102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB3875

 

Introduced 2/22/2021, by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
See Index

    Creates the Inclusive American History Act. Establishes the Inclusive American History Commission to (i) address the deficiencies and inadequacies in both perspective and content in traditional history course material and instruction and (ii) develop multiperspective, inclusive, and comprehensive standards that a school may use as a guide in replacing or developing its curricula for history education. Sets forth the membership of the Commission. Contains provisions concerning meetings, duties, and reporting. Repeals these provisions on December 31, 2022. Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, requires schools to suspend all instruction in history education, with exceptions. Not later than June 30, 2022, requires the State Superintendent of Education to provide to schools instructional guidelines and standards based on the recommendations of the Commission so that schools may develop alternative curricula to replace traditional course material and instruction to ensure that students obtain a multiperspective, inclusive, and comprehensive understanding about history. Provides that beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, schools shall resume instruction in history, which shall require the use of age-appropriate discussion, textbooks, and other course material that reframe the study of history by presenting to students an examination of history through the inclusion of diverse perspectives, contrary interpretations, and the viewpoints of various groups of people whose voices have traditionally been excluded from the conventional teaching of history. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Inclusive American History Act.
 
6    Section 5. Statement of findings; Inclusive American
7History Commission creation and purpose.
8    (a) In an effort to create a well-informed, tolerant, and
9equitable society, students in grades kindergarten through 12
10in this State should receive an unbiased, objective, and
11thorough education in history. Traditional course material and
12instruction have failed to provide to students a comprehensive
13education in history because the historical narrative has
14always been presented and interpreted from the perspective of
15one rather than from the perspective of many. To the detriment
16of our society, this limited narrative in history instruction
17and course material rarely teaches our students about the
18contributions made by or the marginalization of women, Black
19people, indigenous people, Latinx people, and people of color,
20faith-based minorities, ethnic minorities, immigrants, members
21of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community,
22persons with disabilities, and many others. Traditional
23teaching materials so often fail to provide for any study

 

 

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1about slavery, racism, and civil rights that teachers must
2often purchase their own supplementary materials in order to
3teach their students about these subjects. The objective in
4the reframing of history education in this State is not to
5exclude, prohibit, or deny the narrative, perspective, or
6accomplishments of any cultural group or people, but rather to
7recognize and include the narrative, perspective, and
8accomplishments of all. The reframing of history education
9must present to students a fair and accurate historical
10narrative that acknowledges both the triumphs and the failures
11of a society. Therefore, the teaching of history to students
12in this State must be reformed and reframed in order to provide
13our students with a multiperspective, inclusive, and
14comprehensive understanding of history. Rather than requiring
15each school to be responsible for the research, study, and
16investigation necessary to develop alternative or revised
17instructional standards for the teaching of history,
18instructional guidelines and standards should be provided to
19schools statewide so that each school may develop the
20alternative curricula it needs to replace traditional course
21material and instruction.
22    (b) The Inclusive American History Commission is created
23to (i) address the deficiencies and inadequacies in both
24perspective and content in traditional course material and
25instruction and (ii) develop multiperspective, inclusive, and
26comprehensive standards that a school may use as a guide in

 

 

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1replacing or developing its curricula for history education.
 
2    Section 10. Membership. The Governor shall appoint all of
3the following members to the Commission:
4        (1) Two members who are history scholars.
5        (2) Two members who represent publishers of history
6    textbooks.
7        (3) Two full-time teachers of a public elementary
8    school in this State.
9        (4) Two full-time teachers who teach history courses
10    at a public secondary school in this State.
11        (5) Two full-time faculty members who teach history
12    courses at a public institution of higher education in
13    this State.
14        (6) Two students who are enrolled in a public
15    secondary school in this State.
16        (7) Four parents who have children enrolled in a
17    public elementary or secondary school in this State.
18        (8) Additional persons who are members of
19    not–for–profit organizations that represent women, Black
20    people, indigenous people, Latinx people, and people of
21    color, ethnic minorities, faith-based minorities,
22    immigrants, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
23    community, and persons with disabilities.
24        (9) One member representing regional offices of
25    education, recommended by a statewide organization that

 

 

