Hurry!!! Register Now for the Third Annual Coalition High School Conference

The third annual High School Conference sponsored by the Coalition for Illinois High Schools is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, June 16-17, 2008 at the Doubletree Hotel in Bloomington, Illinois. The theme of the conference is Leadership and Learning: Connecting the Dots, and will feature Doug Reeves and Deborah Pickering as keynote presenters. Program and registration information is now available at http://www.ilprincipals.org/pages/special_events.html.

2008 ISAT and IAA Scores Posted in IWAS SIS

The ISAT and IAA scores were posted in IWAS SIS on Monday, June 2. All corrections need to be made and submitted by 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 19. There will be no extensions.  Please review your data for any errors or omissions and make sure you examine both Summary and Detail Assessment Score Reports for errors and missing students.  If you require technical assistance, please contact the Call Center at 217-558-3600 during business hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.

AYP Status Reports for Elementary and Middles Schools are Now Available in IWAS

The 2008 School AYP Status Report is now available in IWAS for those elementary and middle schools that have completed their E-Report Card data. This report should be considered final unless schools request rescoring or make further corrections related to AYP data elements. These Reports will be generated on a daily basis as schools complete their E-Report Card data.

Continuing Grant Applications Now Available

If your school district was awarded a grant in FY2007 for the programs listed below, it is time to submit a continuing application.  The first three grant applications are due by Sunday, June 15.

• FY09 Class Size Reduction Pilot Project for students in grades K-3;

• FY 09 Reading Improvement Block Grant;

• FY09 Reading Intervention Professional Development to Support Response to Intervention K-6 Reading Improvement Block Grant (also known as the Anna Plan);

• FY09 Learn and Serve due Tuesday, July 1; and

• NEW  FY09 School Technology Revolving Loan Program for grades 9-12.  Applications are available Sunday, June 1 through Monday, December 1, 2008.  Awards will be made on Monday, December 15, 2008, and are given on a first come, first serve basis contingent on available appropriations. 

To learn more go to: http://www.isbe.net/curriculum/elearning/html/revolving_loan.htm.

Driver Education Changes Effective July 1

Effective July 1, all driver education programs will experience significant changes per PA 95-0310.  The most important change per the new law requires that all six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction must be taught in a dual-control vehicle under the direct instruction by an ISBE-certified driving instructor on public roadways. 

The use of driving simulators, multiple-car instruction and range practice can only be used in addition to the required hours of instruction; therefore, those practice methods cannot be counted toward the required six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction. 

PLEASE NOTE:  Students who complete behind-the-wheel instruction prior to July 1 will still be allowed to count simulator, multiple-car instruction and range practice as part of the required six hours of instruction.  Students who complete behind-the-wheel instruction after July 1 -- even if that instruction began before July 1 -- must demonstrate that all six hours were completed in a dual-control vehicle under the direct individual instruction by a certified driving instructor on public roadways. 

Another significant change of the new law is the elimination of district policies that allowed students to take a proficiency test after three hours of behind-the-wheel instruction in order to not complete the remaining three hours.  All students must complete a minimum of 30 hours of classroom and six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction as set forth in Section 27-23 of the School Code.

As a reminder, the Secretary of State (SOS) promulgated a rule that defines “enrollment” for the purposes of issuing instruction permits.  Those rules became permanent Friday, April 4, 2008, and prohibit issuing a permit to a student more than 30 days before the student begins participation in an approved driver education course.  To review the SOS’s rule, please see Sections 1030.65(a) and (f) of rules governing the Issuance of Licenses (92 Ill. Adm. Code 1030.65(a) and (f) – http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/092/092010300000650R.html).

In addition, the restriction on when a permit may be provided to a student will be reinforced in State Board of Education rules (Part 252) that are expected to take effect later this summer (see)
http://www.isbe.net/rules/proposed/default.htm.

Driver Education Instruction Permit Update

Section 6-103(1) of the Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/6-103(1)) provides that an instruction permit may be issued to a child “who is not less than 15 years of age if the child is enrolled in an approved driver education course.” 

