Bill Text: IL HB2865 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the School Code. With respect to the Reading Improvement Block Grant Program, removes language that provides that the State Board of Education may distribute an amount not to exceed 2% of the moneys appropriated for the Program for the purpose of providing teacher training and re-training in the teaching of reading. Provides that if the appropriation for the Program for a given fiscal year is less than $15,000,000, then the State Board shall limit eligibility to certain school districts and shall impose additional eligibility criteria to limit the number of approved applicants to a cohort sufficient for each selected district to provide adequate training and ongoing coaching support to each teacher of students in grades K through 2 and special education teachers and evidence-based curriculum investments. Removes language that provides that programs provided with grant funds shall not replace quality classroom reading instruction. Provides that Program funds may be used for grades K through 6 to provide both evidence-based, high-quality core literacy curriculum materials that consider the unique needs of English learners for concurrent oral language practice and high-quality screening assessments designed to inform instruction in English language arts and literacy for students (instead of classroom reading materials for students). Sets forth other provisions concerning if the appropriation is less than $15,000,000 or is at least $15,000,000.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)
Status: (Introduced) 2023-05-19 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB2865 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HB2865-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | 2-3.51 as follows:
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6 | (105 ILCS 5/2-3.51) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.51)
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7 | Sec. 2-3.51. Reading Improvement Block Grant Program. To | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | improve the
reading
and study skills of children from | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | kindergarten through sixth grade in
school districts. The | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | State Board of Education is authorized to administer a
Reading | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | Improvement
Block Grant Program. As used in this Section:
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12 | "School district" includes those
schools designated as | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | "laboratory schools".
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14 | "Scientifically based reading research"
means the
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15 | application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | to obtain valid
knowledge relevant to reading development, | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | reading instruction, and reading
difficulties. The term | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | includes research that employs systematic, empirical
methods | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | that draw on observation or experiment, involves rigorous data
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20 | analysis that is adequate to test the stated hypotheses and to | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | justify the
general conclusions drawn, relies on measurements | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | or observational methods that
provide valid data across | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | evaluators and observers and across multiple
measurements and |
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1 | observations, and has been accepted by peer-reviewed
journal | ||||||
2 | or approved by a panel of independent experts through a | ||||||
3 | comparably
rigorous, objective and scientific review.
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4 | (a) Funds for the Reading Improvement Block Grant
Program | ||||||
5 | shall
be distributed to school districts on the following | ||||||
6 | basis: 70% of
monies shall be awarded on the prior year's best | ||||||
7 | 3 months average daily
attendance and 30% shall be distributed | ||||||
8 | on the number of
economically disadvantaged (E.C.I.A. Chapter | ||||||
9 | I) pupils in the district ,
provided that the State Board may | ||||||
10 | distribute an amount not to exceed 2% of
the monies | ||||||
11 | appropriated for the Reading Improvement Block Grant Program | ||||||
12 | for the
purpose of
providing teacher training and re-training | ||||||
13 | in the teaching of reading .
Program funds shall be distributed | ||||||
14 | to school districts
in 2
semi-annual installments, one payment | ||||||
15 | on or before October 30, and one payment
prior to April 30, of | ||||||
16 | each year.
The State Board shall promulgate rules and | ||||||
17 | regulations necessary for the
implementation of this program. | ||||||
18 | If the appropriation for the Reading Improvement Block | ||||||
19 | Grant Program for a given fiscal year is less than | ||||||
20 | $15,000,000, then the State Board shall limit eligibility to | ||||||
21 | school districts that have been placed in Tier 1 or Tier 2 | ||||||
22 | pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (g) of Section 18-8.15 | ||||||
23 | of this Code and shall impose additional eligibility criteria | ||||||
24 | to limit the number of approved applicants to a cohort | ||||||
25 | sufficient for each selected district to provide adequate | ||||||
26 | training and ongoing coaching support to each teacher of |
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1 | students in kindergarten through grade 2 and special education | ||||||
2 | teachers and evidence-based curriculum investments.
Programs | ||||||
3 | provided with grant funds shall not replace quality
classroom
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4 | reading instruction, but shall instead supplement such | ||||||
5 | instruction.
