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| Public Act 097-0217 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections | ||||
10-21.4a, 10-23.8a, 10-23.8b, and 24A-15 as follows:
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(105 ILCS 5/10-21.4a) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-21.4a)
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Sec. 10-21.4a. Principals and assistant principals - | ||||
Duties. To employ principals and assistant principals who hold
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valid supervisory or administrative certificates. The | ||||
principal, with the assistance of any assistant principals, who | ||||
shall supervise the
operation of attendance centers as the | ||||
board shall determine necessary.
In an attendance center having | ||||
fewer than 4 teachers, a head teacher who
does not qualify as a | ||||
principal may be assigned in the place of a principal.
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The principal, with the assistance of any assistant | ||||
principals, shall assume administrative responsibilities and
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instructional leadership, under the supervision of the | ||||
superintendent,
and in accordance with reasonable rules and | ||||
regulations of the board,
for the planning, operation and | ||||
evaluation of the educational program of
the attendance area to | ||||
which he or she is assigned.
However, in districts under a | ||||
Financial Oversight Panel pursuant to
Section 1A-8 for | ||||
violating a financial plan, the duties and responsibilities of
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principals and assistant principals in relation to the | ||
financial and business operations of the
district shall be | ||
approved by the Panel. In the event the Board refuses or
fails | ||
to follow a directive or comply with an information request of | ||
the Panel,
the performance of those duties shall be subject to | ||
the direction of the
Panel.
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School boards shall specify in their formal job description | ||
for
principals that his or her primary responsibility is in the | ||
improvement of
instruction. A majority of the time spent by a | ||
principal shall be spent on
curriculum and staff development | ||
through both formal and informal
activities, establishing | ||
clear lines of communication regarding school
goals, | ||
accomplishments, practices and policies with parents and | ||
teachers.
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Unless residency within a school district is made an | ||
express condition of a
person's employment or continued | ||
employment as a principal or assistant principal of that school
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district at the time of the person's initial employment as a | ||
principal or assistant principal of that
district, residency | ||
within that school district may not at any time thereafter
be | ||
made a condition of that person's employment or continued | ||
employment as a
principal or assistant principal of the | ||
district, without regard to whether the person's initial
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employment as a principal or assistant principal of the | ||
district began before or begins on or after
the effective date | ||
of this amendatory Act of 1996 and without regard to whether
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that person's residency within or outside of the district began | ||
or was changed
before or begins or changes on or after that | ||
effective date. In no event shall
residency within a school | ||
district be considered in determining the
compensation of a | ||
principal or assistant principal or the assignment or transfer | ||
of a principal or assistant principal to an
attendance center | ||
of the district.
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School boards shall ensure that their principals and | ||
assistant principals are evaluated on their
instructional | ||
leadership ability and their ability to maintain a positive
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education and learning climate.
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It shall also be the responsibility of the principal to | ||
utilize resources
of proper law enforcement agencies when the | ||
safety and welfare of students
and teachers are threatened by | ||
illegal use of drugs and alcohol.
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The principal shall submit recommendations to the | ||
superintendent
concerning the appointment, retention, | ||
promotion and assignment of all
personnel assigned to the | ||
attendance center.
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If a principal is absent due to extended illness or leave | ||
of absence, an
assistant principal may be assigned as acting | ||
principal for a period not
to exceed 60 school days.
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(Source: P.A. 89-572, eff. 7-30-96; 89-622, eff. 8-9-96; 90-14, | ||
eff.
7-1-97.)
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(105 ILCS 5/10-23.8a) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-23.8a)
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Sec. 10-23.8a. Principal, assistant principal, and other | ||
administrator contracts. After the effective date of this | ||
amendatory Act of 1997 and the expiration of
contracts in | ||
effect on the effective date of this amendatory Act, school
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districts may only employ principals, assistant principals, | ||
and other school administrators under either a
contract for a | ||
period not to exceed one year or a performance-based contract | ||
for a period not to exceed 5
years, unless the provisions of | ||
Section 10-23.8b of this Code or subsection (e) of Section | ||
24A-15 of this Code otherwise apply.
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Performance-based contracts shall be linked to student
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performance and academic improvement attributable to the | ||
responsibilities and
duties of the principal, assistant | ||
principal, or administrator. No performance-based
contract | ||
shall be extended or rolled-over prior to its scheduled | ||
expiration
unless
all the performance and improvement goals | ||
contained in the contract have been
met.
Each performance-based | ||
contract shall include the goals and
indicators of student | ||
performance and academic improvement determined and used
by the | ||
local school board to measure the performance and effectiveness | ||
of the
principal, assistant principal, or other administrator | ||
and such other information as the local school
board may | ||
determine.
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By accepting the terms of a multi-year contract, the | ||
principal, assistant principal, or
administrator waives
all | ||
rights granted him or her under Sections 24-11 through 24-16 of | ||
this
Act only for
the term of the multi-year contract. Upon | ||
acceptance of a multi-year
contract, the principal, assistant | ||
principal, or administrator shall not lose any previously
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acquired tenure credit with the district.
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(Source: P.A. 94-1039, eff. 7-20-06.)
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(105 ILCS 5/10-23.8b) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-23.8b)
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Sec. 10-23.8b. Reclassification of principals and | ||
assistant principals. Upon non-renewal of a principal's or | ||
assistant principal's administrative contract, the principal | ||
or assistant principal shall be reclassified pursuant to this | ||
Section. No principal or assistant principal who has
completed | ||
2 or more years of administrative service in the school
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district may be reclassified by demotion or reduction in rank | ||
from one
position within a school district to another for which | ||
a lower salary is
paid without written notice from the board of | ||
the proposed reclassification
by April 1 of the year in which | ||
the contract expires.
