summary
Introduced
02/05/2025
02/05/2025
In Committee
05/07/2025
05/07/2025
Crossed Over
04/11/2025
04/11/2025
Passed
08/15/2025
08/15/2025
Dead
Signed/Enacted/Adopted
08/15/2025
08/15/2025
Introduced Session
104th General Assembly
Bill Summary
Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning the daily pupil attendance calculation, allows for participation in a supervised career development experience (instead of a supervised career development experience or any work-based learning experience) in which student participation and learning outcomes are approved (instead of directed) by a licensed educator for assessment of competencies. Provides that participation (instead of participation in a work-based learning experience) may include, but is not limited to, scheduled events of local, State, and national youth organizations, career and technical education student organizations, FFA associations, and 4-H programs as part of organized competitions, exhibitions, or conferences (instead of scheduled events of State FFA associations, the National FFA Organization, and 4-H programs as part of organized competitions or exhibitions). Allows for participation in any work-based learning experience, including supervised agricultural experiences, in which student participation and learning outcomes are approved by an educator who holds an Educator License with Stipulations with a Career and Technical Educator endorsement and a work-based learning designation, as required by rule. Allows for participation in a youth apprenticeship in which student participation and outcomes are approved (instead of directed) by a licensed educator for assessment of competencies. Provides that a student and the student's parent or legal guardian are responsible for obtaining coursework that is missed while the student participates in an activity from the student's teacher; makes related changes. Requires school district attendance policies to be updated, added to a district's student handbook, and publicly posted to reflect the activities allowed to be counted toward the calculation of clock hours of school work. Provides that these policies shall include, at a minimum, an approval process for students to attend allowable activities and provisions for making up missed coursework that do not penalize a student.
AI Summary
This bill amends the School Code to expand the ways students can be counted as present for daily attendance calculations. Specifically, it broadens the definition of activities that can count toward school hours, including participation in supervised career development experiences, work-based learning experiences, youth organizations, career and technical education programs, and youth apprenticeships. The bill requires that these activities be approved by licensed educators, with a particular focus on educators with specific career and technical education endorsements. It introduces more flexibility in recognizing student learning experiences outside traditional classroom settings, such as competitions, exhibitions, and conferences. The bill also mandates that school districts update their attendance policies to reflect these new allowable activities, requiring them to create a public, handbook-accessible policy that includes an approval process for students to attend these activities and provisions for making up missed coursework without penalizing students. Importantly, the bill shifts the language from activities being "directed" to being "approved" by educators, which suggests a more collaborative and outcome-focused approach to recognizing student learning experiences.
Committee Categories
Education
Sponsors (11)
Tony McCombie (R)*,
Doris Turner (D)*,
Christopher Belt (D),
Javier Cervantes (D),
Mary Edly-Allen (D),
Kimberly Lightford (D),
Anna Moeller (D),
Suzanne Ness (D),
Sue Scherer (D),
Rachel Ventura (D),
Chris Welch (D),
Last Action
Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0250 (on 08/15/2025)
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