Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB3687
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Full Text of HB3687  99th General Assembly

HB3687eng 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  
  

 


 
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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 Sections
52-3.66 and 2-3.66b as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.66)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.66)
7    Sec. 2-3.66. Truants' alternative and optional education
8programs. To establish projects to offer modified
9instructional programs or other services designed to prevent
10students from dropping out of school, including programs
11pursuant to Section 2-3.41, and to serve as a part time or full
12time option in lieu of regular school attendance and to award
13grants to local school districts, educational service regions
14or community college districts from appropriated funds to
15assist districts in establishing such projects. The education
16agency may operate its own program or enter into a contract
17with another not-for-profit entity to implement the program.
18The projects shall allow dropouts, up to and including age 21
19or up to and including age 23 if the project is not conducted
20in the same public school facility as the regular education
21program, potential dropouts, including truants, uninvolved,
22unmotivated and disaffected students, as defined by State Board
23of Education rules and regulations, to enroll, as an

 

 

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1alternative to regular school attendance, in an optional
2education program which may be established by school board
3policy and is in conformance with rules adopted by the State
4Board of Education. Truants' Alternative and Optional
5Education programs funded pursuant to this Section shall be
6planned by a student, the student's parents or legal guardians,
7unless the student is 18 years or older, and school officials
8and shall culminate in an individualized optional education
9plan. Such plan shall focus on academic or vocational skills,
10or both, and may include, but not be limited to, evening
11school, summer school, community college courses, adult
12education, preparation courses for high school equivalency
13testing, vocational training, work experience, programs to
14enhance self concept and parenting courses. School districts
15which are awarded grants pursuant to this Section shall be
16authorized to provide day care services to children of students
17who are eligible and desire to enroll in programs established
18and funded under this Section, but only if and to the extent
19that such day care is necessary to enable those eligible
20students to attend and participate in the programs and courses
21which are conducted pursuant to this Section. School districts
22and regional offices of education may claim general State aid
23under Section 18-8.05 for students enrolled in truants'
24alternative and optional education programs, provided that
25such students are receiving services that are supplemental to a
26program leading to a high school diploma and are otherwise

 

 

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1eligible to be claimed for general State aid under Section
218-8.05.
3(Source: P.A. 98-718, eff. 1-1-15.)
 
4    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.66b)
5    Sec. 2-3.66b. IHOPE Program.
6    (a) There is established the Illinois Hope and Opportunity
7Pathways through Education (IHOPE) Program. The State Board of
8Education shall implement and administer the IHOPE Program. The
9goal of the IHOPE Program is to develop a comprehensive system
10in this State to re-enroll significant numbers of high school
11dropouts in programs that will enable them to earn their high
12school diploma.
13    (b) The IHOPE Program shall award grants, subject to
14appropriation for this purpose, to educational service regions
15and a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code
16from appropriated funds to assist in establishing
17instructional programs and other services designed to
18re-enroll high school dropouts. From any funds appropriated for
19the IHOPE Program, the State Board of Education may use up to
205% for administrative costs, including the performance of a
21program evaluation and the hiring of staff to implement and
22administer the program.
23    The IHOPE Program shall provide incentive grant funds for
24regional offices of education and a school district organized
25under Article 34 of this Code to develop partnerships with

 

 

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1school districts, public community colleges, and community
2groups to build comprehensive plans to re-enroll high school
3dropouts in their regions or districts.
4    Programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall allow high
5school dropouts, up to and including age 21 or up to and
6including age 23 if the program is not conducted in the same
7public school facility as the regular education program,
8notwithstanding Section 26-2 of this Code, to re-enroll in an
9educational program in conformance with rules adopted by the
10State Board of Education. Programs may include without
11limitation comprehensive year-round programming, evening
12school, summer school, community college courses, adult
13education, vocational training, work experience, programs to
14enhance self-concept, and parenting courses. Any student in the
15IHOPE Program who wishes to earn a high school diploma must
16meet the prerequisites to receiving a high school diploma
17specified in Section 27-22 of this Code and any other
18graduation requirements of the student's district of
19residence. Any student who successfully completes the
20requirements for his or her graduation shall receive a diploma
21identifying the student as graduating from his or her district
22of residence.
23    (c) In order to be eligible for funding under the IHOPE
24Program, an interested regional office of education or a school
25district organized under Article 34 of this Code shall develop
26an IHOPE Plan to be approved by the State Board of Education.

