Bill Text: IL HB0342 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Chaptered


Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall develop a school district-level Children's Adversity Index to measure community childhood trauma exposure for children by December 30, 2024. Requires teachers institutes to provide instruction on trauma-informed practices and certain defined terms. Adds information that must be included in the State Board of Education's school report cards. Requires in-service training to include certain defined terms. Provides that the State Superintendent of Education shall establish a committee of no more than 21 members to make recommendations to the State Board of Education to change the professional educator licensure requirements and Professional Educator License renewal requirements for teachers to include specified requirements. Sets forth the membership of the committee. Reestablishes the Whole Child Task Force created by Public Act 101-654. Provides that the Whole Child Task Force shall reconvene by March 2027 to review progress on a March 2022 report's recommendations and shall submit a new report on its assessment of the State's progress and any additional recommendations to the General Assembly, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, the State Board of Education, and the Governor on or before December 31, 2027. Provides that the Whole Child Task Force provisions are repealed on February 1, 2029. Makes other changes.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-08-03 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0413 [HB0342 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB0342-Chaptered.html



Public Act 103-0413
HB0342 EnrolledLRB103 03869 RJT 48875 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 Sections
3-11, 10-16a, 10-17a, and 10-22.39 and by adding Sections
2-3.196, 21B-12 and 22-95 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new)
Sec. 2-3.196. Children's Adversity Index. The Illinois
State Board of Education shall develop a community or
district-level Children's Adversity Index ("index") to measure
community childhood trauma exposure across the population of
children 3 through 18 years of age by May 31, 2025. This
cross-agency effort shall be led by the State Board of
Education and must include agencies that both collect the data
and will have an ultimate use for the index information,
including, but not limited to, the Governor's Office of Early
Childhood Development, the Department of Human Services, the
Department of Public Health, the Department of Innovation and
Technology, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information
Authority, the Department of Children and Family Services, and
the Department of Juvenile Justice. The State Board of
Education may also involve non-agency personnel with relevant
expertise. The index shall be informed by research and include
both adverse incident data, such as the number or rates of
students and families experiencing homelessness and the number
or percentages of children who have had contact with the child
welfare system, and indicators of aspects of a child's
environment that can undermine the child's sense of safety,
stability, and bonding, including growing up in a household
with caregivers struggling with substance disorders or
instability due to parent or guardian separation or
incarceration of a parent or guardian, sibling, or other
member of the household, or exposure to community violence.
The index shall provide information that allows for measuring
progress, comparing school districts to the State average, and
that enables the index to be updated at least every 2 years.
The data shall be made publicly available. The initial
development of the index should leverage available data.
Personally identifiable information of any individual shall
not be revealed within this index.
(105 ILCS 5/3-11) (from Ch. 122, par. 3-11)
Sec. 3-11. Institutes or inservice training workshops.
(a) In counties of less than 2,000,000 inhabitants, the
regional superintendent may arrange for or conduct district,
regional, or county institutes, or equivalent professional
educational experiences, not more than 4 days annually. Of
those 4 days, 2 days may be used as a teacher's and educational
support personnel workshop, when approved by the regional
superintendent, up to 2 days may be used for conducting
parent-teacher conferences, or up to 2 days may be utilized as
parental institute days as provided in Section 10-22.18d.
Educational support personnel may be exempt from a workshop if
the workshop is not relevant to the work they do. A school
district may use one of its 4 institute days on the last day of
the school term. "Institute" or "Professional educational
experiences" means any educational gathering, demonstration of
methods of instruction, visitation of schools or other
institutions or facilities, sexual abuse and sexual assault
awareness seminar, or training in First Aid (which may include
cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillator training) held
or approved by the regional superintendent and declared by him
to be an institute day, or parent-teacher conferences. With
the concurrence of the State Superintendent of Education, he
or she may employ such assistance as is necessary to conduct
the institute. Two or more adjoining counties may jointly hold
an institute. Institute instruction shall be free to holders
of licenses good in the county or counties holding the
institute and to those who have paid an examination fee and
failed to receive a license.
