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1     AN ACT concerning education.
 
 
2     WHEREAS, The new principal mentoring program is intended to
3 exist as a statewide program in which different providers
4 around the State, including statewide organizations, regional
5 offices of education, higher education institutions, school
6 districts, and others, may be approved as providers by the
7 State Board of Education to offer mentoring programs if they
8 meet the standards and criteria of the new principal mentoring
9 program; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Mentors must complete mentoring training offered
11 by the different providers approved by the State Board and work
12 with the new principals to identify areas for professional
13 growth that will assist the principal when making
14 Administrators' Academy and professional development choices,
15 allowing the new principals, with the approval of their
16 mentors, to select any appropriate Administrators' Academy
17 courses even though it might be a duplication of an Illinois
18 Professional Standards for School Leaders standard; therefore
 
19     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
20 represented in the General Assembly:
 
21     Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections
22 2-3.53a, 21-5e, 21-7.5, 21-7.10, 21-7.15, 24A-15, and 34-18.33
23 and by changing Section 10-23.8a as follows:
 
24     (105 ILCS 5/2-3.53a new)
25     Sec. 2-3.53a. New principal mentoring program.
26     (a) Beginning on July 1, 2007, and subject to an annual
27 appropriation by the General Assembly, to establish a new
28 principal mentoring program for new principals. Any individual
29 who is hired as a principal in the State of Illinois on or
30 after July 1, 2007 shall participate in a new principal

 

 

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1 mentoring program for the duration of his or her first year as
2 a principal and must complete the program in accordance with
3 the requirements established by the State Board of Education by
4 rule or, for a school district created by Article 34 of this
5 Code, in accordance with the provisions of Section 34-18.27 of
6 this Code. School districts created by Article 34 are not
7 subject to the requirements of subsection (b), (c), (d), (e),
8 (f), or (g) of this Section. The new principal mentoring
9 program shall match an experienced principal who meets the
10 requirements of subsection (b) of this Section with each new
11 principal in his or her first year in that position in order to
12 assist the new principal in the development of his or her
13 professional growth and to provide guidance during the new
14 principal's first year of service.
15     (b) Any individual who has been a principal in Illinois for
16 3 or more years and who has demonstrated success as an
17 instructional leader, as determined by the State Board by rule,
18 is eligible to apply to be a mentor under a new principal
19 mentoring program. Mentors shall complete mentoring training
20 by entities approved by the State Board and meet any other
21 requirements set forth by the State Board and by the school
22 district employing the mentor.
23     (c) The State Board shall certify an entity or entities
24 approved to provide training of mentors.
25     (d) A mentor shall be assigned to a new principal based on
26 (i) similarity of grade level or type of school, (ii) learning
27 needs of the new principal, and (iii) geographical proximity of
28 the mentor to the new principal. The principal, in
29 collaboration with the mentor, shall identify areas for
30 improvement of the new principal's professional growth,
31 including, but not limited to, each of the following:
32         (1) Analyzing data and applying it to practice.
33         (2) Aligning professional development and
34     instructional programs.
35         (3) Building a professional learning community.
36         (4) Observing classroom practices and providing

 

 

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1     feedback.
2         (5) Facilitating effective meetings.
3         (6) Developing distributive leadership practices.
4         (7) Facilitating organizational change.
5 The mentor shall not be required to provide an evaluation of
6 the new principal on the basis of the mentoring relationship.
7     (e) On or after January 1, 2008 and on or after January 1
8 of each year thereafter, each mentor and each new principal
9 shall complete a survey of progress on a form developed by
10 their respective school districts. On or before July 1, 2008
11 and on or after July 1 of each year thereafter, the State Board
12 shall facilitate a review and evaluate the mentoring training
13 program in collaboration with the approved providers. Each new
14 principal and his or her mentor must complete a verification
15 form developed by the State Board in order to certify their
16 completion of a new principal mentoring program.
17     (f) The requirements of this Section do not apply to any
18 individual who has previously served as an assistant principal
19 in Illinois acting under an administrative certificate for 5 or
20 more years and who is hired, on or after July 1, 2007, as a
21 principal by the school district in which the individual last
22 served as an assistant principal, although such an individual
23 may choose to participate in this program or shall be required
24 to participate by the school district.
25     (g) The State Board may adopt any rules necessary for the
26 implementation of this Section.
 
