Bill Text: IL SB2244 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. With respect to the Reading Improvement Block Grant Program, removes language that provides that the State Board of Education may distribute an amount not to exceed 2% of the moneys appropriated for the Program for the purpose of providing teacher training and re-training in the teaching of reading. Provides that if the appropriation for the Program for a given fiscal year is less than $15,000,000, then the State Board shall limit eligibility to certain school districts and shall impose additional eligibility criteria to limit the number of approved applicants to a cohort sufficient for each selected district to provide adequate training and ongoing coaching support to each teacher of students in grades K through 2 and special education teachers and evidence-based curriculum investments. Removes language that provides that programs provided with grant funds shall not replace quality classroom reading instruction. Provides that Program funds may be used for grades K through 6 to provide both evidence-based, high-quality core literacy curriculum materials that consider the unique needs of English learners for concurrent oral language practice and high-quality screening assessments designed to inform instruction in English language arts and literacy for students (instead of classroom reading materials for students). Sets forth other provisions concerning if the appropriation is less than $15,000,000 or is at least $15,000,000.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2023-03-10 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB2244 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB2244-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2244 Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/2-3.51 from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.51
Amends the School Code. With respect to the Reading Improvement Block Grant Program, removes language that provides that the State Board of Education may distribute an amount not to exceed 2% of the moneys appropriated for the Program for the purpose of providing teacher training and re-training in the teaching of reading. Provides that if the appropriation for the Program for a given fiscal year is less than $15,000,000, then the State Board shall limit eligibility to certain school districts and shall impose additional eligibility criteria to limit the number of approved applicants to a cohort sufficient for each selected district to provide adequate training and ongoing coaching support to each teacher of students in grades K through 2 and special education teachers and evidence-based curriculum investments. Removes language that provides that programs provided with grant funds shall not replace quality classroom reading instruction. Provides that Program funds may be used for grades K through 6 to provide both evidence-based, high-quality core literacy curriculum materials that consider the unique needs of English learners for concurrent oral language practice and high-quality screening assessments designed to inform instruction in English language arts and literacy for students (instead of classroom reading materials for students). Sets forth other provisions concerning if the appropriation is less than $15,000,000 or is at least $15,000,000.
LRB103 25645 RJT 51994 b
A BILL FOR
SB2244 LRB103 25645 RJT 51994 b
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
2-3.51 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.51) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.51)
Sec. 2-3.51. Reading Improvement Block Grant Program. To
improve the reading and study skills of children from
kindergarten through sixth grade in school districts. The
State Board of Education is authorized to administer a Reading
Improvement Block Grant Program. As used in this Section:
"School district" includes those schools designated as
"laboratory schools".
"Scientifically based reading research" means the
application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures
to obtain valid knowledge relevant to reading development,
reading instruction, and reading difficulties. The term
includes research that employs systematic, empirical methods
that draw on observation or experiment, involves rigorous data
analysis that is adequate to test the stated hypotheses and to
justify the general conclusions drawn, relies on measurements
or observational methods that provide valid data across
evaluators and observers and across multiple measurements and

SB2244 - 2 - LRB103 25645 RJT 51994 b
observations, and has been accepted by peer-reviewed journal
or approved by a panel of independent experts through a
comparably rigorous, objective and scientific review.
(a) Funds for the Reading Improvement Block Grant Program
shall be distributed to school districts on the following
basis: 70% of monies shall be awarded on the prior year's best
3 months average daily attendance and 30% shall be distributed
on the number of economically disadvantaged (E.C.I.A. Chapter
I) pupils in the district, provided that the State Board may
distribute an amount not to exceed 2% of the monies
appropriated for the Reading Improvement Block Grant Program
for the purpose of providing teacher training and re-training
in the teaching of reading. Program funds shall be distributed
to school districts in 2 semi-annual installments, one payment
on or before October 30, and one payment prior to April 30, of
each year. The State Board shall promulgate rules and
regulations necessary for the implementation of this program.
If the appropriation for the Reading Improvement Block
Grant Program for a given fiscal year is less than
$15,000,000, then the State Board shall limit eligibility to
school districts that have been placed in Tier 1 or Tier 2
pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (g) of Section 18-8.15
of this Code and shall impose additional eligibility criteria
to limit the number of approved applicants to a cohort
sufficient for each selected district to provide adequate
training and ongoing coaching support to each teacher of