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Within 10 days of the principal's or assistant principal's | ||
receipt of this notice,
the school board shall provide the | ||
principal or assistant principal with a written statement of
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the facts regarding reclassification, and the principal or | ||
assistant principal may
request and receive a private hearing | ||
with the board to discuss the
reasons for the reclassification. | ||
If the principal or assistant principal is not satisfied with
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the results of the private hearing, he or she may, within 5 | ||
days thereafter,
request and receive a public hearing on the | ||
reclassification. Any
principal or assistant principal may be | ||
represented by counsel at a private or public hearing
conducted | ||
under this Section.
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If the board decides to proceed with the reclassification, | ||
it shall
give the principal or assistant principal written | ||
notice of its decision within 15 days of the
private hearing or | ||
within 15 days of the public hearing held under this
Section | ||
whichever is later. The decision of the board thereupon becomes
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final.
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Nothing in this Section prohibits a board from ordering | ||
lateral
transfers of principals or assistant principals to | ||
positions of similar rank and equal salary.
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The changes made by Public Act 94-201 this amendatory Act | ||
of the 94th General Assembly are declaratory of existing law.
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(Source: P.A. 94-201, eff. 1-1-06.)
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(105 ILCS 5/24A-15) | ||
Sec. 24A-15. Development of evaluation plan for principals | ||
and assistant principals. | ||
(a) Each school district, except for a school district | ||
organized under Article 34 of this Code, shall establish a | ||
principal and assistant principal evaluation plan in | ||
accordance with this Section. The plan must ensure that each | ||
principal and assistant principal is evaluated as follows: | ||
(1) For a principal or assistant principal on a | ||
single-year contract, the evaluation must take place by | ||
March 1 of each year. | ||
(2) For a principal or assistant principal on a | ||
multi-year contract under Section 10-23.8a of this Code, | ||
the evaluation must take place by March 1 of the final year | ||
of the contract. | ||
On and after September 1, 2012, the plan must: | ||
(i) rate the principal's or assistant principal's | ||
performance as "excellent", "proficient", "needs | ||
improvement" or "unsatisfactory"; and | ||
(ii) ensure that each principal and assistant | ||
principal is evaluated at least once every school year. | ||
Nothing in this Section prohibits a school district from | ||
conducting additional evaluations of principals and assistant | ||
principals.
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(b) The evaluation shall include a description of the | ||
principal's or assistant principal's duties and | ||
responsibilities and the standards to which the principal or | ||
assistant principal is expected to conform. | ||
(c) The evaluation for a principal must be performed by the | ||
district superintendent, the superintendent's designee, or, in | ||
the absence of the superintendent or his or her designee, an | ||
individual appointed by the school board who holds a registered | ||
Type 75 State administrative certificate. | ||
Prior to September 1, 2012, the evaluation must be in | ||
writing and must at least do all of the following: | ||
(1) Consider the principal's specific duties, | ||
responsibilities, management, and competence as a | ||
principal. | ||
(2) Specify the principal's strengths and weaknesses, | ||
with supporting reasons. | ||
(3) Align with research-based standards established by | ||
administrative rule.
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On and after September 1, 2012, the evaluation must, in | ||
addition to the requirements in items (1), (2), and (3) of this | ||
subsection (c), provide for the use of data and indicators on | ||
student growth as a significant factor in rating performance. | ||
(c-5) The evaluation of an assistant principal must be | ||
performed by the principal, the district superintendent, the | ||
superintendent's designee, or, in the absence of the | ||
superintendent or his or her designee, an individual appointed | ||
by the school board who holds a registered Type 75 State | ||
administrative certificate. The evaluation must be in writing | ||
and must at least do all of the following: | ||
(1) Consider the assistant principal's specific | ||
duties, responsibilities, management, and competence as an | ||
assistant principal. | ||
(2) Specify the assistant principal's strengths and | ||
weaknesses with supporting reasons. | ||
(3) Align with the Illinois Professional Standards for | ||
School Leaders or research-based district standards. | ||
On and after September 1, 2012, the evaluation must, in | ||
addition to the requirements in items (1), (2), and (3) of this | ||
subsection (c-5), provide for the use of data and indicators on | ||
student growth as a significant factor in rating performance. | ||
(d) One copy of the evaluation must be included in the | ||
principal's or assistant principal's personnel file and one | ||
copy of the evaluation must be provided to the principal or | ||
assistant principal. | ||
(e) Failure by a district to evaluate a principal or | ||
assistant principal and to provide the principal or assistant | ||
principal with a copy of the evaluation at least once during | ||
the term of the principal's or assistant principal's contract, | ||
in accordance with this Section, is evidence that the principal | ||
or assistant principal is performing duties and | ||
responsibilities in at least a satisfactory manner and shall | ||
serve to automatically extend the principal's or assistant | ||
principal's contract for a period of one year after the | ||
contract would otherwise expire, under the same terms and | ||
conditions as the prior year's contract. The requirements in | ||
this Section are in addition to the right of a school board to | ||
reclassify a principal or assistant principal pursuant to | ||
Section 10-23.8b of this Code. | ||
(f) Nothing in this Section prohibits a school board from | ||
ordering lateral transfers of principals or assistant | ||
principals to positions of similar rank and salary.
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(Source: P.A. 96-861, eff. 1-15-10.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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