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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 Section
5 26-20 as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/26-20 new)
7 Sec. 26-20. The Chronic Absence Task Force.
8 (a) The Chronic Absence Task Force is created within the
9 State Board of Education to study the impact of the COVID-19
10 pandemic on chronic absence and to support the development of
11 a State strategy to address the ongoing challenges presented
12 by chronic absenteeism for students in early childhood
13 education and care programs and students in grades
14 kindergarten through 12.
15 (b) The Task Force shall consist of the following members:
16 (1) the Director of Children and Family Services or
17 his or her designee;
18 (2) the Chairperson of the State Board of Education or
19 his or her designee;
20 (3) the Chairperson of the Board of Higher Education
21 or his or her designee;
22 (4) the Secretary of Human Services or his or her
23 designee;
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1 (5) the Secretary of Early Childhood or his or her
2 designee;
3 (6) the Director of Public Health or his or her
4 designee;
5 (7) the Chairperson of the Illinois Community College
6 Board or his or her designee; and
7 (8) the following persons, each appointed by the State
8 Superintendent of Education:
9 (A) one expert in children's disabilities,
10 impairments, and social-emotional issues;
11 (B) 3 educators who (i) are either teachers or
12 school support personnel and (ii) are currently
13 employed in a public school or early learning center
14 in this State;
15 (C) one member who represents a non-profit
16 organization that advocates for students in temporary
17 living situations;
18 (D) one member who represents a non-profit
19 organization that advocates for the well-being of all
20 children and families in this State;
21 (E) one member who represents a State non-profit
22 organization that conducts community organizing around
23 family issues;
24 (F) 2 members who each represent separate
25 statewide professional teachers' organizations;
26 (G) one member who represents a professional
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1 teachers' organization in a city having a population
2 exceeding 500,000;
3 (H) one member who represents an association for
4 school administrators;
5 (I) one member who represents an association for
6 school board members;
7 (J) one member who represents an association for
8 school principals;
9 (K) one member who represents an association for
10 regional superintendents of schools;
11 (L) one member who represents an association for
12 parents;
13 (M) one member who represents an association for
14 high school districts;
15 (N) one member who represents an association for
16 large unit districts;
17 (O) one member who represents an organization that
18 advocates for healthier school environments in this
19 State;
20 (P) one member who represents an organization that
21 advocates for the health and safety of youth and
22 families in this State by providing capacity-building
23 services;
24 (Q) one member who represents a statewide
25 association of local philanthropic organizations that
26 advocates for effective educational, health, and human
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1 service policies to improve this State's communities;
2 (R) one member who represents a statewide
3 organization that advocates for partnerships among
4 schools, families, and the community and that, using a
5 school as a hub, provides access to support and
6 removes barriers to learning and development;
7 (S) one member who represents an organization for
8 charter schools in this State; and
9 (T) one member who represents an organization for
10 statewide programs actively involved in truancy
11 intervention.
12 (c) Task Force members shall serve without compensation
13 and shall, subject to the rules of the appropriate travel
14 control board, be reimbursed for any travel expenses from
15 appropriations to the State Board of Education available for
16 that purpose.
17 (d) The Task Force shall meet initially at the call of the
18 State Superintendent of Education. The members shall elect a
19 chairperson at the initial meeting of the Task Force. For
20 every meeting after the initial meeting, the Task Force shall
21 meet at the call of the chairperson.
22 (e) The State Board of Education shall provide
23 administrative support to the Task Force.
24 (f) The Task Force shall hold hearings on a periodic basis
25 to receive testimony from the public regarding the chronic
26 absence of students.
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1 (g) The Task Force shall identify strategies, mechanisms,
2 and approaches to help families, educators, principals,
3 superintendents, and the State Board of Education address and
4 mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the chronic
5 absence of students in early childhood education and care
6 programs and students in grades kindergarten through 12 and
7 shall recommend the following to the General Assembly and the
8 State Board of Education:
9 (1) a coherent State strategy for addressing the high
10 rates of chronic absenteeism in this State;
11 (2) State goals for a reduction in chronic
12 absenteeism;
13 (3) recommendations related to current State Board of
14 Education policies regarding chronic absence, truancy, and
15 attendance;
16 (4) State policies or initiatives to be established in
17 order to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on chronic
18 absenteeism; and
19 (5) evidence-based practices for using attendance and
20 chronic absenteeism data to create a multi-tiered system
21 of support that promotes ongoing professional development
22 and equips school-based and community-based personnel with
23 the skills and knowledge necessary to reduce contributing
24 factors to chronic absenteeism in early childhood
25 education and care programs and elementary and secondary
26 schools, which will result in students being ready for
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1 college and a career.
2 (h) The Task Force shall submit an annual report to the
3 General Assembly and the State Board of Education no later
4 than December 15 of each year.
5 (i) The Task Force is dissolved and this Section is
6 repealed on December 16, 2027.
7 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
8 becoming law.
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