SB0463 EngrossedLRB103 02914 RJT 47920 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 School Code is amended by changing Sections
524-11 and 24A-7 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/24-11)  (from Ch. 122, par. 24-11)
7    Sec. 24-11. Boards of Education - Boards of School
8Inspectors - Contractual continued service.
9    (a) As used in this and the succeeding Sections of this
10Article:
11    "Teacher" means any or all school district employees
12regularly required to be licensed under laws relating to the
13licensure of teachers.
14    "Board" means board of directors, board of education, or
15board of school inspectors, as the case may be.
16    "School term" means that portion of the school year, July
171 to the following June 30, when school is in actual session.
18    "Program" means a program of a special education joint
19agreement.
20    "Program of a special education joint agreement" means
21instructional, consultative, supervisory, administrative,
22diagnostic, and related services that are managed by a special
23educational joint agreement designed to service 2 or more

 

 

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1school districts that are members of the joint agreement.
2    "PERA implementation date" means the implementation date
3of an evaluation system for teachers as specified by Section
424A-2.5 of this Code for all schools within a school district
5or all programs of a special education joint agreement.
6    (b) This Section and Sections 24-12 through 24-16 of this
7Article apply only to school districts having less than
8500,000 inhabitants.
9    (c) Any teacher who is first employed as a full-time
10teacher in a school district or program prior to the PERA
11implementation date and who is employed in that district or
12program for a probationary period of 4 consecutive school
13terms shall enter upon contractual continued service in the
14district or in all of the programs that the teacher is legally
15qualified to hold, unless the teacher is given written notice
16of dismissal by certified mail, return receipt requested, by
17the employing board at least 45 days before the end of any
18school term within such period.
19    (d) For any teacher who is first employed as a full-time
20teacher in a school district or program on or after the PERA
21implementation date but before July 1, 2023, the probationary
22period shall be one of the following periods, based upon the
23teacher's school terms of service and performance, before the
24teacher shall enter upon contractual continued service in the
25district or in all of the programs that the teacher is legally
26qualified to hold, unless the teacher is given written notice

 

 

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1of dismissal by certified mail, return receipt requested, by
2the employing board on or before April 15:
3        (1) 4 consecutive school terms of service in which the
4    teacher holds a Professional Educator License, an Educator
5    License with Stipulations with a career and technical
6    educator endorsement, or an Educator License with
7    Stipulations with a provisional career and technical
8    educator endorsement and receives overall annual
9    evaluation ratings of at least "Proficient" in the last
10    school term and at least "Proficient" in either the second
11    or third school terms;
12        (2) 3 consecutive school terms of service in which the
13    teacher holds a Professional Educator License, an Educator
14    License with Stipulations with a career and technical
15    educator endorsement, or an Educator License with
16    Stipulations with a provisional career and technical
17    educator endorsement and receives 2 overall annual
18    evaluations of "Excellent"; or
19        (3) 2 consecutive school terms of service in which the
20    teacher holds a Professional Educator License, an Educator
21    License with Stipulations with a career and technical
22    educator endorsement, or an Educator License with
23    Stipulations with a provisional career and technical
24    educator endorsement and receives 2 overall annual
25    evaluations of "Excellent" service, but only if the
26    teacher (i) previously attained contractual continued

 

 

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1    service in a different school district or program in this
2    State, (ii) voluntarily departed or was honorably
3    dismissed from that school district or program in the
4    school term immediately prior to the teacher's first
5    school term of service applicable to the attainment of
6    contractual continued service under this subdivision (3),
7    and (iii) received, in his or her 2 most recent overall
8    annual or biennial evaluations from the prior school
9    district or program, ratings of at least "Proficient",
10    with both such ratings occurring after the school
11    district's or program's PERA implementation date. For a
12    teacher to attain contractual continued service under this
13    subdivision (3), the teacher shall provide official copies
14    of his or her 2 most recent overall annual or biennial
15    evaluations from the prior school district or program to
16    the new school district or program within 60 days from the
17    teacher's first day of service with the new school
18    district or program. The prior school district or program
19    must provide the teacher with official copies of his or
20    her 2 most recent overall annual or biennial evaluations
21    within 14 days after the teacher's request. If a teacher
22    has requested such official copies prior to 45 days after
23    the teacher's first day of service with the new school
24    district or program and the teacher's prior school
25    district or program fails to provide the teacher with the
26    official copies required under this subdivision (3), then

 

 