 

 

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1The State Board of Education shall develop rules for the IHOPE
2Program that shall set forth the requirements for the
3development of the IHOPE Plan. Each Plan shall involve school
4districts, public community colleges, and key community
5programs that work with high school dropouts located in an
6educational service region or the City of Chicago before the
7Plan is sent to the State Board for approval. No funds may be
8distributed to a regional office of education or a school
9district organized under Article 34 of this Code until the
10State Board has approved the Plan.
11    (d) A regional office of education or a school district
12organized under Article 34 of this Code may operate its own
13program funded by the IHOPE Program or enter into a contract
14with other not-for-profit entities, including school
15districts, public community colleges, and not-for-profit
16community-based organizations, to operate a program.
17    A regional office of education or a school district
18organized under Article 34 of this Code that receives an IHOPE
19grant from the State Board of Education may provide funds under
20a sub-grant, as specified in the IHOPE Plan, to other
21not-for-profit entities to provide services according to the
22IHOPE Plan that was developed. These other entities may include
23school districts, public community colleges, or not-for-profit
24community-based organizations or a cooperative partnership
25among these entities.
26    (e) In order to distribute funding based upon the need to

 

 

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1ensure delivery of programs that will have the greatest impact,
2IHOPE Program funding must be distributed based upon the
3proportion of dropouts in the educational service region or
4school district, in the case of a school district organized
5under Article 34 of this Code, to the total number of dropouts
6in this State. This formula shall employ the dropout data
7provided by school districts to the State Board of Education.
8    A regional office of education or a school district
9organized under Article 34 of this Code may claim State aid
10under Section 18-8.05 of this Code for students enrolled in a
11program funded by the IHOPE Program, provided that the State
12Board of Education has approved the IHOPE Plan and that these
13students are receiving services that are meeting the
14requirements of Section 27-22 of this Code for receipt of a
15high school diploma and are otherwise eligible to be claimed
16for general State aid under Section 18-8.05 of this Code,
17including provisions related to the minimum number of days of
18pupil attendance pursuant to Section 10-19 of this Code and the
19minimum number of daily hours of school work and any exceptions
20thereto as defined by the State Board of Education in rules.
21    (f) IHOPE categories of programming may include the
22following:
23        (1) Full-time programs that are comprehensive,
24    year-round programs.
25        (2) Part-time programs combining work and study
26    scheduled at various times that are flexible to the needs

 

 

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1    of students.
2        (3) Online programs and courses in which students take
3    courses and complete on-site, supervised tests that
4    measure the student's mastery of a specific course needed
5    for graduation. Students may take courses online and earn
6    credit or students may prepare to take supervised tests for
7    specific courses for credit leading to receipt of a high
8    school diploma.
9        (4) Dual enrollment in which students attend high
10    school classes in combination with community college
11    classes or students attend community college classes while
12    simultaneously earning high school credit and eventually a
13    high school diploma.
14    (g) In order to have successful comprehensive programs
15re-enrolling and graduating low-skilled high school dropouts,
16programs funded through the IHOPE Program shall include all of
17the following components:
18        (1) Small programs (70 to 100 students) at a separate
19    school site with a distinct identity. Programs may be
20    larger with specific need and justification, keeping in
21    mind that it is crucial to keep programs small to be
22    effective.
23        (2) Specific performance-based goals and outcomes and
24    measures of enrollment, attendance, skills, credits,
25    graduation, and the transition to college, training, and
26    employment.

 

 

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1        (3) Strong, experienced leadership and teaching staff
2    who are provided with ongoing professional development.
3        (4) Voluntary enrollment.
4        (5) High standards for student learning, integrating
5    work experience, and education, including during the
6    school year and after school, and summer school programs
7    that link internships, work, and learning.
8        (6) Comprehensive programs providing extensive support
9    services.
10        (7) Small teams of students supported by full-time paid
11    mentors who work to retain and help those students
12    graduate.
13        (8) A comprehensive technology learning center with
14    Internet access and broad-based curriculum focusing on
15    academic and career subject areas.
16        (9) Learning opportunities that incorporate action
17    into study.
18    (h) Programs funded through the IHOPE Program must report
19data to the State Board of Education as requested. This
20information shall include, but is not limited to, student
21enrollment figures, attendance information, course completion
22data, graduation information, and post-graduation information,
23as available.
24    (i) Rules must be developed by the State Board of Education
25to set forth the fund distribution process to regional offices
26of education and a school district organized under Article 34

 

 

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1of this Code, the planning and the conditions upon which an
2IHOPE Plan would be approved by State Board, and other rules to
3develop the IHOPE Program.
4(Source: P.A. 96-106, eff. 7-30-09.)