HB3730 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 13953 CMG 19305 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB3730

Introduced 2/22/2021, by Rep. Tom Demmer

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/Art. 21A heading
105 ILCS 5/21A-5
105 ILCS 5/21A-10
105 ILCS 5/21A-15
105 ILCS 5/21A-20
105 ILCS 5/21A-25
105 ILCS 5/21A-30

Amends the New Teacher Induction and Mentoring Article of the School Code. Changes the heading of the Article and the definition of "new teacher". Provides that, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, the State Board of Education shall develop a program to provide grants to mentor training providers to establish a training program for new teacher mentors, and requires each public school to use a teacher induction and mentoring program provided by a mentor trained through a mentor training provider (rather than requiring a public school to develop a new teacher induction and mentoring program). Makes changes concerning program requirements, funding and stipends, the evaluation of programs, and obsolete references. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing the heading of Article 21A and Sections 21A-5, 21A-10, 21A-15, 21A-20, 21A-25, and 21A-30 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/Art. 21A heading)

ARTICLE 21A. TRAINING FOR MENTORING OF NEW

TEACHERS NEW TEACHER INDUCTION AND MENTORING

(105 ILCS 5/21A-5)

Sec. 21A-5. Definitions. In this Article:

"Mentor training provider" means a regionally accredited college or university located in this State or an educational non-profit that develops a training program for new teacher mentors that includes both initial training in coaching and mentoring methods and ongoing professional development.

"New teacher" means a student teacher or the holder of a Professional Educator License as set forth in Article 21B of this Code who has no more than 3 full years of teaching experience and the holder of a professional educator license, as set forth in Section 21B-20 of this Code, who is employed by a public school and who has not previously participated in a new teacher induction and mentoring program required by this Article, except as provided in Section 21A-25 of this Code.

"Public school" means any school operating pursuant to the authority of this Code, including without limitation a school district, a charter school, a cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board of control, and a school operated by a regional office of education or State agency.

(Source: P.A. 101-643, eff. 6-18-20.)

(105 ILCS 5/21A-10)

Sec. 21A-10. Development of program required.

(a) During the 2003-2004 school year through the 2022-2023 school year, each public school or 2 or more public schools acting jointly shall develop, in conjunction with its exclusive representative or their exclusive representatives, if any, a new teacher induction and mentoring program that meets the requirements set forth in Section 21A-20 of this Code to assist new teachers in developing the skills and strategies necessary for instructional excellence, provided that funding is made available by the State Board of Education from an appropriation made for this purpose.

(b) Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, the State Board of Education shall develop a program to provide grants to mentor training providers to establish a training program for new teacher mentors. The training program offered by a mentor training provider shall meet the requirements set forth in Section 21A-20 of this Code to assist new teachers in developing the skills and strategies necessary for instructional excellence, provided that funding is made available by the State Board from an appropriation for this purpose. The State Board shall provide grants with priority given to training mentor providers that provide training services to school districts without trained mentors in subject matters and disciplines that are federally designated as teacher shortage areas. A public school that has an existing induction and mentoring program that does not meet the requirements set forth in Section 21A-20 of this Code may have school years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 to develop a program that does meet those requirements and may receive funding as described in Section 21A-25 of this Code, provided that the funding is made available by the State Board of Education from an appropriation made for this purpose. A public school with such an existing induction and mentoring program may receive funding for the 2005-2006 school year for each new teacher in the second year of a 2-year program that does not meet the requirements set forth in Section 21A-20, as long as the public school has established the required new program by the beginning of that school year as described in Section 21A-15 and provided that funding is made available by the State Board of Education from an appropriation made for this purpose as described in Section 21A-25.

(Source: P.A. 93-355, eff. 1-1-04.)

(105 ILCS 5/21A-15)

Sec. 21A-15. When program is to be established and implemented.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code, by the beginning of the 2004-2005 school year through the 2022-2023 school year (or by the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year through the 2022-2023 school year for a public school that has been given an extension of time to develop a program under Section 21A-10 of this Code), each public school or 2 or more public schools acting jointly shall establish and implement, in conjunction with its exclusive representative or their exclusive representatives, if any, the new teacher induction and mentoring program required to be developed under Section 21A-10 of this Code, provided that funding is made available by the State Board of Education, from an appropriation made for this purpose, as described in Section 21A-25 of this Code. A public school may contract with an institution of higher education or other independent party to assist in implementing the program.

(b) Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, each public school shall use a teacher induction and mentoring program provided by a mentor trained through a mentor training provider, provided that funding is made available by the State Board of Education, from an appropriation made for this purpose, as described in Section 21A-25 of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 93-355, eff. 1-1-04.)

(105 ILCS 5/21A-20)

Sec. 21A-20. Program requirements.

(a) Through the 2022-2023 school year, each Each new teacher induction and mentoring program must be based on a plan that at least does all of the following:

(1) Assigns a mentor teacher to each new teacher for a period of at least 2 school years.

(2) Aligns with the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, content area standards, and applicable local school improvement and professional development plans, if any.

(3) Addresses all of the following elements and how they will be provided:

(A) Mentoring and support of the new teacher.

(B) Professional development specifically designed to ensure the growth of the new teacher's knowledge and skills.

(C) Formative assessment designed to ensure feedback and reflection, which must not be used in any evaluation of the new teacher.

(4) Describes the role of mentor teachers, the criteria and process for their selection, and how they will be trained, provided that each mentor teacher shall demonstrate the best practices in teaching his or her respective field of practice. A mentor teacher may not directly or indirectly participate in the evaluation of a new teacher pursuant to Article 24A of this Code or the evaluation procedure of the public school.

