HB3948 EnrolledLRB098 15504 NHT 50534 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 Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act is
5amended by changing Sections 5, 10, 13, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and
690 as follows:
 
7    (110 ILCS 48/5)
8    Sec. 5. Purpose. The Grow Your Own Teacher preparation
9programs established under this Act shall comprise a major new
10statewide initiative, known as the Grow Your Own Teacher
11Education Initiative, to prepare highly skilled, committed
12teachers who will teach in hard-to-staff schools, including
13within the Department of Juvenile Justice School District, and
14hard-to-staff teaching positions and who will remain in these
15schools for substantial periods of time.
16     The Grow Your Own Teacher Education Initiative shall help
17to create a statewide pipeline of teachers who are likely
18effectively recruit and prepare parent and community leaders
19and paraeducators to become effective teachers statewide in
20hard-to-staff schools serving a substantial percentage of
21low-income students and hard-to-staff teaching positions in
22schools serving a substantial percentage of low-income
23students. Further, the Initiative shall increase the diversity

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 2 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1of teachers, including diversity based on race and ethnicity.
2    The Grow Your Own Teacher Education Initiative shall ensure
3educational rigor by effectively preparing candidates in
4accredited bachelor's degree programs in teaching, through
5which graduates shall meet the requirements to secure an
6Illinois initial teaching certificate.
7    The goal of the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Initiative
8is to add 1,000 teachers to low-income, hard-to-staff Illinois
9schools by 2016.
10(Source: P.A. 95-476, eff. 1-1-08; 96-144, eff. 8-7-09; 96-414,
11eff. 1-1-10; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)
 
12    (110 ILCS 48/10)
13    Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act:
14    "Accredited teacher preparation program" means a
15regionally accredited, Illinois approved teacher education
16program authorized to prepare individuals to fulfill all of the
17requirements to receive an Illinois initial teaching
18certificate.
19    "Cohort" means a group of teacher education candidates who
20are enrolled in and share experiences in the same program and
21are linked by their desire to become Illinois teachers in
22hard-to-staff schools and by their need for the services and
23supports offered by the Initiative.
24    "Community organization" means a nonprofit organization
25that has a demonstrated capacity to train, develop, and

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 3 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1organize parents and community leaders into a constituency that
2will hold the school and the school district accountable for
3achieving high academic standards; in addition to
4organizations with a geographic focus, "community
5organization" includes general parent organizations,
6organizations of special education or bilingual education
7parents, and school employee unions.
8    "Developmental classes" means classes in basic skill
9areas, such as mathematics and language arts that are
10prerequisite to, but not counted towards, degree requirements
11of a teacher preparation program.
12    "Eligible school" means a public elementary, middle, or
13secondary school in this State that serves a substantial
14percentage of low-income students and that is either hard to
15staff or has hard-to-staff teaching positions.
16    "Hard-to-staff school" means a public elementary, middle,
17or secondary school in this State that, based on data compiled
18by the State Board of Education in conjunction with the Board
19of Higher Education, serves a substantial percentage of
20low-income students, as defined by the Board of Higher
21Education State Board.
22    "Hard-to-staff teaching position" means a teaching
23category (such as special education, bilingual education,
24mathematics, or science) in which statewide data compiled by
25the State Board of Education in conjunction with the Board of
26Higher Education indicates a multi-year pattern of substantial

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 4 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1teacher shortage or that has been identified as a critical need
2by the local school board.
3    "Initiative" means the Grow Your Own Teacher Education
4Initiative created under this Act.
5    "Para educator" "Paraeducator" means an individual with a
6history of demonstrated accomplishments in school staff
7positions (such as teacher assistants, school-community
8liaisons, school clerks, and security aides) in schools that
9meet the definition of a hard-to-staff school under this
10Section.
11    "Parent and community leader" means an individual who has
12or had a child enrolled in a school or schools that meet the
13definition of a hard-to-staff school under this Section and who
14has a history of active involvement in the school or who has a
15history of working to improve schools serving a substantial
16percentage of low-income students, including membership in a
17community organization.
18    "Program" means a Grow Your Own Teacher preparation program
19established by a consortium under this Act.
20    "Schools serving a substantial percentage of low-income
21students" means schools that maintain any of grades
22pre-kindergarten through 8, in which at least 35% of the
23students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches
24and schools that maintain any of grades 9 through 12, in which
25at least 25% of the students are eligible to receive free or
26reduced price lunches.

