Elementary & Secondary Education Committee

Adopted in House Comm. on Apr 05, 2006

 

 


 

 


 
09400SB0860ham001 LRB094 04494 RAS 57882 a

1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 860

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 860 immediately
3 below the title, by inserting the following:
 
4     "WHEREAS, The new principal mentoring program is intended
5 to exist as a statewide program in which different providers
6 around the State, including statewide organizations, regional
7 offices of education, higher education institutions, school
8 districts, and others, may be approved as providers by the
9 State Board of Education to offer mentoring programs if they
10 meet the standards and criteria of the new principal mentoring
11 program; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Mentors must complete mentoring training offered
13 by the different providers approved by the State Board and work
14 with the new principals to identify areas for professional
15 growth that will assist the principal when making
16 Administrators' Academy and professional development choices,
17 allowing the new principals, with the approval of their
18 mentors, to select any appropriate Administrators' Academy
19 courses even though it might be a duplication of an Illinois
20 Professional Standards for School Leaders standard;
21 therefore"; and
 
22 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
23 following:
 

 

 

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1     "Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections
2 2-3.53a, 21-5e, 21-7.5, 21-7.10, 21-7.15, 24A-15, and 34-18.33
3 and by changing Section 10-23.8a as follows:
 
4     (105 ILCS 5/2-3.53a new)
5     Sec. 2-3.53a. New principal mentoring program.
6     (a) Beginning on July 1, 2007, and subject to an annual
7 appropriation by the General Assembly, to establish a new
8 principal mentoring program for new principals. Any individual
9 who is hired as a principal in the State of Illinois on or
10 after July 1, 2007 shall participate in a new principal
11 mentoring program for the duration of his or her first year as
12 a principal and must complete the program in accordance with
13 the requirements established by the State Board of Education by
14 rule or, for a school district created by Article 34 of this
15 Code, in accordance with the provisions of Section 34-18.27 of
16 this Code. School districts created by Article 34 are not
17 subject to the requirements of subsection (b), (c), (d), (e),
18 (f), or (g) of this Section. The new principal mentoring
19 program shall match an experienced principal who meets the
20 requirements of subsection (b) of this Section with each new
21 principal in his or her first year in that position in order to
22 assist the new principal in the development of his or her
23 professional growth and to provide guidance during the new
24 principal's first year of service.
25     (b) Any individual who has been a principal in Illinois for
26 3 or more years and who has demonstrated success as an
27 instructional leader, as determined by the State Board by rule,
28 is eligible to apply to be a mentor under a new principal
29 mentoring program. Mentors shall complete mentoring training
30 by entities approved by the State Board and meet any other
31 requirements set forth by the State Board and by the school
32 district employing the mentor.

 

 

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1     (c) The State Board shall certify an entity or entities
2 approved to provide training of mentors.
3     (d) A mentor shall be assigned to a new principal based on
4 (i) similarity of grade level or type of school, (ii) learning
5 needs of the new principal, and (iii) geographical proximity of
6 the mentor to the new principal. The principal, in
7 collaboration with the mentor, shall identify areas for
8 improvement of the new principal's professional growth,
9 including, but not limited to, each of the following:
10         (1) Analyzing data and applying it to practice.
11         (2) Aligning professional development and
12     instructional programs.
13         (3) Building a professional learning community.
14         (4) Observing classroom practices and providing
15     feedback.
16         (5) Facilitating effective meetings.
17         (6) Developing distributive leadership practices.
18         (7) Facilitating organizational change.
19 The mentor shall not be required to provide an evaluation of
20 the new principal on the basis of the mentoring relationship.
21     (e) On or after January 1, 2008 and on or after January 1
22 of each year thereafter, each mentor and each new principal
23 shall complete a survey of progress on a form developed by
24 their respective school districts. On or before July 1, 2008
25 and on or after July 1 of each year thereafter, the State Board
26 shall facilitate a review and evaluate the mentoring training
27 program in collaboration with the approved providers. Each new
28 principal and his or her mentor must complete a verification
29 form developed by the State Board in order to certify their
30 completion of a new principal mentoring program.
31     (f) The requirements of this Section do not apply to any
32 individual who has previously served as an assistant principal
33 in Illinois acting under an administrative certificate for 5 or
34 more years and who is hired, on or after July 1, 2007, as a

 

 

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1 principal by the school district in which the individual last
2 served as an assistant principal, although such an individual
3 may choose to participate in this program or shall be required
4 to participate by the school district.
5     (g) The State Board may adopt any rules necessary for the
6 implementation of this Section.
 
7     (105 ILCS 5/10-23.8a)  (from Ch. 122, par. 10-23.8a)
8     Sec. 10-23.8a. Principal and other administrator
9 contracts. After the effective date of this amendatory Act of
10 1997 and the expiration of contracts in effect on the effective
11 date of this amendatory Act, school districts may only employ
12 principals and other school administrators under either a
13 contract for a period not to exceed one year or a
14 performance-based contract for a period not to exceed 5 years,
15 unless the provisions of Section 10-23.8b of this Code or
16 subsection (e) of Section 24A-15 of this Code otherwise apply.
17     Performance-based contracts shall be linked to student
18 performance and academic improvement attributable to the
19 responsibilities and duties of the principal or administrator.
20 No performance-based contract shall be extended or rolled-over
21 prior to its scheduled expiration unless all the performance
22 and improvement goals contained in the contract have been met.
23 Each performance-based contract shall include the goals and
24 indicators of student performance and academic improvement
25 determined and used by the local school board to measure the
26 performance and effectiveness of the principal or other
27 administrator and such other information as the local school
28 board may determine.
29     By accepting the terms of a multi-year contract, the
30 principal or administrator waives all rights granted him or her
31 under Sections 24-11 through 24-16 of this Act only for the
32 term of the multi-year contract. Upon acceptance of a
33 multi-year contract, the principal or administrator shall not

 

 

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1 lose any previously acquired tenure credit with the district.
2 (Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98; 91-314, eff. 1-1-00.)
 
