95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB4707


 
Introduced , by Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 		













105 ILCS 5/2-3.71
  from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71







    Amends the School Code.  Makes a technical change in a Section concerning
grants for preschool education programs.
















LRB095 15944 RAS 41954 b

















 


 


A BILL FOR









 











HB4707

LRB095 15944 RAS 41954 b






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 School Code is amended by changing Section 
5
2-3.71 as follows:
 



6
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.71)  (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.71)



7
    Sec. 2-3.71. Grants for preschool educational  programs.

8
    (a) Preschool program.


9
        (1) The
The State Board of Education shall implement 
10
    and administer
a grant program under the provisions of this 
11
    subsection  which shall
consist of grants to public school 
12
    districts and other eligible entities, as defined by the 
13
    State Board of Education, to conduct voluntary
preschool

14
    educational programs for children ages 3 to 5 which include 
15
    a parent
education component. A public school district 
16
    which receives grants under
this subsection may 
17
    subcontract with other entities that are eligible to 
18
    conduct a preschool educational
program. These grants must 
19
    be used to supplement, not supplant, funds received from 
20
    any other source.

21
        (2) (Blank).


22
        (3) Any teacher of preschool children in the program 
23
    authorized by this
subsection shall hold an early childhood 
 


 






HB4707
- 2 -
LRB095 15944 RAS 41954 b




1
    teaching certificate.


2
        (4) This paragraph (4) applies before July 1, 2006 and 
3
    after June 30, 2008. The State Board of Education shall 
4
    provide the primary source of
funding through 
5
    appropriations for the program.
Such funds shall be 
6
    distributed for the benefit
of children who because of 
7
    their home and community environment are subject
to such 
8
    language, cultural, economic and like disadvantages that 
9
    they have
been determined as a result of screening 
10
    procedures to be at risk of
academic failure.  Such 
11
    screening procedures shall be based on criteria

12
    established by the State Board of Education.


13
        (4.5) This paragraph (4.5) applies from July 1, 2006 
14
    through June 30, 2008.  The State Board of Education shall 
15
    provide the primary source of
funding through 
16
    appropriations for the program.
Such funds shall be 
17
    distributed to achieve a goal of "Preschool for All 
18
    Children" for the benefit
of all children whose families 
19
    choose to participate in the program.  Based on available 
20
    appropriations, newly funded programs shall be selected 
21
    through a process giving first priority to qualified 
22
    programs serving primarily at-risk children and second 
23
    priority to qualified programs serving primarily children 
24
    with a family income of less than 4 times the poverty 
25
    guidelines updated periodically in the Federal Register by 
26
    the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the 
 


 






HB4707
- 3 -
LRB095 15944 RAS 41954 b




1
    authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2).  For purposes of this 
2
    paragraph (4.5), at-risk children are those who because of 
3
    their home and community environment are subject
to such 
4
    language, cultural, economic and like disadvantages to 
5
    cause them to have
been determined as a result of screening 
6
    procedures to be at risk of
academic failure.  Such 
7
    screening procedures shall be based on criteria

8
    established by the State Board of Education.
9
        On or before November 1 of each fiscal year in which 
10
    the General Assembly provides funding for new programs 
11
    under this paragraph (4.5), the State Board of Education 
12
    shall report to the General Assembly on what percentage of 
13
    new funding was provided to programs serving primarily 
14
    at-risk children, what percentage of new funding was 
15
    provided to programs serving primarily children with a 
16
    family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty 
17
    level, and what percentage of new funding was provided to 
18
    other programs.


19
        (5) The State Board of Education shall develop and 
20
    provide
 evaluation tools, including tests, that school 
21
    districts and other eligible entities may use to

evaluate 
22
    children for school readiness prior to age 5.  The State 
23
    Board of
Education shall require school districts and other 
24
    eligible entities
to obtain consent from the parents
or 
25
    guardians of children before any evaluations are 
26
    conducted.  The State
Board of Education shall encourage 
 


 






HB4707
- 4 -
LRB095 15944 RAS 41954 b




1
    local school districts and other eligible entities to 
2
    evaluate the
population of preschool children in their 
3
    communities and provide preschool
programs, pursuant to 
4
    this subsection, where appropriate.


5
        (6) The State Board of Education shall report to the 
6
    General Assembly by
July 1, 2007 and every
3 years 
7
    thereafter on the results and progress of
students who were 
8
    enrolled in preschool educational programs, including an

9
    assessment of which programs have been most successful in 
10
    promoting
academic excellence and alleviating academic 
11
    failure.  The State Board of
Education shall assess the 
12
    academic progress of all students who have been
enrolled in 
13
    preschool educational programs.

14
    (b) (Blank).

15
(Source: P.A. 94-506, eff. 8-8-05; 94-1054, eff. 7-25-06.)