Effective January 2, 2008, the Secretary of State (SOS) promulgated emergency rules to define “enrollment” for the purposes of issuing instruction permits.  Those rules became permanent Friday, April 4, and prohibit issuing a permit to a student more than 30 days before the student begins participation in an approved driver education course.  To review the SOS’s rule, please see Sections 1030.65(a) and (f) of rules governing the Issuance of Licenses (92 Ill. Adm. Code 1030.65(a) and (f) – http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/092/092010300000650R.html).

In addition, the restriction on when a permit may be provided to a student will be reinforced in State Board of Education rules (Part 252) that are expected to take effect later this summer (see)
http://www.isbe.net/rules/proposed/default.htm.  

While State Board of Education rules are not yet in effect, school districts and others offering approved driver education courses have been prohibited since January 2 from issuing permits to students participating in such programs sooner than 30 days before the start of the course.  As a reminder:

• Some school districts may be exploring methods to get instruction permits to students earlier to allow for completion of the nine-month practice driving period before a driver’s license can be issued.

• School officials should keep in mind that an approved driver education course must include a minimum of 30 hours of classroom and six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction as set forth in the law. 

• Other shortened or abbreviated instruction provided to students in order to issue the permit before the 30-day period will not substitute for the approved driver education course. 

• School officials are advised to carefully review the law and Part 252, as well as work with staff in the Funding and Disbursements Services Division, before implementing any alternative instructional programs to ensure those programs constitute an approved driver education course.

Requirements for driver education courses can be found in Sections 27-23 and 27-24 through 27-24.8 of the School Code and in rules governing Driver Education (Part 252).  For questions contact Lisa Willhoit, Division of Funding and Disbursement Services, at 217-782-5256 or by e-mail at lwillhoi@isbe.net.

Poetry Out Loud Looks for Participating Schools

The Illinois Arts Council invites all Illinois high schools to participate in the 2009 Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, a free national program created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

Poetry Out Loud encourages youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. Teachers from throughout the country have found this program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary heritage. In 2008, an estimated 200,000 high school students competed in classrooms nationwide with more than $100,000 in prizes awarded to students and schools at the state and national levels.

Poetry Out Loud curriculum materials include print and online poetry anthologies, a teacher’s guide to help instructors teach recitation and performance, an audio CD featuring distinguished actors and writers, promotional and media guides, and a comprehensive website. Hard copies of all materials are free for schools participating in the official program. All curriculum materials and further detail regarding the program are available for download on the Poetry Out Loud website: www.poetryoutloud.org .

Poetry Out Loud materials will be sent to high schools in early fall of 2008, and participating schools will run the program through late fall or early winter. (The program requires only two or three weeks of class time.)

Illinois will hold the state final by March 17, 2009. Following the state finals, the national finals and semifinals will be held in Washington, D.C., toward the end of April 2009.

Teachers: Click on this link to express your interest in Illinois' Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest for the 2008-2009 academic year: Poetry Out Loud 2008-2009: Illinois

Jobs For The Future Report

A report from Jobs for the Future (JFF) calls on states to pursue a “dual agenda” that would ensure not only that more students graduate from high school, but also that they are prepared to succeed in college. However, the report also notes that neither the federal government nor state governments have a blueprint on how to achieve that goal; as a result, most states have yet to act. In an effort to fill this void, Raising Graduation Rates in an Era of High Standards: Five Commitments for State Action provides state policymakers with a framework to help all students graduate from and succeed beyond high school and highlights states that are successfully raising standards and graduation rates.

The report also provides a framework for high school improvement and dropout reduction that is organized around the five commitments and based on national and state research and the experiences of pioneering states, school districts, and best-in-class programs. Some state-level programs that are highlighted in the report include North Carolina’s “Learn and Earn” Schools initiative, which allows high school students to earn a high school diploma and up to two years of tuition-free college credit, and Louisiana’s Graduation Index, which creates incentives for high schools to keep students enrolled until they graduate and provide a rigorous curriculum through their senior year.  The complete report is available at http://jff.org/Documents/raisinggradrates.pdf.