27     (105 ILCS 5/10-23.8a)  (from Ch. 122, par. 10-23.8a)
28     Sec. 10-23.8a. Principal and other administrator
29 contracts. After the effective date of this amendatory Act of
30 1997 and the expiration of contracts in effect on the effective
31 date of this amendatory Act, school districts may only employ
32 principals and other school administrators under either a
33 contract for a period not to exceed one year or a
34 performance-based contract for a period not to exceed 5 years,
35 unless the provisions of Section 10-23.8b of this Code or

 

 

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1 subsection (e) of Section 24A-15 of this Code otherwise apply.
2     Performance-based contracts shall be linked to student
3 performance and academic improvement attributable to the
4 responsibilities and duties of the principal or administrator.
5 No performance-based contract shall be extended or rolled-over
6 prior to its scheduled expiration unless all the performance
7 and improvement goals contained in the contract have been met.
8 Each performance-based contract shall include the goals and
9 indicators of student performance and academic improvement
10 determined and used by the local school board to measure the
11 performance and effectiveness of the principal or other
12 administrator and such other information as the local school
13 board may determine.
14     By accepting the terms of a multi-year contract, the
15 principal or administrator waives all rights granted him or her
16 under Sections 24-11 through 24-16 of this Act only for the
17 term of the multi-year contract. Upon acceptance of a
18 multi-year contract, the principal or administrator shall not
19 lose any previously acquired tenure credit with the district.
20 (Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98; 91-314, eff. 1-1-00.)
 
21     (105 ILCS 5/21-5e new)
22     Sec. 21-5e. Alternative Route to Administrative
23 Certification for National Board Certified Teachers.
24     (a) It shall be the policy of the State of Illinois to
25 improve the recruitment and preparation of instructional
26 leaders.
27     (b) On or before July 1, 2007, the State Board of
28 Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
29 Certification Board, shall establish and implement an
30 alternative route to administrative certification for teacher
31 leaders, to be known as the Alternative Route to an
32 Administrative Certificate for National Board Certified
33 Teachers. "Teacher leader" means a certified teacher who has
34 already received National Board certification through the
35 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and who has

 

 

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1 a teacher leader endorsement under Section 21-7.5 of this Code.
2 Persons who meet the requirements of and successfully complete
3 the program established by this Section shall be issued a
4 standard administrative certificate for serving in schools in
5 this State. The State Board shall approve a course of study
6 that persons must successfully complete in order to satisfy one
7 criterion for issuance of the administrative certificate under
8 this Section. The Alternative Route to an Administrative
9 Certificate for National Board Certified Teachers must include
10 the current content and skills contained in a college's or
11 university's courses and the Illinois Professional School
12 Leader Standards for State certification, with the exception of
13 courses that contain the competency areas and the Illinois
14 Professional School Leader Standards that a candidate has
15 already met through National Board certification or through a
16 teacher leadership master's degree program.
17     (c) The Alternative Route to an Administrative Certificate
18 for National Board Certified Teachers shall be comprised of the
19 following 4 phases:
20         (1) National Board certification and an endorsement in
21     teacher leadership in accordance with Section 21-7.5 of
22     this Code;
23         (2) a master's degree in a teacher leader program;
24         (3) 15 hours of coursework in which the candidate must
25     show evidence of meeting competencies for organizational
26     management and development, finance, supervision and
27     evaluation, policy and legal issues, and leadership, as
28     stated in the Illinois Professional School Leader
29     Standards for principals; and
30         (4) a passing score on the Illinois Administrator
31     Assessment.
32     (d) Successful completion of the Alternative Route to an
33 Administrative Certificate for National Board Certified
34 Teachers shall be deemed to satisfy all requirements to receive
35 an administrative certificate established by law. The State
36 Board shall adopt rules that are consistent with this Section

 

 

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1 and that the State Board deems necessary for the establishment
2 and implementation of the program.
 
