Bill Text: IL HJR0024 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: That the P-20 Council, in collaboration with the Early Learning Council, shall establish an Advisory Committee for the purposes of reviewing kindergarten transitions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-05-31 - Adopted Both Houses [HJR0024 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-HJR0024-Introduced.html
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, High quality learning opportunities, beginning at | ||||||
3 | birth, are an essential part of our
nation's education system; | ||||||
4 | and
| ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, Young children facing the most significant | ||||||
6 | challenges stand to benefit greatly from
comprehensive and | ||||||
7 | consistent early learning experiences; and
| ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, Research demonstrates that investing in early | ||||||
9 | childhood produces outcomes that
help ensure children are | ||||||
10 | successful in school and life, such as increased kindergarten | ||||||
11 | readiness,
increased high school graduation rates and college | ||||||
12 | attendance, and reduced special education rates; and
| ||||||
13 | WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is a national leader in | ||||||
14 | supporting early care and education
programs; and
| ||||||
15 | WHEREAS, Head Start and State-funded early childhood | ||||||
16 | programs in Illinois are required to
comply with a set of | ||||||
17 | standards related to ensuring a smooth transition of children | ||||||
18 | out of the program
and into kindergarten; and
| ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, Preschool for All programs must have a "written | ||||||
20 | plan to ensure that those children
who are age-eligible for |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | kindergarten are enrolled in school upon leaving the preschool | ||||||
2 | education
program"; and
| ||||||
3 | WHEREAS, The Illinois Preschool Expansion Grant | ||||||
4 | requirements and federal Head Start
Performance Standards hold | ||||||
5 | these programs to an even higher standard by requiring programs | ||||||
6 | to
collaborate with Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to | ||||||
7 | support children and families through the
transition to | ||||||
8 | kindergarten; and
| ||||||
9 | WHEREAS, While requiring early childhood programs to | ||||||
10 | coordinate with the school districts into
which children | ||||||
11 | transition is a good practice, many LEAs are not familiar with | ||||||
12 | the opportunity presented
by potential partnerships with early | ||||||
13 | childhood providers, like the relationships fostered within | ||||||
14 | local
early childhood community collaborations; and
| ||||||
15 | WHEREAS, Illinois State law could better support those LEAs | ||||||
16 | by providing a framework that
would help LEAs to identify best | ||||||
17 | practices for supporting kindergarten transitions and give | ||||||
18 | LEAs
incentives to adopt these practices; and
| ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, This framework would help the state build upon its | ||||||
20 | successful Race to the Top-Early
Learning Challenge grant; and
| ||||||
21 | WHEREAS, Implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (ESSA) provides an opportune
moment to develop and put into | ||||||
2 | motion such a framework, as the law specifically authorizes | ||||||
3 | districts to
use resources to support joint efforts to address | ||||||
4 | kindergarten transitions; therefore, be it
| ||||||
5 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
6 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE | ||||||
7 | CONCURRING HEREIN, that the P-20 Council in collaboration with
| ||||||
8 | the Early Learning Council shall establish an Advisory | ||||||
9 | Committee for the purposes of reviewing kindergarten | ||||||
10 | transitions; and be it further
| ||||||
11 | RESOLVED, That the Kindergarten Transitions Advisory | ||||||
12 | Committee shall consist of a diverse
group of stakeholders and | ||||||
13 | practitioners, appointed by the Chair of the P-20 Council, and | ||||||
14 | including those from State agencies, early childhood advocacy
| ||||||
15 | organizations, education related professional associations, | ||||||
16 | and members of the General Assembly; and be it further
| ||||||
17 | RESOLVED, That the Advisory Committee shall submit a report | ||||||
18 | to the Governor, State Board of
Education, and General Assembly | ||||||
19 | that includes recommendations aimed at informing the creation | ||||||
20 | of
legislation that:
| ||||||
21 | (1) Addresses the value of K-12 educators and | ||||||
22 | administrators partnering with early childhood
programs in |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | their communities, including Head Start, Preschool for | ||||||
2 | All, home visiting, and child
care;
| ||||||
3 | (2) Will not be prescriptive and will not place any | ||||||
4 | burdensome requirements on school districts;
| ||||||
5 | (3) Encourages best practices for supporting | ||||||
6 | kindergarten transitions, including aligned
professional | ||||||
7 | development, data collection, data sharing, and family | ||||||
8 | engagement, among others;
| ||||||
9 | (4) Could define the capacity needed and potential | ||||||
10 | incentives for LEAs and early childhood
programs to | ||||||
11 | implement these practices;
| ||||||
12 | (5) Promotes best practices related to the continuity | ||||||
13 | of care between early childhood (including
between | ||||||
14 | infant-toddler programs and programs for preschool-aged | ||||||
15 | children), early childhood
special education, and special | ||||||
16 | education in the early elementary grades;
| ||||||
17 | (6) Could define the role of early learning in required | ||||||
18 | school improvement processes, including
the role of | ||||||
19 | kindergarten readiness data in school needs assessments | ||||||
20 | and the expansion of high-quality
early learning as a | ||||||
21 | school improvement strategy;
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (7) Reinforces the State's commitment to the | ||||||
2 | importance of social and emotional learning for
children of | ||||||
3 | all ages; and
| ||||||
4 | (8) Promotes best practices for dual language | ||||||
5 | learners, which address the cultural and linguistic
needs | ||||||
6 | of young children as they transition into kindergarten and | ||||||
7 | ways in which to engage
underserved immigrant and mixed | ||||||
8 | status families; and be it further
| ||||||
9 | RESOLVED, That the Kindergarten Transition Advisory | ||||||
10 | Committee shall first meet at the call of
the Chair of the P-20 | ||||||
11 | Council; and be it further
| ||||||
12 | RESOLVED, That the Kindergarten Transition Advisory | ||||||
13 | Committee shall elect a Chair or Co-chairs
at its first | ||||||
14 | meeting; and be it further
| ||||||
15 | RESOLVED, That the Kindergarten Transition Advisory | ||||||
16 | Committee shall seek input from
stakeholders and members of the | ||||||
17 | public; and be it further
| ||||||
18 | RESOLVED, That the P-20 Council in collaboration with the | ||||||
19 | Early Learning Council shall provide
administrative support to | ||||||
20 | the Kindergarten Transition Advisory Committee; and be it |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | further
| ||||||
2 | RESOLVED, That the Kindergarten Transition Advisory | ||||||
3 | Committee shall submit its report to the
Governor and General | ||||||
4 | Assembly by September 29, 2018; and be it further
| ||||||
5 | RESOLVED, That the Kindergarten Transition Advisory | ||||||
6 | Committee is dissolved upon submission
of its report; and be it | ||||||
7 | further; and be it further
| ||||||
8 | RESOLVED, That the P-20 Council and the Early Learning | ||||||
9 | Council shall post a copy of this resolution and the | ||||||
10 | Committee's report to its website.
|