101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB3814

 

Introduced 2/14/2020, by Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/24A-4  from Ch. 122, par. 24A-4
105 ILCS 5/24A-5  from Ch. 122, par. 24A-5
105 ILCS 5/24A-7  from Ch. 122, par. 24A-7

    Amends the Evaluation of Employees Article of the School Code. In a provision concerning the development of evaluation plans, provides that each school district shall determine research-based and proven evaluation practices (instead of incorporating the use of data and indicators on student growth). Provides that the practices may include incorporating the use of data and indicators on student growth, student surveys, teacher self-evaluation, goal-setting practices, peer-to-peer feedback, practices developed and approved by a specified joint committee, or practices recommended by the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council. Makes conforming changes. Provides that if a joint committee does not reach agreement on an evaluation plan, then the evaluation rating shall be based on professional practice as established by the district's evaluation plan (instead of implementing a model evaluation plan). Provides that the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council may develop nonregulatory guidance on research-based and proven evaluation practices.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3814LRB101 18618 NHT 68073 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
524A-4, 24A-5, and 24A-7 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/24A-4)  (from Ch. 122, par. 24A-4)
7    Sec. 24A-4. Development of evaluation plan.
8    (a) As used in this and the succeeding Sections, "teacher"
9means any and all school district employees regularly required
10to be certified under laws relating to the certification of
11teachers. Each school district shall develop, in cooperation
12with its teachers or, where applicable, the exclusive
13bargaining representatives of its teachers, an evaluation plan
14for all teachers.
15    (b) Each By no later than the applicable implementation
16date, each school district shall, in good faith cooperation
17with its teachers or, where applicable, the exclusive
18bargaining representatives of its teachers, determine
19research-based and proven evaluation practices. Practices may
20include:
21        (1) incorporating incorporate the use of data and
22    indicators on student growth as a significant factor in
23    rating teaching performance, into its evaluation plan for

 

 

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1    all teachers, both those teachers in contractual continued
2    service and those teachers not in contractual continued
3    service. The plan shall at least meet the standards and
4    requirements for student growth and teacher evaluation
5    established under Section 24A-7, and specifically describe
6    how student growth data and indicators will be used as part
7    of the evaluation process, how this information will relate
8    to evaluation standards, the assessments or other
9    indicators of student performance that will be used in
10    measuring student growth and the weight that each will
11    have, the methodology that will be used to measure student
12    growth, and the criteria other than student growth that
13    will be used in evaluating the teacher and the weight that
14    each will have;
15        (2) student surveys;
16        (3) teacher self-evaluation;
17        (4) goal-setting practices;
18        (5) peer-to-peer feedback;
19        (6) practices developed and approved by the joint
20    committee established under this subsection (b); or
21        (7) practices recommended by the Performance
22    Evaluation Advisory Council established under Section
23    24A-7 of this Code.
24    To incorporate the use of research-based and proven
25evaluation practices data and indicators of student growth as a
26significant factor in rating teacher performance into the

 

 

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1evaluation plan, the district shall use a joint committee
2composed of equal representation selected by the district and
3its teachers or, where applicable, the exclusive bargaining
4representative of its teachers. If, within 180 calendar days of
5the committee's first meeting, the committee does not reach
6agreement on the plan, then the evaluation rating shall be
7based on professional practice as established by the district's
8evaluation plan the district shall implement the model
9evaluation plan established under Section 24A-7 with respect to
10the use of data and indicators on student growth as a
11significant factor in rating teacher performance.
12    Nothing in this subsection (b) shall make decisions on the
13use of data and indicators on student growth as a significant
14factor in rating teaching performance mandatory subjects of
15bargaining under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act
16that are not currently mandatory subjects of bargaining under
17the Act.
18    The provisions of the Open Meetings Act shall not apply to
19meetings of a joint committee formed under this subsection (b).
20    (c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in subsection
21(b) of this Section, if the joint committee referred to in that
22subsection does not reach agreement on the plan within 90
23calendar days after the committee's first meeting, a school
24district having 500,000 or more inhabitants shall not be
25required to implement any aspect of the model evaluation plan
26and may implement its last best proposal.