3     (105 ILCS 5/21-7.5 new)
4     Sec. 21-7.5. Teacher leader endorsement. It shall be the
5 policy of the State of Illinois to improve the quality of
6 instructional leaders by providing a career pathway for
7 teachers interested in serving in leadership roles. Beginning
8 on July 1, 2007, the State Board, in consultation with the
9 State Teacher Certification Board, shall establish and
10 implement a teacher leader endorsement, to be known as a
11 teacher leader endorsement. Persons who meet the requirements
12 of and successfully complete the requirements of the
13 endorsement established under this Section shall be issued a
14 teacher leader endorsement for serving in schools in this
15 State. The endorsement shall be a career path endorsement but
16 not a restrictive endorsement available to: (i) teachers who
17 are certified through the National Board for Professional
18 Teaching Standards and complete a specially designed strand of
19 teacher leadership courses; (ii) teachers who have completed a
20 master's degree program in teacher leadership; and (iii) proven
21 teacher leaders with a master's degree who complete a specially
22 designed strand of teacher leadership courses. Colleges and
23 universities shall have the authority to qualify the
24 proficiency of proven teacher leaders under clause (iii) of
25 this Section. A teacher who meets any of clauses (i) through
26 (iii) of this Section shall be deemed to satisfy the
27 requirements for the teacher leader endorsement. The State
28 Board may adopt rules that are consistent with this Section and
29 that the State Board deems necessary to establish and implement
30 this teacher leadership endorsement program.
 
31     (105 ILCS 5/21-7.10 new)
32     Sec. 21-7.10. Master principal designation program.
33     (a) The General Assembly recognizes the important role a
34 principal serves as a school's instructional leader and

 

 

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1 believes it is in the best interest of the State to establish a
2 mechanism for training and recognizing master level
3 principals.
4     (b) The State Board of Education shall certify statewide
5 organizations representing principals, institutions of higher
6 education, and regional offices of education and one school
7 district or organization representing principals in a school
8 district organized under Article 34 of this Code to establish a
9 master principal designation program if these entities meet the
10 criteria established by the State Board. These entities shall
11 work with a statewide design team made up of institutions of
12 higher education, regional offices of education, statewide
13 organizations, and other appropriate entities, as determined
14 by the State Board, to conceptualize the master principal
15 designation program. The State Board shall adopt rules, in
16 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, for
17 entities seeking to provide a program under this Section,
18 including an approval process and other criteria. A master
19 principal designation program aligned with the Illinois
20 Professional Leadership Standards shall include at least the
21 following components:
22         (1) Expansion of the principal's knowledge base and
23     leadership.
24         (2) Application of strategies and collection of
25     evidence of student learning and school processes.
26         (3) Demonstration of the ability and skills necessary
27     to lead sustained academic improvement in a school or
28     district.
29     (c) An individual serving as a principal for at least 3
30 years is eligible for participation in a master principal
31 designation program. Each year, those entities approved to
32 offer a master principal designation program must submit to the
33 State Board a report indicating the number of individuals
34 enrolled in the program, the progress of candidates,
35 anticipated changes to the program, and any other relevant
36 information requested by the State Board. All substantive

 

 

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1 changes to an entity's master principal designation program
2 shall require prior written approval from the State Board. An
3 entity that fails to meet the requirements of this Section or
4 any other criteria established by the State Board by rule shall
5 have its authority to offer a master principal designation
6 program revoked pursuant to procedures established by rule by
7 the State Board.
 
