[ Search ] [ Legislation ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
| [ Introduced ] |
91_HB2954eng HB2954 Engrossed LRB9108559NTsbA 1 AN ACT to amend the School Code by changing Section 2 2-3.25d. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing 6 Section 2-3.25d as follows: 7 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.25d) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.25d) 8 Sec. 2-3.25d. Academic watch list. 9 (a) Those schools that are not meeting the standards of 10 academic performance measured by the State assessment of 11 student performance as specified by the State Board of 12 Education may be placed on an academic watch list established 13 by the State Superintendent of Education after serving for 2 14 years on the State Board of Education Early Academic Warning 15 List and shall be subject to an on-site visitation to 16 determine whether extenuating circumstances exist as to why a 17 school or schools should not be placed on an academic watch 18 list by the State Superintendent of Education. 19 A school district that has one or more schools on the 20 academic watch list shall submit a revised School Improvement 21 Plan or amendments thereto setting forth the district's 22 expectations for removing each school in the district from 23 the academic watch list and for improving student performance 24 in that school. Districts operating under Article 34 of the 25 School Code may submit the School Improvement Plan required 26 under Section 34-2.4. If any district submits a School 27 Improvement Plan which exceeds 2 years in duration, the Plan 28 shall contain provisions for evaluation and determination as 29 to the improvement of student performance or school 30 improvement after no later than 2 years. The revised School 31 Improvement Plan or amendments thereto shall be developed in HB2954 Engrossed -2- LRB9108559NTsbA 1 consultation with the staff of the affected school and must 2 be approved by the local board of education and the school's 3 local school council for districts operating under Article 34 4 of the School Code. Revised School Improvement Plans must be 5 submitted for approval to the State Superintendent of 6 Education pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by 7 the State Board of Education. The revised School Improvement 8 Plan shall address specific, measurable outcomes for 9 improving student performance so that such performance equals 10 or exceeds standards set for the school by the State Board of 11 Education. 12 A school or schools shall remain on the academic watch 13 list for at least one full academic year. During each 14 academic year for which a school is on the academic watch 15 list it shall continue to be evaluated and assessed by the 16 State Board of Education as to whether it is meeting outcomes 17 identified in its revised School Improvement Plan. 18 The provisions of this Section are subject to the 19 provisions of Section 2-3.25k. 20 (b) The State Board of Education shall implement and 21 administer a grant program that provides 2-year grants to 22 school districts on the academic watch list and other school 23 districts that have the lowest achieving students, as 24 determined by the State Board of Education, to be used to 25 improve student achievement. In order to receive a grant 26 under this program, a school district must establish an 27 accountability program. The accountability program must 28 involve the use of statewide testing standards and local 29 evaluation measures. A grant shall be automatically renewed 30 when achievement goals are met. The Board may adopt any 31 rules necessary to implement and administer this grant 32 program. 33 (Source: P.A. 89-398, eff. 8-20-95; 89-698, eff. 1-14-97.) HB2954 Engrossed -3- LRB9108559NTsbA 1 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 2 becoming law.