 

 

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1    (d) Beginning the first school year following the effective
2date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly, the
3joint committee referred to in subsection (b) of this Section
4shall meet no less than one time annually to assess and review
5the effectiveness of the district's evaluation plan for the
6purposes of continuous improvement of instruction and
7evaluation practices.
8(Source: P.A. 100-768, eff. 1-1-19.)
 
9    (105 ILCS 5/24A-5)  (from Ch. 122, par. 24A-5)
10    Sec. 24A-5. Content of evaluation plans. This Section does
11not apply to teachers assigned to schools identified in an
12agreement entered into between the board of a school district
13operating under Article 34 of this Code and the exclusive
14representative of the district's teachers in accordance with
15Section 34-85c of this Code.
16    Each school district to which this Article applies shall
17establish a teacher evaluation plan which ensures that each
18teacher in contractual continued service is evaluated at least
19once in the course of every 2 school years.
20    By no later than September 1, 2012, each school district
21shall establish a teacher evaluation plan that ensures that:
22        (1) each teacher not in contractual continued service
23    is evaluated at least once every school year; and
24        (2) each teacher in contractual continued service is
25    evaluated at least once in the course of every 2 school

 

 

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1    years. However, any teacher in contractual continued
2    service whose performance is rated as either "needs
3    improvement" or "unsatisfactory" must be evaluated at
4    least once in the school year following the receipt of such
5    rating.
6    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section or
7any other Section of the School Code, a principal shall not be
8prohibited from evaluating any teachers within a school during
9his or her first year as principal of such school. If a
10first-year principal exercises this option in a school district
11where the evaluation plan provides for a teacher in contractual
12continued service to be evaluated once in the course of every 2
13school years, then a new 2-year evaluation plan must be
14established.
15    The evaluation plan shall comply with the requirements of
16this Section and of any rules adopted by the State Board of
17Education pursuant to this Section.
18    The plan shall include a description of each teacher's
19duties and responsibilities and of the standards to which that
20teacher is expected to conform, and shall include at least the
21following components:
22        (a) personal observation of the teacher in the
23    classroom by the evaluator, unless the teacher has no
24    classroom duties.
25        (b) consideration of the teacher's attendance,
26    planning, instructional methods, classroom management,

 

 

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1    where relevant, and competency in the subject matter
2    taught.
3        (c) by no later than the applicable implementation
4    date, consideration of research-based and proven
5    evaluation practices student growth as a significant
6    factor in the rating of the teacher's performance.
7        (d) prior to September 1, 2012, rating of the
8    performance of teachers in contractual continued service
9    as either:
10            (i) "excellent", "satisfactory" or
11        "unsatisfactory"; or
12            (ii) "excellent", "proficient", "needs
13        improvement" or "unsatisfactory".
14        (e) on and after September 1, 2012, rating of the
15    performance of all teachers as "excellent", "proficient",
16    "needs improvement" or "unsatisfactory".
17        (f) specification as to the teacher's strengths and
18    weaknesses, with supporting reasons for the comments made.
19        (g) inclusion of a copy of the evaluation in the
20    teacher's personnel file and provision of a copy to the
21    teacher.
22        (h) within 30 school days after the completion of an
23    evaluation rating a teacher in contractual continued
24    service as "needs improvement", development by the
25    evaluator, in consultation with the teacher, and taking
26    into account the teacher's on-going professional

 

 

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1    responsibilities including his or her regular teaching
2    assignments, of a professional development plan directed
3    to the areas that need improvement and any supports that
4    the district will provide to address the areas identified
5    as needing improvement.
6        (i) within 30 school days after completion of an
7    evaluation rating a teacher in contractual continued
8    service as "unsatisfactory", development and commencement
9    by the district of a remediation plan designed to correct
10    deficiencies cited, provided the deficiencies are deemed
11    remediable. In all school districts the remediation plan
12    for unsatisfactory, tenured teachers shall provide for 90
13    school days of remediation within the classroom, unless an
14    applicable collective bargaining agreement provides for a
15    shorter duration. In all school districts evaluations
16    issued pursuant to this Section shall be issued within 10
17    days after the conclusion of the respective remediation
18    plan. However, the school board or other governing
19    authority of the district shall not lose jurisdiction to
20    discharge a teacher in the event the evaluation is not
21    issued within 10 days after the conclusion of the
22    respective remediation plan.
23        (j) participation in the remediation plan by the
24    teacher in contractual continued service rated
25    "unsatisfactory", an evaluator and a consulting teacher
26    selected by the evaluator of the teacher who was rated

