Bill Text: IL SB0079 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Requires grantees under the Preschool for All Children program to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the appropriate local Head Start agency no later than 3 months after the award of a grantee's grant under the program and, in the case of the 2009-2010 program year, no later than the deadline set by the State Board of Education for applications to participate in the program in fiscal year 2011. Sets forth certain issues that the memorandum must address. Suspends the memorandum of understanding requirement if the local Head Start agency is unable or unwilling to enter into the memorandum. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Passed) 2009-08-04 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 96-0119 [SB0079 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-SB0079-Enrolled.html

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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
2-3.71 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.71) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71)
Sec. 2-3.71. Grants for preschool educational programs.
(a) Preschool program.
(1) The State Board of Education shall implement and
administer a grant program under the provisions of this
subsection which shall consist of grants to public school
districts and other eligible entities, as defined by the
State Board of Education, to conduct voluntary preschool
educational programs for children ages 3 to 5 which include
a parent education component. A public school district
which receives grants under this subsection may
subcontract with other entities that are eligible to
conduct a preschool educational program. These grants must
be used to supplement, not supplant, funds received from
any other source.
(2) (Blank).
(3) Any teacher of preschool children in the program
authorized by this subsection shall hold an early childhood

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teaching certificate.
(4) This paragraph (4) applies before July 1, 2006 and
after June 30, 2010. The State Board of Education shall
provide the primary source of funding through
appropriations for the program. Such funds shall be
distributed for the benefit of children who because of
their home and community environment are subject to such
language, cultural, economic and like disadvantages that
they have been determined as a result of screening
procedures to be at risk of academic failure. Such
screening procedures shall be based on criteria
established by the State Board of Education.
(4.5) This paragraph (4.5) applies from July 1, 2006
through June 30, 2010. The State Board of Education shall
provide the primary source of funding through
appropriations for the program. Such funds shall be
distributed to achieve a goal of "Preschool for All
Children" for the benefit of all children whose families
choose to participate in the program. Based on available
appropriations, newly funded programs shall be selected
through a process giving first priority to qualified
programs serving primarily at-risk children and second
priority to qualified programs serving primarily children
with a family income of less than 4 times the poverty
guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the

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authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2). For purposes of this
paragraph (4.5), at-risk children are those who because of
their home and community environment are subject to such
language, cultural, economic and like disadvantages to
cause them to have been determined as a result of screening
procedures to be at risk of academic failure. Such
screening procedures shall be based on criteria
established by the State Board of Education.
Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (4.5),
grantees under the program must enter into a memorandum of
understanding with the appropriate local Head Start
agency. This memorandum must be entered into no later than
3 months after the award of a grantee's grant under the
program, except that, in the case of the 2009-2010 program
year, the memorandum must be entered into no later than the
deadline set by the State Board of Education for
applications to participate in the program in fiscal year
2011, and must address collaboration between the grantee's
program and the local Head Start agency on certain issues,
which shall include without limitation the following:
(A) educational activities, curricular objectives,
and instruction;
(B) public information dissemination and access to
programs for families contacting programs;
(C) service areas;
(D) selection priorities for eligible children to

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be served by programs;
(E) maximizing the impact of federal and State
funding to benefit young children;
(F) staff training, including opportunities for
joint staff training;
(G) technical assistance;
(H) communication and parent outreach for smooth
transitions to kindergarten;
(I) provision and use of facilities,
transportation, and other program elements;
(J) facilitating each program's fulfillment of its
statutory and regulatory requirements;
(K) improving local planning and collaboration;
and
(L) providing comprehensive services for the
neediest Illinois children and families.
If the appropriate local Head Start agency is unable or
unwilling to enter into a memorandum of understanding as
required under this paragraph (4.5), the memorandum of
understanding requirement shall not apply and the grantee
under the program must notify the State Board of Education
in writing of the Head Start agency's inability or
unwillingness. The State Board of Education shall compile
all such written notices and make them available to the
public.
(5) The State Board of Education shall develop and

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provide evaluation tools, including tests, that school
districts and other eligible entities may use to evaluate
children for school readiness prior to age 5. The State
Board of Education shall require school districts and other
eligible entities to obtain consent from the parents or
guardians of children before any evaluations are
conducted. The State Board of Education shall encourage
local school districts and other eligible entities to
evaluate the population of preschool children in their
communities and provide preschool programs, pursuant to
this subsection, where appropriate.
(6) The State Board of Education shall report to the
General Assembly by November 1, 2010 and every 3 years
thereafter on the results and progress of students who were
enrolled in preschool educational programs, including an
assessment of which programs have been most successful in
promoting academic excellence and alleviating academic
failure. The State Board of Education shall assess the
academic progress of all students who have been enrolled in
preschool educational programs.
On or before November 1 of each fiscal year in which
the General Assembly provides funding for new programs
under paragraph (4.5) of this Section, the State Board of
Education shall report to the General Assembly on what
percentage of new funding was provided to programs serving
primarily at-risk children, what percentage of new funding

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was provided to programs serving primarily children with a
family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty
level, and what percentage of new funding was provided to
other programs.
(b) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 94-506, eff. 8-8-05; 94-1054, eff. 7-25-06;
95-724, eff. 6-30-08.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.