Section 232.10  Purpose and Applicability

 

This Part establishes the eligibility criteria, application procedure, programmatic requirements, and method for allocation of funding for the summer bridge program referred to in Section 10-20.9a of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/10-20.9a].  The provisions of this Part shall not apply to a school district that receives  funding for Summer Bridges as part of its general education block grant pursuant to Section 1D-1 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/1D-1].

 

Section 232.20  Eligible Applicants

 

a)         Eligible applicants shall be school districts that include one or more schools serving students in prekindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 through 6 in which 50 percent or more of the students participating in the State assessment under Section 2-3.64a-5 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a-5] have achieved scores indicating that they do not meet State standards in reading.  Public university laboratory schools approved by the State Board of Education pursuant to Section 18-8.05(K) of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/18-8.05(K)], area vocational centers, and charter schools shall be eligible under this Part on the same basis as school districts (see 105 ILCS 5/2-3.109a, 2-3.109b, and 27A-11.5, respectively.  For purposes of this Part, the term "district" shall be understood to include all these eligible entities).

 

b)         The State Superintendent shall annually identify the eligible districts based upon State assessment scores attained by students in the previous school year.  As a prerequisite to participation in the program, eligible districts shall be required to submit letters of intent in accordance with the timeframe established by the State Superintendent, in order to permit calculation of the approximate per-pupil allocation that will be available.

 

(Source:  Amended at 39 Ill. Reg. 13484, effective September 24, 2015)

 

Section 232.30  Application Procedure

 

a)         Each eligible district that has submitted a letter of intent may submit an application, in a format specified by the State Superintendent of Education, including information such as the number of students to be served, the number of teachers to be assigned to the program, the schedule for the program, and the sites where the program will be operated.

 

b)         Each application shall include the budget for the program, including only expenditures conforming to the requirements of Section 232.60 of this Part.  Each district's budget for the program shall reflect the matching share required under Section 232.60 of this Part.

 

c)         The application format for each year's program shall indicate the approximate amount of the per-pupil allocation and shall include such certifications and assurances as the State Superintendent may require.

 

Section 232.40  Allocation of Funds

 

Final determinations regarding the amounts to be provided shall be made based upon the total funds appropriated for this initiative and the number of students to be served by all the eligible districts that submit applications.

 

Section 232.50  Program Specifications

 

a)         Eligibility for services under this Part shall not be limited to students who attend the particular attendance centers whose performance led to the district's eligibility under Section 232.20.  Any student in an eligible district may be served, provided that he or she was enrolled in prekindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 through 6 in the school year immediately preceding the summer when the program is offered and:

 

1)         did not meet State standards in reading, as evidenced by the relevant score attained on the State assessment required pursuant to Section 2-3.64a-5 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a-5]; or

 

2)         was recommended for retention in grade; or

 

3)         was referred to the program by his or her teacher based on the results of a locally determined reading assessment or other factors, such as poor grades or a high rate of absenteeism.

 

b)         Funding under this Part shall be used only to provide a remedial summer program consisting of no fewer than 90 hours of instruction to each student served and addressing the components of the literacy framework displayed in Appendix A.  Each district operating the program shall be required to purchase or demonstrate the availability of the materials listed in Appendix B.

 

c)         The number of sites at which the program is offered within any district shall be limited to the number of sites whose performance led to the district's eligibility for funding under Section 232.20.  The program may, however, be conducted at sites other than those whose performance led to the district's eligibility.

 

d)         Except as otherwise specified in subsection (e), no fewer than 12 and no more than 15 students shall be served in each class for grades 1 through 6, and no fewer than seven and no more than 10 students shall be served in each class for prekindergarten and kindergarten.  Each district shall report its enrollment count by grade level on the sixth day of attendance in the program and shall consolidate classes as needed to achieve class sizes within these ranges.  The services of teachers in excess of the number required for the applicable class sizes shall not be paid for with funding provided under this Part.

 

e)         In order to respond to developments that may occur after the sixth day of attendance, a district may seek approval from the State Superintendent of Education to add no more than two students to any class in excess of the applicable maximum.  The State Superintendent shall approve a district's request if the Superintendent determines that doing so is necessary for reasons of cost-effectiveness or to avoid a disruption in learning opportunities for students, provided that the teacher responsible for the class has consented to the addition of the students.

