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SB 1636

SCH CD-COMPUTER SCIENCE REQ

104th Regular Session Introduced by Adriane Johnson

Beginning 2027–28, every student entering 9th grade must complete one year of high school computer science to earn a diploma.

Referred to Assignments
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Bill Summary · SB 1636

Summary — SB 1636: School Computer Science Requirements (Introduced)

Status: Referred to Assignments (Introduced Feb 2025)
Primary sponsor: Sen. Adriane Johnson

Purpose

SB 1636 requires expanded reporting on K–8 computer science (CS) instruction and establishes a one-year high school computer science graduation requirement for incoming 9th‑graders beginning with the 2027–2028 cohort. The bill aims to increase CS access, make enrollment and attainment data publicly available, and allow CS to satisfy certain existing graduation requirement categories.

Key provisions

  • Reporting (new 105 ILCS 5/10-20.88)

    • Beginning 2026–2027, each school that includes any of grades K–5 must report to the State Board of Education:
    • The CS content offered in those grades (whether CS learning standards are covered, time/minutes, and course descriptions if available).
    • For students receiving CS instruction: grade level and disaggregated demographics (gender, race/ethnicity, FRPL eligibility, disability/IEP/Section 504 status, English learner status).
    • Beginning 2026–2027, each school that includes any of grades 6–8 must report:
    • CS courses/content offered, course descriptions, standards covered, and any state course codes.
    • Enrollment in CS courses, disaggregated by the same demographic categories.
    • The State Board must disaggregate and publicly post these data.

  • High school graduation requirement (amendment to 105 ILCS 5/27-22)

    • Starting with pupils entering 9th grade in 2027–2028, each pupil must successfully complete one year of high school computer science as a prerequisite for a diploma.
    • The required course may be taken in grades 7–12 and may count toward applicable other graduation requirements (e.g., mathematics, career/technical education, or other specified categories).
    • Clarifies that a computer science course (not only an AP CS course) may qualify under the mathematics requirement.
    • Exemption: the CS requirement does not apply to a pupil who transfers into an Illinois high school from another state after the pupil’s 11th grade year.
    • Schools may enter cooperative resource‑sharing agreements to provide access to CS courses.

  • State Board role

    • The State Board of Education must develop guidelines for implementation and make the reported data publicly available.

Who is affected

  • Students: All K–12 students (with a direct diploma prerequisite for cohorts entering 9th grade 2027–28 onward).
  • School districts and individual schools: new reporting duties beginning 2026–27; must offer or provide access to a one‑year HS CS course.
  • State Board of Education: data collection, disaggregation, publication, and guideline development.
  • Educators and districts: potential need for curriculum development, teacher professional development, scheduling and staffing adjustments.
  • Potential fiscal/administrative impacts: districts may require resources to hire CS teachers or contract for shared services; the bill does not appear to include statewide funding in the text provided.

Timeline / implementation

  • Reporting to State Board: beginning 2026–2027 school year.
  • CS high school diploma requirement: applies to pupils entering 9th grade beginning 2027–2028 (course may be completed grades 7–12).
  • State Board to issue guidelines (timing not specified beyond general implementation needs).

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Likely increase in student access to CS and more transparent, disaggregated data to monitor equity.
  • Districts may face staffing, curriculum, schedule, and funding challenges to meet reporting and course‑offering obligations; cooperative agreements are authorized to mitigate access issues.
  • Allowing CS to satisfy math/other requirements can reduce scheduling conflicts but may require alignment of CS curricula with standards for those credit categories.

For statutory changes, the bill adds 105 ILCS 5/10‑20.88 and 105 ILCS 5/34‑18.88 (new) and amends 105 ILCS 5/27‑22 in the School Code.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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