voluntarily surrendered by the license holder. A voluntarily surrendered license shall be treated as a revoked license. An Educator License with Stipulations with only a paraprofessional endorsement does not lapse.

(c) From July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014, in order to satisfy the requirements for licensure renewal provided for in this Section, each professional educator licensee with an administrative endorsement who is working in a position requiring such endorsement shall complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course, as described in Article 2 of this Code, per fiscal year.

(c-5) All licenses issued by the State Board of Education under this Article that expire on June 30, 2020 and have not been renewed by the end of the 2020 renewal period shall be extended for one year and shall expire on June 30, 2021.

(d) Beginning July 1, 2014, in order to satisfy the requirements for licensure renewal provided for in this Section, each professional educator licensee may create a professional development plan each year. The plan shall address one or more of the endorsements that are required of his or her educator position if the licensee is employed and performing services in an Illinois public or State-operated school or cooperative. If the licensee is employed in a charter school, the plan shall address that endorsement or those endorsements most closely related to his or her educator position. Licensees employed and performing services in any other Illinois schools may participate in the renewal requirements by adhering to the same process.

Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the licensee's professional development activities shall align with one or more of the following criteria:

(1) activities are of a type that engage participants over a sustained period of time allowing for analysis, discovery, and application as they relate to student learning, social or emotional achievement, or well-being;

(2) professional development aligns to the licensee's performance;

(3) outcomes for the activities must relate to student growth or district improvement;

(4) activities align to State-approved standards; and

(5) higher education coursework.

(e) For each renewal cycle, each professional educator licensee shall engage in professional development activities. Prior to renewal, the licensee shall enter electronically into the Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) the name, date, and location of the activity, the number of professional development hours, and the provider's name. The following provisions shall apply concerning professional development activities:

(1) Each licensee shall complete a total of 120 hours of professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in order to renew the license, except as otherwise provided in this Section.

(2) Beginning with his or her first full 5-year cycle, any licensee with an administrative endorsement who is not working in a position requiring such endorsement is not required to complete Illinois Administrators' Academy courses, as described in Article 2 of this Code. Such licensees must complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course within one year after returning to a position that requires the administrative endorsement.

(3) Any licensee with an administrative endorsement who is working in a position requiring such endorsement or an individual with a Teacher Leader endorsement serving in an administrative capacity at least 50% of the day shall complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course, as described in Article 2 of this Code, each fiscal year in addition to 100 hours of professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in accordance with this Code.

(4) Any licensee holding a current National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) master teacher designation shall complete a total of 60 hours of professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in order to renew the license.

(5) Licensees working in a position that does not require educator licensure or working in a position for less than 50% for any particular year are considered to be exempt and shall be required to pay only the registration fee in order to renew and maintain the validity of the license.

(6) Licensees who are retired and qualify for benefits from a State of Illinois retirement system shall notify the State Board of Education using ELIS, and the license shall be maintained in retired status. For any renewal cycle in which a licensee retires during the renewal cycle, the licensee must complete professional development activities on a prorated basis depending on the number of years during the renewal cycle the educator held an active license. If a licensee retires during a renewal cycle, the licensee must notify the State Board of Education using ELIS that the licensee wishes to maintain the license in retired status and must show proof of completion of professional development activities on a prorated basis for all years of that renewal cycle for which the license was active. An individual with a license in retired status shall not be required to complete professional development activities or pay registration fees until returning to a position that requires educator licensure. Upon returning to work in a position that requires the Professional Educator License, the licensee shall immediately pay a registration fee and complete renewal requirements for that year. A license in retired status cannot lapse. Beginning on January 6, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-920) through December 31, 2017, any licensee who has retired and whose license has lapsed for failure to renew as provided in this Section may reinstate that license and maintain it in retired status upon providing proof to the State Board of Education using ELIS that the licensee is retired and is not working in a position that requires a Professional Educator License.

(7) For any renewal cycle in which professional development hours were required, but not fulfilled, the licensee shall complete any missed hours to total the minimum professional development hours required in this Section prior to September 1 of that year. Professional development hours used to fulfill the minimum required hours for a renewal cycle may be used for only one renewal cycle. For any fiscal year or renewal cycle in which an Illinois Administrators' Academy course was required but not completed, the licensee shall complete any missed Illinois Administrators' Academy courses prior to September 1 of that year. The licensee may complete all deficient hours and Illinois Administrators' Academy courses while continuing to work in a position that requires that license until September 1 of that year.

(8) Any licensee who has not fulfilled the professional development renewal requirements set forth in this Section at the end of any 5-year renewal cycle is ineligible to register his or her license and may submit an appeal to the State Superintendent of Education for reinstatement of the license.

