102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB1936

 

Introduced 2/17/2021, by Rep. Tony McCombie

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
110 ILCS 48/10
110 ILCS 48/13-1 new
110 ILCS 48/20
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 contract for an independent evaluation of program implementation with the requirement that Grow Your Own Illinois submit an annual report to assist the Commission in monitoring Grow Your Own Illinois's and each of its participating consortia's performance and grant activities. Allows the Commission to elect to contract for an independent evaluation of program implementation with an outside entity. Requires the Auditor General to prepare an annual audit of the operations and finances of Grow Your Own Illinois and each consortium that received any State funds in the previous fiscal year. Makes related changes. Effective July 1, 2021.


LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1936LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act is
5amended by changing Sections 10, 20, 35, and 90 and by adding
6Section 13-1 as follows:
 
7    (110 ILCS 48/10)
8    Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act:
9    "Accredited teacher preparation program" means a
10regionally accredited, Illinois approved teacher education
11program authorized to prepare individuals to fulfill all of
12the requirements to receive an Illinois initial teaching
13certificate.
14    "Cohort" means a group of teacher education candidates who
15are enrolled in and share experiences in the same program and
16are linked by their desire to become Illinois teachers in
17hard-to-staff schools and by their need for the services and
18supports offered by the Initiative. A cohort may include a
19high school student enrolled in a dual credit course offered
20by a participating institution of higher education.
21    "Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance
22Commission.
23    "Community organization" means a nonprofit organization

 

 

HB1936- 2 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1that has a demonstrated capacity to train, develop, and
2organize parents and community leaders into a constituency
3that will hold the school and the school district accountable
4for achieving high academic standards; in addition to
5organizations with a geographic focus, "community
6organization" includes general parent organizations,
7organizations of special education or bilingual education
8parents, and school employee unions.
9    "Developmental classes" means classes in basic skill
10areas, such as mathematics and language arts that are
11prerequisite to, but not counted towards, degree requirements
12of a teacher preparation program.
13    "Dual credit course" has the meaning given to that term
14under the Dual Credit Quality Act.
15    "Eligible school" means an early childhood program
16licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services in
17which no less than 40% of the children it serves are receiving
18subsidized care under the Department of Human Services' Child
19Care Assistance Program, a Head Start or Early Head Start
20Program, a Preschool for All Program, or a prevention
21initiative or a public elementary, middle, or secondary school
22in this State that serves a substantial percentage of
23low-income students and that is either hard to staff or has
24hard-to-staff teaching positions.
25    "Hard-to-staff school" means an early childhood program
26licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services in

 

 

HB1936- 3 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1which no less than 40% of the children it serves are receiving
2subsidized care under the Department of Human Services' Child
3Care Assistance Program, a Head Start or Early Head Start
4Program, a Preschool for All Program, or a prevention
5initiative or a public elementary, middle, or secondary school
6in this State that, based on data compiled by the State Board
7of Education in conjunction with the Commission Board of
8Higher Education, serves a substantial percentage of
9low-income students, as defined by the Commission Board of
10Higher Education.
11    "Hard-to-staff teaching position" means a teaching
12category (such as special education, bilingual education,
13mathematics, or science) in which statewide data compiled by
14the State Board of Education in conjunction with the
15Commission Board of Higher Education indicates a multi-year
16pattern of substantial teacher shortage or that has been
17identified as a critical need by the local school board.
18    "Initiative" means the Grow Your Own Teacher Education
19Initiative created under this Act.
20    "Para educator" means an individual with a history of
21demonstrated accomplishments in school staff positions (such
22as teacher assistants, school-community liaisons, school
23clerks, and security aides) in schools that meet the
24definition of a hard-to-staff school under this Section.
25    "Parent and community leader" means an individual who has
26or had a child enrolled in a school or schools that meet the

 

 

HB1936- 4 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1definition of a hard-to-staff school under this Section and
2who has a history of active involvement in the school or who
3has a history of working to improve schools serving a
4substantial percentage of low-income students, including
5membership in a community organization.
6    "Program" means a Grow Your Own Teacher preparation
7program established by a consortium under this Act.
8    "Schools serving a substantial percentage of low-income
9students" means schools that maintain any of grades
10pre-kindergarten through 8, in which at least 35% of the
11students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches
12and schools that maintain any of grades 9 through 12, in which
13at least 25% of the students are eligible to receive free or
14reduced price lunches.
15(Source: P.A. 101-122, eff. 7-26-19.)
 
16    (110 ILCS 48/13-1 new)
17    Sec. 13-1. Transfer of powers and duties to Illinois
18Student Assistance Commission. On July 1, 2021, all powers and
19duties of the Board of Higher Education under this Act are to
20be transferred to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
21The Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Student
22Assistance Commission shall assist in transferring these
23duties; however, no rules shall be adopted regarding candidate
24eligibility that are more restrictive than Section 20.
 

