Public Act 096-0119
 		





SB0079 Enrolled
LRB096 04372 NHT 14419 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, 2010. The State Board of Education shall 
    provide the primary source of
funding through 
    appropriations for the 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, 2010.  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.
        Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (4.5), 
    grantees under the program must enter into a memorandum of 
    understanding with the appropriate local Head Start 
    agency.  This memorandum must be entered into no later than 
    3 months after the award of a grantee's grant under the 
    program, except that, in the case of the 2009-2010 program 
    year, the memorandum must be entered into no later than the 
    deadline set by the State Board of Education for 
    applications to participate in the program in fiscal year 
    2011, and must address collaboration between the grantee's 
    program and the local Head Start agency on certain issues, 
    which shall include without limitation the following:
            (A) educational activities, curricular objectives, 
        and instruction;
            (B) public information dissemination and access to 
        programs for families contacting programs;
            (C) service areas;
            (D) selection priorities for eligible children to 
        be served by programs;
            (E) maximizing the impact of federal and State 
        funding to benefit young children;
            (F) staff training, including opportunities for 
        joint staff training;
            (G) technical assistance;
            (H) communication and parent outreach for smooth 
        transitions to kindergarten;
            (I) provision and use of facilities, 
        transportation, and other program elements;
            (J) facilitating each program's fulfillment of its 
        statutory and regulatory requirements;
            (K) improving local planning and collaboration; 
        and
            (L) providing comprehensive services for the 
        neediest Illinois children and families.
    If the appropriate local Head Start agency is unable or 
    unwilling to enter into a memorandum of understanding as 
    required under this paragraph (4.5), the memorandum of 
    understanding requirement shall not apply and the grantee 
    under the program must notify the State Board of Education 
    in writing of the Head Start agency's inability or 
    unwillingness.  The State Board of Education shall compile 
    all such written notices and make them available to the 
    public. 

        (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 November 1, 2010
 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.

        On or before November 1 of each fiscal year in which 
    the General Assembly provides funding for new programs 
    under paragraph (4.5) of this Section, 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. 
    (b) (Blank).

(Source: P.A. 94-506, eff. 8-8-05; 94-1054, eff. 7-25-06; 
95-724, eff. 6-30-08.)

 

    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.