093_SB0533eng

 
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 1        AN ACT concerning education.

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

 4        Section 5.  The School Code is amended by adding  Article
 5    21A as follows:

 6        (105 ILCS 5/Art. 21A heading new)
 7            ARTICLE 21A.  NEW TEACHER INDUCTION AND MENTORING

 8        (105 ILCS 5/21A-5 new)
 9        Sec. 21A-5.  Definitions.  In this Article:
10        "New  teacher"  means  the  holder of an Initial Teaching
11    Certificate, as set forth in Section 21-2 of this  Code,  who
12    is  employed  by  a  public school and who has not previously
13    participated in a new teacher induction and mentoring program
14    required by this  Article,  except  as  provided  in  Section
15    21A-25 of this Code.
16        "Public  school"  means  any school operating pursuant to
17    the authority of this Code, including  without  limitation  a
18    school  district,  a  charter  school, a cooperative or joint
19    agreement with a governing body or board of  control,  and  a
20    school  operated  by  a regional office of education or State
21    agency.

22        (105 ILCS 5/21A-10 new)
23        Sec. 21A-10.  Development of  program  required.   During
24    the  2003-2004  school  year, each public school or 2 or more
25    public schools acting jointly shall develop,  in  conjunction
26    with   its   exclusive   representative  or  their  exclusive
27    representatives,  if  any,  a  new  teacher   induction   and
28    mentoring  program  that  meets the requirements set forth in
29    Section 21A-20  of  this  Code  to  assist  new  teachers  in
 
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 1    developing   the   skills   and   strategies   necessary  for
 2    instructional  excellence,  provided  that  funding  is  made
 3    available  by  the  State  Board   of   Education   from   an
 4    appropriation made for this purpose. A public school that has
 5    an  existing  induction  and  mentoring program that does not
 6    meet the requirements set forth in  Section  21A-20  of  this
 7    Code may have school years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 to develop
 8    a  program  that does meet those requirements and may receive
 9    funding as described in Section 21A-25 of this Code, provided
10    that the funding is made available  by  the  State  Board  of
11    Education  from  an  appropriation  made for this purpose.  A
12    public school with such an existing induction  and  mentoring
13    program may receive funding for the 2005-2006 school year for
14    each  new teacher in the second year of a 2-year program that
15    does not meet the requirements set forth in  Section  21A-20,
16    as long as the public school has established the required new
17    program  by the beginning of that school year as described in
18    Section 21A-15 and provided that funding is made available by
19    the State Board of Education from an appropriation  made  for
20    this purpose as described in Section 21A-25.

21        (105 ILCS 5/21A-15 new)
22        Sec.  21A-15.  When  program  is  to  be  established and
23    implemented. Notwithstanding any  other  provisions  of  this
24    Code,  by  the  beginning of the 2004-2005 school year (or by
25    the beginning of the  2005-2006  school  year  for  a  public
26    school  that has been given an extension of time to develop a
27    program under Section  21A-10  of  this  Code),  each  public
28    school  or  2  or  more  public  schools acting jointly shall
29    establish and implement, in conjunction  with  its  exclusive
30    representative  or  their  exclusive representatives, if any,
31    the new teacher induction and mentoring program  required  to
32    be developed under Section 21A-10 of this Code, provided that
33    funding  is  made  available by the State Board of Education,
 
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 1    from an appropriation made for this purpose, as described  in
 2    Section  21A-25  of  this Code.  A public school may contract
 3    with an institution of higher education or other  independent
 4    party to assist in implementing the program.