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 5 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1    "State Board" means the Board of Higher Education.
2(Source: P.A. 95-476, eff. 1-1-08; 96-144, eff. 8-7-09;
396-1393, eff. 7-29-10.)
 
4    (110 ILCS 48/13)
5    Sec. 13. Transfer of powers and duties to the Board of
6Higher Education. On July 1, 2010, all powers and duties of
7the State Board of Education under this Act were shall be
8transferred to the Board of Higher Education. All rules,
9standards, guidelines, and procedures adopted by the State
10Board of Education under this Act shall continue in effect as
11the rules, standards, guidelines, and procedures of the Board
12of Higher Education, until they are modified or abolished by
13the Board of Higher Education.
14(Source: P.A. 96-1393, eff. 7-29-10.)
 
15    (110 ILCS 48/15)
16    Sec. 15. Creation of Initiative. The Grow Your Own Teacher
17Education Initiative is created. The Board of Higher Education
18State Board shall administer the Initiative as a grant
19competition to fund consortia that will carry out Grow Your Own
20Teacher preparation programs.
21(Source: P.A. 93-802, eff. 1-1-05; 94-979, eff. 6-30-06.)
 
22    (110 ILCS 48/20)
23    Sec. 20. Selection of grantees. The Board of Higher

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 6 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1Education State Board shall award grants to qualified consortia
2that reflect the distribution and diversity of hard-to-staff
3schools and hard-to-staff positions across this State. In
4awarding grants, the Board of Higher Education State Board
5shall select programs that successfully address Initiative
6criteria and that reflect a diversity of strategies in terms of
7serving urban areas, serving rural areas, the nature of the
8participating institutions of higher education, and the nature
9of hard-to-staff schools and hard-to-staff teaching positions
10on which a program is focused.
11    The Board of Higher Education State Board shall select
12consortia that meet the following requirements:
13        (1) A consortium shall be composed of at least one
14    4-year institution of higher education with an Illinois
15    approved teacher preparation program, at least one school
16    district or group of schools, and one or more community
17    organizations. The consortium membership may also include
18    a 2-year institution of higher education, a school employee
19    union, or a regional office of education.
20        (2) The 4-year institution of higher education
21    participating in the consortium shall have past,
22    demonstrated success in preparing teachers for elementary
23    or secondary schools serving a substantial percentage of
24    low-income students.
25        (3) The consortium shall focus on a clearly defined set
26    of eligible schools that will participate in the program.

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 7 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1    The consortium shall articulate the steps that it will
2    carry out in preparing teachers for its participating
3    schools and in preparing teachers for one or more
4    hard-to-staff teaching positions in those schools.
5        (4) The consortium shall recruit potential candidates
6    for the program and shall take into consideration when
7    selecting a candidate whether the candidate:
8            (A) holds A candidate in a program under the
9        Initiative must hold a high school diploma or its
10        equivalent; ,
11            (B) meets must meet either the definition of
12        "parent and community leader" or the definition of
13        "para educator" contained in Section 10 of this Act; ,
14            (C) has must not have attended college right after
15        high school or must have experienced an interruption in
16        his or her college education; , and does not hold a
17        bachelor's degree.
18            (D) exhibits a willingness to be a teacher in a
19        hard-to-staff school with the goal of maintaining
20        academic excellence;
21            (E) shows an interest in postsecondary education
22        and may hold an associate's degree, a bachelor's
23        degree, or another postsecondary degree, but a
24        postsecondary education is not required;
25            (F) is a parent, a para educator, a community
26        leader, or any other individual from a community with a