 

 

HB1936- 5 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1    (110 ILCS 48/20)
2    Sec. 20. Selection of grantees. The Commission Board of
3Higher Education shall, subject to appropriation, allocate
4funds to Grow Your Own Illinois for the purpose of
5administering the program and awarding grants as needed to
6qualified consortia that reflect the distribution and
7diversity of hard-to-staff schools and hard-to-staff positions
8across this State. In awarding grants, Grow Your Own Illinois
9shall select programs that successfully address Initiative
10criteria and that reflect a diversity of strategies in terms
11of serving urban areas, serving rural areas, the nature of the
12participating institutions of higher education, and the nature
13of hard-to-staff schools and hard-to-staff teaching positions
14on which a program is focused.
15    Grow Your Own Illinois shall select, manage, and oversee
16consortia that meet the following requirements:
17        (1) A consortium shall be composed of at least one
18    4-year institution of higher education with an Illinois
19    approved teacher preparation program, at least one school
20    district or group of schools, and one or more community
21    organizations. The consortium membership may also include
22    a 2-year institution of higher education, a school
23    employee union, or a regional office of education.
24        (2) The 4-year institution of higher education
25    participating in the consortium shall have past,
26    demonstrated success in preparing teachers for elementary

 

 

HB1936- 6 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1    or secondary schools serving a substantial percentage of
2    low-income students.
3        (3) The consortium shall focus on a clearly defined
4    set of eligible schools that will participate in the
5    program. The consortium shall articulate the steps that it
6    will carry out in preparing teachers for its participating
7    schools and in preparing teachers for one or more
8    hard-to-staff teaching positions in those schools.
9        (4) The consortium shall recruit potential candidates
10    for the program and shall take into consideration when
11    selecting a candidate whether the candidate:
12            (A) holds a high school diploma or its equivalent
13        or is a high school student enrolled in a dual credit
14        course offered by a participating institution of
15        higher education;
16            (B) meets either the definition of "parent and
17        community leader" or the definition of "para educator"
18        contained in Section 10 of this Act;
19            (C) (blank);
20            (D) exhibits a willingness to be a teacher in a
21        hard-to-staff school with the goal of maintaining
22        academic excellence;
23            (E) shows an interest in postsecondary education
24        and may hold an associate's degree, a bachelor's
25        degree, or another postsecondary degree, but a
26        postsecondary education is not required;

 

 

HB1936- 7 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1            (F) is a parent, a para educator, a community
2        leader, or any other individual from a community with
3        a hard-to-staff school;
4            (G) commits to completing and passing all State
5        standards, including the licensure test to obtain an
6        educator license;
7            (H) shows a willingness to set high standards of
8        performance for himself or herself and students; and
9            (I) demonstrates commitment to the program by:
10                (i) maintaining a cumulative grade point
11            average of at least a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or the
12            equivalent as determined by the Commission Board
13            of Higher Education);
14                (ii) attending monthly cohort meetings; and
15                (iii) applying for financial aid from all
16            other financial aid resources before applying for
17            assistance from the program.
18        (5) The consortium shall employ effective procedures
19    for teaching the skills and knowledge needed to prepare
20    highly competent teachers. Professional preparation shall
21    include on-going direct experience in target schools and
22    evaluation of this experience.
23        (6) The consortium shall offer the program to cohorts
24    of candidates, as defined in Section 10 of this Act, on a
25    schedule that enables candidates to work full time while
26    participating in the program and allows para educators to

 

 

HB1936- 8 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1    continue in their current positions. In any fiscal year in
2    which an appropriation for the Initiative is made, the
3    consortium shall guarantee that support will be available
4    to an admitted cohort for the cohort's education for that
5    fiscal year. At the beginning of the Initiative, programs
6    that are already operating and existing cohorts of
7    candidates under this model shall be eligible for funding.
8        (7) The institutions of higher education participating
9    in the consortium shall document and agree to expend the
10    same amount of funds in implementing the program that
11    these institutions spend per student on similar
12    educational programs. Grants received by the consortium
13    shall supplement and not supplant these amounts.
14        (8) Grow Your Own Illinois shall establish and oversee
15    additional criteria for review of proposals, including
16    criteria that address the following issues:
17            (A) Previous experience of the institutions of
18        higher education in preparing candidates for
19        hard-to-staff schools and positions and in working
20        with students with non-traditional backgrounds.
21            (B) The quality of the implementation plan,
22        including strategies for overcoming institutional
23        barriers to the progress of non-traditional
24        candidates.
25            (C) If a community college is a participant, the
26        nature and extent of existing articulation agreements

 

 

HB1936- 9 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1        and guarantees between the community college and the
2        4-year institution of higher education.
3            (D) The number of candidates to be educated in the
4        planned cohort or cohorts and the capacity of the
5        consortium for adding cohorts in future cycles.
6            (E) Experience of the community organization or
7        organizations in organizing parents and community
8        leaders to achieve school improvement and a strong
9        relational school culture.
10            (F) The qualifications of the person or persons
11        designated by the 4-year institution of higher
12        education to be responsible for cohort support and the
13        development of a shared learning and social
14        environment among candidates.
15            (G) The consortium's plan for collective
16        consortium decision-making, involving all consortium
17        members, including mechanisms for candidate input.
18            (H) The consortium's plan for direct impact of the
19        program on the quality of education in the eligible
20        schools.
21            (I) The relevance of the curriculum to the needs
22        of the eligible schools and positions, and the use in
23        curriculum and instructional planning of principles
24        for effective education for adults.
25            (J) The availability of classes under the program
26        in places and times accessible to the candidates.

