Bill Text: IL SB2941 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Engrossed
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Amends the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act. With respect to the State Board of Education's competency-based, high school graduation requirements pilot program, provides that a school district may participate in the program for some or all of its schools (instead of for some or all of its schools serving grades 9 through 12). Allows school districts to collaboratively apply to participate in the pilot program; sets forth provisions governing a collaborative of districts.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)
Status: (Passed) 2018-06-29 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 100-0599 [SB2941 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-SB2941-Engrossed.html
Bill Title: Amends the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act. With respect to the State Board of Education's competency-based, high school graduation requirements pilot program, provides that a school district may participate in the program for some or all of its schools (instead of for some or all of its schools serving grades 9 through 12). Allows school districts to collaboratively apply to participate in the pilot program; sets forth provisions governing a collaborative of districts.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)
Status: (Passed) 2018-06-29 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 100-0599 [SB2941 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-SB2941-Engrossed.html
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | AN ACT concerning education.
| ||||||
2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| ||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
| ||||||
4 | Section 5. The Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act is | ||||||
5 | amended by changing Sections 20 and 25 as follows:
| ||||||
6 | (110 ILCS 148/20)
| ||||||
7 | Sec. 20. Competency-based, high school graduation | ||||||
8 | requirements pilot program. In consultation with ICCB and IBHE, | ||||||
9 | ISBE shall establish and administer a competency-based, high | ||||||
10 | school graduation requirements pilot program with school | ||||||
11 | districts selected pursuant to Section 25 of this Act. A school | ||||||
12 | district participating in the pilot program may select which of | ||||||
13 | the year and course graduation requirements set forth in | ||||||
14 | Section 27-22 of the School Code the school district wishes to | ||||||
15 | replace with a competency-based learning system. A school | ||||||
16 | district may participate in the pilot program for some or all | ||||||
17 | of its schools serving grades 9 through 12 . The pilot program | ||||||
18 | shall include the following components and requirements:
| ||||||
19 | (1) The competency-based learning systems authorized | ||||||
20 | through the pilot program shall include all of the | ||||||
21 | following elements:
| ||||||
22 | (A) Students shall demonstrate mastery of all | ||||||
23 | required competencies to earn credit.
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | (B) Students must demonstrate mastery of Adaptive | ||||||
2 | Competencies defined by the school district, in | ||||||
3 | addition to academic competencies.
| ||||||
4 | (C) Students shall advance once they have | ||||||
5 | demonstrated mastery, and students shall receive more | ||||||
6 | time and personalized instruction to demonstrate | ||||||
7 | mastery, if needed.
| ||||||
8 | (D) Students shall have the ability to attain | ||||||
9 | advanced postsecondary education and career-related | ||||||
10 | competencies beyond those needed for graduation.
| ||||||
11 | (E) Students must be assessed using multiple | ||||||
12 | measures to determine mastery, usually requiring | ||||||
13 | application of knowledge.
| ||||||
14 | (F) Students must be able to earn credit toward | ||||||
15 | graduation requirements in ways other than traditional | ||||||
16 | coursework, including learning opportunities outside | ||||||
17 | the traditional classroom setting, such as Supervised | ||||||
18 | Career Development Experiences.
| ||||||
19 | (2) A school district participating in the pilot | ||||||
20 | program shall demonstrate that the proposed | ||||||
21 | competency-based learning system is a core strategy | ||||||
22 | supporting the community's efforts to better prepare high | ||||||
23 | school students for college, career, and life.
The | ||||||
24 | application must identify the community partners that will | ||||||
25 | support the system's implementation. | ||||||
26 | (3) A school district participating in the pilot |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | program must have a plan for educator administrator and | ||||||
2 | educator professional development on the competency-based | ||||||
3 | learning system and must demonstrate prior successful | ||||||
4 | implementation of professional development systems for | ||||||
5 | major district instructional initiatives.
| ||||||
6 | (4) A school district participating in the pilot | ||||||
7 | program that is replacing graduation requirements in the | ||||||
8 | core academic areas of mathematics, English language arts, | ||||||
9 | and science with a competency-based learning system shall | ||||||
10 | demonstrate how the competencies can be mastered through | ||||||
11 | Integrated Courses or career and technical education | ||||||
12 | courses.