In counties of 2,000,000 or more inhabitants, the regional
superintendent may arrange for or conduct district, regional,
or county inservice training workshops, or equivalent
professional educational experiences, not more than 4 days
annually. Of those 4 days, 2 days may be used as a teacher's
and educational support personnel workshop, when approved by
the regional superintendent, up to 2 days may be used for
conducting parent-teacher conferences, or up to 2 days may be
utilized as parental institute days as provided in Section
10-22.18d. Educational support personnel may be exempt from a
workshop if the workshop is not relevant to the work they do. A
school district may use one of those 4 days on the last day of
the school term. "Inservice Training Workshops" or
"Professional educational experiences" means any educational
gathering, demonstration of methods of instruction, visitation
of schools or other institutions or facilities, sexual abuse
and sexual assault awareness seminar, or training in First Aid
(which may include cardiopulmonary resuscitation or
defibrillator training) held or approved by the regional
superintendent and declared by him to be an inservice training
workshop, or parent-teacher conferences. With the concurrence
of the State Superintendent of Education, he may employ such
assistance as is necessary to conduct the inservice training
workshop. With the approval of the regional superintendent, 2
or more adjoining districts may jointly hold an inservice
training workshop. In addition, with the approval of the
regional superintendent, one district may conduct its own
inservice training workshop with subject matter consultants
requested from the county, State or any State institution of
higher learning.
Such teachers institutes as referred to in this Section
may be held on consecutive or separate days at the option of
the regional superintendent having jurisdiction thereof.
Whenever reference is made in this Act to "teachers
institute", it shall be construed to include the inservice
training workshops or equivalent professional educational
experiences provided for in this Section.
Any institute advisory committee existing on April 1,
1995, is dissolved and the duties and responsibilities of the
institute advisory committee are assumed by the regional
office of education advisory board.
Districts providing inservice training programs shall
constitute inservice committees, 1/2 of which shall be
teachers, 1/4 school service personnel and 1/4 administrators
to establish program content and schedules.
The teachers institutes shall include teacher training
committed to (i) peer counseling programs and other
anti-violence and conflict resolution programs, including
without limitation programs for preventing at risk students
from committing violent acts, and (ii) educator ethics and
teacher-student conduct. Beginning with the 2009-2010 school
year, the teachers institutes shall include instruction on
prevalent student chronic health conditions. Beginning with
the 2016-2017 school year, the teachers institutes shall
include, at least once every 2 years, instruction on the
federal Americans with Disabilities Act as it pertains to the
school environment.
(b) In this subsection (b):
"Trauma" is defined according to an event, an experience,
and effects. Individual trauma results from an event, series
of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an
individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life
threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the
individual's functioning and mental, physical, social, or
emotional well-being. Collective trauma is a psychological
reaction to a traumatic event shared by any group of people.
This may include, but is not limited to, community violence,
experiencing racism and discrimination, and the lack of the
essential supports for well-being, such as educational or
economic opportunities, food, health care, housing, and
community cohesion. Trauma can be experienced by anyone,
though it is disproportionately experienced by members of
marginalized groups. Systemic and historical oppression, such
as racism, is often at the root of this inequity. Symptoms may
vary at different developmental stages and across different
cultural groups and different communities.
"Trauma-responsive learning environments" means learning
environments developed during an ongoing, multiyear-long
process that typically progresses across the following 3
stages:
(1) A school or district is "trauma aware" when it:
(A) has personnel that demonstrate a foundational
understanding of a broad definition of trauma that is
developmentally and culturally based; includes
students, personnel, and communities; and recognizes
the potential effect on biological, cognitive,
academic, and social-emotional functioning; and
(B) recognizes that traumatic exposure can impact
behavior and learning and should be acknowledged in
policies, strategies, and systems of support for
students, families, and personnel.
(2) A school or district is "trauma responsive" when
it progresses from awareness to action in the areas of
policy, practice, and structural changes within a
multi-tiered system of support to promote safety, positive
relationships, and self-regulation while underscoring the
importance of personal well-being and cultural
responsiveness. Such progress may:
(A) be aligned with the Illinois Quality Framework
and integrated into a school or district's continuous
improvement process as evidence to support allocation
of financial resources;
(B) be assessed and monitored by a
multidisciplinary leadership team on an ongoing basis;
and
(C) involve the engagement and capacity building
of personnel at all levels to ensure that adults in the
learning environment are prepared to recognize and
respond to those impacted by trauma.
(3) A school or district is healing centered when it
acknowledges its role and responsibility to the community,
fully responds to trauma, and promotes resilience and
healing through genuine, trusting, and creative
relationships. Such schools or districts may:
(A) promote holistic and collaborative approaches
that are grounded in culture, spirituality, civic
engagement, and equity; and
(B) support agency within individuals, families,
and communities while engaging people in collective
action that moves from transactional to
transformational.
