Public Act 101-0122
 
HB0035 EnrolledLRB101 00242 XWW 45246 b



    AN ACT concerning education.

 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:



 
    Section 5. The Grow
  Your Own Teacher Education Act is 
amended  by changing Sections 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 as follows:
 
    (110 ILCS 48/10)
    Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act:
    "Accredited teacher preparation program" means a
  
regionally accredited, Illinois approved teacher education 
program authorized to
  prepare individuals to fulfill all of the 
requirements to
  receive an Illinois initial teaching 
certificate.
    "Cohort" means a group of teacher education candidates who 
are enrolled in and share experiences in the same program and 
are linked by their desire to become Illinois teachers in 
hard-to-staff schools and by their need for the services and 
supports offered by the Initiative. A cohort may include a high 
school student enrolled in a dual credit course offered by a 
participating institution of higher education.
    "Community organization" means a nonprofit organization 
that has a demonstrated capacity to train, develop, and 
organize parents and community leaders into a constituency that 
will hold the school and the school district accountable for 
achieving high academic standards; in addition to 
organizations with a geographic focus, "community 
organization" includes general parent organizations, 
organizations of special education or bilingual education 
parents, and school employee unions. 
    "Developmental classes" means classes in basic skill 
areas, such as mathematics and language arts that are 
prerequisite to, but not counted towards, degree requirements 
of a teacher preparation program.

    "Dual credit course" has the meaning given to that term 
under the Dual Credit Quality Act. 
    "Eligible school" means an early childhood program 
licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services in 
which no less than 40% of the children it serves are receiving 
subsidized care under the Department of Human Services' Child 
Care Assistance Program, a Head Start or Early Head Start 
Program, a Preschool for All Program, or a prevention 
initiative or a public elementary, middle, or secondary school 
in this State that serves a substantial percentage of 
low-income students and that is either hard to staff or has 
hard-to-staff teaching positions.

    "Hard-to-staff school" means an early childhood program 
licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services in 
which no less than 40% of the children it serves are receiving 
subsidized care under the Department of Human Services' Child 
Care Assistance Program, a Head Start or Early Head Start 
Program, a Preschool for All Program, or a prevention 
initiative or a public elementary, middle, or secondary school 
in this State that, based on data compiled by the State Board 
of Education in conjunction with the Board of Higher Education, 
serves a substantial percentage of low-income students, as 
defined by the Board of Higher Education.
    "Hard-to-staff teaching position" means a teaching
  
category (such as special education, bilingual education, 
mathematics, or science)
  in which statewide data compiled by 
the State Board of Education
  in conjunction with the Board of 
Higher Education indicates a multi-year pattern of substantial
  
teacher shortage or that has been identified as a critical need 
by the local school board.
      
    "Initiative" means the Grow Your Own Teacher Education
  
Initiative created under this Act.
    "Para educator" means an individual with a history of
  
demonstrated accomplishments in school staff positions (such
  
as teacher assistants, school-community liaisons, school
  
clerks, and security aides) in schools that meet the definition 
of a hard-to-staff school under this Section.
      
    "Parent and community leader" means an individual who has 
or had a child enrolled in a school or schools that meet the 
definition of a hard-to-staff school under this Section and who 
has a history of active involvement in the school or who has a 
history of working to improve schools serving a
  substantial 
percentage of low-income students, including membership in a 
community organization.
    "Program" means a Grow Your  Own Teacher preparation program
  
established by a consortium under this Act.
      
    "Schools serving a substantial percentage of low-income
  
students" means  schools that maintain any of grades 
pre-kindergarten through 8, in which at least 35% of the 
students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches 
and schools that maintain any of grades 9 through 12, in which 
at least 25% of the students are eligible to receive free or 
reduced price lunches.
(Source: P.A. 98-1036, eff. 1-1-15.)
 
    (110 ILCS 48/15)
    Sec. 15. Creation of Initiative. The Grow Your Own Teacher 
Education Initiative is created. Grow Your Own Illinois The 
Board of Higher Education shall administer the Initiative as a 
grant competition to fund consortia that will carry out Grow 
Your Own Teacher preparation programs.

(Source: P.A. 98-1036, eff. 1-1-15.)
 
    (110 ILCS 48/20)
    Sec. 20. Selection of grantees. The Board of Higher 
Education shall, subject to appropriation, allocate funds to 
Grow Your Own Illinois for the purpose of administering the 
program and awarding award grants as needed to qualified 
consortia that reflect the distribution and diversity of 
hard-to-staff schools and hard-to-staff positions across this 
State. In awarding grants, Grow Your Own Illinois the Board of 
Higher Education shall select programs that successfully 
address Initiative criteria and that reflect a diversity of 
strategies in terms of serving urban areas, serving rural 
areas, the nature of the participating institutions of higher 
education, and the nature of hard-to-staff schools and

hard-to-staff teaching positions on which a program is focused.
     
