Bill Text: IL HB4330 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. For admissions purposes, requires each public university in this State to accept the State Seal of Biliteracy as equivalent to 2 years of foreign language coursework taken during high school if a student's high school transcript indicates that he or she will be receiving or has received the State Seal of Biliteracy. Provides that each public community college and public university in this State shall establish criteria to translate a State Seal of Biliteracy into course credit based on foreign language course equivalencies identified by the community college's or university's faculty and staff and, upon request from an enrolled student, the community college or university shall award foreign language course credit to a student who has received a State Seal of Biliteracy. Requires the State Board of Education's rules to ensure that the criteria that pupils must achieve to earn a State Seal of Biliteracy meet the course credit criteria. Requires students enrolled in a public community college or public university who have received a State Seal of Biliteracy to request course credit for their seal within 3 academic years after graduating from high school.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2016-07-22 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 99-0600 [HB4330 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HB4330-Chaptered.html

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Public Act 099-0600
HB4330 Enrolled LRB099 15013 NHT 39336 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 Section
2-3.159 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.159)
Sec. 2-3.159. State Seal of Biliteracy.
(a) In this Section, "foreign language" means any language
other than English, including all modern languages, Latin,
American Sign Language, Native American languages, and native
languages.
(b) The State Seal of Biliteracy program is established to
recognize public high school graduates who have attained a high
level of proficiency in one or more languages in addition to
English. The State Seal of Biliteracy shall be awarded
beginning with the 2014-2015 school year. School district
participation in this program is voluntary.
(c) The purposes of the State Seal of Biliteracy are as
follows:
(1) To encourage pupils to study languages.
(2) To certify attainment of biliteracy.
(3) To provide employers with a method of identifying
people with language and biliteracy skills.

(4) To provide universities with an additional method
to recognize applicants seeking admission.
(5) To prepare pupils with 21st century skills.
(6) To recognize the value of foreign language and
native language instruction in public schools.
(7) To strengthen intergroup relationships, affirm the
value of diversity, and honor the multiple cultures and
languages of a community.
(d) The State Seal of Biliteracy certifies attainment of a
high level of proficiency, sufficient for meaningful use in
college and a career, by a graduating public high school pupil
in one or more languages in addition to English.
(e) The State Board of Education shall adopt such rules as
may be necessary to establish the criteria that pupils must
achieve to earn a State Seal of Biliteracy, which may include
without limitation attainment of units of credit in English
language arts and languages other than English and passage of
such assessments of foreign language proficiency as may be
approved by the State Board of Education for this purpose.
These rules shall ensure that the criteria that pupils must
achieve to earn a State Seal of Biliteracy meet the course
credit criteria established under subsection (i) of this
Section.
(f) The State Board of Education shall do both of the
following:
(1) Prepare and deliver to participating school

districts an appropriate mechanism for designating the
State Seal of Biliteracy on the diploma and transcript of
the pupil indicating that the pupil has been awarded a
State Seal of Biliteracy by the State Board of Education.
(2) Provide other information the State Board of
Education deems necessary for school districts to
successfully participate in the program.
(g) A school district that participates in the program
under this Section shall do both of the following:
(1) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify
pupils who have earned a State Seal of Biliteracy.
(2) Make the appropriate designation on the diploma and
transcript of each pupil who earns a State Seal of
Biliteracy.
(h) No fee shall be charged to a pupil to receive the
designation pursuant to this Section. Notwithstanding this
prohibition, costs may be incurred by the pupil in
demonstrating proficiency, including without limitation any
assessments required under subsection (e) of this Section.
(i) For admissions purposes, each public university in this
State shall accept the State Seal of Biliteracy as equivalent
to 2 years of foreign language coursework taken during high
school if a student's high school transcript indicates that he
or she will be receiving or has received the State Seal of
Biliteracy.
(j) Each public community college and public university in

this State shall establish criteria to translate a State Seal
of Biliteracy into course credit based on foreign language
course equivalencies identified by the community college's or
university's faculty and staff and, upon request from an
enrolled student, the community college or university shall
award foreign language course credit to a student who has
received a State Seal of Biliteracy. Students enrolled in a
public community college or public university who have received
a State Seal of Biliteracy must request course credit for their
seal within 3 academic years after graduating from high school.
(Source: P.A. 98-560, eff. 8-27-13; 98-756, eff. 7-16-14.)