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1    the time period for the teacher to submit the official
2    copies to his or her new school district or program must be
3    extended until 14 days after receipt of such copies from
4    the prior school district or program. If the prior school
5    district or program fails to provide the teacher with the
6    official copies required under this subdivision (3) within
7    90 days from the teacher's first day of service with the
8    new school district or program, then the new school
9    district or program shall rely upon the teacher's own
10    copies of his or her evaluations for purposes of this
11    subdivision (3).
12    If the teacher does not receive overall annual evaluations
13of "Excellent" in the school terms necessary for eligibility
14to achieve accelerated contractual continued service in
15subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection (d), the teacher
16shall be eligible for contractual continued service pursuant
17to subdivision (1) of this subsection (d). If, at the
18conclusion of 4 consecutive school terms of service that count
19toward attainment of contractual continued service, the
20teacher's performance does not qualify the teacher for
21contractual continued service under subdivision (1) of this
22subsection (d), then the teacher shall not enter upon
23contractual continued service and shall be dismissed. If a
24performance evaluation is not conducted for any school term
25when such evaluation is required to be conducted under Section
2624A-5 of this Code, then the teacher's performance evaluation

 

 

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1rating for such school term for purposes of determining the
2attainment of contractual continued service shall be deemed
3"Proficient", except that, during any time in which the
4Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health
5emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency
6Management Agency Act, this default to "Proficient" does not
7apply to any teacher who has entered into contractual
8continued service and who was deemed "Excellent" on his or her
9most recent evaluation. During any time in which the Governor
10has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency
11pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management
12Agency Act and unless the school board and any exclusive
13bargaining representative have completed the performance
14rating for teachers or mutually agreed to an alternate
15performance rating, any teacher who has entered into
16contractual continued service, whose most recent evaluation
17was deemed "Excellent", and whose performance evaluation is
18not conducted when the evaluation is required to be conducted
19shall receive a teacher's performance rating deemed
20"Excellent". A school board and any exclusive bargaining
21representative may mutually agree to an alternate performance
22rating for teachers not in contractual continued service
23during any time in which the Governor has declared a disaster
24due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the
25Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, as long as the
26agreement is in writing.

 

 

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1    (d-5) For any teacher who is first employed as a full-time
2teacher in a school district or program on or after July 1,
32023, the probationary period shall be one of the following
4periods, based upon the teacher's school terms of service and
5performance, before the teacher shall enter upon contractual
6continued service in the district or in all of the programs
7that the teacher is legally qualified to hold, unless the
8teacher is given written notice of dismissal by certified
9mail, return receipt requested, by the employing board on or
10before April 15:
11        (1) 3 consecutive school terms of service in which the
12    teacher holds a Professional Educator License, an Educator
13    License with Stipulations with a career and technical
14    educator endorsement, or an Educator License with
15    Stipulations with a provisional career and technical
16    educator endorsement and receives overall annual
17    evaluation ratings of at least "Proficient" in the second
18    and third school terms;
19        (2) 2 consecutive school terms of service in which the
20    teacher holds a Professional Educator License, an Educator
21    License with Stipulations with a career and technical
22    educator endorsement, or an Educator License with
23    Stipulations with a provisional career and technical
24    educator endorsement and receives 2 overall annual
25    evaluations of "Excellent"; or
26        (3) 2 consecutive school terms of service in which the

 

 

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1    teacher holds a Professional Educator License, an Educator
2    License with Stipulations with a career and technical
3    educator endorsement, or an Educator License with
4    Stipulations with a provisional career and technical
5    educator endorsement and receives 2 overall annual
6    evaluations of "Excellent" service, but only if the
7    teacher (i) previously attained contractual continued
8    service in a different school district or program in this
9    State, (ii) voluntarily departed or was honorably
10    dismissed from that school district or program in the
11    school term immediately prior to the teacher's first
12    school term of service applicable to the attainment of
13    contractual continued service under this subdivision (3),
14    and (iii) received, in his or her 2 most recent overall
15    annual or biennial evaluations from the prior school
16    district or program, ratings of at least "Proficient",
17    with both such ratings occurring after the school
18    district's or program's PERA implementation date. For a
19    teacher to attain contractual continued service under this
20    subdivision (3), the teacher shall provide official copies
21    of his or her 2 most recent overall annual or biennial
22    evaluations from the prior school district or program to
23    the new school district or program within 60 days from the
24    teacher's first day of service with the new school
25    district or program. The prior school district or program
26    must provide the teacher with official copies of his or