(9) If professional development opportunities were unavailable to a licensee, proof that opportunities were unavailable and request for an extension of time beyond August 31 to complete the renewal requirements may be submitted from April 1 through June 30 of that year to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. If an extension is approved, the license shall remain valid during the extension period.

(10) Individuals who hold exempt licenses prior to December 27, 2013 (the effective date of Public Act 98-610) shall commence the annual renewal process with the first scheduled registration due after December 27, 2013 (the effective date of Public Act 98-610).

(11) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection (e), if a licensee earns more than the required number of professional development hours during a renewal cycle, then the licensee may carry over any hours earned from April 1 through June 30 of the last year of the renewal cycle. Any hours carried over in this manner must be applied to the next renewal cycle. Illinois Administrators' Academy courses or hours earned in those courses may not be carried over.

(f) At the time of renewal, each licensee shall respond to the required questions under penalty of perjury.

(f-5) The State Board of Education shall conduct random audits of licensees to verify a licensee's fulfillment of the professional development hours required under this Section. Upon completion of a random audit, if it is determined by the State Board of Education that the licensee did not complete the required number of professional development hours or did not provide sufficient proof of completion, the licensee shall be notified that his or her license has lapsed. A license that has lapsed under this subsection may be reinstated as provided in subsection (b).

(g) The following entities shall be designated as approved to provide professional development activities for the renewal of Professional Educator Licenses:

(1) The State Board of Education.

(2) Regional offices of education and intermediate service centers.

(3) Illinois professional associations representing the following groups that are approved by the State Superintendent of Education:

(A) school administrators;

(B) principals;

(C) school business officials;

(D) teachers, including special education teachers;

(E) school boards;

(F) school districts;

(G) parents; and

(H) school service personnel.

(4) Regionally accredited institutions of higher education that offer Illinois-approved educator preparation programs and public community colleges subject to the Public Community College Act.

(5) Illinois public school districts, charter schools authorized under Article 27A of this Code, and joint educational programs authorized under Article 10 of this Code for the purposes of providing career and technical education or special education services.

(6) A not-for-profit organization that, as of December 31, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-1147), has had or has a grant from or a contract with the State Board of Education to provide professional development services in the area of English Learning to Illinois school districts, teachers, or administrators.

(7) State agencies, State boards, and State commissions.

(8) Museums as defined in Section 10 of the Museum Disposition of Property Act.

(h) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this Section shall make available professional development opportunities that satisfy at least one of the following:

(1) increase the knowledge and skills of school and district leaders who guide continuous professional development;

(2) improve the learning of students;

(3) organize adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district;

(4) deepen educator's content knowledge;

(5) provide educators with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards;

(6) prepare educators to appropriately use various types of classroom assessments;

(7) use learning strategies appropriate to the intended goals;

(8) provide educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate;

(9) prepare educators to apply research to decision making decision-making; or

(10) provide educators with training on inclusive practices in the classroom that examines instructional and behavioral strategies that improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for all students, with or without disabilities, in a general education setting.

(i) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this Section shall do the following:

(1) align professional development activities to the State-approved national standards for professional learning;

(2) meet the professional development criteria for Illinois licensure renewal;

(3) produce a rationale for the activity that explains how it aligns to State standards and identify the assessment for determining the expected impact on student learning or school improvement;

(4) maintain original documentation for completion of activities;

(5) provide license holders with evidence of completion of activities;

(6) request an Illinois Educator Identification Number (IEIN) for each educator during each professional development activity; and

(7) beginning on July 1, 2019, register annually with the State Board of Education prior to offering any professional development opportunities in the current fiscal year.

(j) The State Board of Education shall conduct annual audits of a subset of approved providers, except for school districts, which shall be audited by regional offices of education and intermediate service centers. The State Board of Education shall ensure that each approved provider, except for a school district, is audited at least once every 5 years. The State Board of Education may conduct more frequent audits of providers if evidence suggests the requirements of this Section or administrative rules are not being met.

(1) (Blank).

(2) Approved providers shall comply with the requirements in subsections (h) and (i) of this Section by annually submitting data to the State Board of Education demonstrating how the professional development activities impacted one or more of the following:

(A) educator and student growth in regards to content knowledge or skills, or both;

(B) educator and student social and emotional growth; or

(C) alignment to district or school improvement plans.

(3) The State Superintendent of Education shall review the annual data collected by the State Board of Education, regional offices of education, and intermediate service centers in audits to determine if the approved provider has met the criteria and should continue to be an approved provider or if further action should be taken as provided in rules.