"Whole child" means using a child-centered, holistic,
equitable lens across all systems that prioritizes physical,
mental, and social-emotional health to ensure that every child
is healthy, safe, supported, challenged, engaged, and
protected.
Starting with the 2024-2025 school year, the teachers
institutes shall provide instruction on trauma-informed
practices and include the definitions of trauma,
trauma-responsive learning environments, and whole child set
forth in this subsection (b) before the first student
attendance day of each school year.
(Source: P.A. 99-30, eff. 7-10-15; 99-616, eff. 7-22-16.)
(105 ILCS 5/10-16a)
Sec. 10-16a. School board member's leadership training.
(a) This Section applies to all school board members
serving pursuant to Section 10-10 of this Code who have been
elected after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
97th General Assembly or appointed to fill a vacancy of at
least one year's duration after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly.
(a-5) In this Section, "trauma" has the meaning ascribed
to that term in subsection (b) of Section 3-11 of this Code.
(b) Every voting member of a school board of a school
district elected or appointed for a term beginning after the
effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General
Assembly, within a year after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly or the first year
of his or her first term, shall complete a minimum of 4 hours
of professional development leadership training covering
topics in education and labor law, financial oversight and
accountability, fiduciary responsibilities of a school board
member, and, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year,
trauma-informed practices for students and staff. The school
district shall maintain on its Internet website, if any, the
names of all voting members of the school board who have
successfully completed the training.
(b-5) The training regarding trauma-informed practices for
students and staff required by this Section must include
information that is relevant to and within the scope of the
duties of a school board member. Such information may include,
but is not limited to:
(1) the recognition of and care for trauma in students
and staff;
(2) the relationship between staff wellness and
student learning;
(3) the effect of trauma on student behavior and
learning;
(4) the prevalence of trauma among students, including
the prevalence of trauma among student populations at
higher risk of experiencing trauma;
(5) the effects of implicit or explicit bias on
recognizing trauma among various student groups in
connection with race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual
orientation, socio-economic status, and other relevant
factors; and
(6) effective district and school practices that are
shown to:
(A) prevent and mitigate the negative effect of
trauma on student behavior and learning; and
(B) support the emotional wellness of staff.
(c) The training on financial oversight, accountability,
fiduciary responsibilities, and, beginning with the 2023-24
school year, trauma-informed practices for students and staff
may be provided by an association established under this Code
for the purpose of training school board members or by other
qualified providers approved by the State Board of Education,
in consultation with an association so established.
(d) The State Board of Education may adopt rules that are
necessary for the administration of the provisions of this
Section.
(Source: P.A. 102-638, eff. 1-1-23.)
(105 ILCS 5/10-17a) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-17a)
Sec. 10-17a. State, school district, and school report
cards.
(1) By October 31, 2013 and October 31 of each subsequent
school year, the State Board of Education, through the State
Superintendent of Education, shall prepare a State report
card, school district report cards, and school report cards,
and shall by the most economical means provide to each school
district in this State, including special charter districts
and districts subject to the provisions of Article 34, the
report cards for the school district and each of its schools.
Because of the impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency
during school year 2020-2021, the State Board of Education
shall have until December 31, 2021 to prepare and provide the
report cards that would otherwise be due by October 31, 2021.
During a school year in which the Governor has declared a
disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section
7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, the report
cards for the school districts and each of its schools shall be
prepared by December 31.
