97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB3195

 

Introduced 2/24/2011, by Rep. Esther Golar

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/34-8.3  from Ch. 122, par. 34-8.3

    Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the Chicago school district.


LRB097 08956 NHT 49089 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3195LRB097 08956 NHT 49089 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
534-8.3 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/34-8.3)  (from Ch. 122, par. 34-8.3)
7    Sec. 34-8.3. Remediation and probation of attendance
8centers.
9    (a) The general superintendent shall monitor the the
10performance of the attendance centers within the district and
11shall identify attendance centers, pursuant to criteria that
12the board shall establish, in which:
13        (1) there is a failure to develop, implement, or comply
14    with a school improvement plan;
15        (2) there is a pervasive breakdown in the educational
16    program as indicated by factors, including, but not limited
17    to, the absence of improvement in student reading and math
18    achievement scores, an increased drop-out rate, a
19    decreased graduation rate, and a decrease in rate of
20    student attendance;
21        (3) (blank); or
22        (4) there is a failure or refusal to comply with the
23    provisions of this Act, other applicable laws, collective

 

 

HB3195- 2 -LRB097 08956 NHT 49089 b

1    bargaining agreements, court orders, or with Board rules
2    which the Board is authorized to promulgate.
3    (b) If the general superintendent identifies a
4nonperforming school as described herein, he or she shall place
5the attendance center on remediation by developing a
6remediation plan for the center. The purpose of the remediation
7plan shall be to correct the deficiencies in the performance of
8the attendance center by one or more of the following methods:
9        (1) drafting a new school improvement plan;
10        (2) applying to the board for additional funding for
11    training for the local school council;
12        (3) directing implementation of a school improvement
13    plan;
14        (4) mediating disputes or other obstacles to reform or
15    improvement at the attendance center.
16    If, however, the general superintendent determines that
17the problems are not able to be remediated by these methods,
18the general superintendent shall place the attendance center on
19probation. The board shall establish guidelines that determine
20the factors for placing an attendance center on probation.
21    (c) Each school placed on probation shall have a school
22improvement plan and school budget for correcting deficiencies
23identified by the board. The plan shall include specific steps
24that the local school council and school staff must take to
25correct identified deficiencies and specific objective
26criteria by which the school's subsequent progress will be

 

 

HB3195- 3 -LRB097 08956 NHT 49089 b

1determined. The school budget shall include specific
2expenditures directly calculated to correct educational and
3operational deficiencies identified at the school by the
4probation team.
5    (d) Schools placed on probation that, after a maximum of
6one year, fail to make adequate progress in correcting
7deficiencies are subject to the following actions by the
8general superintendent with the approval of the board, after
9opportunity for a hearing:
10        (1) Ordering new local school council elections.
11        (2) Removing and replacing the principal.
12        (3) Replacement of faculty members, subject to the
13    provisions of Section 24A-5.
14        (4) Reconstitution of the attendance center and
15    replacement and reassignment by the general superintendent
16    of all employees of the attendance center.
17        (5) Intervention under Section 34-8.4.
18        (5.5) Operating an attendance center as a contract
19    turnaround school.
20        (6) Closing of the school.
21    (e) Schools placed on probation shall remain on probation
22from year to year until deficiencies are corrected, even if
23such schools make acceptable annual progress. The board shall
24establish, in writing, criteria for determining whether or not
25a school shall remain on probation. If academic achievement
26tests are used as the factor for placing a school on probation,

 

 

HB3195- 4 -LRB097 08956 NHT 49089 b

1the general superintendent shall consider objective criteria,
2not just an increase in test scores, in deciding whether or not
3a school shall remain on probation. These criteria shall
4include attendance, test scores, student mobility rates,
5poverty rates, bilingual education eligibility, special
6education, and English language proficiency programs, with
7progress made in these areas being taken into consideration in
8deciding whether or not a school shall remain on probation.
9    (f) Where the board has reason to believe that violations
10of civil rights, or of civil or criminal law have occurred, or
11when the general superintendent deems that the school is in
12educational crisis it may take immediate corrective action,
13including the actions specified in this Section, without first
14placing the school on remediation or probation. Nothing
15described herein shall limit the authority of the board as
16provided by any law of this State. The board shall develop
17criteria governing the determination regarding when a school is
18in educational crisis.
19    (g) All persons serving as subdistrict superintendent on
20May 1, 1995 shall be deemed by operation of law to be serving
21under a performance contract which expires on June 30, 1995,
22and the employment of each such person as subdistrict
23superintendent shall terminate on June 30, 1995. The board
24shall have no obligation to compensate any such person as a
25subdistrict superintendent after June 30, 1995.
26    (h) The general superintendent shall, in consultation with

 

 

HB3195- 5 -LRB097 08956 NHT 49089 b

1local school councils, conduct an annual evaluation of each
2principal in the district pursuant to guidelines promulgated by
3the Board of Education.
4(Source: P.A. 96-105, eff. 7-30-09.)