 

 

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1    her 2 most recent overall annual or biennial evaluations
2    within 14 days after the teacher's request. If a teacher
3    has requested such official copies prior to 45 days after
4    the teacher's first day of service with the new school
5    district or program and the teacher's prior school
6    district or program fails to provide the teacher with the
7    official copies required under this subdivision (3), then
8    the time period for the teacher to submit the official
9    copies to his or her new school district or program must be
10    extended until 14 days after receipt of such copies from
11    the prior school district or program. If the prior school
12    district or program fails to provide the teacher with the
13    official copies required under this subdivision (3) within
14    90 days from the teacher's first day of service with the
15    new school district or program, then the new school
16    district or program shall rely upon the teacher's own
17    copies of his or her evaluations for purposes of this
18    subdivision (3).
19    If the teacher does not receive overall annual evaluations
20of "Excellent" in the school terms necessary for eligibility
21to achieve accelerated contractual continued service in
22subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection (d-5) (d), the
23teacher shall be eligible for contractual continued service
24pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection (d-5) (d). If,
25at the conclusion of 3 consecutive school terms of service
26that count toward attainment of contractual continued service,

 

 

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1the teacher's performance does not qualify the teacher for
2contractual continued service under subdivision (1) of this
3subsection (d-5) (d), then the teacher shall not enter upon
4contractual continued service and shall be dismissed. If a
5performance evaluation is not conducted for any school term
6when such evaluation is required to be conducted under Section
724A-5 of this Code, then the teacher's performance evaluation
8rating for such school term for purposes of determining the
9attainment of contractual continued service shall be deemed
10"Proficient", except that, during any time in which the
11Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health
12emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency
13Management Agency Act, this default to "Proficient" does not
14apply to any teacher who has entered into contractual
15continued service and who was deemed "Excellent" on his or her
16most recent evaluation. During any time in which the Governor
17has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency
18pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management
19Agency Act and unless the school board and any exclusive
20bargaining representative have completed the performance
21rating for teachers or mutually agreed to an alternate
22performance rating, any teacher who has entered into
23contractual continued service, whose most recent evaluation
24was deemed "Excellent", and whose performance evaluation is
25not conducted when the evaluation is required to be conducted
26shall receive a teacher's performance rating deemed

 

 

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1"Excellent". A school board and any exclusive bargaining
2representative may mutually agree to an alternate performance
3rating for teachers not in contractual continued service
4during any time in which the Governor has declared a disaster
5due to a public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the
6Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, as long as the
7agreement is in writing.
8    (e) For the purposes of determining contractual continued
9service, a school term shall be counted only toward attainment
10of contractual continued service if the teacher actually
11teaches or is otherwise present and participating in the
12district's or program's educational program for 120 days or
13more, provided that the days of leave under the federal Family
14Medical Leave Act that the teacher is required to take until
15the end of the school term shall be considered days of teaching
16or participation in the district's or program's educational
17program. A school term that is not counted toward attainment
18of contractual continued service shall not be considered a
19break in service for purposes of determining whether a teacher
20has been employed for consecutive school terms, provided that
21the teacher actually teaches or is otherwise present and
22participating in the district's or program's educational
23program in the following school term.
24    (f) If the employing board determines to dismiss the
25teacher in the last year of the probationary period as
26provided in subsection (c) of this Section or subdivision (1)

 

 

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1or (2) of subsection (d) of this Section or subdivision (1) or
2(2) of subsection (d-5) of this Section, but not subdivision
3(3) of subsection (d) of this Section or subdivision (3) of
4subsection (d-5) of this Section, the written notice of
5dismissal provided by the employing board must contain
6specific reasons for dismissal. Any full-time teacher who does
7not receive written notice from the employing board on or
8before April 15 as provided in this Section and whose
9performance does not require dismissal after the fourth
10probationary year pursuant to subsection (d) of this Section
11or the third probationary year pursuant to subsection (d-5) of
12this Section shall be re-employed for the following school
13term.
14    (g) Contractual continued service shall continue in effect
15the terms and provisions of the contract with the teacher
16during the last school term of the probationary period,
17subject to this Act and the lawful regulations of the
18employing board. This Section and succeeding Sections do not
19modify any existing power of the board except with respect to
20the procedure of the discharge of a teacher and reductions in
21salary as hereinafter provided. Contractual continued service
22status shall not restrict the power of the board to transfer a
23teacher to a position which the teacher is qualified to fill or
24to make such salary adjustments as it deems desirable, but
25unless reductions in salary are uniform or based upon some
26reasonable classification, any teacher whose salary is reduced

