HB5541 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB101 19091 CMG 68551 b

101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB5541

Introduced , by Rep. Tony McCombie

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 48/10
110 ILCS 48/13-1 new
110 ILCS 48/35
110 ILCS 48/90
110 ILCS 48/13 rep.

Amends the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act. Transfers the powers and duties under the Act from the Board of Higher Education to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. Replaces the requirement that the Board of Higher Education must contract annually for an independent evaluation of program implementation with the requirement that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission monitor and evaluate the implementation of the program. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission may elect to contract for an independent evaluation with an outside entity.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning higher education.

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

Section 5. The Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act is amended by changing Sections 10, 35, and 90 and by adding Section 13-1 as follows:

(110 ILCS 48/10)

Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Accredited teacher preparation program" means a regionally accredited, Illinois approved teacher education program authorized to prepare individuals to fulfill all of the requirements to receive an Illinois initial teaching certificate.

"Cohort" means a group of teacher education candidates who are enrolled in and share experiences in the same program and are linked by their desire to become Illinois teachers in hard-to-staff schools and by their need for the services and supports offered by the Initiative. A cohort may include a high school student enrolled in a dual credit course offered by a participating institution of higher education.

"Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

"Community organization" means a nonprofit organization that has a demonstrated capacity to train, develop, and organize parents and community leaders into a constituency that will hold the school and the school district accountable for achieving high academic standards; in addition to organizations with a geographic focus, "community organization" includes general parent organizations, organizations of special education or bilingual education parents, and school employee unions.

"Developmental classes" means classes in basic skill areas, such as mathematics and language arts that are prerequisite to, but not counted towards, degree requirements of a teacher preparation program.

"Dual credit course" has the meaning given to that term under the Dual Credit Quality Act.

"Eligible school" means an early childhood program licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services in which no less than 40% of the children it serves are receiving subsidized care under the Department of Human Services' Child Care Assistance Program, a Head Start or Early Head Start Program, a Preschool for All Program, or a prevention initiative or a public elementary, middle, or secondary school in this State that serves a substantial percentage of low-income students and that is either hard to staff or has hard-to-staff teaching positions.

"Hard-to-staff school" means an early childhood program licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services in which no less than 40% of the children it serves are receiving subsidized care under the Department of Human Services' Child Care Assistance Program, a Head Start or Early Head Start Program, a Preschool for All Program, or a prevention initiative or a public elementary, middle, or secondary school in this State that, based on data compiled by the State Board of Education in conjunction with the Board of Higher Education, serves a substantial percentage of low-income students, as defined by the Board of Higher Education.

"Hard-to-staff teaching position" means a teaching category (such as special education, bilingual education, mathematics, or science) in which statewide data compiled by the State Board of Education in conjunction with the Board of Higher Education indicates a multi-year pattern of substantial teacher shortage or that has been identified as a critical need by the local school board.

"Initiative" means the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Initiative created under this Act.

"Para educator" means an individual with a history of demonstrated accomplishments in school staff positions (such as teacher assistants, school-community liaisons, school clerks, and security aides) in schools that meet the definition of a hard-to-staff school under this Section.

"Parent and community leader" means an individual who has or had a child enrolled in a school or schools that meet the definition of a hard-to-staff school under this Section and who has a history of active involvement in the school or who has a history of working to improve schools serving a substantial percentage of low-income students, including membership in a community organization.

"Program" means a Grow Your Own Teacher preparation program established by a consortium under this Act.

"Schools serving a substantial percentage of low-income students" means schools that maintain any of grades pre-kindergarten through 8, in which at least 35% of the students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches and schools that maintain any of grades 9 through 12, in which at least 25% of the students are eligible to receive free or reduced price lunches.

(Source: P.A. 101-122, eff. 7-26-19.)

(110 ILCS 48/13-1 new)

Sec. 13-1. Transfer of powers and duties to Illinois Student Assistance Commission. On July 1, 2020, all powers and duties of the Board of Higher Education under this Act are to be transferred to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. The Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall assist in transferring these duties; however, no rules shall be adopted regarding candidate eligibility that are more restrictive than Section 20.

(110 ILCS 48/35)

Sec. 35. Annual Independent program evaluation.

(a) Annually, at a time determined by the Commission in consultation with Grow Your Own Illinois (GYO-IL), GYO-IL shall submit a report to assist the Commission in monitoring GYO-IL's, and each of its participating consortia, performance and grant activities. The report shall describe the following:

(1) GYO-IL's anticipated expenditures for the next fiscal year;

(2) the number of qualified students receiving grant assistance at each institution of higher learning during the previous fiscal year;

(3) the total monetary value of grant funds paid to each institution of higher learning at which a qualified student was enrolled during the previous fiscal year;

(4) the number of grant recipients who completed a baccalaureate degree during the previous fiscal year;

(5) the number of grant recipients who fulfilled their teaching obligation by completing 5 years of service in hard-to-staff schools or hard-to-staff teaching positions during the previous fiscal year;

(6) the number of grant recipients who failed to fulfill their teaching obligation during the previous fiscal year;

(7) the number of grant recipients granted a waiver or deferral to waive the 5 years of service requirement described in subsection (a) of Section 25 during the previous fiscal year; and

(8) other information that the Commission may reasonably request.

(b) The Commission may elect to contract for an independent evaluation of program implementation with an outside entity if the Commission so chooses. The independent evaluation must consider and collect all of the information outlined in this Section.

(c) The Auditor General shall prepare an annual audit of the operations and finances of the Grow Your Own Illinois and each consortium that received any State funds in the previous fiscal year. This audit shall be provided to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Commission. The Board of Higher Education shall contract for an independent evaluation of program implementation by each of its participating consortia and of the impact of each program, including the extent of candidate persistence in program enrollment, acceptance as an education major in a 4-year institution of higher education, completion of a bachelor's degree in teaching, obtaining a teaching position in a target school or similar school, subsequent effectiveness as a teacher, and persistence in teaching in a target school or similar school. The evaluation shall assess the Initiative's overall effectiveness and shall identify particular program strategies that are especially effective.

(Source: P.A. 98-1036, eff. 1-1-15.)

(110 ILCS 48/90)

Sec. 90. Rules. The Commission Board of Higher Education may adopt any rules necessary to carry out its responsibilities under this Act.

(Source: P.A. 98-1036, eff. 1-1-15.)

(110 ILCS 48/13 rep.)

Section 10. The Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act is amended by repealing Section 13.