Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of Public Act 094-0506
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Public Act 094-0506


 

Public Act 0506 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY



 


 
Public Act 094-0506
 
HB3822 Enrolled LRB094 09877 NHT 41324 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 changing Sections
2-3.71, 2-3.71a, and 2-3.89 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.71)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71)
    Sec. 2-3.71. Grants for preschool educational and related
model research-training programs.
    (a) Preschool program.
        (1) The State Board of Education shall implement and
    administer a grant program under the provisions of this
    subsection which shall consist of grants to public school
    districts and other eligible entities, as defined by the
    State Board of Education, to conduct voluntary preschool
    educational programs for children ages 3 to 5 which include
    a parent education component. A public school district
    which receives grants under this subsection may
    subcontract with other entities that are eligible a private
    school, not-for-profit corporation or other governmental
    agency to conduct a preschool educational program. These
    grants must be used to supplement, not supplant, funds
    received from any other source. Except as otherwise
    provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, all
    teachers of such programs shall (i) hold early childhood
    teaching certificates issued under Article 21, or (ii) hold
    elementary certificates issued under Article 21 with
    kindergarten or preschool experience, or (iii) hold
    baccalaureate degrees in child development, or (iv) meet
    the requirements for supervising a day care center under
    the Child Care Act of 1969, as amended.
        (2) (Blank). After December 31, 1989, any persons newly
    hired to teach in the program authorized pursuant to this
    subsection shall hold the certification required pursuant
    to subparagraphs (i), (ii) or (iii) of paragraph (1) of
    this subsection.
        (3) Any After July 1, 1998, any teacher of preschool
    children in the program authorized by this subsection shall
    hold an early childhood teaching certificate.
        (4) The State Board of Education shall provide the
    primary source of funding through appropriations for this
    program. Such Except as otherwise provided in subsection
    (b), such funds shall be distributed for the benefit of
    children who because of their home and community
    environment are subject to such language, cultural,
    economic and like disadvantages that they have been
    determined as a result of screening procedures to be at
    risk of academic failure. Such screening procedures shall
    be based on criteria established by the State Board of
    Education.
        (5) The State Board of Education shall develop and
    provide evaluation tools, including tests, that school
    districts and other eligible entities may use to evaluate
    children for school readiness prior to age 5. The State
    Board of Education shall require school districts and other
    eligible entities to obtain consent from the parents or
    guardians of children before any evaluations are
    conducted. The State Board of Education shall encourage
    local school districts and other eligible entities to
    evaluate the population of preschool children in their
    communities districts and provide preschool programs,
    pursuant to this subsection, where appropriate.
        (6) The State Board of Education shall report to the
    General Assembly by July 1, 1989 and every 3 years
    thereafter, on the results and progress of students who
    were enrolled in preschool educational programs, including
    an assessment of which programs have been most successful
    in promoting academic excellence and alleviating academic
    failure. The State Board of Education shall assess the
    academic progress of all students who have been enrolled in
    preschool educational programs.
    (b) (Blank). Up to 5% of the amounts annually appropriated
for purposes of preschool educational programs under this
Section may be used by the State Board of Education for grants
to school districts and public and private institutions of
higher education to establish and implement coordinated model
programs which include both a research component in early
childhood development and psychology and a personnel training
component in preferred teaching methodologies in effective
preschool educational programs. The State Board of Education
shall by rule establish criteria for the content, objectives
and manner of implementing model programs which may qualify for
grant awards under this subsection. Such criteria may include
considerations of the ability of a proposed model program to
serve children from preschool and early childhood age
groupings, including children therefrom who are or may not be
at risk, and of the ability of the proposed model program to
incorporate program site student teaching, for early childhood
certification purposes, of the children actually served by the
model program. The State Board of Education shall establish
standards within its rules for the form of grant applications
submitted under this subsection and for evaluating those
applications against the qualifying criteria established as
provided in this subsection for model program content,
objectives and implementation.
(Source: P.A. 86-316; 86-400; 86-1028; 87-141; 87-515;
87-895.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.71a)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71a)
    Sec. 2-3.71a. Grants for model pilot early childhood
parental training programs.
    The State Board of Education shall implement and administer
a grant program consisting of grants to public school districts
and other eligible entities, as defined by the State Board of
Education, to conduct model pilot early childhood parental
training programs for the parents of children in the period of
life from birth to kindergarten. A public school district that