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 8 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1        hard-to-staff school;
2            (G) commits to completing and passing all State
3        standards, including the licensure test to obtain an
4        educator license;
5            (H) shows a willingness to set high standards of
6        performance for himself or herself and students; and
7            (I) demonstrates commitment to the program by:
8                (i) maintaining a cumulative grade point
9            average of at least a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or the
10            equivalent as determined by the Board of Higher
11            Education);
12                (ii) attending monthly cohort meetings; and
13                (iii) applying for financial aid from all
14            other financial aid resources before applying for
15            assistance from the program.
16        (5) The consortium shall employ effective procedures
17    for teaching the skills and knowledge needed to prepare
18    highly competent teachers. Professional preparation shall
19    include on-going direct experience in target schools and
20    evaluation of this experience.
21        (6) The consortium shall offer the program to cohorts
22    of candidates, as defined in Section 10 of this Act, on a
23    schedule that enables candidates to work full time while
24    participating in the program and allows para educators
25    paraeducators to continue in their current positions. In
26    any fiscal year in which an appropriation for the

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 9 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1    Initiative is made, the consortium shall guarantee that
2    support will be available to an admitted cohort for the
3    cohort's education for that fiscal year. At the beginning
4    of the Initiative, programs that are already operating and
5    existing cohorts of candidates under this model shall be
6    eligible for funding.
7        (7) The institutions of higher education participating
8    in the consortium shall document and agree to expend the
9    same amount of funds in implementing the program that these
10    institutions spend per student on similar educational
11    programs. Grants received by the consortium shall
12    supplement and not supplant these amounts.
13        (8) The Board of Higher Education State Board shall
14    establish additional criteria for review of proposals,
15    including criteria that address the following issues:
16            (A) Previous experience of the institutions of
17        higher education in preparing candidates for
18        hard-to-staff schools and positions and in working
19        with students with non-traditional backgrounds.
20            (B) The quality of the implementation plan,
21        including strategies for overcoming institutional
22        barriers to the progress of non-traditional
23        candidates.
24            (C) If a community college is a participant, the
25        nature and extent of existing articulation agreements
26        and guarantees between the community college and the

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 10 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1        4-year institution of higher education.
2            (D) The number of candidates to be educated in the
3        planned cohort or cohorts and the capacity of the
4        consortium for adding cohorts in future cycles.
5            (E) Experience of the community organization or
6        organizations in organizing parents and community
7        leaders to achieve school improvement and a strong
8        relational school culture.
9            (F) The qualifications of the person or persons
10        designated by the 4-year institution of higher
11        education to be responsible for cohort support and the
12        development of a shared learning and social
13        environment among candidates.
14            (G) The consortium's plan for collective
15        consortium decision-making, involving all consortium
16        members, including mechanisms for candidate input.
17            (H) The consortium's plan for direct impact of the
18        program on the quality of education in the eligible
19        schools.
20            (I) The relevance of the curriculum to the needs of
21        the eligible schools and positions, and the use in
22        curriculum and instructional planning of principles
23        for effective education for adults.
24            (J) The availability of classes under the program
25        in places and times accessible to the candidates.
26            (K) Provision of a level of performance to be

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 11 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1        maintained by candidates as a condition of continuing
2        in the program.
3            (L) The plan of the 4-year institution of higher
4        education to ensure that candidates take advantage of
5        existing financial aid resources before using the loan
6        funds described in Section 25 of this Act.
7            (M) The availability of supportive services,
8        including, but not limited to, counseling, tutoring,
9        transportation, technology and technology support, and
10        child care.
11            (N) A plan for continued participation of
12        graduates of the program in a program of support for at
13        least 2 years, including mentoring and group meetings.
14            (O) A plan for testing and qualitative evaluation
15        of candidates' teaching skills that ensures that
16        graduates of the program are as prepared for teaching
17        as other individuals completing the institution of
18        higher education's preparation program for the
19        certificate sought.
20            (P) A plan for internal evaluation that provides
21        reports at least yearly on the progress of candidates
22        towards graduation and the impact of the program on the
23        target schools and their communities.
24            (Q) Contributions from schools, school districts,
25        and other consortia members to the program, including
26        stipends for candidates during their student teaching.

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 12 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1            (R) Consortium commitment for sustaining the
2        program over time, as evidenced by plans for reduced
3        requirements for external funding, in subsequent
4        cycles.
5            (S) The inclusion in the planned program of
6        strategies derived from community organizing that will
7        help candidates develop tools for working with parents
8        and other community members.
9(Source: P.A. 95-476, eff. 1-1-08; 96-144, eff. 8-7-09.)
 
