Public Act 0264 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2374 Enrolled LRB103 28096 RJT 54475 b

Public Act 103-0264

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 adding Section 2-3.196 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new)

Sec. 2-3.196. Computer Science Equity Grant Program.

(a) Subject to appropriation, the State Board shall establish a competitive grant program to support the development or enhancement of computer science programs in the K-12 schools. Eligible entities are regional offices of education, intermediate service centers, State higher education institutions, schools designated as laboratory schools, and school districts. Approved entities shall be responsible for ensuring that appropriate facilities are available and educators are appropriately trained on the use of any technologies or devices acquired for the purposes of the grant.

(b) Computer Science Equity Grant Program funds shall be used in the following manner consistent with application requirements established by the State Board of Education as provided in this Article:

(1) to expand learning opportunities in grades K-12 to ensure that all students have access to computer science coursework that is aligned to rigorous State standards and emerging labor market needs;

(2) to train and retrain teachers of grades K-12 to be more proficient in the teaching of computer science by providing professional development opportunities;

(3) to supply classrooms with materials and equipment related to the teaching and learning of computer science; and

(4) to more effectively recruit and better serve K-12 learners who are underrepresented in the computer science labor market for enrollment in computer science coursework.

(c) Computer Science Equity Grant Program funds shall be made available to each eligible entity upon completion of an application process that is consistent with rules established by the State Board of Education. The application shall include the planned use of the funds; identification of need for the funds that is supported by local, regional, and state data; a plan for long-term sustainability; and a long-term plan for continuous improvement.

(d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules as may be necessary to implement the provision of this Article, including, but not limited to, the identification of additional prioritization areas for each competitive grant application cycle that are within the scope of the authorized uses. Priority consideration for all applications will be given for proposals that intend to serve a majority of learners or teachers with gender or racial/ethnic identities that are underrepresented in the computer science labor market.

(e) Up to 2 renewals of the grant will be allowed, providing the entity awarded satisfactorily completes programmatic reporting and meets program objectives commensurate with application requirements set forth by the State Board of Education.

(f) Grants under the Computer Science Equity Grant Program and funding levels for satisfactory applications may be prorated according to the amount appropriated.

Effective Date: 1/1/2024