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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   (Q) A statewide association of local philanthropic 
19 organizations that advocates for effective 
20 educational, health, and human service policies to 
21 improve this State's communities. 
22   (R) A statewide organization that advocates for 
23 partnerships among schools, families, and the 
24 community that provide access to support and remove 
25 barriers to learning and development, using schools as 
26 hubs. 
 
 
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1   (S) An organization representing statewide 
2 programs actively involved in truancy intervention. 
3 Attendance Commission members shall serve without 
4compensation but shall be reimbursed for their travel expenses 
5from appropriations to the State Board of Education available 
6for that purpose and subject to the rules of the appropriate 
7travel control board.
8 (b) The Attendance Commission shall meet initially at the 
9call of the State Superintendent of Education. The members 
10shall elect a chairperson at their initial meeting. Thereafter, 
11the Attendance Commission shall meet at the call of the 
12chairperson. The Attendance Commission shall hold hearings on a 
13periodic basis to receive testimony from the public regarding 
14attendance.
15 (c) The Attendance Commission shall identify strategies, 
16mechanisms, and approaches to help parents, educators, 
17principals, superintendents, and the State Board of Education 
18address and prevent chronic absenteeism and shall recommend to 
19the General Assembly and State Board of Education:
20  (1) a standard for attendance and chronic absenteeism, 
21 defining attendance as a calculation of standard clock 
22 hours in a day that equal a full day based on instructional 
23 minutes for both a half day and a full day per learning 
24 environment;
25  (2) mechanisms to improve data systems to monitor and 
26 track chronic absenteeism across this State in a way that 
 
 
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1 identifies trends from prekindergarten through grade 12 
2 and allows the identification of students who need 
3 individualized chronic absenteeism prevention plans;
4  (3) mechanisms for reporting and accountability for 
5 schools and districts across this State, including 
6 creating multiple measure indexes for reporting;
7  (4) best practices for utilizing attendance and 
8 chronic absenteeism data to create multi-tiered systems of 
9 support and prevention that will result in students being 
10 ready for college and career; and
11  (5) new initiatives and responses to ongoing 
12 challenges presented by chronic absenteeism.
13 (d) The State Board of Education shall provide 
14administrative support to the Commission. The Attendance 
15Commission shall submit an annual report to the General 
16Assembly and the State Board of Education no later than 
17December 15 of each year.
18 (e) The Attendance Commission is abolished and this Section 
19is repealed on December 16, 2020.


20 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
21becoming law.