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1    represents regional superintendents of schools.
2        (10) One member representing school boards,
3    recommended by a statewide organization that represents
4    school boards.
5        (11) One member representing school principals,
6    recommended by a statewide organization that represents
7    school principals.
8        (12) One member representing school administrators,
9    recommended by a statewide organization that represents
10    school administrators.
11        (13) One member representing teachers, recommended by
12    a statewide organization that represents teachers.
13        (14) One member representing teachers, recommended by
14    a different statewide organization that represents
15    teachers.
16        (15) One member representing teachers, recommended by
17    an organization representing teachers of a school
18    district.
19        (16) One member representing a school district
20    organized under Article 34 of the School Code.
21        (17) One member representing large unit school
22    districts.
23        (18) One member representing suburban Chicago school
24    districts.
25        (19) One member representing south suburban Chicago
26    school districts.

 

 

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1        (20) Two members representing school districts located
2    in the central region of this State.
3        (21) Two members representing school districts located
4    in the southern region of this State.
5    Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the
6original appointments.
 
7    Section 15. Meetings; chairperson; support; expenses.
8    (a) The Commission shall meet initially at the call of the
9Governor within 30 days after the effective date of this Act,
10shall select one member as chairperson at its initial meeting,
11and shall thereafter meet at least monthly or more often as the
12chairperson of the Commission deems necessary at the times and
13places in this State that the chairperson designates.
14    (b) The State Board of Education shall provide
15administrative and other support to the Commission.
16    (c) Members of the Commission shall serve without
17compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable and
18necessary expenses from funds appropriated to the State Board
19of Education for that purpose, including travel, subject to
20the rules of the appropriate travel control board.
 
21    Section 20. Duties. The duties of the Commission shall
22include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
23        (1) To evaluate history textbooks and other course
24    material for breadth and accuracy of content.

 

 

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1        (2) To research, study, and determine the content and
2    material to present to students in the teaching of
3    history.
4        (3) To propose revisions to course standards and
5    instructional guidelines so that students may receive a
6    multiperspective, inclusive, and comprehensive
7    instruction in history.
8        (4) To provide opportunities for the public,
9    educators, students, parents, and other interested parties
10    to comment on proposed changes in history course standards
11    and instruction.
12        (5) To develop guidelines for age-appropriate
13    instructional standards, textbooks, and other course
14    material an elementary or secondary school may use in
15    replacing or developing its curricula for history
16    education.
 
17    Section 25. Reporting.
18    (a) The Commission shall file a report on its findings,
19research, proposals, and guidelines with the Governor, the
20General Assembly, and the State Board of Education on or
21before December 31, 2021. Upon filing its report, the
22Commission is dissolved.
23    (b) The State Board of Education shall make available to
24the State Superintendent of Education the report filed by the
25Commission under subsection (a). The State Superintendent

 

 

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1shall incorporate the recommendations made by the Commission
2into the instructional guidelines and standards provided to
3schools for the development of alternative curricula under
4Section 27-23.15 of the School Code.
 
5    Section 50. Repealer. This Act is repealed on December 31,
62022.
 
7    Section 90. The School Code is amended by changing
8Sections 27-3.5, 27-20.4, 27-20.5, 27-21, and 27-22 and by
9adding Section 27-23.15 as follows:
 
10    (105 ILCS 5/27-3.5)
11    Sec. 27-3.5. Congressional Medal of Honor film. Subject to
12Section 27-23.15, each Each school district shall require that
13all students in grade 7 and all high school students enrolled
14in a course concerning history of the United States or a
15combination of history of the United States and American
16government view a Congressional Medal of Honor film made by
17the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. This requirement
18does not apply if the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation
19charges the school district a fee for a film.
20(Source: P.A. 96-99, eff. 7-27-09.)
 
21    (105 ILCS 5/27-20.4)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-20.4)
22    Sec. 27-20.4. Black History study. Subject to Section

 

 

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127-23.15, every Every public elementary school and high school
2shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying
3the events of Black History, including the history of the
4African slave trade, slavery in America, and the vestiges of
5slavery in this country. These events shall include not only
6the contributions made by individual African-Americans in
7government and in the arts, humanities and sciences to the
8economic, cultural and political development of the United
9States and Africa, but also the socio-economic struggle which
10African-Americans experienced collectively in striving to
11achieve fair and equal treatment under the laws of this
12nation. The studying of this material shall constitute an
13affirmation by students of their commitment to respect the
14dignity of all races and peoples and to forever eschew every
15form of discrimination in their lives and careers.
16    Subject to Section 27-23.15, the The State Superintendent
17of Education may prepare and make available to all school
18boards instructional materials, including those established by
19the Amistad Commission, which may be used as guidelines for
20development of a unit of instruction under this Section;
21provided, however, that each school board shall itself
22determine the minimum amount of instruction time which shall
23qualify as a unit of instruction satisfying the requirements
24of this Section.
25    A school may meet the requirements of this Section through
26an online program or course.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 100-634, eff. 1-1-19.)
 