(2) In addition to any information required by federal
law, the State Superintendent shall determine the indicators
and presentation of the school report card, which must
include, at a minimum, the most current data collected and
maintained by the State Board of Education related to the
following:
(A) school characteristics and student demographics,
including average class size, average teaching experience,
student racial/ethnic breakdown, and the percentage of
students classified as low-income; the percentage of
students classified as English learners, the number of
students who graduate from a bilingual or English learner
program, and the number of students who graduate from,
transfer from, or otherwise leave bilingual programs; the
percentage of students who have individualized education
plans or 504 plans that provide for special education
services; the number and percentage of all students who
have been assessed for placement in a gifted education or
advanced academic program and, of those students: (i) the
racial and ethnic breakdown, (ii) the percentage who are
classified as low-income, and (iii) the number and
percentage of students who received direct instruction
from a teacher who holds a gifted education endorsement
and, of those students, the percentage who are classified
as low-income; the percentage of students scoring at the
"exceeds expectations" level on the assessments required
under Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code; the percentage of
students who annually transferred in or out of the school
district; average daily attendance; the per-pupil
operating expenditure of the school district; and the
per-pupil State average operating expenditure for the
district type (elementary, high school, or unit);
(B) curriculum information, including, where
applicable, Advanced Placement, International
Baccalaureate or equivalent courses, dual enrollment
courses, foreign language classes, computer science
courses, school personnel resources (including Career
Technical Education teachers), before and after school
programs, extracurricular activities, subjects in which
elective classes are offered, health and wellness
initiatives (including the average number of days of
Physical Education per week per student), approved
programs of study, awards received, community
partnerships, and special programs such as programming for
the gifted and talented, students with disabilities, and
work-study students;
(C) student outcomes, including, where applicable, the
percentage of students deemed proficient on assessments of
State standards, the percentage of students in the eighth
grade who pass Algebra, the percentage of students who
participated in workplace learning experiences, the
percentage of students enrolled in post-secondary
institutions (including colleges, universities, community
colleges, trade/vocational schools, and training programs
leading to career certification within 2 semesters of high
school graduation), the percentage of students graduating
from high school who are college and career ready, and the
percentage of graduates enrolled in community colleges,
colleges, and universities who are in one or more courses
that the community college, college, or university
identifies as a developmental course;
(D) student progress, including, where applicable, the
percentage of students in the ninth grade who have earned
5 credits or more without failing more than one core
class, a measure of students entering kindergarten ready
to learn, a measure of growth, and the percentage of
students who enter high school on track for college and
career readiness;
(E) the school environment, including, where
applicable, high school dropout rate by grade level, the
percentage of students with less than 10 absences in a
school year, the percentage of teachers with less than 10
absences in a school year for reasons other than
professional development, leaves taken pursuant to the
federal Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, long-term
disability, or parental leaves, the 3-year average of the
percentage of teachers returning to the school from the
previous year, the number of different principals at the
school in the last 6 years, the number of teachers who hold
a gifted education endorsement, the process and criteria
used by the district to determine whether a student is
eligible for participation in a gifted education program
or advanced academic program and the manner in which
parents and guardians are made aware of the process and
criteria, the number of teachers who are National Board
Certified Teachers, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, 2
or more indicators from any school climate survey selected
or approved by the State and administered pursuant to
Section 2-3.153 of this Code, with the same or similar
indicators included on school report cards for all surveys
selected or approved by the State pursuant to Section
2-3.153 of this Code, the combined percentage of teachers
rated as proficient or excellent in their most recent
evaluation, and, beginning with the 2022-2023 school year,
data on the number of incidents of violence that occurred
on school grounds or during school-related activities and
that resulted in an out-of-school suspension, expulsion,
or removal to an alternative setting, as reported pursuant
to Section 2-3.162;
(F) a school district's and its individual schools'
balanced accountability measure, in accordance with
Section 2-3.25a of this Code;
(G) the total and per pupil normal cost amount the
State contributed to the Teachers' Retirement System of
the State of Illinois in the prior fiscal year for the
school's employees, which shall be reported to the State
Board of Education by the Teachers' Retirement System of
the State of Illinois;
(H) for a school district organized under Article 34
of this Code only, State contributions to the Public
School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago
and State contributions for health care for employees of
that school district;
(I) a school district's Final Percent of Adequacy, as
defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (f) of Section
18-8.15 of this Code;
(J) a school district's Local Capacity Target, as
defined in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Section
18-8.15 of this Code, displayed as a percentage amount;
(K) a school district's Real Receipts, as defined in
paragraph (1) of subsection (d) of Section 18-8.15 of this
Code, divided by a school district's Adequacy Target, as
defined in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) of Section
18-8.15 of this Code, displayed as a percentage amount;
(L) a school district's administrative costs;
(M) whether or not the school has participated in the
Illinois Youth Survey. In this paragraph (M), "Illinois
Youth Survey" means a self-report survey, administered in
school settings every 2 years, designed to gather
information about health and social indicators, including
substance abuse patterns and the attitudes of students in
grades 8, 10, and 12; and
(N) whether the school offered its students career and
technical education opportunities; and .
(O) Beginning with the October 2024 report card, the
total number of school counselors, school social workers,
school nurses, and school psychologists by school,
district, and State, the average number of students per
school counselor in the school, district, and State, the
average number of students per school social worker in the
school, district, and State, the average number of
students per school nurse in the school, district, and
State, and the average number of students per school
psychologist in the school, district, and State.
The school report card shall also provide information that
allows for comparing the current outcome, progress, and
environment data to the State average, to the school data from
the past 5 years, and to the outcomes, progress, and
environment of similar schools based on the type of school and
enrollment of low-income students, special education students,
and English learners.
