(a) The State Board of Education, subject to appropriation, is authorized to award competitive grants on an annual basis under a Safe Schools and Healthy Learning Environments Grant Program. The goal of this grant program is to promote school safety and healthy learning environments by providing schools with additional resources to implement restorative interventions and resolution strategies as alternatives to exclusionary discipline, and to address the full range of students’ intellectual, social, emotional, physical, psychological, and moral developmental needs. (b) To receive a grant under this program, a school district must submit with its grant application a plan for implementing evidence-based and promising practices that are aligned with the goal of this program. The application may include proposals to (i) hire additional school support personnel, including, but not limited to, restorative justice practitioners, school psychologists, school social workers, and other mental and behavioral health specialists; (ii) use existing school-based resources, community-based resources, or other experts and practitioners to expand alternatives to exclusionary discipline, mental and behavioral health supports, wraparound services, or drug and alcohol treatment; and (iii) provide training for school staff on trauma-informed approaches to meeting students’ developmental needs, addressing the effects of toxic stress, restorative justice approaches, conflict resolution techniques, and the effective utilization of school support personnel and community-based services. For purposes of this subsection, “promising practices” means practices that present, based on preliminary information, potential for becoming evidence-based practices. Grant funds may not be used to increase the use of school-based law enforcement or security personnel. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit school districts from involving law enforcement personnel when necessary and allowed by law. (c) The State Board of Education, subject to appropriation for the grant program, shall annually disseminate a request for applications to this program, and funds shall be distributed annually. The criteria to be considered by the State Board of Education in awarding the funds shall be (i) the average ratio of school support personnel to students in the target schools over the preceding 3 school years, with priority given to applications with a demonstrated shortage of school support personnel to meet student needs; and (ii) the degree to which the proposal articulates a comprehensive approach for reducing exclusionary discipline while building safe and healthy learning environments. Priority shall be given to school districts that meet the metrics under subsection (b) of Section 2-3.162 [105 ILCS 5/2-3.162]. (d) The State Board of Education, subject to appropriation for the grant program, shall produce an annual report on the program in cooperation with the school districts participating in the program. The report shall include available quantitative information on the progress being made in reducing exclusionary discipline and the effects of the program on school safety and school climate. This report shall be posted on the State Board of Education’s website by October 31 of each year, beginning in 2020. (e) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules necessary for the implementation of this program.

(a) The General Assembly finds that the instance of youth delinquent gangs continues to rise on a statewide basis. Given the higher rates of criminal offending among gang members, as well as the availability of increasingly lethal weapons, the level of criminal activity by gang members has taken on new importance for law enforcement agencies, schools, the community, and prevention efforts. (b) As used in this Section: “Gang resistance education and training” means and includes instruction in, without limitation, each of the following subject matters when accompanied by a stated objective of reducing gang activity and educating children in grades K through 12 about the consequences of gang involvement: (1) conflict resolution; (2) cultural sensitivity; (3) personal goal setting; and (4) resisting peer pressure. (c) Each school district and non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school in this State may make suitable provisions for instruction in gang resistance education and training in all grades and include that instruction in the courses of study regularly taught in those grades. For the purposes of gang resistance education and training, a school board or the governing body of a non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school must collaborate with State and local law enforcement agencies. The State Board of Education may assist in the development of instructional materials and teacher training in relation to gang resistance education and training.

The State Board of Education shall monitor and provide technical support for the implementation of policies created under this subsection (d).

(a) The Illinois State Board of Education shall develop and implement a plan to incorporate social and emotional development Standard as part of the Illinois Learning Standard for the purpose of enhancing and measuring children’s school readiness and ability to achieve academic success. The plan shall be submitted to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Partnership by December 31, 2004. (b) Every Illinois school district shall develop a policy for incorporating social and emotional development into the district’s educational program. The policy shall address teaching and assessing social and emotional skills and protocols for responding to children with social, emotional, or mental health problems, or a combination of such problems, that impact learning ability. School social workers may implement a continuum of social and emotional education programs and services in accordance with students’ needs. Each district must submit this policy to the Illinois State Board of Education by August 31, 2004.

(a) The State of Illinois shall develop a Children’s Mental Health Plan containing short-term and long-term recommendations to provide comprehensive, coordinated mental health prevention, early intervention, and treatment services for children from birth through age 18. This Plan shall include but not be limited to: (2) Guidelines for incorporating social and emotional development into school learning Standard and educational programs, pursuant to Section 15 of this Act [405 ILCS 49/15].

(c) The Attendance Commission shall identify strategies, mechanisms, and approaches to help parents, educators, principals, superintendents, and the State Board of Education address and prevent chronic absenteeism and shall recommend to the General Assembly and State Board of Education:

• (1) a standard for attendance and chronic absenteeism, defining attendance as a calculation of standard clock hours in a day that equal a full day based on instructional minutes for both a half day and a full day per learning environment;
• (2) mechanisms to improve data systems to monitor and track chronic absenteeism across this State in a way that identifies trends from prekindergarten through grade 12 and allows the identification of students who need individualized chronic absenteeism prevention plans;
• (3) mechanisms for reporting and accountability for schools and districts across this State, including creating multiple measure indexes for reporting;
• (4) best practices for utilizing attendance and chronic absenteeism data to create multi-tiered systems of support and prevention that will result in students being ready for college and career; and
• (5) new initiatives and responses to ongoing challenges presented by chronic absenteeism.

(d) The State Board of Education shall provide administrative support to the Commission. The Attendance Commission shall submit an initial report to the General Assembly and the State Board of Education no later than March 15, 2016. The Attendance Commission shall submit an annual report to the General Assembly and the State Board of Education no later than December 15, 2016 and each December 15 thereafter.

(e) The Attendance Commission is abolished and this Section is repealed on December 16, 2020.

Framework addresses effective practices to promote positive social emotional climate in schools.

Document addresses use of the Response to Intervention framework to promote positive social emotional climate in schools.

Document addresses model for equitable discipline practices to prevent school violence, reduce exclusionary discipline, and build a positive school climate.