102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB5771

 

Introduced 11/16/2022, by Rep. David Friess and Daniel Swanson

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/27-22  from Ch. 122, par. 27-22

    Amends the School Code. Removes the requirement that beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil entering the 9th grade must, in addition to other course requirements, successfully complete 2 years of foreign language courses, which may include American Sign Language.


LRB102 28232 RJT 40043 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5771LRB102 28232 RJT 40043 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
527-22 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/27-22)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-22)
7    Sec. 27-22. Required high school courses.
8    (a) (Blank).
9    (b) (Blank).
10    (c) (Blank).
11    (d) (Blank).
12    (e) Through the 2023-2024 school year, as a prerequisite
13to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil entering the
149th grade must, in addition to other course requirements,
15successfully complete all of the following courses:
16        (1) Four years of language arts.
17        (2) Two years of writing intensive courses, one of
18    which must be English and the other of which may be English
19    or any other subject. When applicable, writing-intensive
20    courses may be counted towards the fulfillment of other
21    graduation requirements.
22        (3) Three years of mathematics, one of which must be
23    Algebra I, one of which must include geometry content, and

 

 

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1    one of which may be an Advanced Placement computer science
2    course. A mathematics course that includes geometry
3    content may be offered as an integrated, applied,
4    interdisciplinary, or career and technical education
5    course that prepares a student for a career readiness
6    path.
7        (3.5) For pupils entering the 9th grade in the
8    2022-2023 school year and 2023-2024 school year, one year
9    of a course that includes intensive instruction in
10    computer literacy, which may be English, social studies,
11    or any other subject and which may be counted toward the
12    fulfillment of other graduation requirements.
13        (4) Two years of science.
14        (5) Two years of social studies, of which at least one
15    year must be history of the United States or a combination
16    of history of the United States and American government
17    and, beginning with pupils entering the 9th grade in the
18    2016-2017 school year and each school year thereafter, at
19    least one semester must be civics, which shall help young
20    people acquire and learn to use the skills, knowledge, and
21    attitudes that will prepare them to be competent and
22    responsible citizens throughout their lives. Civics course
23    content shall focus on government institutions, the
24    discussion of current and controversial issues, service
25    learning, and simulations of the democratic process.
26    School districts may utilize private funding available for

 

 

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1    the purposes of offering civics education. Beginning with
2    pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2021-2022 school
3    year, one semester, or part of one semester, may include a
4    financial literacy course.
5        (6) One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C)
6    foreign language, which shall be deemed to include
7    American Sign Language, (D) vocational education, or (E)
8    forensic speech (speech and debate). A forensic speech
9    course used to satisfy the course requirement under
10    subdivision (1) may not be used to satisfy the course
11    requirement under this subdivision (6).
12    (e-5) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, as a
13prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil
14entering the 9th grade must, in addition to other course
15requirements, successfully complete all of the following
16courses:
17        (1) Four years of language arts.
18        (2) Two years of writing intensive courses, one of
19    which must be English and the other of which may be English
20    or any other subject. If applicable, writing-intensive
21    courses may be counted toward the fulfillment of other
22    graduation requirements.
23        (3) Three years of mathematics, one of which must be
24    Algebra I, one of which must include geometry content, and
25    one of which may be an Advanced Placement computer science
26    course. A mathematics course that includes geometry

 

 

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1    content may be offered as an integrated, applied,
2    interdisciplinary, or career and technical education
3    course that prepares a student for a career readiness
4    path.
5        (3.5) One year of a course that includes intensive
6    instruction in computer literacy, which may be English,
7    social studies, or any other subject and which may be
8    counted toward the fulfillment of other graduation
9    requirements.
10        (4) Two years of laboratory 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    and at least one semester must be civics, which shall help
15    young people acquire and learn to use the skills,
16    knowledge, and attitudes that will prepare them to be
17    competent and responsible citizens throughout their lives.
18    Civics course content shall focus on government
19    institutions, the discussion of current and controversial
20    issues, service learning, and simulations of the
21    democratic process. School districts may utilize private
22    funding available for the purposes of offering civics
23    education. One semester, or part of one semester, may
24    include a financial literacy course.
25        (6) One year chosen from (A) music, (B) art, (C)
26    foreign language, which shall be deemed to include

 

 

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1    American Sign Language, (D) vocational education, or (E)
2    forensic speech (speech and debate). A forensic speech
3    course used to satisfy the course requirement under
4    subdivision (1) may not be used to satisfy the course
5    requirement under this subdivision (6).
6    (e-10) (Blank). Beginning with the 2028-2029 school year,
7as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each
8pupil entering the 9th grade must, in addition to other course
9requirements, successfully complete 2 years of foreign
10language courses, which may include American Sign Language. A
11pupil may choose a third year of foreign language to satisfy
12the requirement under paragraph (6) of subsection (e-5).
13    (f) The State Board of Education shall develop and inform
14school districts of standards for writing-intensive
15coursework.
16    (f-5) If a school district offers an Advanced Placement
17computer science course to high school students, then the
18school board must designate that course as equivalent to a
19high school mathematics course and must denote on the
20student's transcript that the Advanced Placement computer
21science course qualifies as a mathematics-based, quantitative
22course for students in accordance with subdivision (3) of
23subsection (e) of this Section.
24    (g) This amendatory Act of 1983 does not apply to pupils
25entering the 9th grade in 1983-1984 school year and prior
26school years or to students with disabilities whose course of

 

 

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1study is determined by an individualized education program.
2    This amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly does not
3apply to pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2004-2005 school
4year or a prior school year or to students with disabilities
5whose course of study is determined by an individualized
6education program.
7    Subdivision (3.5) of subsection (e) does not apply to
8pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2021-2022 school year or a
9prior school year or to students with disabilities whose
10course of study is determined by an individualized education
11program.
12    Subsection (e-5) does not apply to pupils entering the 9th
13grade in the 2023-2024 school year or a prior school year or to
14students with disabilities whose course of study is determined
15by an individualized education program. Subsection (e-10) does
16not apply to pupils entering the 9th grade in the 2027-2028
17school year or a prior school year or to students with
18disabilities whose course of study is determined by an
19individualized education program.
20    (h) The provisions of this Section are subject to the
21provisions of Section 27-22.05 of this Code and the
22Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act.
23    (i) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to modify
24the requirements of this Section for any students enrolled in
25grades 9 through 12 if the Governor has declared a disaster due
26to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the

 

 

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1Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.
2(Source: P.A. 101-464, eff. 1-1-20; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20;
3101-654, Article 50, Section 50-5, eff. 3-8-21; 101-654,
4Article 60, Section 60-5, eff. 3-8-21; 102-366, eff. 8-13-21;
5102-551, eff. 1-1-22; 102-864, eff. 5-13-22.)