(k) Registration fees shall be paid for the next renewal cycle between April 1 and June 30 in the last year of each 5-year renewal cycle using ELIS. If all required professional development hours for the renewal cycle have been completed and entered by the licensee, the licensee shall pay the registration fees for the next cycle using a form of credit or debit card.

(l) Any professional educator licensee endorsed for school support personnel who is employed and performing services in Illinois public schools and who holds an active and current professional license issued by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation or a national certification board, as approved by the State Board of Education, related to the endorsement areas on the Professional Educator License shall be deemed to have satisfied the continuing professional development requirements provided for in this Section. Such individuals shall be required to pay only registration fees to renew the Professional Educator License. An individual who does not hold a license issued by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall complete professional development requirements for the renewal of a Professional Educator License provided for in this Section.

(m) Appeals to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board must be made within 30 days after receipt of notice from the State Superintendent of Education that a license will not be renewed based upon failure to complete the requirements of this Section. A licensee may appeal that decision to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board in a manner prescribed by rule.

(1) Each appeal shall state the reasons why the State Superintendent's decision should be reversed and shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the State Board of Education.

(2) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board shall review each appeal regarding renewal of a license within 90 days after receiving the appeal in order to determine whether the licensee has met the requirements of this Section. The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board may hold an appeal hearing or may make its determination based upon the record of review, which shall consist of the following:

(A) the regional superintendent of education's rationale for recommending nonrenewal of the license, if applicable;

(B) any evidence submitted to the State Superintendent along with the individual's electronic statement of assurance for renewal; and

(C) the State Superintendent's rationale for nonrenewal of the license.

(3) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board shall notify the licensee of its decision regarding license renewal by certified mail, return receipt requested, no later than 30 days after reaching a decision. Upon receipt of notification of renewal, the licensee, using ELIS, shall pay the applicable registration fee for the next cycle using a form of credit or debit card.

(n) The State Board of Education may adopt rules as may be necessary to implement this Section.

(Source: P.A. 100-13, eff. 7-1-17; 100-339, eff. 8-25-17; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-85, eff. 1-1-20; 101-531, eff. 8-23-19; revised 9-19-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/21B-50)

Sec. 21B-50. Alternative Educator Licensure Program.

(a) There is established an alternative educator licensure program, to be known as the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.

(b) The Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers may be offered by a recognized institution approved to offer educator preparation programs by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.

The program shall be comprised of 4 phases:

(1) A course of study that at a minimum includes instructional planning; instructional strategies, including special education, reading, and English language learning; classroom management; and the assessment of students and use of data to drive instruction.

(2) A year of residency, which is a candidate's assignment to a full-time teaching position or as a co-teacher for one full school year. An individual must hold an Educator License with Stipulations with an alternative provisional educator endorsement in order to enter the residency and must complete additional program requirements that address required State and national standards, pass the State Board's teacher performance assessment no later than the end of the first semester of the second year of residency before entering the second residency year, as required under phase (3) of this subsection (b), and be recommended by the principal or qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator to continue with the second year of the residency.

(3) A second year of residency, which shall include the candidate's assignment to a full-time teaching position for one school year. The candidate must be assigned an experienced teacher to act as a mentor and coach the candidate through the second year of residency.

(4) A comprehensive assessment of the candidate's teaching effectiveness, as evaluated by the principal or qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator, at the end of the second year of residency. If there is disagreement between the 2 evaluators about the candidate's teaching effectiveness, the candidate may complete one additional year of residency teaching under a professional development plan developed by the principal or qualified equivalent and the preparation program. At the completion of the third year, a candidate must have positive evaluations and a recommendation for full licensure from both the principal or qualified equivalent and the program coordinator or no Professional Educator License shall be issued.

Successful completion of the program shall be deemed to satisfy any other practice or student teaching and content matter requirements established by law.

(c) An alternative provisional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 2 years of teaching in the public schools, including without limitation a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or charter school, or in a State-recognized nonpublic school in which the chief administrator is required to have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public school in this State, but may be renewed for a third year if needed to complete the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers. The endorsement shall be issued only once to an individual who meets all of the following requirements:

(1) Has graduated from a regionally accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree or higher.

(2) Has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent on another scale.

(3) Has completed a major in the content area if seeking a middle or secondary level endorsement or, if seeking an early childhood, elementary, or special education endorsement, has completed a major in the content area of reading, English/language arts, mathematics, or one of the sciences. If the individual does not have a major in a content area for any level of teaching, he or she must submit transcripts to the State Board of Education to be reviewed for equivalency.

(4) Has successfully completed phase (1) of subsection (b) of this Section.

(5) Has passed a content area test required for the specific endorsement for admission into the program, as required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.