10    (110 ILCS 48/25)
11    Sec. 25. Expenditures under the Initiative.
12    (a) Every program under the Initiative shall implement a
13program of forgivable loans to cover any portion of tuition,
14books, and fees of candidates under the program in excess of
15the candidates' grants-in-aid. All students admitted to a
16cohort shall be eligible for a forgivable student loan. Loans
17shall be fully forgiven if a graduate completes 5 years of
18service in hard-to-staff schools or hard-to-staff teaching
19positions, with partial forgiveness for shorter periods of
20service. The Board of Higher Education State Board shall
21establish standards for the approval of requests for waivers or
22deferrals from individuals to waive this obligation. The Board
23of Higher Education State Board shall also define standards for
24the fiscal management of these loan funds.
25    (b) The Board of Higher Education State Board shall award

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 13 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1grants under the Initiative in such a way as to provide the
2required support for a cohort of candidates for any fiscal year
3in which an appropriation for the Initiative is made. Program
4budgets must show expenditures and needed funds for the entire
5period that candidates are expected to be enrolled.
6    (c) No funds under the Initiative may be used to supplant
7the average per-capita expenditures by the institution of
8higher education for candidates.
9    (d) Where necessary, program budgets shall include the
10costs of child care and other indirect expenses, such as
11transportation, tutoring, technology, and technology support,
12necessary to permit candidates to maintain their class
13schedules. Grant funds may be used by any member of a
14consortium to offset such costs, and the services may be
15provided by the community organization or organizations, by any
16other member of the consortium, or by independent contractors.
17    (e) The institution of higher education may expend grant
18funds to cover the additional costs of offering classes in
19community settings and for tutoring services.
20    (f) The community organization or organizations may
21receive a portion of the grant money for the expenses of
22recruitment, community orientation, and counseling of
23potential candidates, for providing space in the community, and
24for working with school personnel to facilitate individual work
25experiences and support of candidates.
26    (g) The school district or school employee union or both

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 14 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1may receive a portion of the grant money for expenses of
2supporting the work experiences of candidates and providing
3mentors for graduates. Notwithstanding the provisions of
4Section 10-20.15 of the School Code, school districts may also
5use these or other applicable public funds to pay participants
6in programs under the Initiative for student teaching required
7by an accredited teacher preparation program.
8    (h) One or more members of the consortium may expend funds
9to cover the salary of a site-based cohort coordinator.
10    (i) Grant funds may also be expended to pay directly for
11required developmental classes for candidates beginning a
12program.
13(Source: P.A. 95-476, eff. 1-1-08; 96-144, eff. 8-7-09.)
 
14    (110 ILCS 48/30)
15    Sec. 30. Implementation of Initiative. The State Board
16shall develop guidelines and application procedures for the
17Initiative in fiscal year 2011. The Board of Higher Education
18State Board may, if it chooses, award a small number of
19planning grants during any fiscal year to potential consortia.
20Other than existing cohorts, the first programs under the
21Initiative shall be awarded grants in such a way as to allow
22candidates to begin their work at the beginning of the
232006-2007 school year.
24(Source: P.A. 96-1393, eff. 7-29-10.)
 

 

 

HB3948 Enrolled- 15 -LRB098 15504 NHT 50534 b

1    (110 ILCS 48/35)
2    Sec. 35. Independent program evaluation. The Board of
3Higher Education State Board shall contract for an independent
4evaluation of program implementation by each of its
5participating consortia and of the impact of each program,
6including the extent of candidate persistence in program
7enrollment, acceptance as an education major in a 4-year
8institution of higher education, completion of a bachelor's
9degree in teaching, obtaining a teaching position in a target
10school or similar school, subsequent effectiveness as a
11teacher, and persistence in teaching in a target school or
12similar school. The evaluation shall assess the Initiative's
13overall effectiveness and shall identify particular program
14strategies that are especially effective.
15(Source: P.A. 93-802, eff. 1-1-05; 94-979, eff. 6-30-06.)
 
16    (110 ILCS 48/90)
17    Sec. 90. Rules. The Board of Higher Education State Board
18may adopt any rules necessary to carry out its responsibilities
19under this Act.
20(Source: P.A. 93-802, eff. 1-1-05.)