8     (105 ILCS 5/21-7.15 new)
9     Sec. 21-7.15. Illinois Administrators' Academy Review Task
10 Force. The State Board of Education shall create a task force
11 to review the Illinois Administrators' Academy and recommend
12 revisions to the program. The goal of the task force shall be
13 to revise the Illinois Administrators' Academy so that it
14 offers professional development opportunities tailored to the
15 individual and collective needs of principals and other
16 administrators. The task force shall also examine the content
17 and duration of teacher evaluation courses required under
18 subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subsection (c-10) of
19 Section 21-7.1 of this Act and make recommendations for
20 improvement. The task force shall consist of members appointed
21 by the State Superintendent of Education. The task force shall
22 include without limitation representatives from a statewide
23 organization representing principals, a statewide organization
24 representing school business officials, a statewide
25 organization representing school administrators, a statewide
26 organization representing education leadership, a statewide
27 organization representing school boards, regional offices of
28 education, and other appropriate stakeholders. The task force
29 shall file a report of its findings with the General Assembly,
30 the Governor, and the State Board by July 1, 2007. A copy of
31 the report shall also be delivered to the Executive Committee
32 of the Illinois State Action for Education Leadership Project.
33 This Section is repealed on July 2, 2007.
 
34     (105 ILCS 5/24A-15 new)

 

 

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1     Sec. 24A-15. Development and submission of evaluation plan
2 for principals.
3     (a) Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year and each
4 school year thereafter, each school district, except for a
5 school district organized under Article 34 of this Code, shall
6 establish a principal evaluation plan in accordance with this
7 Section. The plan must ensure that each principal is evaluated
8 as follows:
9         (1) For a principal on a single-year contract, the
10     evaluation must take place by February 1 of each year.
11         (2) For a principal on a multi-year contract under
12     Section 10-23.8a of this Code, the evaluation must take
13     place by February 1 of the final year of the contract.
14 Nothing in this Section prohibits a school district from
15 conducting additional evaluations of principals.
16     (b) The evaluation shall include a description of the
17 principal's duties and responsibilities and the standards to
18 which the principal is expected to conform.
19     (c) The evaluation must be performed by the district
20 superintendent, the superintendent's designee, or, in the
21 absence of the superintendent or his or her designee, an
22 individual appointed by the school board who holds a registered
23 Type 75 State administrative certificate. The evaluation must
24 be in writing and must at least do all of the following:
25         (1) Consider the principal's specific duties,
26     responsibilities, management, and competence as a
27     principal.
28         (2) Specify the principal's strengths and weaknesses,
29     with supporting reasons.
30         (3) Align with the Illinois Professional Standards for
31     School Leaders or research-based district standards.
32     (d) One copy of the evaluation must be included in the
33 principal's personnel file and one copy of the evaluation must
34 be provided to the principal.
35     (e) Failure by a district to evaluate a principal and to
36 provide the principal with a copy of the evaluation at least

 

 

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1 once during the term of the principal's contract, in accordance
2 with this Section, is evidence that the principal is performing
3 duties and responsibilities in at least a satisfactory manner
4 and shall serve to automatically extend the principal's
5 contract for a period of one year after the contract would
6 otherwise expire, under the same terms and conditions as the
7 prior year's contract. The requirements in this Section are in
8 addition to the right of a school board to reclassify a
9 principal pursuant to Section 10-23.8b of this Code.
10     (f) Nothing in this Section prohibits a school board from
11 ordering lateral transfers of principals to positions of
12 similar rank and salary.
 
13     (105 ILCS 5/34-18.33 new)
14     Sec. 34-18.33. Principal mentoring program. Beginning on
15 July 1, 2007, and subject to an annual appropriation by the
16 General Assembly, the school district shall develop a principal
17 mentoring program. The school district shall submit a copy of
18 its principal mentoring program to the State Board of Education
19 for its review and public comment. Whenever a substantive
20 change has been made by the school district to its principal
21 mentoring program, these changes must be submitted to the State
22 Board of Education for review and comment.
 
23     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
24 becoming law.