 

 

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1    "unsatisfactory", which consulting teacher is an
2    educational employee as defined in the Educational Labor
3    Relations Act, has at least 5 years' teaching experience,
4    and a reasonable familiarity with the assignment of the
5    teacher being evaluated, and who received an "excellent"
6    rating on his or her most recent evaluation. Where no
7    teachers who meet these criteria are available within the
8    district, the district shall request and the applicable
9    regional office of education shall supply, to participate
10    in the remediation process, an individual who meets these
11    criteria.
12        In a district having a population of less than 500,000
13    with an exclusive bargaining agent, the bargaining agent
14    may, if it so chooses, supply a roster of qualified
15    teachers from whom the consulting teacher is to be
16    selected. That roster shall, however, contain the names of
17    at least 5 teachers, each of whom meets the criteria for
18    consulting teacher with regard to the teacher being
19    evaluated, or the names of all teachers so qualified if
20    that number is less than 5. In the event of a dispute as to
21    qualification, the State Board shall determine
22    qualification.
23        (k) a mid-point and final evaluation by an evaluator
24    during and at the end of the remediation period,
25    immediately following receipt of a remediation plan
26    provided for under subsections (i) and (j) of this Section.

 

 

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1    Each evaluation shall assess the teacher's performance
2    during the time period since the prior evaluation; provided
3    that the last evaluation shall also include an overall
4    evaluation of the teacher's performance during the
5    remediation period. A written copy of the evaluations and
6    ratings, in which any deficiencies in performance and
7    recommendations for correction are identified, shall be
8    provided to and discussed with the teacher within 10 school
9    days after the date of the evaluation, unless an applicable
10    collective bargaining agreement provides to the contrary.
11    These subsequent evaluations shall be conducted by an
12    evaluator. The consulting teacher shall provide advice to
13    the teacher rated "unsatisfactory" on how to improve
14    teaching skills and to successfully complete the
15    remediation plan. The consulting teacher shall participate
16    in developing the remediation plan, but the final decision
17    as to the evaluation shall be done solely by the evaluator,
18    unless an applicable collective bargaining agreement
19    provides to the contrary. Evaluations at the conclusion of
20    the remediation process shall be separate and distinct from
21    the required annual evaluations of teachers and shall not
22    be subject to the guidelines and procedures relating to
23    those annual evaluations. The evaluator may but is not
24    required to use the forms provided for the annual
25    evaluation of teachers in the district's evaluation plan.
26        (l) reinstatement to the evaluation schedule set forth

 

 

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1    in the district's evaluation plan for any teacher in
2    contractual continued service who achieves a rating equal
3    to or better than "satisfactory" or "proficient" in the
4    school year following a rating of "needs improvement" or
5    "unsatisfactory".
6        (m) dismissal in accordance with subsection (d) of
7    Section 24-12 or Section 24-16.5 or 34-85 of this Code of
8    any teacher who fails to complete any applicable
9    remediation plan with a rating equal to or better than a
10    "satisfactory" or "proficient" rating. Districts and
11    teachers subject to dismissal hearings are precluded from
12    compelling the testimony of consulting teachers at such
13    hearings under subsection (d) of Section 24-12 or Section
14    24-16.5 or 34-85 of this Code, either as to the rating
15    process or for opinions of performances by teachers under
16    remediation.
17        (n) After the implementation date of an evaluation
18    system for teachers in a district as specified in Section
19    24A-2.5 of this Code, if a teacher in contractual continued
20    service successfully completes a remediation plan
21    following a rating of "unsatisfactory" in an annual or
22    biennial overall performance evaluation received after the
23    foregoing implementation date and receives a subsequent
24    rating of "unsatisfactory" in any of the teacher's annual
25    or biennial overall performance evaluation ratings
26    received during the 36-month period following the