| ||||||
13 | (5) A school district participating in the pilot | ||||||
14 | program shall develop a plan for community engagement and | ||||||
15 | communications.
| ||||||
16 | (6) A school district participating in the pilot | ||||||
17 | program shall develop a plan for assigning course grades | ||||||
18 | based on mastery of competencies within the | ||||||
19 | competency-based learning system.
| ||||||
20 | (7) A school district participating in the pilot | ||||||
21 | program shall establish a plan and system for collecting | ||||||
22 | and assessing student progress on competency completion | ||||||
23 | and attainment, including for learning opportunities | ||||||
24 | outside of the traditional classroom setting.
| ||||||
25 | (8) A school district participating in the pilot | ||||||
26 | program shall establish a system for data collection and |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | reporting and must provide ISBE with such reports and | ||||||
2 | information as may be required for administration and | ||||||
3 | evaluation of the program.
| ||||||
4 | (9) A school district participating in the pilot | ||||||
5 | program shall partner with a community college and a higher | ||||||
6 | education institution other than a community college for | ||||||
7 | consultation on the development and administration of its | ||||||
8 | competency-based learning system. The plan shall address | ||||||
9 | how high school graduates of a competency-based learning | ||||||
10 | system will be able to provide information normally | ||||||
11 | expected of postsecondary institutions for admission and | ||||||
12 | financial aid.
| ||||||
13 | (10) A school district participating in the pilot | ||||||
14 | program shall have a plan for engaging feeder elementary | ||||||
15 | schools with the participating high school or schools on | ||||||
16 | the establishment and administration of the | ||||||
17 | competency-based learning system.
| ||||||
18 | (Source: P.A. 99-674, eff. 7-29-16.)
| ||||||
19 | (110 ILCS 148/25)
| ||||||
20 | Sec. 25. Competency-based, high school graduation | ||||||
21 | requirements pilot program eligibility and application | ||||||
22 | process.
| ||||||
23 | (a) The pilot program established under Section 20 of this | ||||||
24 | Act shall be administered by the State Superintendent of | ||||||
25 | Education in 2 phases: (i) an initial application and selection |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | process phase, and (ii) a subsequent phase for full development | ||||||
2 | and implementation of a detailed plan for a competency-based | ||||||
3 | learning system for high school graduation requirements.
| ||||||
4 | (b) For the initial phase under clause (i) of subsection | ||||||
5 | (a) of this Section, the State Superintendent of Education | ||||||
6 | shall develop and issue a pilot program application that | ||||||
7 | requires:
| ||||||
8 | (1) demonstration of commitment from the school | ||||||
9 | district superintendent; the president of the school board | ||||||
10 | of the district; teachers within the school district who | ||||||
11 | will be involved with the pilot program implementation; a | ||||||
12 | community college partner; and a higher education | ||||||
13 | institution other than a community college; | ||||||
14 | (2) an indication of which of the year and course | ||||||
15 | graduation requirements set forth in Section 27-22 of the | ||||||
16 | School Code the school district wishes to replace with a | ||||||
17 | competency-based learning system;
| ||||||
18 | (3) a general description of the school district's plan | ||||||
19 | for implementing a competency-based learning system for | ||||||
20 | high school graduation requirements, including how the | ||||||
21 | plan addresses the requirements of Section 20 of this Act | ||||||
22 | and this Section;
| ||||||
23 | (4) the school district's prior professional | ||||||
24 | development and stakeholder engagement efforts that will | ||||||
25 | support its successful development and implementation of a | ||||||
26 | competency-based learning system, including, without |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | limitation, prior implementation of professional | ||||||
2 | development systems for major district instructional | ||||||
3 | initiatives; and
| ||||||
4 | (5) identification of any waivers or modifications of | ||||||
5 | State law or rules for implementation of the proposed plan.