(b) Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, the mentor training program for new teachers shall include both initial training in coaching and mentoring methods and ongoing professional development in collaboration with other mentors and training providers. In order to be eligible for a grant from the State Board under Section 21A-25, a mentor training program shall train only mentors who meet all the following requirements:

(1) Are the holder of a Professional Educator License or a Professional Educator License in retired status with at least 5 years of teaching experience.

(2) Have a rating of "proficient" or "excellent" on each of their last 2 evaluations under Article 24A of this Code.

(3) Have completed a mentor training program provided by a mentor training provider and have demonstrated competency in new teacher mentoring skills.

Upon meeting these requirements, a mentor shall be eligible to mentor new teachers in any content area and grade level for which the trained mentor holds an endorsement on the Professional Educator License or Professional Educator License in retired status. If a mentor is not available in the new teacher's content area or grade level, the school district shall provide a mentor that best matches the new teacher's content area and grade level.

Each new teacher mentoring program shall address all of the following elements and how they will be provided:

(A) Mentoring and support of the new teacher.

(B) Professional development specifically designed to ensure the growth of the new teacher's knowledge and skills.

(C) A formative assessment designed to ensure feedback and reflection, which must not be used in any evaluation of the new teacher.

Under a new teacher mentoring program, the new teacher shall receive a minimum number of hours of mentoring services in the following manner:

(i) 60 hours in the first year of teaching, including 2 observations by the trained mentor;

(ii) 30 hours in the second year of teaching, including 2 observations by the trained mentor; and

(iii) 20 hours in the third year of teaching, including one observation by the trained mentor.

(Source: P.A. 93-355, eff. 1-1-04.)

(105 ILCS 5/21A-25)

Sec. 21A-25. Funding; stipends.

(a) Through the 2022-2023 school year, from From a separate appropriation made for the purposes of this Article, for each new teacher participating in a new teacher induction and mentoring program that meets the requirements set forth in Section 21A-20 of this Code or in an existing program that is in the process of transition to a program that meets those requirements, the State Board of Education shall pay the public school $1,200 annually for each of 2 school years for the purpose of providing one or more of the following:

(1) Mentor teacher compensation.

(2) Mentor teacher training or new teacher training or both.

(3) Release time.

However, if a new teacher, after participating in the new teacher induction and mentoring program for one school year, becomes employed by another public school, the State Board of Education shall pay the teacher's new school $1,200 for the second school year and the teacher shall continue to be a new teacher as defined in this Article. Each public school shall determine, in conjunction with its exclusive representative, if any, how the $1,200 per school year for each new teacher shall be used, provided that if a mentor teacher receives additional release time to support a new teacher, the total workload of other teachers regularly employed by the public school shall not increase in any substantial manner. If the appropriation is insufficient to cover the $1,200 per school year for each new teacher, public schools are not required to develop or implement the program established by this Article. In the event of an insufficient appropriation, a public school or 2 or more schools acting jointly may submit an application for a grant administered by the State Board of Education and awarded on a competitive basis to establish a new teacher induction and mentoring program that meets the criteria set forth in Section 21A-20 of this Code. The State Board of Education may retain up to $1,000,000 of the appropriation for new teacher induction and mentoring programs to train mentor teachers, administrators, and other personnel, to provide best practices information, and to conduct an evaluation of these programs' impact and effectiveness.

(b) Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, from a separate appropriation made for the purposes of this Article, the State Board of Education shall provide grants to mentor training providers in the amount of $1,500 annually for each of the 4 school years of a new teacher mentor program under this Article to provide mentor compensation. In order to be eligible for the $1,500 stipend, the mentor must provide 60 contact hours of mentoring activities, which must include at least 2 in-person observations of the new teacher's classroom practice and may include the following:

(1) new teacher observation of the trained mentor's classroom activities;

(2) joint observations of another teacher's classroom activities;

(3) reflective conversations about the new teacher's classroom practice;

(4) joint planning time;

(5) participation in professional learning led by the trained mentor; and

(6) any other activities approved by the State Board.

If the State Board does not receive appropriations in an amount to provide $1,500 stipends to all trained mentors, stipends shall be prorated in an equal amount to all qualifying mentors. If proration occurs in which the stipend amount falls below $1,200, then the State Board shall provide stipends to trained mentors in Tier 1 and Tier 2 school districts, as designated under Section 18-8.15 of this Code, in an amount equal to $1,200. The remaining mentors shall receive a prorated stipend in an equal amount.

After providing funding for stipends, if any appropriations are left available for this purpose, the State Board shall provide grants to Tier 1 and Tier 2 school districts, as designated under Section 18-8.15 of this Code, to provide release time for mentors and new teachers to meet and observe classes during the school day.

(Source: P.A. 93-355, eff. 1-1-04.)

(105 ILCS 5/21A-30)

Sec. 21A-30. Evaluation of programs.

(a)The State Board of Education and the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board shall jointly contract with an independent party to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of new teacher induction and mentoring programs established pursuant to this Article. The first report of this evaluation shall be presented to the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2009. Subsequent evaluations shall be conducted and reports presented to the General Assembly on or before January 1 of every third year thereafter through January 1, 2022. The first report presented to the General Assembly after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly shall be presented to the General Assembly before January 1, 2026 and subsequent evaluations shall be conducted and reports presented to the General Assembly on or before January 1 of every third year.

(b) Regional offices of education shall oversee mentors and mentor training providers in their educational service regions, including assigning mentors who are retired educators to school districts in need of trained mentors. For the 2024-2025 school year and each subsequent school year, the regional superintendent of schools shall report to the State Board of Education on the scope and quality of mentoring programs provided within the educational service region, which information shall be included in the State Board's report under subsection (a) of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 101-643, eff. 6-18-20.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.