Illinois

SEL / Character Development

Required

SEL or Character Development is required by law in Illinois. In other words, social emotional learning or character education is required by state law to be integrated into a district’s curriculum.

Illinois Administrative Code 23-555. APPENDIX A Social and Emotional Learning Standard

This regulation outlines three main goals.

Goal 1 is to develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success.

• Learning Standard A: Identify and manage one's emotions and behavior.
• Learning Standard B: Recognize personal qualities and external supports.
• Learning Standard C: Demonstrate skills related to achieving personal and academic goals.

Goal 2 is to use social awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships.

• Learning Standard A: Recognize the feelings and perspectives of others.
• Learning Standard B: Recognize individual and group similarities and differences.
• Learning Standard C: Use communication and social skills to interact effectively with others.
• Learning Standard D: Demonstrate an ability to prevent, manage, and resolve interpersonal conflicts in constructive ways.

Goal 3 is to demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.

• Learning Standard A: Consider ethical, safety, and societal factors in making decisions.
• Learning Standard B: Apply decision-making skills to deal responsibly with daily academic and social situations.
• Learning Standard C: Contribute to the well-being of one's school and community.

Source: Illinois Administrative Code

Illinois Administrative Code 23-555.110 Purpose and Applicability

This regulation establishes the application procedure and criteria for selection whereby the State Superintendent of Education selects those that will receive grant funds for activities associated with implementing the social emotional learning, including participation in relevant training and technical assistance.

Source: Illinois Administrative Code

Illinois Compiled Statutes 105-5-10-22.24b. School counseling services

These statues declared that school counseling services may include (but are not limited to):

• designing and delivering a comprehensive school counseling program that promotes student achievement
• providing individual and group counseling
• providing a core counseling curriculum that serves all students and addresses developmentally-appropriate knowledge and skills
• providing college and career development activities and counseling
• developing individual career plans with students
• assisting all students with a college or post-secondary education plan
• addressing bullying and conflict resolution with all students
• teaching communication skills and helping students develop positive relationships
• contributing to a student’s functional behavioral assessment, as well as assisting in the development of non-aversive behavioral intervention strategies
• assisting students who need special education services by implementing the academic supports, social emotional, and college/career development counseling services or interventions related to their individualized education program (IEP)
• contributing to a student’s IEP and adding a social-developmental history

Source: Illinois Administrative Code

Multi-tiered Positive Behavior Supports

Encouraged

Multi-tiered Positive Behavior Supports are encouraged in Illinois. In other words, the implementation of school-wide positive behavioral supports or tiered frameworks in Illinois school districts is encouraged, but not required.

Effective Bullying Prevention (BP) within a School-wide System of Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports

This non-codified policy addresses the usage of PBIS with tiered interventions to communicate and reinforce behavioral expectations.

Source: Bullying Prevention PBIS

Multi-Tiered System of Supports: Uniting Through One Vision

This non-codified policy addresses the usage of positive behavioral supports with tiered interventions to communicate and reinforce behavioral expectations and provide interventions.

Source: Multi-Tiered System of Supports: Uniting Through One Vision

Public Act 99-0456 School District Self-Assessment Checklist

This non-codified policy requires districts to take on specific programs to proactively reduce suspension and expulsion, such as integrated frameworks like multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). They should incorporate school-wide positive behavior support and social emotional learning.

Source: Public Act 99-0456 School District Self-Assessment Checklist

The Illinois State Response to Intervention (RtI) Plan

This non-codified policy addresses the usage of positive behavioral supports with tiered interventions to reinforce behavioral expectations and provide interventions.

Source: The Illinois State Response to Intervention (RtI) Plan

School Climate Surveys

Required

School climate surveys are required by laws in Illinois. In other words, districts are required by state law, regulation, or district policy to administer school climate surveys.

Illinois Compiled Statutes 105-5-2-3.153 Survey of learning conditions

This statute states that:

• The State Board of Education must administer a climate survey, identified by and paid for by them, to provide feedback from students in grades 4 through 12 and teachers on the instructional environment within a school at a minimum.
• These surveys should be administered annually in every public school attendance center by a date specified by the State Superintendent of Education.
• The results must be provided to the State Board of Education.
• Teacher climate surveys must be administered during teacher meetings or professional development days, or during other times that would not interfere with their classroom and instructional duties
• The State Superintendent shall publicly report on the survey indicators of learning conditions at an individual school, district, and State level and shall highlight whether these results stem from an anonymous survey instrument.
• School districts may choose to use an alternate climate survey instrument on a district-wide level and at their cost and expense.This must be approved by the State Superintendent.
• Among other restrictions to survey instruments, the State Superintendent should periodically review and update the list of approved survey instruments used, and ensure that no more than 3 alternate instruments are approved for use during a school year.

Source: Illinois Compiled Statutes