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| Public Act 103-0979 | ||||
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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 | ||||
2-3.169 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 6 units of credit in | ||
globally focused courses, service learning experiences, global | ||
collaboration or 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. | ||
(h) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules as | ||
may be necessary to provide students attending schools that do | ||
not offer State Global Scholar Certification the opportunity | ||
to earn State Global Scholar Certification remotely beginning | ||
with the 2026-2027 school year. These rules shall include, but | ||
are not limited to, a list of all school courses and course | ||
codes derived from the State Board of Education's Illinois | ||
State Course Catalog and Illinois Virtual Course Catalog that | ||
are designated as and qualify as globally focused coursework. | ||
If the provider of the online course determines and can | ||
demonstrate that a student meets all of the criteria required | ||
to earn State Global Scholar Certification, then the school | ||
district or nonpublic school shall designate that the student | ||
has earned State Global Scholar Certification on the student's | ||
diploma and transcript. | ||
A school district or nonpublic school shall provide, upon | ||
the request of a student, evidence to the student that the | ||
student has completed at least 6 globally focused courses | ||
required to earn State Global Scholar Certification for the | ||
student to submit to the provider of the online course. | ||
A student enrolled in a school district or nonpublic | ||
school that awarded State Global Scholar Certification prior | ||
to the 2026-2027 school year and offered a course to complete | ||
the capstone project requirement prior to the 2026-2027 school | ||
year may not earn State Global Scholar Certification remotely | ||
under this subsection (h). | ||
(Source: P.A. 103-352, eff. 7-28-23.) | ||