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Public Act 103-0362


 

Public Act 0362 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  
  

 


 
Public Act 103-0362
 
HB3822 EnrolledLRB103 30452 RJT 56884 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
14C-13 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/14C-13)  (from Ch. 122, par. 14C-13)
    Sec. 14C-13. Advisory Council.
    (a) There is created an Advisory Council on Bilingual
Education, consisting of 17 members appointed by the State
Superintendent of Education and selected, as nearly as
possible, on the basis of experience in or knowledge of the
various programs of bilingual education. The Council shall
advise the State Superintendent on policy and rules pertaining
to bilingual education. The Council shall establish such
sub-committees as it deems appropriate to review bilingual
education issues including but not limited to certification,
finance and special education.
    Initial appointees shall serve terms determined by lot as
follows: 6 for one year, 6 for 2 years and 5 for 3 years.
Successors shall serve 3-year terms. Members annually shall
select a chairman from among their number. Members shall
receive no compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary
expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
    By no later than December 1, 2011, the Council shall
submit a report to the State Superintendent of Education, the
Governor, and the General Assembly addressing, at a minimum,
the following questions:
        (1) whether and how the 20 child per attendance center
    minimum in Section 14C-3 of this Code should be modified;
        (2) whether and how educator certification
    requirements in this Article 14C and applicable State
    Board of Education rules should be modified;
        (3) whether and how bilingual education requirements
    in this Article 14C and applicable State Board of
    Education rules should be modified to address differences
    between elementary and secondary schools; and
        (4) whether and how to allow school districts to
    administer alternative bilingual education programs
    instead of transitional bilingual education programs.
    By no later than January 1, 2013, the Council shall submit
a report to the State Superintendent of Education, the
Governor, and the General Assembly addressing, at a minimum,
the following questions:
        (i) whether and how bilingual education programs
    should be modified to be more flexible and achieve a
    higher success rate among Hispanic students in the
    classroom and on State assessments;
        (ii) whether and how bilingual education programs
    should be modified to increase parental involvement
    including the use of parent academies;
        (iii) whether and how bilingual education programs
    should be modified to increase cultural competency through
    a cultural competency program among bilingual teaching
    staff; and
        (iv) whether and how the bilingual parent advisory
    committees within school districts can be supported in
    order to increase the opportunities for parents to
    effectively express their views concerning the planning,
    operation, and evaluation of bilingual education programs.
    Within one year of the effective date of this amendatory
Act of the 103rd General Assembly, the Council shall deliver a
report to the General Assembly on how to incentivize dual
language instruction in schools. The report shall include: (i)
expanding dual language programs and instruction, (ii)
developing a strategic plan for scaling dual language
programs, (iii) possible public-private partnerships to expand
dual language programs, (iv) potential funding mechanisms and
models, including how to leverage the use of existing State
and federal resources and how to sustain funding for dual
language programs, (v) how to build the supply of qualified
teachers for dual language programs, including potential
partnerships with private or nonprofit teacher preparation or
development programs and college teacher preparation programs,
potential alternative certification routes, exchange programs
with other countries, and financial incentives, and (vi)
standards for measuring student progress in dual language
programs.
    (b) For the purpose of this Section:
    "Parent academies" means a series of parent development
opportunities delivered throughout the school year to increase
parents' ability to successfully navigate the education system
and monitor their children's education. Parent academies are
specifically designed for parents of students who are enrolled
in any of the English Language Learner programs and are to be
provided after work hours in the parents' native language. At
a minimum, parent academies shall allow participants to do the
following:
        (1) understand and use their children's standardized
    tests to effectively advocate for their children's
    academic success;
        (2) learn home strategies to increase their children's
    reading proficiency;
        (3) promote homework completion as a successful daily
    routine;
        (4) establish a positive and productive connection
    with their children's schools and teachers; and
        (5) build the character traits that lead to academic
    success, such as responsibility, persistence, a hard-work
    ethic, and the ability to delay gratification.
    "Cultural competency program" means a staff development
opportunity to increase the school staffs' ability to meet the
social, emotional, and academic needs of culturally and
linguistically diverse students and, at a minimum, allows
participants to do the following:
        (i) discuss the impact that our constantly changing,
    highly technological and globalist society is having on
    Illinois' public education system;
        (ii) analyze international, national, State, county,
    district, and local students' performance data and the
    achievement gaps that persistently exist between groups;
        (iii) realize the benefits and challenges of reaching
    proficiency in cultural competency;
        (iv) engage in conversations that lead to
    self-awareness and greater insight regarding diversity;
    and
        (v) learn strategies for building student-teacher
    relationships and making instruction more comprehensible
    and relevant for all students.
(Source: P.A. 97-305, eff. 1-1-12; 97-915, eff. 1-1-13.)

Effective Date: 1/1/2024