093_SB0346

 
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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.  Findings  and  declarations.   The  General
10    Assembly finds and declares all of the following:
11             (1)  The  revised  system  of  teacher certification
12        established under subsection (g) of Section 21-1a of this
13        Code recognizes that the  first  years  of  teaching  are
14        particularly   critical   to   a  teacher's  professional
15        development and that teachers who hold  Initial  Teaching
16        Certificates need to develop their knowledge, skills, and
17        abilities   before   being   issued   Standard   Teaching
18        Certificates.
19             (2)  When  new  teachers  are  provided with focused
20        professional development opportunities  and  support  and
21        guidance  from  experienced  teachers, a process known as
22        induction and mentoring, the new  teachers  more  quickly
23        and   effectively  develop  the  knowledge,  skills,  and
24        abilities expected of teachers holding Standard  Teaching
25        Certificates.
26             (3)  To   be   effective,  induction  and  mentoring
27        programs must  be  designed  to  enhance  the  knowledge,
28        skills,   and   abilities   described   in  the  Illinois
29        Professional  Teaching   Standards   and   content   area
30        standards.  These  programs must be based on research and
 
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 1        best practices, targeted toward a set of clearly  defined
 2        purposes,  and must include mentoring, continuing support
 3        and professional development, and  regular  opportunities
 4        for formative assessment of a new teacher.
 5             (4)  In    authorizing   induction   and   mentoring
 6        programs, it is the intent of  the  General  Assembly  to
 7        create  programs  to  maximize  the  development  of  the
 8        knowledge,  skills,  and  abilities  of teachers who hold
 9        Initial Teaching Certificates  and  to  provide  adequate
10        funding for these programs.

11        (105 ILCS 5/21A-10 new)
12        Sec. 21A-10.  Definitions.  In this Article:
13        "New  teacher"  means  the  holder of an Initial Teaching
14    Certificate, as set forth in Section 21-2 of this  Code,  who
15    is  employed  by  a  public school and who has not previously
16    participated in a new teacher induction and mentoring program
17    required by this  Article,  except  as  provided  in  Section
18    21A-30 of this Code.
19        "Public  school"  means  any school operating pursuant to
20    the authority of this Code, including  without  limitation  a
21    school  district,  a  charter  school, a cooperative or joint
22    agreement with a governing body or board of  control,  and  a
23    school operated by a regional office of education.

24        (105 ILCS 5/21A-15 new)
25        Sec.  21A-15.  Development  of  program required.  During
26    the 2003-2004 school year, each public school or  2  or  more
27    public  schools  acting jointly shall develop, in conjunction
28    with  its  exclusive  representative   or   their   exclusive
29    representatives,   if   any,  a  new  teacher  induction  and
30    mentoring program to assist new teachers  in  developing  the
31    skills and strategies necessary for instructional excellence,
32    provided that funding is made available by the State Board of
 
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 1    Education from an appropriation made for this purpose.

 2        (105 ILCS 5/21A-20 new)
 3        Sec.  21A-20.  When  program  is  to  be  established and
 4    implemented. Notwithstanding any  other  provisions  of  this
 5    Code,  by  the  beginning  of the 2004-2005 school year, each
 6    public school or 2 or  more  public  schools  acting  jointly
 7    shall  establish  and  implement,  in  conjunction  with  its
 8    exclusive  representative or their exclusive representatives,
 9    if any, the new teacher induction and  mentoring  program  as
10    set  forth  in  this  Article,  provided that funding is made
11    available  by  the  State  Board  of   Education,   from   an
12    appropriation  made for this purpose, as described in Section
13    21A-30 of this Code.  A public school may  contract  with  an
14    institution of higher education or other independent party to
15    assist in implementing the program.

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

12        (105 ILCS 5/21A-30 new)
13        Sec.  21A-30.  Funding.   From  a  separate appropriation
14    made for the purposes of this Article, for each  new  teacher
15    participating  in  a  new  teacher  induction  and  mentoring
16    program,  the  State  Board of Education shall pay the public
17    school $1,200 annually for each of 2  school  years  for  the
18    purpose of providing one or more of the following:
19             (1)  Mentor teacher compensation.
20             (2)  Mentor teacher training or new teacher training
21        or both.
22             (3)  Release time.
23    However,  if  a  new  teacher, after participating in the new
24    teacher induction and mentoring program for one school  year,
25    becomes employed by another public school, the State Board of
26    Education  shall  pay the teacher's new school $1,200 for the
27    second school year and the  teacher shall continue  to  be  a
28    new  teacher  as defined in this Article.  Each public school
29    shall  determine,   in   conjunction   with   its   exclusive
30    representative,  if  any,  how the $1,200 per school year for
31    each new teacher shall be used, provided  that  if  a  mentor
32    teacher  receives  additional  release  time to support a new
33    teacher, the  total  workload  of  other  teachers  regularly
 
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 1    employed  by  the  public  school  shall  not increase in any
 2    substantial manner.  The State Board of Education may  retain
 3    up  to  $1,000,000  of  the  appropriation  for  new  teacher
 4    induction  and  mentoring  programs to train mentor teachers,
 5    administrators,  and  other  personnel,   to   provide   best
 6    practices  information, and to conduct an evaluation of these
 7    programs' impact and effectiveness.

 8        (105 ILCS 5/21A-35 new)
 9        Sec. 21A-35.  Evaluation of programs.  The State Board of
10    Education and the State  Teacher  Certification  Board  shall
11    jointly  contract  with  an  independent  party  to conduct a
12    comprehensive  evaluation  of  new  teacher   induction   and
13    mentoring programs established pursuant to this Article.  The
14    first  report  of  this  evaluation shall be presented to the
15    General Assembly on or before January  1,  2009.   Subsequent
16    evaluations  shall  be conducted and reports presented to the
17    General Assembly on or before January 1 of every  third  year
18    thereafter.

19        (105 ILCS 5/21A-40 new)
20        Sec.  21A-40.  Rules.   The  State Board of Education, in
21    consultation with  the  State  Teacher  Certification  Board,
22    shall adopt rules for the implementation of this Article.