Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB3412

Amends the School Code. Replaces provisions concerning State goals and assessment. Requires the State Board of Education to establish the academic standards that are to be applicable to students who are subject to State assessments, with public participation. Provides that (i) beginning no later than the 2014-2015 school year, the State Board shall annually assess all students enrolled in grades 3 through 8 in English language arts and mathematics; (ii) beginning no later than the 2017-2018 school year, the State Board shall annually assess all students in science at one grade in grades 3 through 5, at one grade in grades 6 through 9, and at one grade in grades 10 through 12; and (iii) the State Board shall annually assess schools that operate a secondary education program in English language arts and mathematics. Provides that the State Board shall administer no more than 3 assessments, per student, of English language arts and mathematics for students in a secondary education program and one of these assessments shall include a college and career ready determination. Provides that students who are not assessed for college and career ready determinations may not receive a regular high school diploma unless the student is exempted from taking State assessments. Sets forth provisions concerning students receiving special education services and students determined to have limited English proficiency, results of scores, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, and local assessments. Makes related changes. Effective July 1, 2014.

Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Reinserts the contents of the bill with the following changes. Changes references concerning the Illinois Standards Achievement Testing Program and the Illinois Goals and Assessment Program. In the amendatory provisions concerning State goals and assessment, (i) provides for the annual assessment of students in science at one grade in grades 6 through 8 (instead of 9) and at one grade in grades 9 (instead of 10) through 12; (ii) changes references concerning tests to assessments; (iii) make changes with respect to students who have been determined to have limited English proficiency; (iv) makes changes concerning the prohibition on assessing students in certain subjects; (v) makes changes concerning the placement of scores in school student records; (vi) requires the State Board of Education to 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; and (vii) requires the State Superintendent of Education to appoint a committee to review the State assessments. Repeals a Section concerning the State Testing Review Committee. Effective July 1, 2014.

In the amendatory provisions concerning State goals and assessment, changes certain references concerning a student being determined to have limited English proficiency to a student being determined to be an English language learner, referred to in the School Code as a student with limited English proficiency. Provide that any student determined to be an English language learner shall receive appropriate assessment accommodations, including language supports (instead of may receive appropriate assessment accommodations). Provides that approved assessment accommodations must (instead of may) be provided until the student's English language skills develop to the extent that the student is no longer considered to be an English language learner. Provides that schools shall administer an academic assessment of English language proficiency in oral language (instead of oral comprehension) to children of limited English speaking ability. Amends the Transitional Bilingual Education Article of the School Code. With respect to the definition of "program in transitional bilingual education", requires the program to include the oral language (listening and speaking), reading, and writing of English (instead of the oral comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing of English). Provides that an examination in the oral language (listening and speaking), reading, and writing of English (instead of the oral comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing of English) shall be administered annually to children of limited English-speaking ability in a program in transitional bilingual education.

Requires the State Superintendent of Education to appoint a committee of no more than 21 (instead of 20) members, consisting of parents, teachers, school administrators, school board members, assessment experts, regional superintendents of schools, and citizens (instead of parents, teachers, school administrators, assessment experts, and concerned citizens), to review the State assessments administered by the State Board of Education. Requires the Committee to select one of its members (instead of the parent representatives) as its chairperson.

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