As used in this subsection (2):
"Administrative costs" means costs associated with
executive, administrative, or managerial functions within the
school district that involve planning, organizing, managing,
or directing the school district.
"Advanced academic program" means a course of study to
which students are assigned based on advanced cognitive
ability or advanced academic achievement compared to local age
peers and in which the curriculum is substantially
differentiated from the general curriculum to provide
appropriate challenge and pace.
"Computer science" means the study of computers and
algorithms, including their principles, their hardware and
software designs, their implementation, and their impact on
society. "Computer science" does not include the study of
everyday uses of computers and computer applications, such as
keyboarding or accessing the Internet.
"Gifted education" means educational services, including
differentiated curricula and instructional methods, designed
to meet the needs of gifted children as defined in Article 14A
of this Code.
For the purposes of paragraph (A) of this subsection (2),
"average daily attendance" means the average of the actual
number of attendance days during the previous school year for
any enrolled student who is subject to compulsory attendance
by Section 26-1 of this Code at each school and charter school.
(3) At the discretion of the State Superintendent, the
school district report card shall include a subset of the
information identified in paragraphs (A) through (E) of
subsection (2) of this Section, as well as information
relating to the operating expense per pupil and other finances
of the school district, and the State report card shall
include a subset of the information identified in paragraphs
(A) through (E) and paragraph (N) of subsection (2) of this
Section. The school district report card shall include the
average daily attendance, as that term is defined in
subsection (2) of this Section, of students who have
individualized education programs and students who have 504
plans that provide for special education services within the
school district.
(4) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Section, in consultation with key education stakeholders, the
State Superintendent shall at any time have the discretion to
amend or update any and all metrics on the school, district, or
State report card.
(5) Annually, no more than 30 calendar days after receipt
of the school district and school report cards from the State
Superintendent of Education, each school district, including
special charter districts and districts subject to the
provisions of Article 34, shall present such report cards at a
regular school board meeting subject to applicable notice
requirements, post the report cards on the school district's
Internet web site, if the district maintains an Internet web
site, make the report cards available to a newspaper of
general circulation serving the district, and, upon request,
send the report cards home to a parent (unless the district
does not maintain an Internet web site, in which case the
report card shall be sent home to parents without request). If
the district posts the report card on its Internet web site,
the district shall send a written notice home to parents
stating (i) that the report card is available on the web site,
(ii) the address of the web site, (iii) that a printed copy of
the report card will be sent to parents upon request, and (iv)
the telephone number that parents may call to request a
printed copy of the report card.
(6) Nothing contained in Public Act 98-648 repeals,
supersedes, invalidates, or nullifies final decisions in
lawsuits pending on July 1, 2014 (the effective date of Public
Act 98-648) in Illinois courts involving the interpretation of
Public Act 97-8.
(Source: P.A. 101-68, eff. 1-1-20; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19;
101-654, eff. 3-8-21; 102-16, eff. 6-17-21; 102-294, eff.
1-1-22; 102-539, eff. 8-20-21; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-594,
eff. 7-1-22; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)
(105 ILCS 5/10-22.39)
Sec. 10-22.39. In-service training programs.
(a) To conduct in-service training programs for teachers.
(b) In addition to other topics at in-service training
programs, at least once every 2 years, licensed school
personnel and administrators who work with pupils in
kindergarten through grade 12 shall be trained to identify the
warning signs of mental illness, trauma, and suicidal behavior
in youth and shall be taught appropriate intervention and
referral techniques. A school district may utilize the
Illinois Mental Health First Aid training program, established
under the Illinois Mental Health First Aid Training Act and
administered by certified instructors trained by a national
association recognized as an authority in behavioral health,
to provide the training and meet the requirements under this
subsection. If licensed school personnel or an administrator
obtains mental health first aid training outside of an
in-service training program, he or she may present a
certificate of successful completion of the training to the
school district to satisfy the requirements of this
subsection.
Training regarding the implementation of trauma-informed
practices satisfies the requirements of this subsection (b).
A course of instruction as described in this subsection
(b) must include the definitions of trauma, trauma-responsive
learning environments, and whole child set forth in subsection
(b) of Section 3-11 of this Code and may provide information
that is relevant to and within the scope of the duties of
licensed school personnel or school administrators. Such
information may include, but is not limited to:
(1) the recognition of and care for trauma in students
and staff;
(2) the relationship between educator wellness and
student learning;
(3) the effect of trauma on student behavior and
learning;
(4) the prevalence of trauma among students, including
the prevalence of trauma among student populations at
higher risk of experiencing trauma;
(5) the effects of implicit or explicit bias on
recognizing trauma among various student groups in
connection with race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual
orientation, socio-economic status, and other relevant
factors; and
(6) effective district practices that are shown to:
(A) prevent and mitigate the negative effect of
trauma on student behavior and learning; and
(B) support the emotional wellness of staff.