 

 

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1shall be entitled to a notice and a hearing as hereinafter
2provided in the case of certain dismissals or removals.
3    (h) If, by reason of any change in the boundaries of school
4districts, by reason of a special education cooperative
5reorganization or dissolution in accordance with Section
610-22.31 of this Code, or by reason of the creation of a new
7school district, the position held by any teacher having a
8contractual continued service status is transferred from one
9board to the control of a new or different board, then the
10contractual continued service status of the teacher is not
11thereby lost, and such new or different board is subject to
12this Code with respect to the teacher in the same manner as if
13the teacher were its employee and had been its employee during
14the time the teacher was actually employed by the board from
15whose control the position was transferred.
16    (i) The employment of any teacher in a program of a special
17education joint agreement established under Section 3-15.14,
1810-22.31 or 10-22.31a shall be governed by this and succeeding
19Sections of this Article. For purposes of attaining and
20maintaining contractual continued service and computing length
21of continuing service as referred to in this Section and
22Section 24-12, employment in a special educational joint
23program shall be deemed a continuation of all previous
24licensed employment of such teacher for such joint agreement
25whether the employer of the teacher was the joint agreement,
26the regional superintendent, or one of the participating

 

 

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1districts in the joint agreement.
2    (j) For any teacher employed after July 1, 1987 as a
3full-time teacher in a program of a special education joint
4agreement, whether the program is operated by the joint
5agreement or a member district on behalf of the joint
6agreement, in the event of a reduction in the number of
7programs or positions in the joint agreement in which the
8notice of dismissal is provided on or before the end of the
92010-2011 school term, the teacher in contractual continued
10service is eligible for employment in the joint agreement
11programs for which the teacher is legally qualified in order
12of greater length of continuing service in the joint
13agreement, unless an alternative method of determining the
14sequence of dismissal is established in a collective
15bargaining agreement. For any teacher employed after July 1,
161987 as a full-time teacher in a program of a special education
17joint agreement, whether the program is operated by the joint
18agreement or a member district on behalf of the joint
19agreement, in the event of a reduction in the number of
20programs or positions in the joint agreement in which the
21notice of dismissal is provided during the 2011-2012 school
22term or a subsequent school term, the teacher shall be
23included on the honorable dismissal lists of all joint
24agreement programs for positions for which the teacher is
25qualified and is eligible for employment in such programs in
26accordance with subsections (b) and (c) of Section 24-12 of

 

 

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1this Code and the applicable honorable dismissal policies of
2the joint agreement.
3    (k) For any teacher employed after July 1, 1987 as a
4full-time teacher in a program of a special education joint
5agreement, whether the program is operated by the joint
6agreement or a member district on behalf of the joint
7agreement, in the event of the dissolution of a joint
8agreement, in which the notice to teachers of the dissolution
9is provided during the 2010-2011 school term, the teacher in
10contractual continued service who is legally qualified shall
11be assigned to any comparable position in a member district
12currently held by a teacher who has not entered upon
13contractual continued service or held by a teacher who has
14entered upon contractual continued service with a shorter
15length of contractual continued service. Any teacher employed
16after July 1, 1987 as a full-time teacher in a program of a
17special education joint agreement, whether the program is
18operated by the joint agreement or a member district on behalf
19of the joint agreement, in the event of the dissolution of a
20joint agreement in which the notice to teachers of the
21dissolution is provided during the 2011-2012 school term or a
22subsequent school term, the teacher who is qualified shall be
23included on the order of honorable dismissal lists of each
24member district and shall be assigned to any comparable
25position in any such district in accordance with subsections
26(b) and (c) of Section 24-12 of this Code and the applicable

 

 

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1honorable dismissal policies of each member district.
2    (l) The governing board of the joint agreement, or the
3administrative district, if so authorized by the articles of
4agreement of the joint agreement, rather than the board of
5education of a school district, may carry out employment and
6termination actions including dismissals under this Section
7and Section 24-12.
8    (m) The employment of any teacher in a special education
9program authorized by Section 14-1.01 through 14-14.01, or a
10joint educational program established under Section 10-22.31a,
11shall be under this and the succeeding Sections of this
12Article, and such employment shall be deemed a continuation of
13the previous employment of such teacher in any of the
14participating districts, regardless of the participation of
15other districts in the program.
16    (n) Any teacher employed as a full-time teacher in a
17special education program prior to September 23, 1987 in which
182 or more school districts participate for a probationary
19period of 2 consecutive years shall enter upon contractual
20continued service in each of the participating districts,
21subject to this and the succeeding Sections of this Article,
22and, notwithstanding Section 24-1.5 of this Code, in the event
23of the termination of the program shall be eligible for any
24vacant position in any of such districts for which such
25teacher is qualified.
26(Source: P.A. 102-552, eff. 1-1-22; 102-854, eff. 5-13-22;

 

 

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1103-500, eff. 8-4-23.)
 
