HR0265 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0265 LRB099 08019 MST 32272 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Encouraging educational excellence is in the best interests of the people of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The intention of Charter School Law in Illinois is to improve pupil learning by creating schools with high, rigorous standards for pupil performance; and

WHEREAS, Charter schools try to encourage the use of teaching methods that may be different in some respects than others regularly used in the public school systems; and

WHEREAS, Charter schools allow the development of new, different, or alternative forms of measuring pupil learning and achievement; and

WHEREAS, Charter schools create new professional opportunities for teachers, including the opportunity to be responsible for the learning programs at school sites; and

WHEREAS, The State shall hold charter schools accountable for meeting rigorous school content standards and for providing those schools with the opportunity to improve accountability; and

WHEREAS, The General Assembly seeks to create opportunities within the public school system of Illinois for development of innovative and accountable teaching techniques; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has a commitment to the mission, goals, and diversity of public education; and

WHEREAS, There is a wide variety of charter school types, practices, and levels of success achieved by those schools; and

WHEREAS, In a 2013 study of Illinois' schools by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes, it was found that 20% of charter schools perform significantly better than the traditional public school market, and 21% of them performed significantly worse; and

WHEREAS, In the 2013-2014 school year, statewide charter school enrollment has risen to 59,925 pupils within 143 campuses of 64 charter schools; and

WHEREAS, The current statewide cap on the amount of charter schools is 120; and

WHEREAS, In 2013, the statewide 4-year graduation rate among all charters was 60.4%, compared with an 84% graduation rate among traditional public schools; and

WHEREAS, In the 2012-2013 school year, only 13% of all charters statewide met or exceeded the State's Adequate Yearly Progress target for State standards in reading and math, compared with 16% for traditional public schools; and

WHEREAS, Charter school authorizers are responsible for issuing charter contracts to school boards and determining whether each charter contract merits renewal, nonrenewal, or revocation; and

WHEREAS, Charter school authorizers provide oversight and enforce accountability mechanisms to ensure quality schools; and

WHEREAS, Charter school authorizers set academic, fiscal, and managerial standards for charter schools to meet; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the House Elementary & Secondary Education Charter School Policy Committee is directed to hold several subject matter hearings on charter school best practices; and be it further

RESOLVED, That charter school authorizers and charter entities throughout the State, including the Illinois State Charter School Commission, are invited and encouraged to attend these hearings to provide their expertise on the subject.