A candidate possessing the alternative provisional educator endorsement may receive a salary, benefits, and any other terms of employment offered to teachers in the school who are members of an exclusive bargaining representative, if any, but a school is not required to provide these benefits during the years of residency if the candidate is serving only as a co-teacher. If the candidate is serving as the teacher of record, the candidate must receive a salary, benefits, and any other terms of employment. Residency experiences must not be counted towards tenure.

(d) The recognized institution offering the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers must partner with a school district, including without limitation a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or charter school, or a State-recognized, nonpublic school in this State in which the chief administrator is required to have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public school in this State. A recognized institution that partners with a public school district administering a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code must require a principal to recommend or evaluate candidates in the program. A recognized institution that partners with an eligible entity administering a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code and that is not a public school district must require a principal or qualified equivalent of a principal to recommend or evaluate candidates in the program. The program presented for approval by the State Board of Education must demonstrate the supports that are to be provided to assist the provisional teacher during the 2-year residency period. These supports must provide additional contact hours with mentors during the first year of residency.

(e) Upon completion of the 4 phases outlined in subsection (b) of this Section and all assessments required under Section 21B-30 of this Code, an individual shall receive a Professional Educator License.

(f) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish and implement the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.

(Source: P.A. 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-822, eff. 1-1-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-570, eff. 8-23-19; revised 9-19-19.)

(105 ILCS 5/21B-110 new)

Sec. 21B-110. Public health emergency declaration.

(a) This Section applies only during any time in which the Governor has declared a public health emergency under Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.

(b) Notwithstanding any other requirements under this Article, the requirements under subsection (f) of Section 21B-30 are waived for an applicant seeking an educator license.

(c) Notwithstanding any other requirements under this Article, during the implementation of remote learning days under Section 10-30, a candidate seeking an educator license may:

(1) complete his or her required student teaching or equivalent experience remotely; or

(2) complete his or her required school business management internship remotely.

(105 ILCS 5/21B-115 new)

Sec. 21B-115. Spring 2020 student teaching or internship. Notwithstanding any other requirements under this Article, for the spring 2020 semester only, a candidate's requirement to complete student teaching or its equivalent or a school business management internship is waived.

(105 ILCS 5/22-89 new)

Sec. 22-89. Graduates during the 2019-2020 school year. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, any diploma conferred during the 2019-2020 school year, including during the summer of 2020, under graduation requirements that were modified by an executive order, emergency rulemaking, or school board policy prompted by a gubernatorial disaster proclamation as a result of COVID-19 is deemed valid and is not subject to challenge or review due to a failure to meet minimum requirements otherwise required by this Code, administrative rule, or school board policy.

(105 ILCS 5/24-11) (from Ch. 122, par. 24-11)

Sec. 24-11. Boards of Education - Boards of School Inspectors - Contractual continued service.

(a) As used in this and the succeeding Sections of this Article:

"Teacher" means any or all school district employees regularly required to be certified under laws relating to the certification of teachers.

"Board" means board of directors, board of education, or board of school inspectors, as the case may be.

"School term" means that portion of the school year, July 1 to the following June 30, when school is in actual session.

"Program" means a program of a special education joint agreement.

"Program of a special education joint agreement" means instructional, consultative, supervisory, administrative, diagnostic, and related services that are managed by a special educational joint agreement designed to service 2 or more school districts that are members of the joint agreement.

"PERA implementation date" means the implementation date of an evaluation system for teachers as specified by Section 24A-2.5 of this Code for all schools within a school district or all programs of a special education joint agreement.

(b) This Section and Sections 24-12 through 24-16 of this Article apply only to school districts having less than 500,000 inhabitants.

(c) Any teacher who is first employed as a full-time teacher in a school district or program prior to the PERA implementation date and who is employed in that district or program for a probationary period of 4 consecutive school terms shall enter upon contractual continued service in the district or in all of the programs that the teacher is legally qualified to hold, unless the teacher is given written notice of dismissal by certified mail, return receipt requested, by the employing board at least 45 days before the end of any school term within such period.

(d) For any teacher who is first employed as a full-time teacher in a school district or program on or after the PERA implementation date, the probationary period shall be one of the following periods, based upon the teacher's school terms of service and performance, before the teacher shall enter upon contractual continued service in the district or in all of the programs that the teacher is legally qualified to hold, unless the teacher is given written notice of dismissal by certified mail, return receipt requested, by the employing board at least 45 days before the end of any school term within such period:

(1) 4 consecutive school terms of service in which the teacher receives overall annual evaluation ratings of at least "Proficient" in the last school term and at least "Proficient" in either the second or third school term;

(2) 3 consecutive school terms of service in which the teacher receives 3 overall annual evaluations of "Excellent"; or

