Public Act 0352 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB3522 Enrolled LRB103 28373 RJT 54753 b

Public Act 103-0352

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 2-3.169 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.169)

Sec. 2-3.169. State Global Scholar Certification.

(a) The State Global Scholar Certification Program is established to recognized public and nonpublic high school graduates who have attained global competence. State Global Scholar Certification shall be awarded beginning with the 2017-2018 school year. School district or nonpublic school participation in this certification is voluntary.

(b) The purposes of State Global Scholar Certification are as follows:

(1) To recognize the value of a global education.

(2) To certify attainment of global competence.

(3) To provide employers with a method of identifying globally competent employees.

(4) To provide colleges and universities with an additional method to recognize applicants seeking admission.

(5) To prepare students with 21st century skills.

(6) To encourage the development of a globally ready workforce in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), manufacturing, agriculture, and service sectors.

(c) State Global Scholar Certification confirms attainment of global competence, sufficient for meaningful use in college and a career, by a graduating public or nonpublic high school student.

(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish the criteria that students must achieve to earn State Global Scholar Certification, which shall minimally include attainment of units of credit in globally focused courses, service learning experiences, global collaboration and dialogue, and passage of a capstone project demonstrating global competency, as approved by the participating school district or nonpublic school for this purpose.

(e) The State Board of Education shall do both of the following:

(1) Prepare and deliver to participating school districts or nonpublic schools an appropriate mechanism for designating State Global Scholar Certification on the diploma and transcript of a student indicating that the student has been awarded State Global Scholar Certification by the State Board of Education.

(2) Provide other information the State Board of Education deems necessary for school districts or nonpublic schools to successfully participate in the certification.

(f) A school district or nonpublic school that participates in certification under this Section shall do both of the following:

(1) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify students who have earned State Global Scholar Certification.

(2) Make the appropriate designation on the diploma and transcript of each student who earns State Global Scholar Certification.

(g) No fee may be charged to a student to receive the designation pursuant to the Section. Notwithstanding this prohibition, costs may be incurred by the student in demonstrating proficiency.

(Source: P.A. 99-780, eff. 8-12-16; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17.)

Section 10. The College and Career Success for All Students Act is amended by changing Section 30 as follows:

(105 ILCS 302/30)

Sec. 30. Postsecondary-level course credit.

(a) In this Section:

"Institution of higher education" means a public university or public community college located in this State.

"International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme subject" means an International Baccalaureate course taken by either International Baccalaureate diploma candidates or by International Baccalaureate course candidates.

"Subject score" means the total points awarded to a candidate for an International Baccalaureate course based on fulfillment of all subject requirements, including the end-of-course examination.

(b) Beginning with the 2016-2017 academic year, scores of 3, 4, and 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement examinations and, beginning with the 2017-2018 academic year, subject scores of 4 or higher for International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme subjects shall be accepted for credit to satisfy degree requirements by all institutions of higher education. Each institution of higher education shall determine for each Advanced Placement test and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme subject whether credit will be granted for electives, general education requirements, or major requirements and the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme subject scores required to grant credit for those purposes.

Beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year, each institution of higher education may award course credit to a student who has received State Global Scholar Certification. Each institution of higher education may determine whether credit will be granted for electives, general education requirements, or major requirements for students who received State Global Scholar Certification.

(c) By the conclusion of the 2020-2021 academic year, the Board of Higher Education, in cooperation with the Illinois Community College Board, shall analyze the Advanced Placement examination and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme subject score course granting policy of each institution of higher education and the research used by each institution in determining the level of credit and the number of credits provided for the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme subject scores in accordance with the requirements of this Section and file a report that includes findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor. Each institution of higher education shall provide the Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board with all necessary data, in accordance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, to conduct the analysis.

(d) Each institution of higher education shall publish its updated Advanced Placement examination and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme subject score course granting policy in accordance with the requirements of this Section on its Internet website before the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year.

(Source: P.A. 99-358, eff. 8-13-15; 99-624, eff. 7-22-16.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2023.