2    (105 ILCS 5/27-20.5)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-20.5)
3    Sec. 27-20.5. Study of the History of Women. Every public
4elementary school and high school shall include in its
5curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of the
6history of women in America, subject to Section 27-23.15.
7These events shall include not only the contributions made by
8individual women in government, the arts, sciences, education,
9and in the economic, cultural, and political development of
10Illinois and of the United States, but shall also include a
11study of women's struggles to gain the right to vote and to be
12treated equally as they strive to earn and occupy positions of
13merit in our society.
14    Subject to Section 27-23.15, the The State Superintendent
15of Education may prepare and make available to all school
16boards instructional materials that may be used as guidelines
17for development of a unit of instruction under this Section.
18Each school board shall determine the minimum amount of
19instructional time that shall qualify as a unit of instruction
20satisfying the requirements of this Section.
21(Source: P.A. 86-1256.)
 
22    (105 ILCS 5/27-21)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-21)
23    Sec. 27-21. History of United States. History of the
24United States shall be taught in all public schools and in all

 

 

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1other educational institutions in this State supported or
2maintained, in whole or in part, by public funds, subject to
3Section 27-23.15. The teaching of history shall have as one of
4its objectives the imparting to pupils of a comprehensive idea
5of our democratic form of government and the principles for
6which our government stands as regards other nations,
7including the studying of the place of our government in
8world-wide movements and the leaders thereof, with particular
9stress upon the basic principles and ideals of our
10representative form of government. The teaching of history
11shall include a study of the role and contributions of African
12Americans and other ethnic groups, including, but not
13restricted to, Polish, Lithuanian, German, Hungarian, Irish,
14Bohemian, Russian, Albanian, Italian, Czech, Slovak, French,
15Scots, Hispanics, Asian Americans, etc., in the history of
16this country and this State. To reinforce the study of the role
17and contributions of Hispanics, such curriculum shall include
18the study of the events related to the forceful removal and
19illegal deportation of Mexican-American U.S. citizens during
20the Great Depression. In public schools only, the teaching of
21history shall include a study of the roles and contributions
22of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the
23history of this country and this State. The teaching of
24history also shall include a study of the role of labor unions
25and their interaction with government in achieving the goals
26of a mixed free enterprise system. Beginning with the

 

 

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12020-2021 school year, the teaching of history must also
2include instruction on the history of Illinois, subject to
3Section 27-23.15. Subject to Section 27-23.15, no No pupils
4shall be graduated from the eighth grade of any public school
5unless he or she has received such instruction in the history
6of the United States and gives evidence of having a
7comprehensive knowledge thereof, which may be administered
8remotely.
9(Source: P.A. 101-227, eff. 7-1-20; 101-341, eff. 1-1-20;
10101-643, eff. 6-18-20.)
 
11    (105 ILCS 5/27-22)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-22)
12    Sec. 27-22. Required high school courses.
13    (a) (Blank).
14    (b) (Blank).
15    (c) (Blank).
16    (d) (Blank).
17    (e) As a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma,
18each pupil entering the 9th grade must, in addition to other
19course requirements, successfully complete all of the
20following courses:
21        (1) Four years of language arts.
22        (2) Two years of writing intensive courses, one of
23    which must be English and the other of which may be English
24    or any other subject. When applicable, writing-intensive
25    courses may be counted towards the fulfillment of other

 

 