 

 

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1    teacher's completion of the remediation plan, then the
2    school district may forego remediation and seek dismissal
3    in accordance with subsection (d) of Section 24-12 or
4    Section 34-85 of this Code.
5    Nothing in this Section or Section 24A-4 shall be construed
6as preventing immediate dismissal of a teacher for deficiencies
7which are deemed irremediable or for actions which are
8injurious to or endanger the health or person of students in
9the classroom or school, or preventing the dismissal or
10non-renewal of teachers not in contractual continued service
11for any reason not prohibited by applicable employment, labor,
12and civil rights laws. Failure to strictly comply with the time
13requirements contained in Section 24A-5 shall not invalidate
14the results of the remediation plan.
15    Nothing contained in this amendatory Act of the 98th
16General Assembly repeals, supersedes, invalidates, or
17nullifies final decisions in lawsuits pending on the effective
18date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly in
19Illinois courts involving the interpretation of Public Act
2097-8.
21(Source: P.A. 97-8, eff. 6-13-11; 98-470, eff. 8-16-13; 98-648,
22eff. 7-1-14.)
 
23    (105 ILCS 5/24A-7)  (from Ch. 122, par. 24A-7)
24    Sec. 24A-7. Rules. The State Board of Education is
25authorized to adopt such rules as are deemed necessary to

 

 

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1implement and accomplish the purposes and provisions of this
2Article, including, but not limited to, rules:
3        (1) (i) relating to the methods for measuring student
4    growth (including, but not limited to, limitations on the
5    age of usable useable data; the amount of data needed to
6    reliably and validly measure growth for the purpose of
7    teacher and principal evaluations; and whether and at what
8    time annual State assessments may be used as one of
9    multiple measures of student growth);
10        (2) , (ii) defining the term "significant factor" for
11    purposes of including consideration of student growth in
12    performance ratings;
13        (3) , (iii) controlling for such factors as student
14    characteristics (including, but not limited to, students
15    receiving special education and English Language Learner
16    services), student attendance, and student mobility so as
17    to best measure the impact that a teacher, principal,
18    school and school district has on students' academic
19    achievement;
20        (4) , (iv) establishing minimum requirements for
21    district teacher and principal evaluation instruments and
22    procedures; , and
23        (5) (v) establishing a model evaluation plan for use by
24    school districts in which student growth shall comprise 50%
25    of the performance rating.
26    Notwithstanding any other provision in this Section, such

 

 

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1rules shall not preclude a school district having 500,000 or
2more inhabitants from using an annual State assessment as the
3sole measure of student growth for purposes of teacher or
4principal evaluations.
5    The State Superintendent of Education shall convene a
6Performance Evaluation Advisory Council, which shall be
7staffed by the State Board of Education. Members of the Council
8shall be selected by the State Superintendent and include,
9without limitation, representatives of teacher unions and
10school district management, persons with expertise in
11performance evaluation processes and systems, as well as other
12stakeholders. The Council shall meet at least quarterly, and
13may also meet at the call of the chairperson of the Council,
14following August 18, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act
15100-211) this amendatory Act of the 100th General Assembly
16until June 30, 2021. The Council shall advise the State Board
17of Education on the ongoing implementation of performance
18evaluations in this State, which may include gathering public
19feedback, sharing best practices, developing nonregulatory
20guidance on research-based and proven evaluation practices,
21consulting with the State Board on any proposed rule changes
22regarding evaluations, and other subjects as determined by the
23chairperson of the Council.
24    Prior to the applicable implementation date, these rules
25shall not apply to teachers assigned to schools identified in
26an agreement entered into between the board of a school

 

 

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1district operating under Article 34 of this Code and the
2exclusive representative of the district's teachers in
3accordance with Section 34-85c of this Code.
4(Source: P.A. 100-211, eff. 8-18-17; revised 7-15-19.)