 5        (105 ILCS 5/21A-20 new)
 6        Sec.  21A-20.  Program  requirements.   Each  new teacher
 7    induction and mentoring program must be based on a plan  that
 8    at least does all of the following:
 9             (1)  Assigns  a  mentor  teacher to each new teacher
10        for a period of at least 2 school years.
11             (2)  Aligns with the Illinois Professional  Teaching
12        Standards,  content  area standards, and applicable local
13        school improvement and professional development plans, if
14        any.
15             (3)  Addresses all of the following elements and how
16        they will be provided:
17                  (A)  Mentoring and support of the new teacher.
18                  (B)  Professional   development    specifically
19             designed  to  ensure the growth of the new teacher's
20             knowledge and skills.
21                  (C)  Formative assessment  designed  to  ensure
22             feedback  and  reflection, which must not be used in
23             any evaluation of the new teacher.
24             (4)  Describes the  role  of  mentor  teachers,  the
25        criteria  and  process  for their selection, and how they
26        will be trained, provided that each mentor teacher  shall
27        demonstrate  the  best  practices  in teaching his or her
28        respective field of practice. A mentor  teacher  may  not
29        directly or indirectly participate in the evaluation of a
30        new  teacher  pursuant to Article 24A of this Code or the
31        evaluation procedure of the public school.

32        (105 ILCS 5/21A-25 new)
 
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 1        Sec. 21A-25.  Funding.   From  a  separate  appropriation
 2    made  for  the purposes of this Article, for each new teacher
 3    participating  in  a  new  teacher  induction  and  mentoring
 4    program that meets the  requirements  set  forth  in  Section
 5    21A-20  of this Code or in an existing program that is in the
 6    process  of  transition  to  a  program  that   meets   those
 7    requirements,  the  State  Board  of  Education shall pay the
 8    public school $1,200 annually for each of 2 school years  for
 9    the purpose of providing one or more of the following:
10             (1)  Mentor teacher compensation.
11             (2)  Mentor teacher training or new teacher training
12        or both.
13             (3)  Release time.
14    However,  if  a  new  teacher, after participating in the new
15    teacher induction and mentoring program for one school  year,
16    becomes employed by another public school, the State Board of
17    Education  shall  pay the teacher's new school $1,200 for the
18    second school year and the  teacher shall continue  to  be  a
19    new  teacher  as defined in this Article.  Each public school
20    shall  determine,   in   conjunction   with   its   exclusive
21    representative,  if  any,  how the $1,200 per school year for
22    each new teacher shall be used, provided  that  if  a  mentor
23    teacher  receives  additional  release  time to support a new
24    teacher, the  total  workload  of  other  teachers  regularly
25    employed  by  the  public  school  shall  not increase in any
26    substantial manner. If the appropriation is  insufficient  to
27    cover the $1,200 per school year for each new teacher, public
28    schools  are not required to develop or implement the program
29    established by this Article. In the event of an  insufficient
30    appropriation,  a  public  school or 2 or more schools acting
31    jointly may submit an application for a grant administered by
32    the State Board of Education and  awarded  on  a  competitive
33    basis  to  establish  a  new  teacher induction and mentoring
34    program that meets the criteria set forth in  Section  21A-20
 
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 1    of  this  Code. The State Board of Education may retain up to
 2    $1,000,000 of the appropriation for new teacher induction and
 3    mentoring programs to train mentor teachers,  administrators,
 4    and  other  personnel, to provide best practices information,
 5    and to conduct an evaluation of these  programs'  impact  and
 6    effectiveness.

 7        (105 ILCS 5/21A-30 new)
 8        Sec. 21A-30.  Evaluation of programs.  The State Board of
 9    Education  and  the  State  Teacher Certification Board shall
10    jointly contract with  an  independent  party  to  conduct  a
11    comprehensive   evaluation   of  new  teacher  induction  and
12    mentoring programs established pursuant to this Article.  The
13    first report of this evaluation shall  be  presented  to  the
14    General  Assembly  on  or before January 1, 2009.  Subsequent
15    evaluations shall be conducted and reports presented  to  the
16    General  Assembly  on or before January 1 of every third year
17    thereafter.

18        (105 ILCS 5/21A-35 new)
19        Sec. 21A-35.  Rules.  The State Board  of  Education,  in
20    consultation  with  the  State  Teacher  Certification Board,
21    shall adopt rules for the implementation of this Article.