    Grow Your Own Illinois The Board of Higher Education shall 
select, manage, and oversee consortia that meet the following 
requirements:
          
        (1) A consortium shall be composed of at least one 
    4-year institution of higher education with an Illinois 
    approved teacher preparation program, at least one school 
    district or group of schools, and one or more community 
    organizations. The consortium membership may also include 
    a 2-year institution of higher education, a school employee 
    union, or a regional office of education.
         
        (2) The 4-year institution of higher education 
    participating in the consortium shall have past, 
    demonstrated success in preparing teachers for elementary 
    or secondary schools serving a substantial percentage of 
    low-income students.
        (3) The consortium shall focus on a clearly defined set 
    of eligible schools that will participate in the program. 
    The consortium shall articulate the steps that it will 
    carry out in preparing teachers for its participating


    schools and in preparing teachers for one or more 
    hard-to-staff teaching positions in those

schools.
        (4) The consortium shall recruit potential candidates 
    for the program and shall take into consideration when 
    selecting a candidate whether the candidate: 
            (A) holds a high school diploma or its equivalent 
        or is a high school student enrolled in a dual credit 
        course offered by a participating institution of 
        higher education; 
            (B) meets either the definition of "parent and 
        community leader" or the definition of "para educator" 
        contained in Section 10 of this Act; 
            (C) (blank); has experienced an interruption in 
        his or her college education;
            (D) exhibits a willingness to be a teacher in a 
        hard-to-staff school with the goal of maintaining 
        academic excellence;
            (E) shows an interest in postsecondary education 
        and may hold an associate's degree, a bachelor's 
        degree, or another postsecondary degree, but a 
        postsecondary education is not required;
            (F) is a parent, a para educator, a community 
        leader, or any other individual from a community with a 
        hard-to-staff school;
            (G) commits to completing and passing all State 
        standards, including the licensure test to obtain an 
        educator license;
            (H) shows a willingness to set high standards of 
        performance for himself or herself and students; and
            (I) demonstrates commitment to the program by:
                (i) maintaining a cumulative grade point 
            average of at least a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or the 
            equivalent as determined by the Board of Higher 
            Education);
                (ii)  attending monthly cohort meetings; and
                (iii) applying for financial aid from all 
            other financial aid resources before applying for 
            assistance from the program. 
        (5) The consortium shall employ effective procedures 
    for teaching the skills and knowledge needed to prepare 
    highly competent teachers. Professional preparation shall 
    include on-going direct experience in target schools and 
    evaluation of this experience.
        (6) The consortium shall offer the program to cohorts 
    of candidates, as defined in Section 10 of this Act, on a 
    schedule that enables candidates to work full time while 
    participating in the program and allows para educators to 
    continue in their current positions. In any fiscal year in 
    which an appropriation for the Initiative is made, the


    consortium shall guarantee that support will be available 
    to an admitted cohort for the cohort's education for that 
    fiscal year. At the beginning of the Initiative, programs 
    that are already operating and existing cohorts of 
    candidates under this model shall be eligible for funding.
        (7) The institutions of higher education participating 
    in the consortium shall document and agree to expend the 
    same amount of funds in implementing the program that these 
    institutions spend per student on similar educational 
    programs. Grants received by the consortium shall 
    supplement and not supplant these amounts.
        (8) Grow Your Own Illinois The Board of Higher 
    Education shall establish and oversee additional criteria 
    for review of proposals, including criteria that address 
    the following issues:
            (A) Previous experience of the institutions of 
        higher education in preparing candidates for 
        hard-to-staff schools and positions and in working 
        with students with non-traditional backgrounds.
            (B) The quality of the implementation plan, 
        including strategies for overcoming institutional 
        barriers to the progress of non-traditional 
        candidates.
            (C) If a community college is a participant, the 
        nature and extent of existing articulation agreements 
        and guarantees between the community college and the 
        4-year institution of higher education.
            (D) The number of candidates to be educated in the 
        planned cohort or cohorts and the capacity of the 
        consortium for adding cohorts in future cycles.
            (E) Experience of the community organization or 
        organizations in organizing parents and community 
        leaders to achieve school improvement and a strong 
        relational school culture.
            (F) The qualifications of the person or persons 
        designated by the 4-year institution of higher 
        education to be responsible for cohort support and the 
        development of a shared learning and social 
        environment among candidates.
            (G) The consortium's plan for collective 
        consortium decision-making, involving all consortium 
        members, including mechanisms for candidate input.
            (H) The consortium's plan for direct impact of the 
        program on the quality of education in the eligible 
        schools.
            (I) The relevance of the curriculum to the needs of 
        the eligible schools and positions, and the use in 
        curriculum and instructional planning of principles 
        for effective education for adults.
            (J) The availability of classes under the program 
        in places and times accessible to the candidates.
            (K) Provision of a level of performance to be 
        maintained by candidates as a condition of continuing 
        in the program.
            (L) The plan of the 4-year institution of higher 
        education to ensure that candidates take advantage of 
        existing financial aid resources before using the loan 
        funds described in Section 25 of this Act.
            (M) The availability of supportive services, 
        including, but not limited to, counseling, tutoring, 
        transportation, technology and technology support, and 
        child care.
            (N) A plan for continued participation of 
        graduates of the program in a program of support for at 
        least 2 years, including mentoring and group meetings.
            (O) A plan for testing and qualitative evaluation 
        of candidates' teaching skills that ensures that 
        graduates of the program are as prepared for teaching 
        as other individuals completing the institution of 
        higher education's preparation program for the 
        certificate sought.
            (P) A plan for internal evaluation that provides 
        reports at least yearly on the progress of candidates 
        towards graduation and the impact of the program on the 
        target schools and their communities.
            (Q) Contributions from schools, school districts, 
        and other consortia members to the program, including 
        stipends for candidates during their student teaching.
            (R) Consortium commitment for sustaining the 
        program over time, as evidenced by plans for reduced 
        requirements for external funding, in subsequent 
        cycles.

