98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
SB0614

 

Introduced 1/24/2013, by Sen. John J. Cullerton

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.71  from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71

    Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning grants for preschool education programs.


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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 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
52-3.71 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.71)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71)
7    Sec. 2-3.71. Grants for preschool educational programs.
8    (a) Preschool program.
9        (1) The The State Board of Education shall implement
10    and administer a grant program under the provisions of this
11    subsection which shall consist of grants to public school
12    districts and other eligible entities, as defined by the
13    State Board of Education, to conduct voluntary preschool
14    educational programs for children ages 3 to 5 which include
15    a parent education component. A public school district
16    which receives grants under this subsection may
17    subcontract with other entities that are eligible to
18    conduct a preschool educational program. These grants must
19    be used to supplement, not supplant, funds received from
20    any other source.
21        (2) (Blank).
22        (3) Any teacher of preschool children in the program
23    authorized by this subsection shall hold an early childhood

 

 

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1    teaching certificate.
2        (4) (Blank).
3        (4.5) The State Board of Education shall provide the
4    primary source of funding through appropriations for the
5    program. Such funds shall be distributed to achieve a goal
6    of "Preschool for All Children" for the benefit of all
7    children whose families choose to participate in the
8    program. Based on available appropriations, newly funded
9    programs shall be selected through a process giving first
10    priority to qualified programs serving primarily at-risk
11    children and second priority to qualified programs serving
12    primarily children with a family income of less than 4
13    times the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the
14    Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
15    Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). For
16    purposes of this paragraph (4.5), at-risk children are
17    those who because of their home and community environment
18    are subject to such language, cultural, economic and like
19    disadvantages to cause them to have been determined as a
20    result of screening procedures to be at risk of academic
21    failure. Such screening procedures shall be based on
22    criteria established by the State Board of Education.
23        Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (4.5),
24    grantees under the program must enter into a memorandum of
25    understanding with the appropriate local Head Start
26    agency. This memorandum must be entered into no later than

 

 

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1    3 months after the award of a grantee's grant under the
2    program, except that, in the case of the 2009-2010 program
3    year, the memorandum must be entered into no later than the
4    deadline set by the State Board of Education for
5    applications to participate in the program in fiscal year
6    2011, and must address collaboration between the grantee's
7    program and the local Head Start agency on certain issues,
8    which shall include without limitation the following:
9            (A) educational activities, curricular objectives,
10        and instruction;
11            (B) public information dissemination and access to
12        programs for families contacting programs;
13            (C) service areas;
14            (D) selection priorities for eligible children to
15        be served by programs;
16            (E) maximizing the impact of federal and State
17        funding to benefit young children;
18            (F) staff training, including opportunities for
19        joint staff training;
20            (G) technical assistance;
21            (H) communication and parent outreach for smooth
22        transitions to kindergarten;
23            (I) provision and use of facilities,
24        transportation, and other program elements;
25            (J) facilitating each program's fulfillment of its
26        statutory and regulatory requirements;

 

 

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1            (K) improving local planning and collaboration;
2        and
3            (L) providing comprehensive services for the
4        neediest Illinois children and families.
5    If the appropriate local Head Start agency is unable or
6    unwilling to enter into a memorandum of understanding as
7    required under this paragraph (4.5), the memorandum of
8    understanding requirement shall not apply and the grantee
9    under the program must notify the State Board of Education
10    in writing of the Head Start agency's inability or
11    unwillingness. The State Board of Education shall compile
12    all such written notices and make them available to the
13    public.
14        (5) The State Board of Education shall develop and
15    provide evaluation tools, including tests, that school
16    districts and other eligible entities may use to evaluate
17    children for school readiness prior to age 5. The State
18    Board of Education shall require school districts and other
19    eligible entities to obtain consent from the parents or
20    guardians of children before any evaluations are
21    conducted. The State Board of Education shall encourage
22    local school districts and other eligible entities to
23    evaluate the population of preschool children in their
24    communities and provide preschool programs, pursuant to
25    this subsection, where appropriate.
26        (6) The State Board of Education shall report to the

 

 

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1    General Assembly by November 1, 2010 and every 3 years
2    thereafter on the results and progress of students who were
3    enrolled in preschool educational programs, including an
4    assessment of which programs have been most successful in
5    promoting academic excellence and alleviating academic
6    failure. The State Board of Education shall assess the
7    academic progress of all students who have been enrolled in
8    preschool educational programs.
9        On or before November 1 of each fiscal year in which
10    the General Assembly provides funding for new programs
11    under paragraph (4.5) of this Section, the State Board of
12    Education shall report to the General Assembly on what
13    percentage of new funding was provided to programs serving
14    primarily at-risk children, what percentage of new funding
15    was provided to programs serving primarily children with a
16    family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty
17    level, and what percentage of new funding was provided to
18    other programs.
19    (b) (Blank).
20(Source: P.A. 95-724, eff. 6-30-08; 96-119, eff. 8-4-09;
2196-944, eff. 6-25-10; 96-948, eff. 6-25-10.)