| ||||||
6 | The demonstration of commitment from teachers as required | ||||||
7 | by paragraph (1) of this subsection (b) must include a | ||||||
8 | description of how teachers have been engaged throughout the | ||||||
9 | application development process. If the school district has an | ||||||
10 | exclusive bargaining representative of its teachers and the | ||||||
11 | president of the exclusive bargaining representative does not | ||||||
12 | submit a statement of commitment for the application, the | ||||||
13 | school district must submit either a statement by the president | ||||||
14 | of the position of the exclusive bargaining representative on | ||||||
15 | the application or a description of the school district's good | ||||||
16 | faith efforts to obtain such a statement. | ||||||
17 | (c) Subject to subsection (g) of this Section, the State | ||||||
18 | Superintendent of Education shall select school districts | ||||||
19 | meeting the requirements set forth in this Section to | ||||||
20 | participate in the pilot program based on the quality of the | ||||||
21 | proposed plan, the strength of the local commitments, | ||||||
22 | including, without limitation, teachers within the school | ||||||
23 | district who will be involved in the program's implementation | ||||||
24 | and postsecondary institution partnerships, and demonstration | ||||||
25 | of prior professional development and stakeholder engagement | ||||||
26 | efforts that will support the proposed system's successful |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | implementation. The State Superintendent of Education, in | ||||||
2 | selecting the participating school districts, shall also | ||||||
3 | consider the diversity of school district types and sizes, the | ||||||
4 | diversity of geographic representation from across the State, | ||||||
5 | and the diversity of plan approaches (such as approaches that | ||||||
6 | involve one subject only, multiple subjects, and the types of | ||||||
7 | subjects).
| ||||||
8 | (d) School districts selected to participate in the pilot | ||||||
9 | program shall receive technical assistance coordinated by the | ||||||
10 | State Superintendent of Education to develop a full pilot | ||||||
11 | program implementation plan. The State Superintendent of | ||||||
12 | Education shall have discretion to remove a school district | ||||||
13 | from the pilot program during this period if the school | ||||||
14 | district does not submit a full pilot program implementation | ||||||
15 | plan that meets the State Superintendent of Education's | ||||||
16 | specifications.
| ||||||
17 | (e) School districts shall, as part of the development of | ||||||
18 | their application and participation in the competency-based | ||||||
19 | learning system pilot program, establish and maintain a | ||||||
20 | standing planning and implementation committee that includes | ||||||
21 | representation from administrators and teachers, including | ||||||
22 | teachers who will be involved in the competency-based learning | ||||||
23 | system's implementation. The teacher representatives shall be | ||||||
24 | selected by teachers or, where applicable, the exclusive | ||||||
25 | bargaining representative of its teachers, and the number of | ||||||
26 | teacher representatives shall be at least equal to |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | administrator representatives, unless otherwise agreed to by | ||||||
2 | the teachers or, where applicable, the exclusive bargaining | ||||||
3 | representative of its teachers. The standing planning and | ||||||
4 | implementation committee shall develop reports that shall be | ||||||
5 | included within the initial application, the full pilot program | ||||||
6 | plan, and any subsequent annual submissions to the State | ||||||
7 | Superintendent of Education as part of the assessment and | ||||||
8 | evaluation of the program. The reports shall describe the | ||||||
9 | members' assessment of the school district's plan or | ||||||
10 | implementation, as applicable, of the school district's | ||||||
11 | competency-based learning system and any recommendations for | ||||||
12 | modifications or improvements to the system. If the committee | ||||||
13 | does not reach consensus on the report, the administrator | ||||||
14 | members shall submit the report and the teacher members may | ||||||
15 | provide a position statement that must be included with the | ||||||
16 | report submitted to the State Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
17 | (f) Notwithstanding any other provisions of the School Code | ||||||
18 | or any other law of this State to the contrary, school | ||||||
19 | districts participating in the pilot program may petition the | ||||||
20 | State Superintendent of Education for a waiver or modification | ||||||
21 | of the mandates of the School Code or of the administrative | ||||||
22 | rules adopted by ISBE in order to support the implementation of | ||||||
23 | the school district's proposed competency-based learning | ||||||
24 | system. However, no waiver shall be granted under this | ||||||
25 | subsection (f) relating to State assessments, accountability | ||||||
26 | requirements, teacher tenure or seniority, teacher or |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | principal evaluations, or learning standards or that removes | ||||||
2 | legal protections or supports intended for the protection of | ||||||
3 | children or a particular category of students, such as students | ||||||
4 | with disabilities or English learners. Any waiver or | ||||||