(3) 2 consecutive school terms of service in which the teacher receives 2 overall annual evaluations of "Excellent" service, but only if the teacher (i) previously attained contractual continued service in a different school district or program in this State, (ii) voluntarily departed or was honorably dismissed from that school district or program in the school term immediately prior to the teacher's first school term of service applicable to the attainment of contractual continued service under this subdivision (3), and (iii) received, in his or her 2 most recent overall annual or biennial evaluations from the prior school district or program, ratings of at least "Proficient", with both such ratings occurring after the school district's or program's PERA implementation date. For a teacher to attain contractual continued service under this subdivision (3), the teacher shall provide official copies of his or her 2 most recent overall annual or biennial evaluations from the prior school district or program to the new school district or program within 60 days from the teacher's first day of service with the new school district or program. The prior school district or program must provide the teacher with official copies of his or her 2 most recent overall annual or biennial evaluations within 14 days after the teacher's request. If a teacher has requested such official copies prior to 45 days after the teacher's first day of service with the new school district or program and the teacher's prior school district or program fails to provide the teacher with the official copies required under this subdivision (3), then the time period for the teacher to submit the official copies to his or her new school district or program must be extended until 14 days after receipt of such copies from the prior school district or program. If the prior school district or program fails to provide the teacher with the official copies required under this subdivision (3) within 90 days from the teacher's first day of service with the new school district or program, then the new school district or program shall rely upon the teacher's own copies of his or her evaluations for purposes of this subdivision (3).

If the teacher does not receive overall annual evaluations of "Excellent" in the school terms necessary for eligibility to achieve accelerated contractual continued service in subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection (d), the teacher shall be eligible for contractual continued service pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection (d). If, at the conclusion of 4 consecutive school terms of service that count toward attainment of contractual continued service, the teacher's performance does not qualify the teacher for contractual continued service under subdivision (1) of this subsection (d), then the teacher shall not enter upon contractual continued service and shall be dismissed. If a performance evaluation is not conducted for any school term when such evaluation is required to be conducted under Section 24A-5 of this Code, then the teacher's performance evaluation rating for such school term for purposes of determining the attainment of contractual continued service shall be deemed "Proficient", except that, during any time in which the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, this default to "Proficient" does not apply to any teacher who has entered into contractual continued service and who was deemed "Excellent" on his or her most recent evaluation. During any time in which the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act and unless the school board and any exclusive bargaining representative have completed the performance rating for teachers or mutually agreed to an alternate performance rating, any teacher who has entered into contractual continued service, whose most recent evaluation was deemed "Excellent", and whose performance evaluation is not conducted when the evaluation is required to be conducted shall receive a teacher's performance rating deemed "Excellent". A school board and any exclusive bargaining representative may mutually agree to an alternate performance rating for teachers not in contractual continued service during any time in which the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, as long as the agreement is in writing.

(e) For the purposes of determining contractual continued service, a school term shall be counted only toward attainment of contractual continued service if the teacher actually teaches or is otherwise present and participating in the district's or program's educational program for 120 days or more, provided that the days of leave under the federal Family Medical Leave Act that the teacher is required to take until the end of the school term shall be considered days of teaching or participation in the district's or program's educational program. A school term that is not counted toward attainment of contractual continued service shall not be considered a break in service for purposes of determining whether a teacher has been employed for 4 consecutive school terms, provided that the teacher actually teaches or is otherwise present and participating in the district's or program's educational program in the following school term.

(f) If the employing board determines to dismiss the teacher in the last year of the probationary period as provided in subsection (c) of this Section or subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (d) of this Section, but not subdivision (3) of subsection (d) of this Section, the written notice of dismissal provided by the employing board must contain specific reasons for dismissal. Any full-time teacher who does not receive written notice from the employing board at least 45 days before the end of any school term as provided in this Section and whose performance does not require dismissal after the fourth probationary year pursuant to subsection (d) of this Section shall be re-employed for the following school term.

(g) Contractual continued service shall continue in effect the terms and provisions of the contract with the teacher during the last school term of the probationary period, subject to this Act and the lawful regulations of the employing board. This Section and succeeding Sections do not modify any existing power of the board except with respect to the procedure of the discharge of a teacher and reductions in salary as hereinafter provided. Contractual continued service status shall not restrict the power of the board to transfer a teacher to a position which the teacher is qualified to fill or to make such salary adjustments as it deems desirable, but unless reductions in salary are uniform or based upon some reasonable classification, any teacher whose salary is reduced shall be entitled to a notice and a hearing as hereinafter provided in the case of certain dismissals or removals.

