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1		HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, In 2014, the United States Department of Education
3		and the United States Department of Justice issued guidance
4		through the Dear Colleague Letter on the Nondiscriminatory
5		Administration of School Discipline on January 8, 2014, to
6		assist public schools with administering student discipline
7		without discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national
8		origin; and
9		WHEREAS, Every student is entitled to equal education
10		opportunities regardless of race, color, or national origin;
11		and
12		WHEREAS, This guidance addresses the school-to-prison
13		pipeline, a problematic trend in which students of color are
14		disproportionately suspended, expelled, arrested, and exposed
15		to law enforcement; and
16		WHEREAS, Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
17		states, school districts, and schools must not intentionally
18		treat students differently nor implement policies or practices
19		in providing educational resources that disproportionately
20		affect students based on race, color, or national origin, as
21		this discrimination is prohibited; and

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1		WHEREAS, According to U.S. Education Department data,
2		research shows that racial disparities in school discipline
3		contribute to adverse impacts on the student achievement gap,
4		including lower grades, higher dropout rates, higher
5		incarceration rates, and reduction of important instructional
6		time due to exclusionary discipline; and
7		WHEREAS, Black female students in Illinois are more than
8		7.5 times more likely to have multiple out-of-school
9		suspensions than white female students; and
10		WHEREAS, Latino students in Illinois are nearly 1.5 times
11		more likely to have multiple out-of-school suspensions than
12		white students; and
13		WHEREAS, Black students in Illinois are two times more
14		likely to be referred to law enforcement by their schools than
15		white students; and
16		WHEREAS, Higher rates of suspension are related to higher
17		rates of future antisocial behaviors and involvement in the
18		juvenile justice system; and
19		WHEREAS, Data from Chicago educators suggests only 20% of
20		educators feel they have received "at least effective" training
21		on restorative justice; and

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1		WHEREAS, In acknowledgement of said disparities, Illinois
2		passed Senate Bill 100 in 2015 in recognition of the growing
3		national and local movements focused on breaking down the
4		school-to-prison pipeline and reducing exclusionary discipline
5		practices; and
6		WHEREAS, Those schools and districts that have prioritized
7		implementation of restorative practices as a result of Senate
8		Bill 100 of the 99th General Assembly have seen significant
9		reductions in suspensions, expulsions, and notifications; and
10		WHEREAS, In accordance with Title VI, data suggest via the
11		U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice
12		that this current guidance on how to identify, avoid, and
13		remedy discriminatory discipline will assist schools in
14		providing all students with equal educational opportunities;
15		and
16		WHEREAS, Equitable discipline policies are crucial to
17		creating safe and welcoming school environments, improving a
18		school's climate and culture, and ultimately increasing
19		overall student engagement and achievement; and
20		WHEREAS, Given the aforementioned data and concerns,
21		Illinois must reaffirm its commitment to dismantling the

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1		school-to-prison pipeline and ensuring that we are educating
2		and preparing all our young people to build a brighter future
3		for themselves and our State; therefore, be it
4		RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
5		HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE
6		CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the U.S. Department of
7		Education to actively sustain the school discipline guidance
8		released by the Departments of Education and Justice in 2014,
9		and the State of Illinois and Illinois State Board of Education
10		to uphold the original school discipline guidance released by
11		the Department of Education and Justice in 2014, regardless of
12		the decision made by the U.S. Department of Education; and be
13		it further
14		RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
15		delivered to United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos,
16		Illinois State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith, and
17		Illinois State Board of Education Chairman James T. Meeks.