5 | modification of teacher educator licensure requirements to | ||||||
6 | permit instruction by non-educators or educators without an | ||||||
7 | appropriate license must ensure that an appropriately licensed | ||||||
8 | teacher and the provider of instruction partner in order to | ||||||
9 | verify the method for assessing competency of mastery and | ||||||
10 | verify whether a student has demonstrated mastery. All requests | ||||||
11 | must be jointly signed by the school district superintendent | ||||||
12 | and the president of the school board and must describe the | ||||||
13 | position of teachers within the school district that will be | ||||||
14 | involved in the competency-based learning system's | ||||||
15 | implementation on the application. If the school district has | ||||||
16 | an exclusive bargaining representative of its teachers and the | ||||||
17 | president of the exclusive bargaining representative does not | ||||||
18 | submit a statement of support for the application, the school | ||||||
19 | district must submit either a statement by the president that | ||||||
20 | describes the position of the exclusive bargaining | ||||||
21 | representative on the application or a description of the | ||||||
22 | school district's good faith efforts to obtain such a | ||||||
23 | statement. The State Superintendent of Education shall approve | ||||||
24 | a waiver or modification request meeting the requirements of | ||||||
25 | this subsection (f) if the State Superintendent of Education | ||||||
26 | determines the request is reasonably necessary to support the |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | implementation of the school district's proposed | ||||||
2 | competency-based learning system, and the request shall not | ||||||
3 | diminish the overall support of teachers within the school | ||||||
4 | district involved with the system's implementation as | ||||||
5 | demonstrated in the school district's initial application to | ||||||
6 | participate in the pilot program. An approved request shall | ||||||
7 | take effect in accordance with the timeline set forth in the | ||||||
8 | school district's application, and an approved waiver or | ||||||
9 | modification shall remain in effect for so long as the school | ||||||
10 | district participates in the pilot program established by this | ||||||
11 | Act. The State Superintendent of Education's approval of a | ||||||
12 | school district plan for implementation of competency-based, | ||||||
13 | high school graduation requirements shall serve as a waiver or | ||||||
14 | modification of any conflicting requirements of Section 27-22 | ||||||
15 | of the School Code. School districts participating in the pilot | ||||||
16 | program may additionally pursue waivers and modifications | ||||||
17 | pursuant to Section 2-3.25g of the School Code.
| ||||||
18 | (g) For purposes of this subsection (g), "annual cohort" | ||||||
19 | means the group of school districts selected by the State | ||||||
20 | Superintendent of Education to participate in the pilot program | ||||||
21 | during an annual application and selection process. The State | ||||||
22 | Superintendent of Education shall limit each annual cohort of | ||||||
23 | the pilot program as follows: the first 2 annual cohorts shall | ||||||
24 | be limited to no more than 12 school districts, and any | ||||||
25 | subsequent annual cohort shall be limited to no more than 15 | ||||||
26 | school districts. A school district may submit only one |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | application for each annual cohort of the pilot program. The | ||||||
2 | application of a school district having a population exceeding | ||||||
3 | 500,000 inhabitants may not include more than 6 schools. The | ||||||
4 | expansion of a school district's competency-based learning | ||||||
5 | system to a new school or new subject area identified in | ||||||
6 | Section 27-22 of the School Code shall require a new | ||||||
7 | application by the school district.
| ||||||
8 | School districts may collaboratively apply to participate | ||||||
9 | in the pilot program. Notwithstanding any other provision of | ||||||
10 | this subsection (g), the application of a collaborative of | ||||||
11 | districts shall be counted as one district application in the | ||||||
12 | annual cohort selection process. In the application of a | ||||||
13 | collaborative of districts, each district participating in the | ||||||
14 | collaborative shall comply with the requirements outlined in | ||||||
15 | subsection (b) of this Section as if applying as an individual | ||||||
16 | district. The districts participating in the collaborative may | ||||||
17 | establish and maintain a standing planning and implementation | ||||||
18 | committee individually or collaboratively. If a collaborative | ||||||
19 | of districts decides at a later date to participate as | ||||||
20 | individual districts in the pilot program, the districts shall | ||||||
21 | submit to the State Superintendent of Education a revised | ||||||
22 | implementation plan that outlines the changes to their original | ||||||
23 | plan, the individual district applications from these | ||||||
24 | districts shall be considered as separate district | ||||||
25 | applications, and none of these districts may be counted as one | ||||||
26 | of the districts that are already part of the cohort |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | limitation. | ||||||
2 | (Source: P.A. 99-674, eff. 7-29-16.)
| ||||||
3 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
4 | becoming law.
|