Illinois Administrative Code › Title 23 - EDUCATION AND CULTURAL RESOURCES › Part 425 - VOLUNTARY REGISTRATION AND RECOGNITION OF NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS › Section 425.40 - Process for Initial Recognition

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
A school may choose whether to seek recognition under
				subsection (a) or subsection (b). An application for initial recognition may be
				submitted at any time.
a) Direct
			 Recognition
1) The chief school administrator
			 of a registered school must submit an application for recognition, using a
			 format specified by the State Superintendent. The application must include
			 summary information about the school, including but not limited to, various
			 assurances of compliance and information about its educational
			 program.
2) Upon receipt of a
			 complete application, the State Superintendent must schedule a recognition
			 visit and empanel a review team, whose members must, at a minimum, include the
			 following people, unless this requirement is waived by the State Superintendent
			 due to extenuating circumstances. The State Superintendent may authorize the
			 school to select the team members from subsections (a)(2)(B) and (C).
A) a representative of the State
			 Superintendent;
B) an individual
			 who is familiar with the public educational milieu, such as an administrative
			 or instructional employee of a school district or regional office of education
			 or a representative of a department of education at a public college or
			 university; and
C) an individual
			 who is familiar with the nonpublic educational milieu, such as a representative
			 of a nonpublic school, other than the school whose recognition is being
			 considered, or a representative of a department of education at a nonpublic
			 college or university.
3)
			 As part of a school visit, the team must observe the operations of the school,
			 review the required documentation, and, in a format specified by the State
			 Superintendent, prepare a report of its findings for the consideration of the
			 State Superintendent to determine the recognition of the school as either Fully
			 Recognized or Recognized Pending Further Review as described in Section
			 425.50(c)(1)
			 and (2), respectively. If a school seeking
			 initial recognition exhibits one or more deficiencies under
			 425.50(c)(3),
			 initial recognition will not be granted; in such a case, the school may reapply
			 pursuant to subsection (a) or (b).
4) If the State Superintendent assigns a
			 status of Recognized Pending Further Review, the State Superintendent must
			 identify to the school the deficiencies leading to that determination and
			 Section
			 425.50(e)
			 shall apply. The State Superintendent must give a school that is assigned a
			 recognition status of Recognized Pending Further Review an opportunity to
			 resolve those deficiencies preventing Fully Recognized status.
5) The State Superintendent may postpone
			 until the following school year consideration for recognition of a school whose
			 application is received in the offices of the State Board after the resources
			 for that consideration have been exhausted for the current school
			 year.