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1 AN ACT concerning education.


2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3represented in the General Assembly:



4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section 
52-3.163 as follows:

6 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.163 new)
7 Sec. 2-3.163. Attendance Commission.
8 (a) The Attendance Commission is created within the State 
9Board of Education to study the issue of chronic absenteeism in 
10this State and make recommendations for strategies to prevent 
11chronic absenteeism. The Commission shall consist of all of the 
12following members:
13  (1) The Director of the Department of Children and 
14 Family Services or his or her designee.
15  (2) The Chairperson of the State Board of Education or 
16 his or her designee.
17  (3) The Chairperson of the Board of Higher Education or 
18 his or her designee.
19  (4) The Secretary of the Department of Human Services 
20 or his or her designee.
21  (5) The Director of the Department of Public Health or 
22 his or her designee.
23  (6) The Chairperson of the Illinois Community College 
 
 
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1 Board or his or her designee.
2  (7) The Chairperson of the State Charter School 
3 Commission or his or her designee.
4  (8) An individual that deals with children's 
5 disabilities, impairments, and social emotional issues, 
6 appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
7  (9) One member from each of the following 
8 organizations, appointed by the State Superintendent of 
9 Education:
10   (A) A non-profit organization that advocates for 
11 students in temporary living situations.
12   (B) An Illinois-focused, non-profit organization 
13 that advocates for the well-being of all children and 
14 families in this State.
15   (C) An Illinois non-profit, anti-crime 
16 organization of law enforcement that researches and 
17 recommends early learning and youth development 
18 strategies to reduce crime.
19   (D) An Illinois non-profit organization that 
20 conducts community-organizing around family issues.
21   (E) A statewide professional teachers' 
22 organization.
23   (F) A different statewide professional teachers' 
24 organization.
25   (G) A professional teachers' organization in a 
26 city having a population exceeding 500,000.
 
 
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1   (H) An association representing school 
2 administrators.
3   (I) An association representing school board 
4 members.
5   (J) An association representing school principals.
6   (K) An association representing regional 
7 superintendents of schools.
8   (L) An association representing parents.
9   (M) An association representing high school 
10 districts.
11   (N) An association representing large unit 
12 districts.
13   (O) An organization that advocates for healthier 
14 school environments in Illinois.
15   (P) An organization that advocates for the health 
16 and safety of Illinois youth and families by providing 
17 capacity building services. 
18 Attendance Commission members shall serve without 
19compensation but shall be reimbursed for their travel expenses 
20from appropriations to the State Board of Education available 
21for that purpose and subject to the rules of the appropriate 
22travel control board.
23 (b) The Attendance Commission shall meet initially at the 
24call of the State Superintendent of Education. The members 
25shall elect a chairperson at their initial meeting. Thereafter, 
26the Attendance Commission shall meet at the call of the 
 
 
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1chairperson. The Attendance Commission shall hold hearings on a 
2periodic basis to receive testimony from the public regarding 
3attendance.
4 (c) The Attendance Commission shall identify strategies, 
5mechanisms, and approaches to help parents, educators, 
6principals, superintendents, and the State Board of Education 
7address and prevent chronic absenteeism and shall recommend to 
8the General Assembly and State Board of Education:
9  (1) a standard for attendance and chronic absenteeism, 
10 defining attendance as a calculation of standard clock 
11 hours in a day that equal a full day based on instructional 
12 minutes for both a half day and a full day per learning 
13 environment;
14  (2) mechanisms to improve data systems to monitor and 
15 track chronic absenteeism across this State in a way that 
16 identifies trends from prekindergarten through grade 12 
17 and allows the identification of students who need 
18 individualized chronic absenteeism prevention plans;
19  (3) mechanisms for reporting and accountability for 
20 schools and districts across this State, including 
21 creating multiple measure indexes for reporting;
22  (4) best practices for utilizing attendance and 
23 chronic absenteeism data to create multi-tiered systems of 
24 support and prevention that will result in students being 
25 ready for college and career; and
26  (5) new initiatives and responses to ongoing 
 
 
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1 challenges presented by chronic absenteeism.
2 (d) The State Board of Education shall provide 
3administrative support to the Commission. The Attendance 
4Commission shall submit an annual report to the General 
5Assembly and the State Board of Education no later than 
6December 15 of each year.
7 (e) The Attendance Commission is abolished and this Section 
8is repealed on December 16, 2020.


9 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
10becoming law.