receives grants under this Section may contract with other
eligible entities another district, private school,
not-for-profit corporation or other governmental agency to
conduct an early childhood parental training program. These
grants must be used to supplement, not supplant, funds received
from any other source. A school board or other eligible entity
shall employ appropriately qualified personnel for its early
childhood parental training program, including but not limited
to certified teachers, counselors, psychiatrists,
psychologists and social workers.
    (a) As used in this Section, "parental training" means and
includes instruction in the following:
    (1) Child growth and development, including prenatal
development.
    (2) Childbirth and child care.
    (3) Family structure, function and management.
    (4) Prenatal and postnatal care for mothers and infants.
    (5) Prevention of child abuse.
    (6) The physical, mental, emotional, social, economic and
psychological aspects of interpersonal and family
relationships.
    (7) Parenting skill development.
    The programs shall include activities that require
substantial participation and interaction between parent and
child.
    (b) The Board shall annually award funds through a grant
approval process established by the State Board of Education
annual grants on a competitive basis, providing that an annual
appropriation is made for this purpose from State, federal or
private funds. Nothing in this Section shall preclude school
districts from applying for or accepting private funds to
establish and implement programs.
    (c) The State Board of Education shall assist those
districts and other eligible entities offering early childhood
parental training programs, upon request, in developing
instructional materials, training teachers and staff, and
establishing appropriate time allotments for each of the areas
included in such instruction.
    (d) School districts and other eligible entities may offer
early childhood parental training courses during that period of
the day which is not part of the regular school day. Residents
of the community school district may enroll in such courses.
The school board or other eligible entity may establish fees
and collect such charges as may be necessary for attendance at
such courses in an amount not to exceed the per capita cost of
the operation thereof, except that the board or other eligible
entity may waive all or part of such charges if it determines
that the parent is indigent or that the educational needs of
the parent require his or her attendance at such courses.
    (e) Parents who participate in early childhood parental
training programs under this Section may be eligible for
reasonable reimbursement of any incidental transportation and
child care expenses from the school district receiving funds
pursuant to this Section the grant from the State Board of
Education.
    (f) Districts and other eligible entities receiving grants
pursuant to this Section shall coordinate programs created
under this Section with other preschool educational programs,
including "at-risk" preschool programs, special and vocational
education, and related services provided by other governmental
agencies and not-for-profit agencies.
    (g) The State Board of Education shall report to the
General Assembly by July 1, 1991, on the results of the
programs funded pursuant to this Section and whether a need
continues for such programs.
    (h) After July 1, 2006, any parental training services
funded pursuant to this Section on the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly shall continue to
be funded pursuant to this Section, subject to appropriation
and the meeting of program standards. Any additional parental
training services must be funded, subject to appropriation,
through preschool education grants pursuant to subdivision (4)
of subsection (a) of Section 2-3.71 of this Code for families
with children ages 3 to 5 and through prevention initiative
grants pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 2-3.89 of this
Code for expecting families and those with children from birth
to 3 years of age.
(Source: P.A. 85-1046.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.89)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.89)
    Sec. 2-3.89. Programs Pilot programs concerning services
to at-risk children and their families.
    (a) The State Board of Education may provide grants to
eligible entities, as defined by the State Board of Education,
enter into contracts with public or not-for-profit, private
organizations to establish pilot programs which offer
coordinated services to at-risk infants and toddlers and their
families. Each pilot program shall include a parent education
program relating to the development and nurturing of infants
and toddlers and case management services to coordinate
existing services available in the region served by the pilot
program. These services shall be provided through the
implementation of an individual family service plan. Each pilot
program will have a community involvement component to provide
coordination in the service system.
    (b) The State Board of Education shall administer the
programs through the grants to public school districts and
other eligible entities. These grants must be used to
supplement, not supplant, funds received from any other source.
School districts and other eligible entities receiving grants
pursuant to this Section shall conduct voluntary, intensive,
research-based, and comprehensive prevention services, as
defined by the State Board of Education, for expecting parents
and families with children from birth to age 3 who are at-risk
of academic failure. A public school district that receives a
grant under this Section may subcontract with other eligible
entities.
    (c) The State Board of Education shall report to the
General Assembly by July 1, 2006 and every 2 years thereafter
on the status of programs funded under this Section, including
without limitation characteristics of participants, services
delivered, program models used, unmet needs, and results of the
programs funded.
(Source: P.A. 85-1046.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2005.

Effective Date: 8/8/2005