SB2244 - 3 - LRB103 25645 RJT 51994 b
students in kindergarten through grade 2 and special education
teachers and evidence-based curriculum investments. Programs
provided with grant funds shall not replace quality classroom
reading instruction, but shall instead supplement such
instruction.
(a-5) Reading Improvement Block Grant Program funds shall
be used by school districts in the following manner:
(1) to hire reading specialists, reading teachers, and
reading aides in order to provide early reading
intervention in kindergarten through grade 2 and programs
of continued reading support for students in grades 3
through 6;
(2) in kindergarten through grade 2, to establish
short-term tutorial early reading intervention programs
for children who are at risk of failing to learn to read;
these programs shall (i) focus on scientifically based
research and best practices with proven long-term results,
(ii) identify students in need of help no later than the
middle of first grade, (iii) provide ongoing training for
teachers in the program, (iv) focus instruction on
strengthening a student's phonemic awareness, phonics,
fluency, and comprehension skills, (v) provide a means to
document and evaluate student growth, and (vi) provide
properly trained staff;
(3) to continue direct reading instruction for grades
3 through 6;

SB2244 - 4 - LRB103 25645 RJT 51994 b
(4) in grades 3 through 6, to establish programs of
support for students who demonstrate a need for continued
assistance in learning to read and in maintaining reading
achievement; these programs shall (i) focus on
scientifically based research and best practices with
proven long-term results, (ii) provide ongoing training
for teachers and other staff members in the program, (iii)
focus instruction on strengthening a student's phonics,
fluency, and comprehension skills in grades 3 through 6,
(iv) provide a means to evaluate and document student
growth, and (v) provide properly trained staff;
(5) in grades K through 6, to provide both
evidence-based, high-quality core literacy curriculum
materials that consider the unique needs of English
learners for concurrent oral language practice and
high-quality screening assessments designed to inform
instruction in English language arts and literacy
classroom reading materials for students; each district
may allocate up to 25% of the funds for this purpose; and
(6) to provide a long-term professional development
program for classroom teachers, administrators, and other
appropriate staff; the program shall (i) focus on
scientifically based research and best practices with
proven long-term results, (ii) provide a means to evaluate
student progress in reading as a result of the training,
(iii) and be provided by approved staff development

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providers.
If the appropriation for the Reading Improvement Block
Grant Program for a given fiscal year is less than
$15,000,000, then grant recipients shall prioritize
evidence-based curricula and materials, training, and ongoing
coaching support for kindergarten through grade 3 teachers and
special education teachers.
(a-10) If the appropriation for the Reading Improvement
Block Grant Program for a given fiscal year is at least
$15,000,000, then Reading Improvement Block Grant Program
funds shall be made available to each eligible school district
submitting an approved application developed by the State
Board beginning with the 1998-99 school year. Applications
shall include a proposed assessment method or methods for
measuring the reading growth of students who receive direct
instruction as a result of the funding and the impact of staff
development activities on student growth in reading. Such
methods may include the reading portion of the assessments
required under Section 2-3.64a-5 of this Code. At the end of
each school year the district shall report performance of
progress results to the State Board. Districts not
demonstrating performance progress using an approved
assessment method shall not be eligible for funding in the
third or subsequent years until such progress is established.
If the appropriation for the Reading Improvement Block
Grant Program for a given fiscal year is less than

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$15,000,000, then the State Board may establish additional
eligibility criteria and shall select a cohort of school
districts that have been placed in Tier 1 or Tier 2 pursuant to
paragraph (3) of subsection (g) of Section 18-8.15 of this
Code to participate.
(a-15) The State Superintendent of Education, in
cooperation with the school districts participating in the
program, shall annually report to the leadership of the
General Assembly on the results of the Reading Improvement
Block Grant Program and the progress being made on improving
the reading skills of students in kindergarten through the
sixth grade.
(b) (Blank).
(c) (Blank).
(d) Grants under the Reading Improvement Block Grant
Program shall be awarded provided there is an appropriation
for the program, and funding levels for each district shall be
prorated according to the amount of the appropriation for any
fiscal year in which at least $15,000,000 has been
appropriated.
(e) (Blank).
(f) (Blank).
(Source: P.A. 98-972, eff. 8-15-14.)