Senate Sponsors: O'MALLEY. House Sponsors: MITCHELL-PHELPS-HOEFT-FLOWERS-KOSEL Short description: SCHOOL CD-MEDICATION-IGAP Synopsis of Bill as introduced: Amends the School Code to delete obsolete language in a section dealing with the adoption of medications policies by school boards. Effective immediately. SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1. Deletes reference to: 105 ILCS 5/10-20.14b Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.64 Changes the title and replaces the provisions of the bill as in- troduced (other than its immediate effective date) with amendments to a different Section of the School Code. In provisions concerning State goals and assessments, replaces certain references concerning assess- ment with references concerning tests and defines "academically based" Illinois Goals and Assessment Program tests as tests consisting of questions and answers that are objective, measurable and quantifi- able to measure the knowledge, skill and ability of students in speci- fied subjects. Provides that IGAP tests shall not include subjective assessments, assessments or evaluations of attitudes, values and be- liefs, or testing of personality, self esteem, or self concept. SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 4. Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a Changes the title and adds provisions further amending the School Code. Replaces a requirement for balance and membership on the IGAP Review Committee with a requirement that the committee consist of no more than 20 members. Requires the Committee to select one of its parent members as chairman and to meet on an ongoing basis. Provides that the Committee's test review responsibilities include determining whether the tests are "academically based" within the meaning of the (proposed) statutory definition of that term. Requires the Committee to make periodic recommendations (instead of such recommendations as it deems appropriate) to the State Superintendent of Education and General Assembly concerning the tests. SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 6. Provides that English grammar shall be a component of the IGAP English language arts test and that history, geography, civics, economics, and government shall be components of the IGAP social sciences test. Revises the criteria that an IGAP test must meet in order to be "academically based" as required by statue. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 1. (Tabled May 15, 1998) Amends the School Code to provide that performance-based tests shall not be used in statewide assessments, other than in the writing test per the 1998 IGAP, unless they meet certain standards of reliability and validity and present a statistically proven advantage not met through forced-choice questions, as determined by pilot programs. Deletes language concerning the construction of certain amendatory provisions. FISCAL NOTE, H-AM 2 (State Board of Education) SBE's FY99 budget request contains sufficient funding to conduct the pilot studies. FISCAL NOTE, H-AM 3 (State Board of Education) No change from previous SBE fiscal note. STATE MANDATES FISCAL NOTE, H-AM 3 (SBE) No change from SBE fiscal notes. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 2. Adds reference to: 105 ILCS 5/10-22.8 from Ch. 122, par. 10-22.8 Changes the title and adds provisions that further amend the School Code. Provides for a school board's sale of any personal property belonging to the school district that is available through an arrangement under which the personal property may be leased by the district from the purchaser. HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 3. Adds that the scoring of academically based tests shall be unbiased. Authorizes the State Board of Education on a pilot basis to include in the State assessments in reading and math at each grade level tested no more than 2 short answer questions that require students to respond in brief to questions or prompts or to show computations rather than selecting from alternatives. Adds provisions relative to the manner of reporting scores during the years when the short answer questions are used. Prohibits the State Board of Education from continuing or extending the use of such questions unless the pilot project demonstrates that the use of short answer questions results in a statistically significant improvement in student achievement and is justifiable in terms of cost and student performance. Changes the name of the IGAP Review Committee to the State Testing Review Committee. Last action on Bill: PUBLIC ACT.............................. 90-0789 Last action date: 98-08-14 Location: Senate Amendments to Bill: AMENDMENTS ADOPTED: HOUSE - 2 SENATE - 3 END OF INQUIRY Full Text Bill Status