(h) If, by reason of any change in the boundaries of school districts or by reason of the creation of a new school district, the position held by any teacher having a contractual continued service status is transferred from one board to the control of a new or different board, then the contractual continued service status of the teacher is not thereby lost, and such new or different board is subject to this Code with respect to the teacher in the same manner as if the teacher were its employee and had been its employee during the time the teacher was actually employed by the board from whose control the position was transferred.

(i) The employment of any teacher in a program of a special education joint agreement established under Section 3-15.14, 10-22.31 or 10-22.31a shall be governed by this and succeeding Sections of this Article. For purposes of attaining and maintaining contractual continued service and computing length of continuing service as referred to in this Section and Section 24-12, employment in a special educational joint program shall be deemed a continuation of all previous certificated employment of such teacher for such joint agreement whether the employer of the teacher was the joint agreement, the regional superintendent, or one of the participating districts in the joint agreement.

(j) For any teacher employed after July 1, 1987 as a full-time teacher in a program of a special education joint agreement, whether the program is operated by the joint agreement or a member district on behalf of the joint agreement, in the event of a reduction in the number of programs or positions in the joint agreement in which the notice of dismissal is provided on or before the end of the 2010-2011 school term, the teacher in contractual continued service is eligible for employment in the joint agreement programs for which the teacher is legally qualified in order of greater length of continuing service in the joint agreement, unless an alternative method of determining the sequence of dismissal is established in a collective bargaining agreement. For any teacher employed after July 1, 1987 as a full-time teacher in a program of a special education joint agreement, whether the program is operated by the joint agreement or a member district on behalf of the joint agreement, in the event of a reduction in the number of programs or positions in the joint agreement in which the notice of dismissal is provided during the 2011-2012 school term or a subsequent school term, the teacher shall be included on the honorable dismissal lists of all joint agreement programs for positions for which the teacher is qualified and is eligible for employment in such programs in accordance with subsections (b) and (c) of Section 24-12 of this Code and the applicable honorable dismissal policies of the joint agreement.

(k) For any teacher employed after July 1, 1987 as a full-time teacher in a program of a special education joint agreement, whether the program is operated by the joint agreement or a member district on behalf of the joint agreement, in the event of the dissolution of a joint agreement, in which the notice to teachers of the dissolution is provided during the 2010-2011 school term, the teacher in contractual continued service who is legally qualified shall be assigned to any comparable position in a member district currently held by a teacher who has not entered upon contractual continued service or held by a teacher who has entered upon contractual continued service with a shorter length of contractual continued service. Any teacher employed after July 1, 1987 as a full-time teacher in a program of a special education joint agreement, whether the program is operated by the joint agreement or a member district on behalf of the joint agreement, in the event of the dissolution of a joint agreement in which the notice to teachers of the dissolution is provided during the 2011-2012 school term or a subsequent school term, the teacher who is qualified shall be included on the order of honorable dismissal lists of each member district and shall be assigned to any comparable position in any such district in accordance with subsections (b) and (c) of Section 24-12 of this Code and the applicable honorable dismissal policies of each member district.

(l) The governing board of the joint agreement, or the administrative district, if so authorized by the articles of agreement of the joint agreement, rather than the board of education of a school district, may carry out employment and termination actions including dismissals under this Section and Section 24-12.

(m) The employment of any teacher in a special education program authorized by Section 14-1.01 through 14-14.01, or a joint educational program established under Section 10-22.31a, shall be under this and the succeeding Sections of this Article, and such employment shall be deemed a continuation of the previous employment of such teacher in any of the participating districts, regardless of the participation of other districts in the program.

(n) Any teacher employed as a full-time teacher in a special education program prior to September 23, 1987 in which 2 or more school districts participate for a probationary period of 2 consecutive years shall enter upon contractual continued service in each of the participating districts, subject to this and the succeeding Sections of this Article, and, notwithstanding Section 24-1.5 of this Code, in the event of the termination of the program shall be eligible for any vacant position in any of such districts for which such teacher is qualified.

(Source: P.A. 97-8, eff. 6-13-11; 98-513, eff. 1-1-14.)

(105 ILCS 5/24-12) (from Ch. 122, par. 24-12)

Sec. 24-12. Removal or dismissal of teachers in contractual continued service.

(a) This subsection (a) applies only to honorable dismissals and recalls in which the notice of dismissal is provided on or before the end of the 2010-2011 school term. If a teacher in contractual continued service is removed or dismissed as a result of a decision of the board to decrease the number of teachers employed by the board or to discontinue some particular type of teaching service, written notice shall be mailed to the teacher and also given the teacher either by certified mail, return receipt requested or personal delivery with receipt at least 60 days before the end of the school term, together with a statement of honorable dismissal and the reason therefor, and in all such cases the board shall first remove or dismiss all teachers who have not entered upon contractual continued service before removing or dismissing any teacher who has entered upon contractual continued service and who is legally qualified to hold a position currently held by a teacher who has not entered upon contractual continued service.

