Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
As used in this Part, a "proposal" means the plan for gifted
education that is required under Section 14A-30 of the School Code, accompanied
by the additional materials applicants will be required to submit in response
to a Request for Proposals (RFP) as described in Section 14A-45 of the School
Code and this Section.
a) When
sufficient State funding is expected to be available to support local programs
of gifted education, the State Superintendent of Education shall issue an RFP.
To be considered for funding, an eligible entity shall submit for approval by
the State Superintendent a plan for its program that incorporates all the
elements required by Section 14A-30 of the School Code and meets the specific
requirements of this subsection (a).
1) In
order to demonstrate compliance with Section 14A-30(2) of the School Code, each
plan shall include programs of instruction in English language arts and
mathematics and may include programs of instruction in additional subjects.
Each plan shall indicate whether the program will be unified across the
subjects offered or students will be identified gifted on a subject-by-subject
basis and shall provide a description of the curriculum and instructional
materials to be used, the grades to be served in the various subjects to be
offered, and the program's approach to the development of higher-level skills,
as required by Section 14A-30(11) and (12) of the School Code.
2) In order to demonstrate compliance with
the requirements of Section 14A-30 of the School Code related to identification
of the students to be served, each plan shall:
A) demonstrate that:
i) active consideration is given to the
potential eligibility of students who are identified as having
disabilities;
ii) multiple
assessment instruments will be used for the purposes of identifying a student
for accelerated placement of each eligible student; and
iii) a selection process designed to help
identify gifted and talented students in an inclusive and equitable manner who
are members of underrepresented groups, including low-income students, minority
students, students with disabilities, twice-exceptional students, and English
Learners;
B) provide
evidence that the measures to be used in each curricular area, when taken
together, provide equivalent rigor in the identification of students as gifted
and talented; and
C) discuss how
the measures to be used in each subject area correspond to the level of
attainment prerequisite to students' participation in the program.
3) In order to demonstrate
compliance with Sections 14A-25 and 14A-30(7) of the School Code, each plan
shall include evidence that:
A) the ranking
process for each subject area, or across subject areas, as applicable, is
applied in the same manner to the scores achieved by all students;
B) if any program's capacity is inadequate to
serve the entire number of students identified as eligible, the method of
selecting those who will participate considers only the composite scores and
their ranking;
C) the applicant has
a procedure for accommodating students who were not available when the relevant
assessment measures were administered but who may be eligible to participate in
the program;
D) in identifying the
locations where the program will be offered, consideration has been given to
the needs of students who are members of underrepresented groups; and
E) local norms of score ranges on assessments
are taken into consideration when identifying students for accelerated
placement.
4) In order
to demonstrate compliance with the requirement of Section 14A-30(8) of the
School Code, each plan shall describe the appeals process that will be
available when students are not identified as gifted and talented or are not
selected to be served by a program, including evidence that each appeal will be
considered:
A) by an individual not involved
in the original decision and at an equal or higher level of authority within
the applicant organization;
B)
using information in accordance with the requirements of subsection (a)(3);
and
C) in time for the student to
be placed into the program at the beginning of the next semester, if the appeal
results in the student's identification and selection.
5) In order to demonstrate compliance with
the requirement of Section 14A-30(16) of the School Code, each plan shall
identify the qualifications held by the teachers who will be assigned to the
program, provided that:
A) each teacher
employed shall be qualified under Section
227.25
after no more than three years of teaching in any program funded pursuant to
this Part; and
B) each teacher not
qualified under Section
227.25
shall complete some portion of the requirements chosen during each year of the
grace period permitted under subsection (a)(6)(A).
6) In order to demonstrate compliance with
Section 14A-30(9) of the School Code, each plan shall:
A) describe the steps the applicant will take
to inform parents and other members of the public of:
i) the existence and scope of the
program;
ii) the methods used for
identifying students who are gifted and talented and in selecting participants
for the program; and
iii) the
availability of the appeals process established pursuant to subsection (a)(4);
and
B) provide a
rationale for the applicant's outreach plans, with specific reference to the
linguistic or cultural needs of any segments of the population that may not be
readily informed of the program.
b) Each RFP shall describe the format that
applicants will be required to follow and any additional information they may
be required to submit.
c) Each RFP
shall include a budget summary and payment schedule, as well as requiring a
narrative budget breakdown, i.e., a detailed explanation of each line item of
expenditure that discusses the need for State funds in the context of the
applicant's other available resources.
d) Each RFP shall identify the data
recipients will be required to collect and report regarding the achievement of
students participating in the program, as well as any other information to be
reported and the associated timelines.
e) Each RFP shall include such certification
and assurance forms as the State Superintendent may, by law, require.
f) Each RFP shall specify the date by which
applications shall be submitted. The deadline established shall provide at
least 45 days in which to submit plans that conform to the requirements of
Article 14A of the School Code and this Part as applications for
funding.
g) Separate proposals for
renewal of funding as discussed in Section
227.40(b)
shall be invited and shall contain at least:
1) evidence that the program has complied
with all aspects of Article 14A of the School Code and the approved
plan;
2) the required data relative
to students' achievement and growth;
3) information on the qualifications and
professional development of the teachers employed that will permit verification
of compliance with the requirements of subsection(a)(5);
4) an updated narrative that discusses the
services and materials for which funding is requested and presents evidence of
continued need for State support; and
5) an updated budget summary and payment
schedule for the renewal year, including a narrative budget
breakdown.
h) Incomplete
applications shall not be considered.
