Bill Text: IL HB2170 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to annually assess all public school students entering kindergarten. Creates the Whole Child Task Force to establish an equitable, inclusive, safe, and supportive environment in all schools for every student in this State. Amends the Early Intervention Services System Act. Makes changes concerning eligibility requirements for early intervention services. Creates the Data Governance and Organization to Support Equity and Racial Justice Act. Requires the Office of the Governor and the Department of Innovation and Technology to jointly establish an organization and governance that is responsible for certain data collection processes. Requires the State Board of Education and specified departments to submit a report detailing the statistical data on the racial and ethnic demographics of program participants for each major program administered by the State Board of Education or the respective department to the General Assembly. Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code to make changes concerning the diagnostic code for behavioral health services for children ages 5 and under. Amends the School Code and the Board of Higher Education Act concerning high school coursework. Amends the School Code concerning computer science courses. Amends the Gifted and Talented Children Article of the School Code. Provides that a school district's accelerated placement policy shall allow for the automatic enrollment, in the following school term, of a high school student into the next most rigorous level of advanced coursework offered by the high school if the student meets or exceeds State standards in English language arts, mathematics, or science on a State assessment. Further amends the School Code. Requires the Illinois P-20 Council to make recommendations for short-term and long-term learning recovery actions for public school students in this State in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Requires the State Board of Education to establish a Freedom School network. Subject to appropriation, requires the State Board of Education to establish and implement a grant program to provide grants to public schools, public community colleges, and not-for-profit, community-based organizations to facilitate improved educational outcomes for Black students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12. Makes changes concerning the evidence-based funding formula. Creates the Developmental Education Reform Act. Sets forth provisions concerning the placement of a student in introductory college-level English language or mathematics coursework. Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code to make changes relating to the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers and the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program. Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act with respect to the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship program and the AIM HIGH Grant Pilot Program. Amends the School Code to make changes concerning the State Board of Education's social science learning standards, an Inclusive American History Commission, and the Black History unit of instruction. Requires the State Board of Education to issue a request to school districts to submit proposals to obtain funding to support professional development for educators and others working with young people in schools. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 29-0)

Status: (Enrolled - Dead) 2021-01-14 - Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Robert Peters [HB2170 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HB2170-Introduced.html

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101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2019 and 2020 HB2170 Introduced , by Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/2-3.159
Amends the School Code. With regard to the State Seal of Biliteracy program, provides that if the State Board of Education establishes criteria that includes the use of the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT college admissions test as an acceptable English language proficiency assessment to demonstrate English language proficiency, the minimum qualifying score for eligibility to receive the State Seal of Biliteracy must be 480. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR
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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 Section
2-3.159 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.159)
Sec. 2-3.159. State Seal of Biliteracy.
(a) In this Section, "foreign language" means any language
other than English, including all modern languages, Latin,
American Sign Language, Native American languages, and native
languages.
(b) The State Seal of Biliteracy program is established to
recognize public high school graduates who have attained a high
level of proficiency in one or more languages in addition to
English. The State Seal of Biliteracy shall be awarded
beginning with the 2014-2015 school year. School district
participation in this program is voluntary.
(c) The purposes of the State Seal of Biliteracy are as
follows:
(1) To encourage pupils to study languages.
(2) To certify attainment of biliteracy.
(3) To provide employers with a method of identifying
people with language and biliteracy skills.

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(4) To provide universities with an additional method
to recognize applicants seeking admission.
(5) To prepare pupils with 21st century skills.
(6) To recognize the value of foreign language and
native language instruction in public schools.
(7) To strengthen intergroup relationships, affirm the
value of diversity, and honor the multiple cultures and
languages of a community.
(d) The State Seal of Biliteracy certifies attainment of a
high level of proficiency, sufficient for meaningful use in
college and a career, by a graduating public high school pupil
in one or more languages in addition to English.
(e) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules as
may be necessary to establish the criteria that pupils must
achieve to earn a State Seal of Biliteracy, which may include
without limitation attainment of units of credit in English
language arts and languages other than English and passage of
such assessments of foreign language proficiency as may be
approved by the State Board of Education for this purpose.
These rules shall ensure that the criteria that pupils must
achieve to earn a State Seal of Biliteracy meet the course
credit criteria established under subsection (i) of this
Section. If the State Board of Education establishes criteria
that includes the use of the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
section of the SAT college admissions test as an acceptable
English language proficiency assessment to demonstrate English

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language proficiency, the minimum qualifying score for
eligibility to receive the State Seal of Biliteracy under this
Section must be 480.
(f) The State Board of Education shall do both of the
following:
(1) Prepare and deliver to participating school
districts an appropriate mechanism for designating the
State Seal of Biliteracy on the diploma and transcript of
the pupil indicating that the pupil has been awarded a
State Seal of Biliteracy by the State Board of Education.
(2) Provide other information the State Board of
Education deems necessary for school districts to
successfully participate in the program.
(g) A school district that participates in the program
under this Section shall do both of the following:
(1) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify
pupils who have earned a State Seal of Biliteracy.
(2) Make the appropriate designation on the diploma and
transcript of each pupil who earns a State Seal of
Biliteracy.
(h) No fee shall be charged to a pupil to receive the
designation pursuant to this Section. Notwithstanding this
prohibition, costs may be incurred by the pupil in
demonstrating proficiency, including without limitation any
assessments required under subsection (e) of this Section.
(i) For admissions purposes, each public university in this

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State shall accept the State Seal of Biliteracy as equivalent
to 2 years of foreign language coursework taken during high
school if a student's high school transcript indicates that he
or she will be receiving or has received the State Seal of
Biliteracy.
(j) Each public community college and public university in
this State shall establish criteria to translate a State Seal
of Biliteracy into course credit based on foreign language
course equivalencies identified by the community college's or
university's faculty and staff and, upon request from an
enrolled student, the community college or university shall
award foreign language course credit to a student who has
received a State Seal of Biliteracy. Students enrolled in a
public community college or public university who have received
a State Seal of Biliteracy must request course credit for their
seal within 3 academic years after graduating from high school.
(Source: P.A. 98-560, eff. 8-27-13; 98-756, eff. 7-16-14;
99-600, eff. 1-1-17.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.