            (S) The inclusion in the planned program of 
        strategies derived from community organizing that will 
        help candidates develop tools for working with parents 
        and other community members.

    Subject to the requirements under the Dual Credit Quality 
Act, a participating institution of higher education may offer 
a high school student a dual credit course under the program. 
    The Board of Higher Education may not adopt rules regarding 
candidate eligibility that are more restrictive than this 
Section. 
(Source: P.A. 98-1036, eff. 1-1-15.)
 
    (110 ILCS 48/25)
    Sec. 25. Expenditures under the Initiative. 
    (a) Every program under the Initiative shall implement a 
program of forgivable loans to cover any portion of tuition, 
books, and fees of candidates under the program in excess of 
the candidates' grants-in-aid. All students admitted to a 
cohort shall be eligible for a forgivable student loan. Loans 
shall be fully forgiven if a graduate completes 5 years of 
service in hard-to-staff schools

or hard-to-staff teaching 
positions, with partial forgiveness for shorter periods of 
service. Grow Your Own Illinois The Board of Higher Education 
shall establish standards for the approval of requests for 
waivers or deferrals from individuals to waive this obligation 
and .  The Board of Higher Education shall also define standards 
for the fiscal management of these loan funds. 
    (b) Grow Your Own Illinois The Board of Higher Education 
shall award grants under the Initiative in such a way as to 
provide the required support for a cohort of candidates for any 
fiscal year in which an appropriation for the Initiative is 
made. Program budgets must show expenditures and needed funds 
for the entire period that candidates are expected to be 
enrolled.
    (c) No funds under the Initiative may be used to supplant 
the average per-capita expenditures by the institution of 
higher education for candidates.
    (d) Where necessary, program budgets shall include the 
costs of child care and other indirect expenses, such as 
transportation, tutoring, technology, and technology support, 
necessary to permit candidates to maintain their class 
schedules. Grant funds may be used by any member of a 
consortium to offset such costs, and the services may be 
provided by the community organization or organizations, by any 
other member of the consortium, or by independent contractors.
    (e) The institution of higher education may expend grant 
funds to cover the additional costs of offering classes in 
community settings and for tutoring services.
    (f) The community organization or organizations may 
receive a portion of the grant money for the expenses of 
recruitment, community orientation, and counseling of 
potential candidates, for providing space in the community, and 
for working with school personnel to facilitate individual work 
experiences and support of candidates.
    (g) The school district or school employee union or both 
may receive a portion of the grant money for expenses of 
supporting the work experiences of candidates and providing 
mentors for graduates.
Notwithstanding the provisions of 
Section 10-20.15 of the School Code, school districts may also 
use these or other applicable public funds to pay participants 
in programs under the Initiative for student teaching required 
by an accredited teacher preparation program.
    (h) One or more members of the consortium may expend funds 
to cover the salary of a site-based cohort coordinator.
    (i) Grant funds may also be expended to pay directly for 
required developmental classes for candidates beginning a 
program.


(Source: P.A. 98-1036, eff. 1-1-15.)
 
    (110 ILCS 48/30)
    Sec. 30. Implementation of Initiative. Grow Your Own 
Illinois The Board of Higher Education may, if it chooses, 
award and administer a small number of planning grants during 
any
fiscal year to potential consortia.  
(Source: P.A. 98-1036, eff. 1-1-15.)
 

    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.