093_HB0013eng HB0013 Engrossed LRB093 02201 NHT 02209 b 1 AN ACT concerning teacher induction and mentoring 2 programs. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Article 6 21A as follows: 7 (105 ILCS 5/Art. 21A heading new) 8 ARTICLE 21A. NEW TEACHER INDUCTION AND MENTORING 9 (105 ILCS 5/21A-5 new) 10 Sec. 21A-5. Findings and declarations. The General 11 Assembly finds and declares all of the following: 12 (1) The revised system of teacher certification 13 established under subsection (g) of Section 21-1a of this 14 Code recognizes that the first years of teaching are 15 particularly critical to a teacher's professional 16 development and that teachers who hold Initial Teaching 17 Certificates need to develop their knowledge, skills, and 18 abilities before being issued Standard Teaching 19 Certificates. 20 (2) When new teachers are provided with focused 21 professional development opportunities and support and 22 guidance from experienced teachers, a process known as 23 induction and mentoring, the new teachers more quickly 24 and effectively develop the knowledge, skills, and 25 abilities expected of teachers holding Standard Teaching 26 Certificates. 27 (3) To be effective, induction and mentoring 28 programs must be designed to enhance the knowledge, 29 skills, and abilities described in the Illinois 30 Professional Teaching Standards and content area HB0013 Engrossed -2- LRB093 02201 NHT 02209 b 1 standards. These programs must be based on research and 2 best practices, targeted toward a set of clearly defined 3 purposes, and must include mentoring, continuing support 4 and professional development, and regular opportunities 5 for formative assessment of a new teacher. 6 (4) In authorizing induction and mentoring 7 programs, it is the intent of the General Assembly to 8 create programs to maximize the development of the 9 knowledge, skills, and abilities of teachers who hold 10 Initial Teaching Certificates and to provide adequate 11 funding for these programs. 12 (105 ILCS 5/21A-10 new) 13 Sec. 21A-10. Definitions. In this Article: 14 "New teacher" means the holder of an Initial Teaching 15 Certificate, as set forth in Section 21-2 of this Code, who 16 is employed by a public school and who has not previously 17 participated in a new teacher induction and mentoring program 18 required by this Article, except as provided in Section 19 21A-30 of this Code. 20 "Public school" means any school operating pursuant to 21 the authority of this Code, including without limitation a 22 school district, a charter school, a cooperative or joint 23 agreement with a governing body or board of control, and a 24 school operated by a regional office of education. 25 (105 ILCS 5/21A-15 new) 26 Sec. 21A-15. Development of program required. During 27 the 2003-2004 school year, each public school or 2 or more 28 public schools acting jointly shall develop, in conjunction 29 with its exclusive representative or their exclusive 30 representatives, if any, a new teacher induction and 31 mentoring program to assist new teachers in developing the 32 skills and strategies necessary for instructional excellence, HB0013 Engrossed -3- LRB093 02201 NHT 02209 b 1 provided that funding is made available by the State Board of 2 Education from an appropriation made for this purpose. 3 (105 ILCS 5/21A-20 new) 4 Sec. 21A-20. When program is to be established and 5 implemented. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this 6 Code, by the beginning of the 2004-2005 school year, each 7 public school or 2 or more public schools acting jointly 8 shall establish and implement, in conjunction with its 9 exclusive representative or their exclusive representatives, 10 if any, the new teacher induction and mentoring program as 11 set forth in this Article, provided that funding is made 12 available by the State Board of Education, from an 13 appropriation made for this purpose, as described in Section 14 21A-30 of this Code. A public school may contract with an 15 institution of higher education or other independent party to 16 assist in implementing the program. 17 (105 ILCS 5/21A-25 new) 18 Sec. 21A-25. Program requirements. Each new teacher 19 induction and mentoring program must be based on a plan that 20 at least does all of the following: 21 (1) Assigns a mentor teacher to each new teacher 22 for a period of time established by the public school, 23 which must be for a period of at least 2 school years. 24 (2) Aligns with the Illinois Professional Teaching 25 Standards, content area standards, and applicable local 26 school improvement and professional development plans, if 27 any. 28 (3) Addresses all of the following elements and how 29 they will be provided: 30 (A) Mentoring of the new teacher. 31 (B) Professional development specifically 32 designed to ensure the growth of the new teacher's HB0013 Engrossed -4- LRB093 02201 NHT 02209 b 1 knowledge and skills. 2 (C) Formative assessment designed to ensure 3 feedback and reflection, which must not be used in 4 any evaluation of the new teacher. 5 (4) Describes the role of mentor teachers, the 6 criteria and process for their selection, and how they 7 will be trained, provided that each mentor teacher shall 8 demonstrate the best practices in teaching his or her 9 respective field of practice. A mentor teacher may not 10 directly or indirectly participate in the evaluation of a 11 new teacher pursuant to Article 24A of this Code or the 12 evaluation procedure of the public school. 13 (105 ILCS 5/21A-30 new) 14 Sec. 21A-30. Funding. From a separate appropriation 15 made for the purposes of this Article, for each new teacher 16 participating in a new teacher induction and mentoring 17 program, the State Board of Education shall pay the public 18 school $1,200 annually for each of 2 school years for the 19 purpose of providing one or more of the following: 20 (1) Mentor teacher compensation. 21 (2) Mentor teacher training or new teacher training 22 or both. 23 (3) Release time. 24 However, if a new teacher, after participating in the new 25 teacher induction and mentoring program for one school year, 26 becomes employed by another public school, the State Board of 27 Education shall pay the teacher's new school $1,200 for the 28 second school year and the teacher shall continue to be a 29 new teacher as defined in this Article. Each public school 30 shall determine, in conjunction with its exclusive 31 representative, if any, how the $1,200 per school year for 32 each new teacher shall be used, provided that if a mentor 33 teacher receives additional release time to support a new HB0013 Engrossed -5- LRB093 02201 NHT 02209 b 1 teacher, the total workload of other teachers regularly 2 employed by the public school shall not increase in any 3 substantial manner. The State Board of Education may retain 4 up to $1,000,000 of the appropriation for new teacher 5 induction and mentoring programs to train mentor teachers, 6 administrators, and other personnel, to provide best 7 practices information, and to conduct an evaluation of these 8 programs' impact and effectiveness. 9 (105 ILCS 5/21A-35 new) 10 Sec. 21A-35. Evaluation of programs. The State Board of 11 Education and the State Teacher Certification Board shall 12 jointly contract with an independent party to conduct a 13 comprehensive evaluation of new teacher induction and 14 mentoring programs established pursuant to this Article. The 15 first report of this evaluation shall be presented to the 16 General Assembly on or before January 1, 2009. Subsequent 17 evaluations shall be conducted and reports presented to the 18 General Assembly on or before January 1 of every third year 19 thereafter. 20 (105 ILCS 5/21A-40 new) 21 Sec. 21A-40. Rules. The State Board of Education, in 22 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, 23 shall adopt rules for the implementation of this Article. 24 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 25 becoming law.