According to the Chicago Sun-Times, a bill signed into law by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Tuesday changes the amount of information given to parents on how schools rank in terms graduation rates, standardized test scores, teacher performance and more. These more detailed so-called "report cards" will be available to the public beginning next year with the goal of offering more transparency of the state education system.
Similarly, the law also details the State Board of Education will have to prepare extensive reports for each district, as well as every single school. With this major step towards offering more information on public education quality and access, here are some other recently enacted laws that also seek to reach this goal:
The Performance Evaluation Reform Act of 2010
In early 2010, Gov. Quinn signed the Performance Evaluation Reform Act of 2010, a law that improves on how teachers and principals are evaluated. It requires every school district in the state to use student performance as a large factor in these evaluations and also pushes for further cooperation between districts and teachers' unions to meet these requirements. The Patch added the law has also led to the formation of the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council to develop new evaluation models using the law's guidelines.
Senate Bill 7
On June 13, the governor signed a landmark bill, which enacts sweeping education reform in the state, reported ABC Local. The education reform bill specifically emphasizes higher standards for teacher accountability, gives districts more authority on extending the school day and year, as well as the ability to fire poor-performing teachers, and makes it more different for teachers' unions to strike. Chicago has leaped forward with implementing a longer school day, according to the Huffington Post, and the extended day will include more instructional classroom time and mandatory recess.
Illinois DREAM Act
The Chicago Tribune reported in August the state moved ahead with its own version of the DREAM Act, a measure that creates a privately funded scholarship program for immigrants and children of immigrants without regard to their documentation status. Unlike the federal measure of the same name, Illinois' act does not provide a path to citizenship but instead aims to provide better access to higher education, according to Fox News. To qualify, individuals must have attended an Illinois school for the past three years, be an immigrant or a child of at least one immigrant, and received a high school diploma.
Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.
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