Education

Amends the School Code. Requires a policy on bullying to establish escalating interventions for students who engage in known, pervasive, and persistent bullying. Provides that in the event of the death by suicide of a student enrolled in a school district, the school district shall initiate a complete and transparent investigation to determine whether bullying or harassment related to the educational environment played a contributing role; sets forth investigation requirements. Requires the school district, upon completion of the investigation, to prepare a written investigative report summarizing findings, conclusions, and recommended corrective actions; sets forth report requirements. Allows the State Board of Education to review the report for compliance and to require a corrective action plan or an additional review if deficiencies are identified.

Amends the School Code. In provisions concerning the administration of asthma medication, epinephrine injectors, opioid antagonists, and oxygen tanks, provides that "trained personnel" includes athletic coaches and trainers. Allows a pupil with asthma to self-administer and self-carry the pupil's asthma medication at a school-sponsored athletic practice or game. Allows a school nurse or trained personnel to administer undesignated asthma medication to a person at a school-sponsored athletic practice or game. Makes a change to provide that a school district, public school, charter school, or nonpublic school may maintain a supply of asthma medication in the nurse's office. Requires a school district, public school, charter school, or nonpublic school to maintain a supply of asthma medication in a secure location that is accessible before, during, and after school where a person is most at risk on account of physical activity. Requires at least one member of an athletic coach's staff at a school and any athletic trainers at that school to complete the training curriculum relating to the administration of undesignated asthma medication.

Amends the Illinois Library System Act. Increases the amounts to be provided by the State Librarian for annual library system grants, for annual grants to qualified public libraries in the State, and for annual school library grants. Effective immediately.

Expresses the belief that nursing, social work, professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, audiology, physician assistant practice, public health, and education are professional disciplines that require advanced graduate education, professional licensure, and adherence to rigorous ethical and clinical standards. Lists the graduate degrees that should be considered professional degrees. States that any state agency, public university, or entity receiving state funds should take all necessary steps to avoid discrimination against individuals holding these graduate degrees in hiring, promotion, compensation, professional development funding, or other terms and conditions of employment based on any federal student loan classification. Urges the United States Department of Education to include all graduate degrees in nursing, social work, counseling, therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, audiology, physician assistant practice, public health, and education in its definition of "professional degrees" for federal student loan purposes. Urges the Illinois Congressional Delegation to advocate for legislation to ensure that graduate students in all health and human services professions have access to adequate federal student loan funding to complete their professional education. Commits to exploring state-level solutions to support graduate education in health and human services professions, including but not limited to scholarships, grants, loan repayment assistance programs, and other workforce development initiatives. Expresses support for the licensed health and human services professionals in Illinois who serve our most vulnerable populations with skill, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the public good.

Amends the Courses of Study Article of the School Code. Provides that, as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil entering the 9th grade beginning with the 2028-2029 school year must successfully complete either 2 years of foreign language courses or at least 2 years of career-focused coursework that has been authorized by the State Board of Education as meeting the requirements for a College and Career Pathway Endorsement under the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act (rather than requiring the successful completion of 2 years of foreign language courses). Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities in Illinois. Provides that a public university may not require State public high school graduates, as a condition of acceptance, to have completed any years of foreign language courses unless the university permits, as an alternative to completion of a foreign language course, attainment of a College and Career Pathway Endorsement under the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act. Effective immediately.

Creates the Higher Education Student Bill of Rights Act. Provides that a student attending a postsecondary education institution in the State is entitled to the following rights: the right to an inclusive and safe learning environment; the right to equal access; the right to safety and respect; the right to accessibility; the right to free expression; the right to organize; the right to peaceful protest; the right to academic transparency; the right to fair evaluation; the right to educational records; the right to educational programs safeguarded from political interference; the right to career preparation; the right to educational quality; the right to due process; the right to representation; the right to institutional accountability; the right to financial transparency; the right to fair lending and borrowing practices; the right to timely refunds and withdrawals; and the right to transfer.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that short-term approval of a paraprofessional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations shall be given to an individual who meets the requirements in the Illinois Administrative Code. Provides that the short-term approval expires on June 30 immediately following 5 full fiscal years after the approval was given. Effective July 1, 2026.

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In a provision regarding endorsements on Professional Educator Licenses, provides for a special education endorsement in the area of deaf-hard of hearing with sign proficiency.

Amends the Evaluation of Certified Employees Article of the School Code. Prohibits an evaluator from using an artificial intelligence tool to assign a numerical score or qualitative rating for any component of a teacher's evaluation or any evaluation task that requires professional judgment. However, allows an artificial intelligence tool to be used to support the evaluator in administrative tasks.

Amends the Evaluation of Certified Employees Article of the School Code. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2026, if a school district and its teachers cannot reach agreement over the decision on whether to incorporate the use of data and indicators on student growth as a factor in rating teaching performance into a teacher evaluation plan and there is no collective bargaining agreement that includes or incorporates by reference the teacher evaluation plan, then the student growth component shall be removed from the teacher evaluation plan. Effective immediately.