(c) School counselors, nurses, teachers and other school
personnel who work with pupils may be trained to have a basic
knowledge of matters relating to acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome (AIDS), including the nature of the disease, its
causes and effects, the means of detecting it and preventing
its transmission, and the availability of appropriate sources
of counseling and referral, and any other information that may
be appropriate considering the age and grade level of such
pupils. The School Board shall supervise such training. The
State Board of Education and the Department of Public Health
shall jointly develop standards for such training.
(d) In this subsection (d):
"Domestic violence" means abuse by a family or household
member, as "abuse" and "family or household members" are
defined in Section 103 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act
of 1986.
"Sexual violence" means sexual assault, abuse, or stalking
of an adult or minor child proscribed in the Criminal Code of
1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012 in Sections 11-1.20,
11-1.30, 11-1.40, 11-1.50, 11-1.60, 12-7.3, 12-7.4, 12-7.5,
12-12, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15, and 12-16, including
sexual violence committed by perpetrators who are strangers to
the victim and sexual violence committed by perpetrators who
are known or related by blood or marriage to the victim.
At least once every 2 years, an in-service training
program for school personnel who work with pupils, including,
but not limited to, school and school district administrators,
teachers, school social workers, school counselors, school
psychologists, and school nurses, must be conducted by persons
with expertise in domestic and sexual violence and the needs
of expectant and parenting youth and shall include training
concerning (i) communicating with and listening to youth
victims of domestic or sexual violence and expectant and
parenting youth, (ii) connecting youth victims of domestic or
sexual violence and expectant and parenting youth to
appropriate in-school services and other agencies, programs,
and services as needed, and (iii) implementing the school
district's policies, procedures, and protocols with regard to
such youth, including confidentiality. At a minimum, school
personnel must be trained to understand, provide information
and referrals, and address issues pertaining to youth who are
parents, expectant parents, or victims of domestic or sexual
violence.
(e) At least every 2 years, an in-service training program
for school personnel who work with pupils must be conducted by
persons with expertise in anaphylactic reactions and
management.
(f) At least once every 2 years, a school board shall
conduct in-service training on educator ethics,
teacher-student conduct, and school employee-student conduct
for all personnel.
(Source: P.A. 101-350, eff. 1-1-20; 102-197, eff. 7-30-21;
102-638, eff. 1-1-23; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)
(105 ILCS 5/21B-12 new)
Sec. 21B-12. Professional educator licensure review
committee.
(a) The State Superintendent of Education shall establish
a committee of no more than 21 members to make recommendations
to the State Board of Education to change the professional
educator licensure requirements and Professional Educator
License renewal requirements for kindergarten through grade 12
teachers to include demonstrated proficiency in adverse
childhood experiences, trauma, secondary traumatic stress,
creating trauma-responsive learning environments or
communities, as defined in subsection (b) of Section 3-11 of
this Code, restorative justice, and restorative practices on
or before October 1, 2024. The members of the committee shall
be appointed by the State Superintendent of Education, unless
stated otherwise, and shall include the following members:
(1) the State Superintendent of Education or a
designee;
(2) one member of a statewide professional teachers'
organization;
(3) one member of another statewide professional
teachers' organization;
(4) one member who represents a school district
serving a community with a population of 500,000 or more;
(5) one member of a statewide organization
representing school social workers;
(6) one member of a statewide organization
representing school counselors;
(7) one member of an organization that has specific
expertise in trauma-responsive school practices and
experience in supporting schools in developing
trauma-responsive and restorative practices;
(8) one member of another organization that has
specific expertise in trauma-responsive school practices
and experience in supporting schools in developing
trauma-responsive and restorative practices;
(9) one member of a statewide organization that
represents school principals and assistant principals;
(10) 3 members representing a State-approved educator
preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher
education recommended by the institution of higher
education;
(11) one member representing regional superintendents
of schools recommended by a statewide association that
represents regional superintendents of schools;
(12) one educator from a school district that has
actively worked to develop a system of student support
that uses a trauma-informed lens;
(13) one member representing district superintendents
recommended by a statewide organization that represents
district superintendents;
(14) the Secretary of Human Services, the Director of
Children and Family Services, the Director of Public
Health, and the Director of Juvenile Justice, or their
designees; and
(15) a child advocate.
