Bill Text: IL HB5945 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Provides that the parents of at least 51% of students in a low-performing school may initiate reform measures at the school through the submission of a parent petition to the school board. Provides for submission of a notice of petition. Provides that the petition shall request that the school board fully intervene in the school and implement one of the following reform measures: (1) reopen the school as a charter school; (2) change the school leadership; (3) close the school and reassign students currently attending the school to another school at the appropriate grade level within the same school district; or (4) adopt a new school governance structure. Upon receiving a copy of a petition signed by the parents of at least 51% of the students in a low-performing school, requires the school board to implement the reform measures requested in the petition.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2014-12-03 - Session Sine Die [HB5945 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2013-HB5945-Introduced.html

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98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2013 and 2014 HB5945 Introduced , by Rep. John D. Anthony SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/10-20.56 new
105 ILCS 5/34-18.49 new
Amends the School Code. Provides that the parents of at least 51% of students in a low-performing school may initiate reform measures at the school through the submission of a parent petition to the school board. Provides for submission of a notice of petition. Provides that the petition shall request that the school board fully intervene in the school and implement one of the following reform measures: (1) reopen the school as a charter school; (2) change the school leadership; (3) close the school and reassign students currently attending the school to another school at the appropriate grade level within the same school district; or (4) adopt a new school governance structure. Upon receiving a copy of a petition signed by the parents of at least 51% of the students in a low-performing school, requires the school board to implement the reform measures requested in the petition.
LRB098 14288 NHT 48904 b
FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT
A BILL FOR
HB5945 LRB098 14288 NHT 48904 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 adding Sections
10-20.56 and 34-18.49 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/10-20.56 new)
Sec. 10-20.56. Initiation of school reform by parent
petition.
(a) In this Section, "low-performing school" means a public
school designated as a low-performing school by the State Board
of Education based on the following criteria:
(1) Among all students in that school to whom a State
assessment was administered under Section 2-3.64 of this
Code, the percentage of students scoring in the partially
proficient range in both the language arts and mathematics
subject areas of the State assessments exceeded 40% in each
of the prior 2 school years.
(2) Among all students in that school to whom a State
assessment was administered under Section 2-3.64 of this
Code, the percentage of students scoring in the partially
proficient range in either the language arts or mathematics
subject area of the State assessments exceeded 65% in each
of the prior 2 school years.

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A school shall continue to meet the definition of
"low-performing school" and the State Board of Education shall
continue to designate the school as a low-performing school
until such time as the percentage of students scoring in the
partially proficient range in both the language arts and
mathematics subject areas of the State assessments is less than
or equal to the statewide percentage of students scoring in the
partially proficient range.
(b) The parents of at least 51% of students in a
low-performing school may initiate reform measures at the
school under this Section through the submission of a parent
petition to the school board. The petition process shall be as
follows:
(1) A parent must submit a notice of petition notifying
the school that a petition is being formed. The State Board
of Education shall create a uniform notice of petition form
and shall make that form available on its Internet website.
(2) The petition shall request that the school board
fully intervene in the school and implement one of the
following reform measures:
(A) Reopen the school as a charter school.
(B) Change the school leadership, including
without limitation replacing the school principal and
any other staff who are relevant to the school's
designation as a low-performing school.
(C) Close the school and reassign students

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currently attending the school to another school at the
appropriate grade level within the same school
district.
(D) Adopt a new school governance structure, which
may include without limitation requiring the school to
report to a turnaround office established by the school
board, hiring a turnaround leader who reports directly
to the State Board of Education, and entering into an
agreement with a person, a for-profit or
not-for-profit organization providing educational or
other services, or another school district for
alternative management of the school.
(3) After the parents of at least 51% of the students
in the school have signed the petition, the parent who
submitted the notice of petition shall submit copies of the
signed petition to the State Board of Education and the
school board.
(c) Upon receiving a copy of a petition signed by the
parents of at least 51% of the students in a low-performing
school as provided under subsection (b) of this Section, the
school board must implement the reform measures requested in
the petition.
(105 ILCS 5/34-18.49 new)
Sec. 34-18.49. Initiation of school reform by parent
petition.

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(a) In this Section, "low-performing school" means a public
school designated as a low-performing school by the State Board
of Education based on the following criteria:
(1) Among all students in that school to whom a State
assessment was administered under Section 2-3.64 of this
Code, the percentage of students scoring in the partially
proficient range in both the language arts and mathematics
subject areas of the State assessments exceeded 40% in each
of the prior 2 school years.
(2) Among all students in that school to whom a State
assessment was administered under Section 2-3.64 of this
Code, the percentage of students scoring in the partially
proficient range in either the language arts or mathematics
subject area of the State assessments exceeded 65% in each
of the prior 2 school years.
A school shall continue to meet the definition of
"low-performing school" and the State Board of Education shall
continue to designate the school as a low-performing school
until such time as the percentage of students scoring in the
partially proficient range in both the language arts and
mathematics subject areas of the State assessments is less than
or equal to the statewide percentage of students scoring in the
partially proficient range.
(b) The parents of at least 51% of students in a
low-performing school may initiate reform measures at the
school under this Section through the submission of a parent

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petition to the board. The petition process shall be as
follows:
(1) A parent must submit a notice of petition notifying
the school that a petition is being formed. The State Board
of Education shall create a uniform notice of petition form
and shall make that form available on its Internet website.
(2) The petition shall request that the board fully
intervene in the school and implement one of the following
reform measures:
(A) Reopen the school as a charter school.
(B) Change the school leadership, including
without limitation replacing the school principal and
any other staff who are relevant to the school's
designation as a low-performing school.
(C) Close the school and reassign students
currently attending the school to another school at the
appropriate grade level within the school district.
(D) Adopt a new school governance structure, which
may include without limitation requiring the school to
report to a turnaround office established by the board,
hiring a turnaround leader who reports directly to the
State Board of Education, and entering into an
agreement with a person, a for-profit or
not-for-profit organization providing educational or
other services, or another school district for
alternative management of the school.

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(3) After the parents of at least 51% of the students
in the school have signed the petition, the parent who
submitted the notice of petition shall submit copies of the
signed petition to the State Board of Education and the
board.
(c) Upon receiving a copy of a petition signed by the
parents of at least 51% of the students in a low-performing
school as provided under subsection (b) of this Section, the
board must implement the reform measures requested in the
petition.