Public Act 0864 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0806 Enrolled LRB096 07449 NHT 17541 b

Public Act 096-0864

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 3. The Department of Human Services Act is amended by adding Section 10-65 as follows:

(20 ILCS 1305/10-65 new)

Sec. 10-65. Gateways to Opportunity.

(a) Subject to the availability of funds, the Department of Human Services shall operate a Gateways to Opportunity program, a comprehensive professional development system. The goal of Gateways to Opportunity is to support a diverse, stable, and quality workforce for settings serving children and youth, specifically to:

(1) enhance the quality of services;

(2) increase positive outcomes for children and youth; and

(3) advance the availability of coursework and training related to quality services for children and youth.

(b) The Department shall award Gateways to Opportunity credentials to early care and education, school-age, and youth development practitioners. The credentials shall validate an individual's qualifications and shall be issued based on a variety of professional achievements in field experience, knowledge and skills, educational attainment, and training accomplishments. The Department shall adopt rules outlining the framework for awarding credentials.

(c) The Gateways to Opportunity program shall identify professional knowledge guidelines for practitioners serving children and youth. The professional knowledge guidelines shall define what all adults who work with children and youth need to know, understand, and be able to demonstrate to support children's and youth's development, school readiness, and school success. The Department shall adopt rules to identify content areas, alignment with other professional standards, and competency levels.

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 10-20.12 and 34-19 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/10-20.12) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-20.12)

Sec. 10-20.12. School year - School age. To establish and keep in operation in each year during a school term of at least the minimum length required by Section 10-19, a sufficient number of free schools for the accommodation of all persons in the district who are 5 years of age or older but under 21 years of age, and to secure for all such persons the right and opportunity to an equal education in such schools; provided that (i) children who will attain the age of 5 years on or before September 1 of the year of the 1990-1991 school term and each school term thereafter may attend school upon the commencement of such term and (ii) based upon an assessment of the child's readiness, children who have attended a non-public preschool and continued their education at that school through kindergarten, were taught in kindergarten by an appropriately certified teacher, and will attain the age of 6 years on or before December 31 of the year of the 2009-2010 school term and each school term thereafter may attend first grade upon commencement of such term. Based upon an assessment of a child's readiness to attend school, a school district may permit a child to attend school prior to the dates contained in this Section. In any school district operating on a full year school basis children who will attain age 5 within 30 days after the commencement of a term may attend school upon the commencement of such term and, based upon an assessment of the child's readiness, children who have attended a non-public preschool and continued their education at that school through kindergarten, were taught in kindergarten by an appropriately certified teacher, and will attain age 6 within 4 months after the commencement of a term may attend first grade upon the commencement of such term. The school district may, by resolution of its board, allow for a full year school plan.

(Source: P.A. 87-359.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-19) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-19)

Sec. 34-19. By-laws, rules and regulations; business transacted at regular meetings; voting; records. The board shall, subject to the limitations in this Article, establish by-laws, rules and regulations, which shall have the force of ordinances, for the proper maintenance of a uniform system of discipline for both employees and pupils, and for the entire management of the schools, and may fix the school age of pupils, the minimum of which in kindergartens shall not be under 4 years, except that, based upon an assessment of the child's readiness, children who have attended a non-public preschool and continued their education at that school through kindergarten, were taught in kindergarten by an appropriately certified teacher, and will attain the age of 6 years on or before December 31 of the year of the 2009-2010 school term and each school term thereafter may attend first grade upon commencement of such term, and in grade schools shall not be under 6 years. It may expel, suspend or, subject to the limitations of all policies established or adopted under Section 14-8.05, otherwise discipline any pupil found guilty of gross disobedience, misconduct or other violation of the by-laws, rules and regulations. The bylaws, rules and regulations of the board shall be enacted, money shall be appropriated or expended, salaries shall be fixed or changed, and textbooks and courses of instruction shall be adopted or changed only at the regular meetings of the board and by a vote of a majority of the full membership of the board; provided that notwithstanding any other provision of this Article or the School Code, neither the board or any local school council may purchase any textbook for use in any public school of the district from any textbook publisher that fails to furnish any computer diskettes as required under Section 28-21. The board shall be further encouraged to provide opportunities for public hearing and testimony before the adoption of bylaws, rules and regulations. Upon all propositions requiring for their adoption at least a majority of all the members of the board the yeas and nays shall be taken and reported. The by-laws, rules and regulations of the board shall not be repealed, amended or added to, except by a vote of 2/3 of the full membership of the board. The board shall keep a record of all its proceedings. Such records and all by-laws, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, may be proved by a copy thereof certified to be such by the secretary of the board, but if they are printed in book or pamphlet form which are purported to be published by authority of the board they need not be otherwise published and the book or pamphlet shall be received as evidence, without further proof, of the records, by-laws, rules and regulations, or any part thereof, as of the dates thereof as shown in such book or pamphlet, in all courts and places where judicial proceedings are had.

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Article or in the School Code, the board may delegate to the general superintendent or to the attorney the authorities granted to the board in the School Code, provided such delegation and appropriate oversight procedures are made pursuant to board by-laws, rules and regulations, adopted as herein provided, except that the board may not delegate its authorities and responsibilities regarding (1) budget approval obligations; (2) rule-making functions; (3) desegregation obligations; (4) real estate acquisition, sale or lease in excess of 10 years as provided in Section 34-21; (5) the levy of taxes; or (6) any mandates imposed upon the board by "An Act in relation to school reform in cities over 500,000, amending Acts herein named", approved December 12, 1988 (P.A. 85-1418).

(Source: P.A. 88-45; 89-15, eff. 5-30-95.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2009.