 

 

HB1936- 10 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1            (K) Provision of a level of performance to be
2        maintained by candidates as a condition of continuing
3        in the program.
4            (L) The plan of the 4-year institution of higher
5        education to ensure that candidates take advantage of
6        existing financial aid resources before using the loan
7        funds described in Section 25 of this Act.
8            (M) The availability of supportive services,
9        including, but not limited to, counseling, tutoring,
10        transportation, technology and technology support, and
11        child care.
12            (N) A plan for continued participation of
13        graduates of the program in a program of support for at
14        least 2 years, including mentoring and group meetings.
15            (O) A plan for testing and qualitative evaluation
16        of candidates' teaching skills that ensures that
17        graduates of the program are as prepared for teaching
18        as other individuals completing the institution of
19        higher education's preparation program for the
20        certificate sought.
21            (P) A plan for internal evaluation that provides
22        reports at least yearly on the progress of candidates
23        towards graduation and the impact of the program on
24        the target schools and their communities.
25            (Q) Contributions from schools, school districts,
26        and other consortia members to the program, including

 

 

HB1936- 11 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1        stipends for candidates during their student teaching.
2            (R) Consortium commitment for sustaining the
3        program over time, as evidenced by plans for reduced
4        requirements for external funding, in subsequent
5        cycles.
6            (S) The inclusion in the planned program of
7        strategies derived from community organizing that will
8        help candidates develop tools for working with parents
9        and other community members.
10    Subject to the requirements under the Dual Credit Quality
11Act, a participating institution of higher education may offer
12a high school student a dual credit course under the program.
13    The Commission Board of Higher Education may not adopt
14rules regarding candidate eligibility that are more
15restrictive than this Section.
16(Source: P.A. 101-122, eff. 7-26-19.)
 
17    (110 ILCS 48/35)
18    Sec. 35. Annual Independent program evaluation and audit.
19    (a) Annually, at a time determined by the Commission in
20consultation with Grow Your Own Illinois, Grow Your Own
21Illinois shall submit a report to assist the Commission in
22monitoring Grow Your Own Illinois's and each of its
23participating consortia's performance and grant activities.
24The report shall describe the following:
25        (1) Grow Your Own Illinois's anticipated expenditures

 

 

HB1936- 12 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1    for the next fiscal year;
2        (2) the number of qualified students receiving grant
3    assistance at each institution of higher education during
4    the previous fiscal year;
5        (3) the total monetary value of grant funds paid to
6    each institution of higher education at which a qualified
7    student was enrolled during the previous fiscal year;
8        (4) the number of grant recipients who completed a
9    baccalaureate degree during the previous fiscal year;
10        (5) the number of grant recipients who fulfilled their
11    teaching obligation by completing 5 years of service in
12    hard-to-staff schools or hard-to-staff teaching positions
13    during the previous fiscal year;
14        (6) the number of grant recipients who failed to
15    fulfill their teaching obligation during the previous
16    fiscal year;
17        (7) the number of grant recipients granted a waiver or
18    deferral to waive the 5-years-of-service requirement
19    described in subsection (a) of Section 25 during the
20    previous fiscal year; and
21        (8) other information that the Commission may
22    reasonably request.
23    (b) The Commission may elect to contract for an
24independent evaluation of program implementation with an
25outside entity if the Commission so chooses. The independent
26evaluation must consider and collect all of the information

 

 

HB1936- 13 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1outlined in this Section.
2    (c) The Auditor General shall prepare an annual audit of
3the operations and finances of Grow Your Own Illinois and each
4consortium that received any State funds in the previous
5fiscal year. This audit shall be provided to the Governor, the
6General Assembly, and the Commission.
7The Board of Higher Education shall contract for an
8independent evaluation of program implementation by each of
9its participating consortia and of the impact of each program,
10including the extent of candidate persistence in program
11enrollment, acceptance as an education major in a 4-year
12institution of higher education, completion of a bachelor's
13degree in teaching, obtaining a teaching position in a target
14school or similar school, subsequent effectiveness as a
15teacher, and persistence in teaching in a target school or
16similar school. The evaluation shall assess the Initiative's
17overall effectiveness and shall identify particular program
18strategies that are especially effective.
19(Source: P.A. 98-1036, eff. 1-1-15.)
 
20    (110 ILCS 48/90)
21    Sec. 90. Rules. The Commission Board of Higher Education
22may adopt any rules necessary to carry out its
23responsibilities under this Act.
24(Source: P.A. 98-1036, eff. 1-1-15.)
 

 

 

HB1936- 14 -LRB102 11424 CMG 16757 b

1    (110 ILCS 48/13 rep.)
2    Section 10. The Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act is
3amended by repealing Section 13.
 
4    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
52021.