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6 | (a-5) Reading Improvement Block Grant Program funds shall | ||||||
7 | be used by
school districts
in
the following manner:
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8 | (1) to hire reading specialists, reading teachers, and | ||||||
9 | reading aides in
order
to provide early reading | ||||||
10 | intervention in kindergarten through grade 2 and
programs | ||||||
11 | of continued reading support for students in grades 3 | ||||||
12 | through
6;
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13 | (2) in kindergarten through grade 2, to establish
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14 | short-term
tutorial early reading intervention programs | ||||||
15 | for children who are at risk of
failing
to learn to read; | ||||||
16 | these programs shall (i) focus on scientifically based
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17 | research and best practices with proven
long-term results, | ||||||
18 | (ii) identify students in need of help no later than the
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19 | middle of
first grade, (iii) provide ongoing training for | ||||||
20 | teachers in the program,
(iv) focus instruction on | ||||||
21 | strengthening a student's
phonemic awareness, phonics, | ||||||
22 | fluency, and comprehension skills, (v) provide a
means to | ||||||
23 | document
and evaluate student growth, and (vi) provide | ||||||
24 | properly trained staff;
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25 | (3) to continue direct reading instruction for grades | ||||||
26 | 3 through 6;
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1 | (4) in grades 3 through 6, to establish programs of
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2 | support for students who demonstrate a need for continued | ||||||
3 | assistance in
learning to read and in maintaining reading | ||||||
4 | achievement; these programs shall
(i) focus on | ||||||
5 | scientifically based research and best practices with | ||||||
6 | proven
long-term results, (ii) provide ongoing
training | ||||||
7 | for teachers and other staff members in the program, (iii) | ||||||
8 | focus
instruction on strengthening a student's phonics, | ||||||
9 | fluency, and comprehension
skills in grades 3 through 6,
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10 | (iv) provide a means to evaluate and document student | ||||||
11 | growth, and
(v) provide properly trained staff;
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12 | (5) in grades K through 6, to provide both | ||||||
13 | evidence-based, high-quality core literacy curriculum | ||||||
14 | materials that consider the unique needs of English | ||||||
15 | learners for concurrent oral language practice and | ||||||
16 | high-quality screening assessments designed to inform | ||||||
17 | instruction in English language arts and literacy | ||||||
18 | classroom
reading materials for students; each district | ||||||
19 | may allocate up to 25% of the
funds for this purpose;
and
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20 | (6) to provide a long-term professional
development
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21 | program for classroom
teachers, administrators, and other | ||||||
22 | appropriate staff; the program shall
(i) focus on | ||||||
23 | scientifically based research and best practices with | ||||||
24 | proven
long-term results, (ii) provide a means to evaluate | ||||||
25 | student progress in
reading as a result of the training, | ||||||
26 | (iii) and be provided by approved staff
development |
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1 | providers.
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2 | If the appropriation for the Reading Improvement Block | ||||||
3 | Grant Program for a given fiscal year is less than | ||||||
4 | $15,000,000, then grant recipients shall prioritize | ||||||
5 | evidence-based curricula and materials, training, and ongoing | ||||||
6 | coaching support for kindergarten through grade 3 teachers and | ||||||
7 | special education teachers. | ||||||
8 | (a-10) If the appropriation for the Reading Improvement | ||||||
9 | Block Grant Program for a given fiscal year is at least | ||||||
10 | $15,000,000, then Reading Improvement Block Grant Program | ||||||
11 | funds shall be made
available to each eligible school district | ||||||
12 | submitting an approved application
developed by the State | ||||||
13 | Board beginning with the 1998-99 school year .
Applications | ||||||
14 | shall include a proposed assessment method or methods for
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15 | measuring
the reading growth of
students
who receive direct | ||||||
16 | instruction as a result of the funding and the impact of
staff | ||||||
17 | development activities on student growth in reading. Such | ||||||
18 | methods may include the reading portion
of the assessments | ||||||
19 | required under Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code. At the end of | ||||||
20 | each school year
the district shall report performance of | ||||||
21 | progress results to
the State Board. Districts not
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22 | demonstrating performance progress using an approved | ||||||
23 | assessment method shall
not
be eligible for funding in the | ||||||
24 | third or subsequent years until such
progress is established. | ||||||
25 | If the appropriation for the Reading Improvement Block | ||||||
26 | Grant Program for a given fiscal year is less than |
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1 | $15,000,000, then the State Board may establish additional | ||||||
2 | eligibility criteria and shall select a cohort of school | ||||||
3 | districts that have been placed in Tier 1 or Tier 2 pursuant to | ||||||
4 | paragraph (3) of subsection (g) of Section 18-8.15 of this | ||||||
5 | Code to participate.
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6 | (a-15) The State Superintendent of Education, in | ||||||
7 | cooperation with the
school districts participating in the | ||||||
8 | program, shall annually report to the
leadership of the | ||||||
9 | General Assembly on the results of the Reading Improvement
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10 | Block Grant Program and the progress being made on improving | ||||||
11 | the reading skills
of students in kindergarten through the | ||||||
12 | sixth grade.
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13 | (b) (Blank).
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14 | (c) (Blank).
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15 | (d) Grants under the Reading Improvement Block Grant | ||||||
16 | Program shall be awarded
provided there is an appropriation | ||||||
17 | for the program, and funding levels for
each district shall be | ||||||
18 | prorated according to the amount of the appropriation for any | ||||||
19 | fiscal year in which at least $15,000,000 has been | ||||||
20 | appropriated .
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21 | (e) (Blank).
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22 | (f) (Blank).
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23 | (Source: P.A. 98-972, eff. 8-15-14.)
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