As between teachers who have entered upon contractual continued service, the teacher or teachers with the shorter length of continuing service with the district shall be dismissed first unless an alternative method of determining the sequence of dismissal is established in a collective bargaining agreement or contract between the board and a professional faculty members' organization and except that this provision shall not impair the operation of any affirmative action program in the district, regardless of whether it exists by operation of law or is conducted on a voluntary basis by the board. Any teacher dismissed as a result of such decrease or discontinuance shall be paid all earned compensation on or before the third business day following the last day of pupil attendance in the regular school term.

If the board has any vacancies for the following school term or within one calendar year from the beginning of the following school term, the positions thereby becoming available shall be tendered to the teachers so removed or dismissed so far as they are legally qualified to hold such positions; provided, however, that if the number of honorable dismissal notices based on economic necessity exceeds 15% of the number of full-time equivalent positions filled by certified employees (excluding principals and administrative personnel) during the preceding school year, then if the board has any vacancies for the following school term or within 2 calendar years from the beginning of the following school term, the positions so becoming available shall be tendered to the teachers who were so notified and removed or dismissed whenever they are legally qualified to hold such positions. Each board shall, in consultation with any exclusive employee representatives, each year establish a list, categorized by positions, showing the length of continuing service of each teacher who is qualified to hold any such positions, unless an alternative method of determining a sequence of dismissal is established as provided for in this Section, in which case a list shall be made in accordance with the alternative method. Copies of the list shall be distributed to the exclusive employee representative on or before February 1 of each year. Whenever the number of honorable dismissal notices based upon economic necessity exceeds 5, or 150% of the average number of teachers honorably dismissed in the preceding 3 years, whichever is more, then the board also shall hold a public hearing on the question of the dismissals. Following the hearing and board review, the action to approve any such reduction shall require a majority vote of the board members.

(b) This subsection (b) applies only to honorable dismissals and recalls in which the notice of dismissal is provided during the 2011-2012 school term or a subsequent school term. If any teacher, whether or not in contractual continued service, is removed or dismissed as a result of a decision of a school board to decrease the number of teachers employed by the board, a decision of a school board to discontinue some particular type of teaching service, or a reduction in the number of programs or positions in a special education joint agreement, then written notice must be mailed to the teacher and also given to the teacher either by electronic mail, certified mail, return receipt requested, or personal delivery with receipt at least 45 days before the end of the school term, together with a statement of honorable dismissal and the reason therefor, and in all such cases the sequence of dismissal shall occur in accordance with this subsection (b); except that this subsection (b) shall not impair the operation of any affirmative action program in the school district, regardless of whether it exists by operation of law or is conducted on a voluntary basis by the board.

Each teacher must be categorized into one or more positions for which the teacher is qualified to hold, based upon legal qualifications and any other qualifications established in a district or joint agreement job description, on or before the May 10 prior to the school year during which the sequence of dismissal is determined. Within each position and subject to agreements made by the joint committee on honorable dismissals that are authorized by subsection (c) of this Section, the school district or joint agreement must establish 4 groupings of teachers qualified to hold the position as follows:

(1) Grouping one shall consist of each teacher who is not in contractual continued service and who (i) has not received a performance evaluation rating, (ii) is employed for one school term or less to replace a teacher on leave, or (iii) is employed on a part-time basis. "Part-time basis" for the purposes of this subsection (b) means a teacher who is employed to teach less than a full-day, teacher workload or less than 5 days of the normal student attendance week, unless otherwise provided for in a collective bargaining agreement between the district and the exclusive representative of the district's teachers. For the purposes of this Section, a teacher (A) who is employed as a full-time teacher but who actually teaches or is otherwise present and participating in the district's educational program for less than a school term or (B) who, in the immediately previous school term, was employed on a full-time basis and actually taught or was otherwise present and participated in the district's educational program for 120 days or more is not considered employed on a part-time basis.

(2) Grouping 2 shall consist of each teacher with a Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory performance evaluation rating on either of the teacher's last 2 performance evaluation ratings.

(3) Grouping 3 shall consist of each teacher with a performance evaluation rating of at least Satisfactory or Proficient on both of the teacher's last 2 performance evaluation ratings, if 2 ratings are available, or on the teacher's last performance evaluation rating, if only one rating is available, unless the teacher qualifies for placement into grouping 4.

(4) Grouping 4 shall consist of each teacher whose last 2 performance evaluation ratings are Excellent and each teacher with 2 Excellent performance evaluation ratings out of the teacher's last 3 performance evaluation ratings with a third rating of Satisfactory or Proficient.