 

f)         Each district shall prepare a job description for the teachers who will be employed to provide instruction in the Summer Bridges Program.  If the district executes individual contracts with the teachers, the contracts shall include the job description or incorporate it by reference.  If the district does not execute individual contracts with the teachers, the district shall require a signed affirmation from each, acknowledging the obligations established in the job description.  Each job description shall include at least the requirements set forth in this subsection (f).

 

1)         To conduct a parent orientation prior to the beginning of the program.

 

2)         To participate in all required planning and professional development sessions and activities.

 

3)         To set up the classroom for engaged and cooperative learning, including learning stations or centers.

 

4)         To establish classroom rules in collaboration with the students in the class.

 

5)         To prepare and submit daily lesson plans on a weekly basis.

 

6)         To deliver the established curriculum in accordance with the framework and use the materials provided.

 

7)         To administer the required assessments and report on the results in accordance with the prescribed timetable.

 

8)         To collaborate in the program evaluation effort.

 

9)         To be absent only in response to unforeseen circumstances (for example, no absences shall be permitted for vacation, attendance at conferences, or participation in activities that are not of an emergency nature).

 

g)         Each teacher, paraprofessional educator, and administrator employed in the program shall be provided with, and shall be required to participate in, 30 hours of professional development.

 

1)         Three hours of professional development shall occur in the time period after the end of the school year and prior to the start of the program and shall be devoted to setting up the learning environment, administering an individual reading inventory, and orientation to the Summer Bridges Program.

 

2)         Twelve hours of professional development shall occur prior to or during the course of the program and shall be devoted to the learning environment, language development and word knowledge, fluency, comprehension, writing, and classroom-based assessment appropriate to the grade level to be served by the participating teachers.

 

3)         Fifteen hours of professional development shall be devoted to mathematics concepts and games, additional literacy strategies, problem-solving, exchange of strategies, activities, and methods among teachers, and analysis of the results of the individual reading inventory.

 

h)         No program funded under this Part shall begin sooner than five business days after the end of the school year unless approved in advance by the State Superintendent of Education.  Approval shall be granted only when the school year has been extended to make up days missed due to severe weather or other emergencies.

 

i)          Each district funded under this Part shall assess students' growth in reading prior to and following their participation in the program.  No fewer than 20 percent of the students from each of grades 2 through 6 and no fewer than 20 percent of the total group of students from prekindergarten, kindergarten, and grade 1 shall participate in an assessment prescribed by the State Superintendent as appropriate to their respective grade levels.  The results of these assessments shall be compiled to form part of each district's summative report under Section 232.70.

 

1)         Each student whose results are included in the report shall have achieved an attendance rate of at least 80 percent.

 

2)         The pre-test shall be separated from the post-test by no fewer than 18 days of attendance.

 

(Source:  Amended at 39 Ill. Reg. 13484, effective September 24, 2015)

 

Section 232.60  Local Match; Use of State Funds

 

The Summer Bridges Program is typically operated in the very late portion of one fiscal year and sometimes concludes in the early weeks of the subsequent fiscal year.  The required components of each year's program (e.g., instructional materials, staff time, professional development) shall be paid for out of the later fiscal year's appropriation.

 

a)         Each district that receives funding pursuant to this Part shall be required to contribute a matching share equivalent to 20 percent of the amount awarded by the State Board of Education (ISBE).  The district's share may consist of funds, in-kind contributions, or a combination of these, provided that all amounts are related to delivery of the program (e.g., transportation expenses, janitorial services, expenditures for utilities, salary and benefits for an administrator or coordinator, or food service).

 

b)         Each district shall allocate the State funds provided for the program within the range specified in this subsection (b) unless an exception is granted as discussed in subsection (c) of this Section.

 

1)         It is expected that between 45 and 55 percent of the funds provided by ISBE will be used for salaries and benefits related to the employment of instructional and support personnel for the program.