(b) This Section is repealed on October 1, 2025.
(105 ILCS 5/22-95 new)
Sec. 22-95. Whole Child Task Force.
(a) The General Assembly makes all of the following
findings:
(1) The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed systemic
inequities in American society. Students, educators, and
families throughout this State have been deeply affected
by the pandemic, and the impact of the pandemic will be
felt for years to come. The negative consequences of the
pandemic have impacted students and communities
differently along the lines of race, income, language, and
special needs. However, students in this State faced
significant unmet physical health, mental health, and
social and emotional needs even prior to the pandemic.
(2) The path to recovery requires a commitment from
adults in this State to address our students cultural,
physical, emotional, and mental health needs and to
provide them with stronger and increased systemic support
and intervention.
(3) It is well documented that trauma and toxic stress
diminish a child's ability to thrive. Forms of childhood
trauma and toxic stress include adverse childhood
experiences, systemic racism, poverty, food and housing
insecurity, and gender-based violence. The COVID-19
pandemic has exacerbated these issues and brought them
into focus.
(4) It is estimated that, overall, approximately 40%
of children in this State have experienced at least one
adverse childhood experience and approximately 10% have
experienced 3 or more adverse childhood experiences.
However, the number of adverse childhood experiences is
higher for Black and Hispanic children who are growing up
in poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the number
of students who have experienced childhood trauma. Also,
the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted preexisting
inequities in school disciplinary practices that
disproportionately impact Black and Brown students.
Research shows, for example, that girls of color are
disproportionately impacted by trauma, adversity, and
abuse, and instead of receiving the care and
trauma-informed support they may need, many Black girls in
particular face disproportionately harsh disciplinary
measures.
(5) The cumulative effects of trauma and toxic stress
adversely impact the physical health of students, as well
as the students' ability to learn, form relationships, and
self-regulate. If left unaddressed, these effects increase
a student's risk for depression, alcoholism, anxiety,
asthma, smoking, and suicide, all of which are risks that
disproportionately affect Black youth and may lead to a
host of medical diseases as an adult. Access to infant and
early childhood mental health services is critical to
ensure the social and emotional well-being of this State's
youngest children, particularly those children who have
experienced trauma.
(6) Although this State enacted measures through
Public Act 100-105 to address the high rate of early care
and preschool expulsions of infants, toddlers, and
preschoolers and the disproportionately higher rate of
expulsion for Black and Hispanic children, a recent study
found a wide variation in the awareness, understanding,
and compliance with the law by providers of early
childhood care. Further work is needed to implement the
law, which includes providing training to early childhood
care providers to increase the providers' understanding of
the law, increasing the availability and access to infant
and early childhood mental health services, and building
aligned data collection systems to better understand
expulsion rates and to allow for accurate reporting as
required by the law.
(7) Many educators and schools in this State have
embraced and implemented evidence-based restorative
justice and trauma-responsive and culturally relevant
practices and interventions. However, the use of these
interventions on students is often isolated or is
implemented occasionally and only if the school has the
appropriate leadership, resources, and partners available
to engage seriously in this work. It would be malpractice
to deny our students access to these practices and
interventions, especially in the aftermath of a
once-in-a-century pandemic.
(b) The Whole Child Task Force created by Public Act
101-654 is reestablished for the purpose of establishing an
equitable, inclusive, safe, and supportive environment in all
schools for every student in this State. The task force shall
have all of the following goals, which means key steps have to
be taken to ensure that every child in every school in this
State has access to teachers, social workers, school leaders,
support personnel, and others who have been trained in
evidence-based interventions and restorative practices:
(1) To create a common definition of a
trauma-responsive school, a trauma-responsive district,
and a trauma-responsive community.
(2) To outline the training and resources required to
create and sustain a system of support for
trauma-responsive schools, districts, and communities and
to identify this State's role in that work, including
recommendations concerning options for redirecting
resources from school resource officers to classroom-based
support.
(3) To identify or develop a process to conduct an
analysis of the organizations that provide training in
restorative practices, implicit bias, anti-racism, and
trauma-responsive systems, mental health services, and
social and emotional services to schools.
