103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1579 Introduced 2/8/2023, by Sen. Adriane Johnson SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new105 ILCS 5/27-20.4a new Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of pre-Columbian Native American societies and the contemporary life of Native American societies. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the history of Native Americans during and after the American Revolution, including studying their relationships with settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the contributions of Native Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the geography and culture of West African societies, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and manners in which cultural traditions persevered despite societal oppression. Requires schools to have guidance counselors available during this instruction. Sets forth requirements for these units of instruction regarding instructional material, instructional time, and compliance. Provides that a school may provide these units of instruction through an online program or course. LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1579 Introduced 2/8/2023, by Sen. Adriane Johnson SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new105 ILCS 5/27-20.4a new 105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new 105 ILCS 5/27-20.4a new Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of pre-Columbian Native American societies and the contemporary life of Native American societies. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the history of Native Americans during and after the American Revolution, including studying their relationships with settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the contributions of Native Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the geography and culture of West African societies, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and manners in which cultural traditions persevered despite societal oppression. Requires schools to have guidance counselors available during this instruction. Sets forth requirements for these units of instruction regarding instructional material, instructional time, and compliance. Provides that a school may provide these units of instruction through an online program or course. LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1579 Introduced 2/8/2023, by Sen. Adriane Johnson SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new105 ILCS 5/27-20.4a new 105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new 105 ILCS 5/27-20.4a new 105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new 105 ILCS 5/27-20.4a new Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of pre-Columbian Native American societies and the contemporary life of Native American societies. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the history of Native Americans during and after the American Revolution, including studying their relationships with settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the contributions of Native Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the geography and culture of West African societies, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and manners in which cultural traditions persevered despite societal oppression. Requires schools to have guidance counselors available during this instruction. Sets forth requirements for these units of instruction regarding instructional material, instructional time, and compliance. Provides that a school may provide these units of instruction through an online program or course. LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY A BILL FOR SB1579LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b SB1579 LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b SB1579 LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 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 adding Sections 5 27-20.05 and 27-20.4a as follows: 6 (105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new) 7 Sec. 27-20.05. Study of Native Americans. 8 (a) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public 9 elementary school and high school shall include in its 10 curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of 11 pre-Columbian Native American societies, including, but not 12 limited to, the Pueblo, Adena, Hopewell, Mississippian, and 13 Clovis cultures. This instruction shall further be 14 supplemented by education concerning the contemporary life of 15 Native American societies, including, but not limited to, the 16 Navajo, Cherokee, Lakota-Sioux, Tlingit, and Yupik, and the 17 cultural traditions and customs of Native American societies, 18 such as their beliefs, traditions, geography, and language. 19 The studying of this material shall constitute an affirmation 20 by students to understand the foundations of the land in which 21 they live and to restore history previously lost. 22 (b) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public 23 elementary school and high school shall include in its 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB1579 Introduced 2/8/2023, by Sen. Adriane Johnson SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new105 ILCS 5/27-20.4a new 105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new 105 ILCS 5/27-20.4a new 105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new 105 ILCS 5/27-20.4a new Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of pre-Columbian Native American societies and the contemporary life of Native American societies. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the history of Native Americans during and after the American Revolution, including studying their relationships with settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the contributions of Native Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the geography and culture of West African societies, the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and manners in which cultural traditions persevered despite societal oppression. Requires schools to have guidance counselors available during this instruction. Sets forth requirements for these units of instruction regarding instructional material, instructional time, and compliance. Provides that a school may provide these units of instruction through an online program or course. LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY A BILL FOR 105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new 105 ILCS 5/27-20.4a new LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY SB1579 LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b SB1579- 2 -LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b SB1579 - 2 - LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b SB1579 - 2 - LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b 1 curriculum a unit of instruction studying the history of 2 Native Americans during and after the American Revolution, 3 including studying their relationships with settlers in the 4 18th and 19th centuries, as well as the contributions of 5 Native Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and 6 political development of the United States. These 7 contributions shall include those made to advance civil rights 8 both in the Midwest and across the United States in the 19th 9 and 20th centuries. The study of this material shall 10 constitute an affirmation by students of their commitment to 11 respect the dignity of all races and peoples and to forever 12 eschew every form of discrimination in their lives and 13 careers. 14 (c) The State Board of Education shall develop a 15 curriculum under this Section that is historically accurate 16 through collaboration with federally recognized Native 17 American tribes in which any individual who is a verified 18 member of one of those tribes may collaborate with the State 19 Board in the development of the curriculum. 20 (d) The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and 21 make available to all school boards instructional materials, 22 including those established by the Public Broadcasting 23 Service, that may be used as guidelines for development of the 24 units of instruction under this Section. However, each school 25 board shall itself determine the minimum amount of 26 instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction SB1579 - 2 - LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b SB1579- 3 -LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b SB1579 - 3 - LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b SB1579 - 3 - LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b 1 satisfying the requirements of this Section. 2 (e) The regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a 3 school district's compliance with this Section's curricular 4 requirements during the regional superintendent's annual 5 compliance visit. 6 (f) A school may meet the requirements of this Section 7 through an online program or course. 8 (105 ILCS 5/27-20.4a new) 9 Sec. 27-20.4a. West African history study. 10 (a) In addition to the unit of instruction under Section 11 27-20.4, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every 12 public elementary school and high school shall include in its 13 curriculum a unit of instruction studying the geography and 14 culture of West African societies, including, but not limited 15 to, the Igbo, Yoruba, Mende, Wolof, and Hausa. This 16 instruction shall further be supplemented by education 17 concerning the trans-Atlantic slave trade and manners in which 18 cultural traditions persevered despite societal oppression. 19 (b) The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and 20 make available to all school boards instructional materials, 21 including those established by the Public Broadcasting 22 Service, that may be used as guidelines for development of a 23 unit of instruction under this Section. However, each school 24 board shall itself determine the minimum amount of 25 instructional time that qualifies as a unit of instruction SB1579 - 3 - LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b SB1579- 4 -LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b SB1579 - 4 - LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b SB1579 - 4 - LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b 1 satisfying the requirements of this Section. 2 (c) In order to assist students in coping with the trauma 3 of generational separation and enslavement, all schools must 4 have guidance counselors available during the instruction 5 under this Section. 6 (d) The regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a 7 school district's compliance with this Section's curricular 8 requirements during the regional superintendent's annual 9 compliance visit. 10 (e) A school may meet the requirements of this Section 11 through an online program or course. SB1579 - 4 - LRB103 26901 RJT 53265 b