 

2)         It is expected that approximately 20 percent of the funds provided by ISBE will be needed for supplies and materials directly related to the curriculum delivered and not otherwise readily available within the district.  Each district shall use no less than $1,000 of its grant allocation per classroom for this purpose.

 

3)         It is expected that approximately 20 percent of the funds provided to each recipient will be used for professional development of staff holding educator licensure, including paraprofessional educators, who provide instruction and instructional support in the program.  All professional development shall be delivered by providers approved for purposes of educator licensure renewal (see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25, Subpart J).

 

4)         Up to ten percent of the funds provided to each recipient may be used to offset expenses for administration or program coordination, provided that no support under this program shall be provided for personnel expenditures relative to any staff member employed on an 11- or 12-month contract with the recipient district.

 

c)         A district may expend more than 55 percent of the funds provided under this Part for personnel-related costs only if approved by the State Superintendent of Education based upon evidence of other resources that will be used to ensure the availability of the materials required under Appendix B of this Part and the provision of the professional development required under Section 232.50(f) of this Part.

 

d)         Limitations on Specific Expenditures

 

1)         Grant funds shall not be used to provide more than 130 hours' compensation for any teacher in the program.

 

2)         Grant funds shall not be used for costs associated with employing more than one support staff member (clerical or paraprofessional educator) for each four teachers in the program.

 

3)         A full-time program coordinator shall be supported only for programs enrolling at least 1,000 students.

 

4)         Grant funds may be used only to support classroom-based instruction and shall not be used for field trips or experiences.

 

5)         No food or food service expenditures shall be supported with funds provided under this Part.

 

6)         No equipment, software, or software licenses shall be purchased with funds provided under this Part.

 

(Source:  Amended at 38 Ill. Reg. 8340, effective April 1, 2014)

 

Section 232.70  Reporting Requirements

 

a)         No later than August 31, each participating district shall submit to the State Superintendent of Education a program report, in a format specified by the State Superintendent, that includes assessment data and other information relative to students' growth as a result of the program and a summary of teachers' and parents' responses to survey questions regarding the program.

 

b)         No later than September 30, each participating district shall submit to the State Superintendent a final expenditure report reflecting its use of the total amount provided and the closeout of the program.

Section 232.APPENDIX A   Curriculum and Instruction Frameworks

 

Curriculum and instruction in the Summer Bridges Program shall be based upon the balanced literacy framework whose components are displayed in this Appendix A.

 

 

Word Knowledge	Sight Vocabulary Phonemic Awareness Letter and Sound Recognition Phonics Analysis Spelling Structural Analysis Word Meaning
Fluency	Reading Speed Oral Reading Accuracy Phrasing Expression
Comprehension	Oral Language Understanding Text Structure Listening Comprehension Types of Information to "Find" in Text Organization of Information Inquiry and Study Strategies
Writing	Purposes Products Processes Audiences
Literacy-rich Environment	Engaged Reading and Writing Activities Celebration of Reading and Writing Efforts Extensive Classroom Collection of Reading Materials (wide range of high-interest fiction and non-fiction books that motivate and support reading and writing on a variety of levels) Room Designed to Support Instruction (whole-group, small-group, and individual)
Assessment	Assessment to Inform Instruction Individual and/or Group Reading Inventories Writing Rubric Reading Logs Analysis of Students' Work

 

Section 232.APPENDIX B   Required Materials for the Program

 

Each district operating the Summer Bridges Program shall select materials compatible with the curriculum and instruction frameworks displayed in Appendix A to this Part.  At least the following types and quantities of resources shall be available for students in each class, as appropriate to the respective grade levels.

 

• 40 books designed to be read aloud by students
• 12 big books*, including both fiction and informational text (and rhyme for grades through 2)
• 6 small books* for each big book
• take-home books (including one set to be used in instruction)
• 50 assorted books representing a range of reading difficulty
• tapes and tape player with books for listening centers
• mathematics manipulatives and literature

 

Additional Requirements for Pre-kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Grades 1 and 2

 

• picture, letter, and word cards
• magnetic letters
• anthology of nursery rhymes
• display boards

 

*According to publishers' or vendors' designations of children's books as "big" or "small"