HB3346 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 30078 RJT 56502 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3346

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Sharon Chung

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new

Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall develop a grant program to support the educator licensure of paraprofessionals with bachelor's degrees. Provides that the State Board shall distribute grants to qualified school districts. Provides that the school districts shall distribute funds to paraprofessionals. Sets forth requirements for school districts to qualify. Sets forth requirements for paraprofessionals to qualify. Sets forth requirements for the grant application, selection of paraprofessionals, restrictions of funds, priority to award grant assistance, program evaluation, and rulemaking.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section 2-3.196 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new)

Sec. 2-3.196. Paraprofessional to educator grant program.

(a) The State Board of Education shall develop a grant program to support the educator licensure of paraprofessionals with bachelor's degrees. This program shall use federal funds from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief program.

(b) The State Board shall distribute funds to qualified school districts for the school districts to distribute. To qualify, a school district shall:

(1) commit to the continued employment of qualified paraprofessionals engaging in the program;

(2) commit to employing the qualified paraprofessionals as full-time teachers once they have received a professional educator license in exchange for a commitment from the qualified paraprofessional to work as a full-time teacher in the district for a minimum of 4 years unless there is no vacant teaching position for the paraprofessional; and

(3) commit to ensuring that awardee paraprofessionals were provided with mentoring for their first 2 years of teaching with a professional educator license.

(c) For a paraprofessional to qualify, the paraprofessional:

(1) must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university;

(2) have a paraprofessional license, substitute teaching license, or short-term substitute teaching license registered with the Illinois Educator Licensure Information System;

(3) must be currently working in a State public school district; and

(4) commit to working in the district for 4 years after earning their professional educator license, but paraprofessionals may work in a different district if there is no teaching position that they are qualified for available in the school district which the paraprofessional received funds from.

(d) All applications for grants under this Section shall be made to the State Board. The form of application and the information required to be set forth in the application shall be determined by the State Board, and the State Board shall require school districts to submit with their applications such supporting documents as the State Board deems necessary. School districts shall also include in the grant application current efforts to recruit paraprofessionals into the school district to backfill the positions vacated by paraprofessionals when they become teachers, how the school district would use the funds, how many candidates the school district plans to serve, if the school district plans to restrict the program to certain subject areas or grade levels, and how the school district will incorporate the initiative into any existing high school pathways.

(e) School districts may limit the type of license a paraprofessional may pursue to areas of high need within the district. The school district shall be responsible for selecting paraprofessionals from their school district to participate in the program.

(f) The school district shall choose how to award the funds to the paraprofessional to cover costs associated with education, training, and other costs for a professional educator license.

(g) In awarding grant assistance, the State Board may make grant funds available in the following order based on the school's Tier as determined by Section 18-8.15 of this Code:

(1) Tier 1 schools;

(2) Tier 2 schools;

(3) Tier 3 schools; and

(4) Tier 4 schools.

Within each Tier of school, the State Board may prioritize districts with the highest 3-year average teacher vacancy rates.

(h) The State Board shall evaluate this program to determine future educator investments.

(i) The State Board may adopt any rules to implement this Section.