093_SB0202
LRB093 07451 NHT 07616 b
1 AN ACT relating to 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 Section
5 2-3.131 as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.131 new)
7 Sec. 2-3.131. Teacher Cadet Program.
8 (a) The Teacher Cadet Program is hereby established and
9 shall be operated by the State Board of Education. The
10 Program is established for the purpose of introducing public
11 secondary school pupils to the teaching profession. The main
12 purpose of the Program is to encourage high school pupils who
13 possess a high level of academic achievement and the
14 personality traits found in good teachers to consider a
15 career in teaching.
16 (b) The State Board of Education shall develop a grant
17 program that assists school districts chosen by the State
18 Board of Education on a competitive basis in offering year
19 long coursework designed to expose pupils to teaching careers
20 and the education system through the development of a
21 hands-on curriculum that includes the following elements:
22 (1) Classroom discussions led by the supervising
23 teacher at the high school.
24 (2) Hands-on activities designed to excite pupils
25 about teaching.
26 (3) Observation and participation in public school
27 classrooms.
28 (4) Interaction with successful administrators and
29 teachers.
30 (5) Opportunities for high school pupils to
31 participate in classrooms through tutoring, internships,
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1 and classroom observation of teaching.
2 (c) A school district that participates in the Teacher
3 Cadet Program shall receive, from funds appropriated for that
4 purpose, a one-time grant of up to $5,000 for the start-up of
5 the Program at its school site that will fund the development
6 of the curriculum, the purchase of materials, and the
7 development of tutoring, internship, and observation options
8 for the high school pupils enrolled in the Program.
9 (d) Subject to the availability of funding, the State
10 Board of Education shall contract for an evaluation of the
11 Teacher Cadet Program and shall report on the evaluation to
12 the General Assembly by January 1, 2007. This evaluation
13 shall include (i) interviews with Program participants
14 regarding their views on the value of the Program and whether
15 participation in the Program has been instrumental in
16 encouraging the selection of teaching as a major in college
17 or as a career and (ii) surveys of colleges and universities
18 to determine whether there has been an increase in the number
19 of pupils that indicate an interest in preparing for a career
20 in public education.
21 (e) The State Board of Education may adopt any rules
22 necessary to implement and administer this Section.
23 (f) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2011.
24 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
25 becoming law.