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1    graduation requirements.
2        (3) Three years of mathematics, one of which must be
3    Algebra I, one of which must include geometry content, and
4    one of which may be an Advanced Placement computer science
5    course. A mathematics course that includes geometry
6    content may be offered as an integrated, applied,
7    interdisciplinary, or career and technical education
8    course that prepares a student for a career readiness
9    path.
10        (4) Two years of science.
11        (5) Two years of social studies, of which at least one
12    year must be history of the United States or a combination
13    of history of the United States and American government,
14    subject to Section 27-23.15, and, beginning with pupils
15    entering the 9th grade in the 2016-2017 school year and
16    each school year thereafter, at least one semester must be
17    civics, which shall help young people acquire and learn to
18    use the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will prepare
19    them to be competent and responsible citizens throughout
20    their lives. Civics course content shall focus on
21    government institutions, the discussion of current and
22    controversial issues, service learning, and simulations of
23    the democratic process. School districts may utilize
24    private funding available for the purposes of offering
25    civics education.
26        (6) One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C)

 

 

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1    foreign language, which shall be deemed to include
2    American Sign Language, or (D) vocational education.
3    (f) The State Board of Education shall develop and inform
4school districts of standards for writing-intensive
5coursework.
6    (f-5) If a school district offers an Advanced Placement
7computer science course to high school students, then the
8school board must designate that course as equivalent to a
9high school mathematics course and must denote on the
10student's transcript that the Advanced Placement computer
11science course qualifies as a mathematics-based, quantitative
12course for students in accordance with subdivision (3) of
13subsection (e) of this Section.
14    (g) This amendatory Act of 1983 does not apply to pupils
15entering the 9th grade in 1983-1984 school year and prior
16school years or to students with disabilities whose course of
17study is determined by an individualized education program.
18    This amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly does not
19apply to pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2004-2005 school
20year or a prior school year or to students with disabilities
21whose course of study is determined by an individualized
22education program.
23    (h) The provisions of this Section are subject to the
24provisions of Section 27-22.05 of this Code and the
25Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act.
26    (i) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to modify

 

 

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1the requirements of this Section for any students enrolled in
2grades 9 through 12 if the Governor has declared a disaster due
3to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the
4Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.
5(Source: P.A. 100-443, eff. 8-25-17; 101-464, eff. 1-1-20;
6101-643, eff. 6-18-20.)
 
7    (105 ILCS 5/27-23.15 new)
8    Sec. 27-23.15. Instruction in history. Notwithstanding any
9other provision of this Article to the contrary, beginning
10with the 2021-2022 school year, schools must suspend all
11instruction in history education. This suspension does not
12apply to instruction during the 2021-2022 school year to
13students entering their final year of elementary or secondary
14school during the 2021-2022 school year who must receive
15history instruction in order to satisfy graduation, college
16admission, scholarship, or other academic requirements or to
17instruction under Section 27-3 or 27-3.10. Notwithstanding
18Section 27-21, instruction in civics education shall be taught
19in place of instruction in the history of the United States
20during the 2021-2022 school year. Not later than June 30,
212021, the State Superintendent of Education must prepare and
22make available to schools instructional guidelines for these
23courses in civics education. Not later than June 30, 2022, the
24State Superintendent of Education must provide to schools
25instructional guidelines and standards based on the

 

 

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1recommendations of the Inclusive American History Commission
2that are contained in the report filed under Section 25 of the
3Inclusive American History Act so that schools may develop
4alternative curricula to replace traditional course material
5and instruction to ensure that students obtain a
6multiperspective, inclusive, and comprehensive understanding
7about history. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year,
8schools shall resume instruction in history under this
9Section, which shall require the use of age-appropriate
10discussion, textbooks, and other course material that reframe
11the study of history by presenting to students an examination
12of history through the inclusion of diverse perspectives,
13contrary interpretations, and the viewpoints of various groups
14of people, such as women, Black people, indigenous people,
15Latinx people, and people of color, ethnic minorities,
16faith-based minorities, immigrants, members of the lesbian,
17gay, bisexual, and transgender community, persons with
18disabilities, and the poor and working class, whose voices
19have traditionally been excluded from the conventional
20teaching of history.
 
21    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
22becoming law.

 

 

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1 INDEX
2 Statutes amended in order of appearance
3    New Act
4    105 ILCS 5/27-3.5
5    105 ILCS 5/27-20.4from Ch. 122, par. 27-20.4
6    105 ILCS 5/27-20.5from Ch. 122, par. 27-20.5
7    105 ILCS 5/27-21from Ch. 122, par. 27-21
8    105 ILCS 5/27-22from Ch. 122, par. 27-22
9    105 ILCS 5/27-23.15 new