2    (105 ILCS 5/24A-7)  (from Ch. 122, par. 24A-7)
3    Sec. 24A-7. Rules.
4    (a) The State Board of Education is authorized to adopt
5such rules as are deemed necessary to implement and accomplish
6the purposes and provisions of this Article, including, but
7not limited to, rules:
8        (1) relating to the methods for measuring student
9    growth (including, but not limited to, limitations on the
10    age of usable data; the amount of data needed to reliably
11    and validly measure growth for the purpose of teacher and
12    principal evaluations; and whether and at what time annual
13    State assessments may be used as one of multiple measures
14    of student growth);
15        (2) defining the term "significant factor" for
16    purposes of including consideration of student growth in
17    performance ratings;
18        (3) controlling for such factors as student
19    characteristics (including, but not limited to, students
20    receiving special education and English Learner services),
21    student attendance, and student mobility so as to best
22    measure the impact that a teacher, principal, school and
23    school district has on students' academic achievement;
24        (4) establishing minimum requirements for district
25    teacher and principal evaluation instruments and

 

 

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1    procedures; and
2        (5) establishing a model evaluation plan for use by
3    school districts in which student growth shall comprise
4    50% of the performance rating.
5    Notwithstanding any other provision in this Section, such
6rules shall not preclude a school district having 500,000 or
7more inhabitants from using an annual State assessment as the
8sole measure of student growth for purposes of teacher or
9principal evaluations.
10    (b) The State Superintendent of Education shall convene a
11Performance Evaluation Advisory Council, which shall be
12staffed by the State Board of Education. Members of the
13Council shall be selected by the State Superintendent and
14include, without limitation, representatives of teacher unions
15and school district management, persons with expertise in
16performance evaluation processes and systems, as well as other
17stakeholders. The Council shall meet at least quarterly and
18may also meet at the call of the chairperson of the Council,
19following August 18, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act
20100-211) until June 30, 2024. The Council shall advise the
21State Board of Education on the ongoing implementation of
22performance evaluations in this State, which may include
23gathering public feedback, sharing best practices, consulting
24with the State Board on any proposed rule changes regarding
25evaluations, and other subjects as determined by the
26chairperson of the Council.

 

 

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1    (c) On July 1, 2024, the State Superintendent of Education
2shall convene a Performance Evaluation Advisory Committee for
3the purpose of maintaining and improving the evaluator
4training and pre-qualification program in this State under
5Section 24A-3. The Committee shall be staffed by the State
6Board of Education. Members of the Committee shall include,
7without limitation, representatives from providers of the
8evaluator retraining and pre-qualification program in this
9State, which include teacher unions, school district
10management, including a school district organized under
11Article 34, and a statewide organization representing regional
12offices of education. Members of the Committee shall be
13nominated by the providers and appointed by the State
14Superintendent.
15    The Committee shall meet initially at the call of the
16State Superintendent and shall select one member as
17chairperson at its initial meeting. The Committee shall meet
18at least quarterly and may also meet at the call of the
19chairperson of the Committee.
20    The Committee shall advise the State Board of Education on
21the continued implementation of the evaluator training and
22pre-qualification program in this State, which may include the
23development and delivery of the program's existing and new
24administrators' academies, gathering feedback from program
25instructors and participants, sharing best practices,
26consulting with the State Board on any proposed rule changes

 

 

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1regarding evaluator training, and other subjects as determined
2by the chairperson of the Committee.
3    (d) Prior to the applicable implementation date, the these
4rules shall not apply to teachers assigned to schools
5identified in an agreement entered into between the board of a
6school district operating under Article 34 of this Code and
7the exclusive representative of the district's teachers in
8accordance with Section 34-85c of this Code.
9(Source: P.A. 102-252, eff. 1-1-22; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)
 
10    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect June 15,
112024.