Public Act 094-1054
 		





SB1497 Enrolled
LRB094 08338 NHT 38531 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 Section 
2-3.71 as follows:
 



    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.71)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71)



    Sec. 2-3.71. Grants for preschool educational  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 to 
    conduct a preschool educational
program. These grants must 
    be used to supplement, not supplant, funds received from 
    any other source.


        (2) (Blank).


        (3) Any teacher of preschool children in the program 
    authorized by this
subsection shall hold an early childhood 
    teaching certificate.


        (4) This paragraph (4) applies before July 1, 2006 and 
    after June 30, 2008. The State Board of Education shall 
    provide the primary source of
funding through 
    appropriations for the
this program.
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.


        (4.5) This paragraph (4.5) applies from July 1, 2006 
    through June 30, 2008.  The State Board of Education shall 
    provide the primary source of
funding through 
    appropriations for the program.
Such funds shall be 
    distributed to achieve a goal of "Preschool for All 
    Children" for the benefit
of all children whose families 
    choose to participate in the program.  Based on available 
    appropriations, newly funded programs shall be selected 
    through a process giving first priority to qualified 
    programs serving primarily at-risk children and second 
    priority to qualified programs serving primarily children 
    with a family income of less than 4 times the poverty 
    guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by 
    the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the 
    authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2).  For purposes of this 
    paragraph (4.5), at-risk children are those who because of 
    their home and community environment are subject
to such 
    language, cultural, economic and like disadvantages to 
    cause them to 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.
        On or before November 1 of each fiscal year in which 
    the General Assembly provides funding for new programs 
    under this paragraph (4.5), the State Board of Education 
    shall report to the General Assembly on what percentage of 
    new funding was provided to programs serving primarily 
    at-risk children, what percentage of new funding was 
    provided to programs serving primarily children with a 
    family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty 
    level, and what percentage of new funding was provided to 
    other programs.


        (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 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, 2007
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).

(Source: P.A. 94-506, eff. 8-8-05.)

 

    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 
2006.