Among teachers qualified to hold a position, teachers must be dismissed in the order of their groupings, with teachers in grouping one dismissed first and teachers in grouping 4 dismissed last.

Within grouping one, the sequence of dismissal must be at the discretion of the school district or joint agreement. Within grouping 2, the sequence of dismissal must be based upon average performance evaluation ratings, with the teacher or teachers with the lowest average performance evaluation rating dismissed first. A teacher's average performance evaluation rating must be calculated using the average of the teacher's last 2 performance evaluation ratings, if 2 ratings are available, or the teacher's last performance evaluation rating, if only one rating is available, using the following numerical values: 4 for Excellent; 3 for Proficient or Satisfactory; 2 for Needs Improvement; and 1 for Unsatisfactory. As between or among teachers in grouping 2 with the same average performance evaluation rating and within each of groupings 3 and 4, the teacher or teachers with the shorter length of continuing service with the school district or joint agreement must be dismissed first unless an alternative method of determining the sequence of dismissal is established in a collective bargaining agreement or contract between the board and a professional faculty members' organization.

Each board, including the governing board of a joint agreement, shall, in consultation with any exclusive employee representatives, each year establish a sequence of honorable dismissal list categorized by positions and the groupings defined in this subsection (b). Copies of the list showing each teacher by name and categorized by positions and the groupings defined in this subsection (b) must be distributed to the exclusive bargaining representative at least 75 days before the end of the school term, provided that the school district or joint agreement may, with notice to any exclusive employee representatives, move teachers from grouping one into another grouping during the period of time from 75 days until 45 days before the end of the school term. Each year, each board shall also establish, in consultation with any exclusive employee representatives, a list showing the length of continuing service of each teacher who is qualified to hold any such positions, unless an alternative method of determining a sequence of dismissal is established as provided for in this Section, in which case a list must be made in accordance with the alternative method. Copies of the list must be distributed to the exclusive employee representative at least 75 days before the end of the school term.

Any teacher dismissed as a result of such decrease or discontinuance must be paid all earned compensation on or before the third business day following the last day of pupil attendance in the regular school term.

If the board or joint agreement has any vacancies for the following school term or within one calendar year from the beginning of the following school term, the positions thereby becoming available must be tendered to the teachers so removed or dismissed who were in grouping groupings 3 or 4 of the sequence of dismissal and are qualified to hold the positions, based upon legal qualifications and any other qualifications established in a district or joint agreement job description, on or before the May 10 prior to the date of the positions becoming available, provided that if the number of honorable dismissal notices based on economic necessity exceeds 15% of the number of full-time equivalent positions filled by certified employees (excluding principals and administrative personnel) during the preceding school year, then the recall period is for the following school term or within 2 calendar years from the beginning of the following school term. If the board or joint agreement has any vacancies within the period from the beginning of the following school term through February 1 of the following school term (unless a date later than February 1, but no later than 6 months from the beginning of the following school term, is established in a collective bargaining agreement), the positions thereby becoming available must be tendered to the teachers so removed or dismissed who were in grouping 2 of the sequence of dismissal due to one "needs improvement" rating on either of the teacher's last 2 performance evaluation ratings, provided that, if 2 ratings are available, the other performance evaluation rating used for grouping purposes is "satisfactory", "proficient", or "excellent", and are qualified to hold the positions, based upon legal qualifications and any other qualifications established in a district or joint agreement job description, on or before the May 10 prior to the date of the positions becoming available. On and after July 1, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-648), the preceding sentence shall apply to teachers removed or dismissed by honorable dismissal, even if notice of honorable dismissal occurred during the 2013-2014 school year. Among teachers eligible for recall pursuant to the preceding sentence, the order of recall must be in inverse order of dismissal, unless an alternative order of recall is established in a collective bargaining agreement or contract between the board and a professional faculty members' organization. Whenever the number of honorable dismissal notices based upon economic necessity exceeds 5 notices or 150% of the average number of teachers honorably dismissed in the preceding 3 years, whichever is more, then the school board or governing board of a joint agreement, as applicable, shall also hold a public hearing on the question of the dismissals. Following the hearing and board review, the action to approve any such reduction shall require a majority vote of the board members.

For purposes of this subsection (b), subject to agreement on an alternative definition reached by the joint committee described in subsection (c) of this Section, a teacher's performance evaluation rating means the overall performance evaluation rating resulting from an annual or biennial performance evaluation conducted pursuant to Article 24A of this Code by the school district or joint agreement determining the sequence of dismissal, not including any performance evaluation conducted during or at the end of a remediation period. No more than one evaluation rating each school term shall be one of the evaluation ratings used for the purpose of 7