(4) To provide recommendations concerning the key data
to be collected and reported to ensure that this State has
a full and accurate understanding of the progress toward
ensuring that all schools, including programs and
providers of care to pre-kindergarten children, employ
restorative, anti-racist, and trauma-responsive
strategies and practices. The data collected must include
information relating to the availability of trauma
responsive support structures in schools, as well as
disciplinary practices employed on students in person or
through other means, including during remote or blended
learning. It should also include information on the use of
and funding for school resource officers and other similar
police personnel in school programs.
(5) To recommend an implementation timeline, including
the key roles, responsibilities, and resources to advance
this State toward a system in which every school,
district, and community is progressing toward becoming
trauma-responsive.
(6) To seek input and feedback from stakeholders,
including parents, students, and educators, who reflect
the diversity of this State.
(7) To recommend legislation, policies, and practices
to prevent learning loss in students during periods of
suspension and expulsion, including, but not limited to,
remote instruction.
(c) Members of the Whole Child Task Force shall be
appointed by the State Superintendent of Education. Members of
this task force must represent the diversity of this State and
possess the expertise needed to perform the work required to
meet the goals of the task force set forth under subsection
(a). Members of the task force shall include all of the
following:
(1) One member of a statewide professional teachers'
organization.
(2) One member of another statewide professional
teachers' organization.
(3) One member who represents a school district
serving a community with a population of 500,000 or more.
(4) One member of a statewide organization
representing social workers.
(5) One member of an organization that has specific
expertise in trauma-responsive school practices and
experience in supporting schools in developing
trauma-responsive and restorative practices.
(6) One member of another organization that has
specific expertise in trauma-responsive school practices
and experience in supporting schools in developing
trauma-responsive and restorative practices.
(7) One member of a statewide organization that
represents school administrators.
(8) One member of a statewide policy organization that
works to build a healthy public education system that
prepares all students for a successful college, career,
and civic life.
(9) One member of a statewide organization that brings
teachers together to identify and address issues critical
to student success.
(10) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
the President of the Senate.
(11) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(12) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
the Minority Leader of the Senate.
(13) One member of the General Assembly recommended by
the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
(14) One member of a civil rights organization that
works actively on issues regarding student support.
(15) One administrator from a school district that has
actively worked to develop a system of student support
that uses a trauma-informed lens.
(16) One educator from a school district that has
actively worked to develop a system of student support
that uses a trauma-informed lens.
(17) One member of a youth-led organization.
(18) One member of an organization that has
demonstrated expertise in restorative practices.
(19) One member of a coalition of mental health and
school practitioners who assist schools in developing and
implementing trauma-informed and restorative strategies
and systems.
(20) One member of an organization whose mission is to
promote the safety, health, and economic success of
children, youth, and families in this State.
(21) One member who works or has worked as a
restorative justice coach or disciplinarian.
(22) One member who works or has worked as a social
worker.
(23) One member of the State Board of Education.
(24) One member who represents a statewide principals'
organization.
(25) One member who represents a statewide
organization of school boards.
(26) One member who has expertise in pre-kindergarten
education.
(27) One member who represents a school social worker
association.
(28) One member who represents an organization that
represents school districts in the south suburbs of the
City of Chicago.
(29) One member who is a licensed clinical
psychologist who (i) has a doctor of philosophy in the
field of clinical psychology and has an appointment at an
independent free-standing children's hospital located in
the City of Chicago, (ii) serves as an associate professor
at a medical school located in the City of Chicago, and
(iii) serves as the clinical director of a coalition of
voluntary collaboration of organizations that are
committed to applying a trauma lens to the member's
efforts on behalf of families and children in the State.
(30) One member who represents a school district in
the west suburbs of the City of Chicago.
(31) One member from a governmental agency who has
expertise in child development and who is responsible for
coordinating early childhood mental health programs and
services.
(32) One member who has significant expertise in early
childhood mental health and childhood trauma.
(33) One member who represents an organization that
represents school districts in the collar counties around
the City of Chicago.
(34) One member who represents an organization
representing regional offices of education.
(d) The Whole Child Task Force shall meet at the call of
the State Superintendent of Education or his or her designee,
who shall serve as the chairperson. The State Board of
Education shall provide administrative and other support to
the task force. Members of the task force shall serve without
compensation.
(e) The Whole Child Task Force shall reconvene by March
2027 to review progress on the recommendations in the March
2022 report submitted pursuant to Public Act 101-654 and shall
submit a new report on its assessment of the State's progress
and any additional recommendations to the General Assembly,
the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, the State Board of
Education, and the Governor on or before December 31, 2027.
(f) This Section is repealed on February 1, 2029.
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