3     (105 ILCS 5/21-5e new)
4     Sec. 21-5e. Alternative Route to Administrative
5 Certification for National Board Certified Teachers.
6     (a) It shall be the policy of the State of Illinois to
7 improve the recruitment and preparation of instructional
8 leaders.
9     (b) On or before July 1, 2007, the State Board of
10 Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
11 Certification Board, shall establish and implement an
12 alternative route to administrative certification for teacher
13 leaders, to be known as the Alternative Route to an
14 Administrative Certificate for National Board Certified
15 Teachers. "Teacher leader" means a certified teacher who has
16 already received National Board certification through the
17 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and who has
18 a teacher leader endorsement under Section 21-7.5 of this Code.
19 Persons who meet the requirements of and successfully complete
20 the program established by this Section shall be issued a
21 standard administrative certificate for serving in schools in
22 this State. The State Board shall approve a course of study
23 that persons must successfully complete in order to satisfy one
24 criterion for issuance of the administrative certificate under
25 this Section. The Alternative Route to an Administrative
26 Certificate for National Board Certified Teachers must include
27 the current content and skills contained in a college's or
28 university's courses and the Illinois Professional School
29 Leader Standards for State certification, with the exception of
30 courses that contain the competency areas and the Illinois
31 Professional School Leader Standards that a candidate has
32 already met through National Board certification or through a
33 teacher leadership master's degree program.

 

 

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1     (c) The Alternative Route to an Administrative Certificate
2 for National Board Certified Teachers shall be comprised of the
3 following 4 phases:
4         (1) National Board certification and an endorsement in
5     teacher leadership in accordance with Section 21-7.5 of
6     this Code;
7         (2) a master's degree in a teacher leader program;
8         (3) 15 hours of coursework in which the candidate must
9     show evidence of meeting competencies for organizational
10     management and development, finance, supervision and
11     evaluation, policy and legal issues, and leadership, as
12     stated in the Illinois Professional School Leader
13     Standards for principals; and
14         (4) a passing score on the Illinois Administrator
15     Assessment.
16     (d) Successful completion of the Alternative Route to an
17 Administrative Certificate for National Board Certified
18 Teachers shall be deemed to satisfy all requirements to receive
19 an administrative certificate established by law. The State
20 Board shall adopt rules that are consistent with this Section
21 and that the State Board deems necessary for the establishment
22 and implementation of the program.
 
23     (105 ILCS 5/21-7.5 new)
24     Sec. 21-7.5. Teacher leader endorsement. It shall be the
25 policy of the State of Illinois to improve the quality of
26 instructional leaders by providing a career pathway for
27 teachers interested in serving in leadership roles. Beginning
28 on July 1, 2007, the State Board, in consultation with the
29 State Teacher Certification Board, shall establish and
30 implement a teacher leader endorsement, to be known as a
31 teacher leader endorsement. Persons who meet the requirements
32 of and successfully complete the requirements of the
33 endorsement established under this Section shall be issued a

 

 

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1 teacher leader endorsement for serving in schools in this
2 State. The endorsement shall be a career path endorsement but
3 not a restrictive endorsement available to: (i) teachers who
4 are certified through the National Board for Professional
5 Teaching Standards and complete a specially designed strand of
6 teacher leadership courses; (ii) teachers who have completed a
7 master's degree program in teacher leadership; and (iii) proven
8 teacher leaders with a master's degree who complete a specially
9 designed strand of teacher leadership courses. Colleges and
10 universities shall have the authority to qualify the
11 proficiency of proven teacher leaders under clause (iii) of
12 this Section. A teacher who meets any of clauses (i) through
13 (iii) of this Section shall be deemed to satisfy the
14 requirements for the teacher leader endorsement. The State
15 Board may adopt rules that are consistent with this Section and
16 that the State Board deems necessary to establish and implement
17 this teacher leadership endorsement program.
 
18     (105 ILCS 5/21-7.10 new)
19     Sec. 21-7.10. Master principal designation program.
20     (a) The General Assembly recognizes the important role a
21 principal serves as a school's instructional leader and
22 believes it is in the best interest of the State to establish a
23 mechanism for training and recognizing master level
24 principals.
25     (b) The State Board of Education shall certify statewide
26 organizations representing principals, institutions of higher
27 education, and regional offices of education and one school
28 district or organization representing principals in a school
29 district organized under Article 34 of this Code to establish a
30 master principal designation program if these entities meet the
31 criteria established by the State Board. These entities shall
32 work with a statewide design team made up of institutions of
33 higher education, regional offices of education, statewide

 

 

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1 organizations, and other appropriate entities, as determined
2 by the State Board, to conceptualize the master principal
3 designation program. The State Board shall adopt rules, in
4 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, for
5 entities seeking to provide a program under this Section,
6 including an approval process and other criteria. A master
7 principal designation program aligned with the Illinois
8 Professional Leadership Standards shall include at least the
9 following components:
10         (1) Expansion of the principal's knowledge base and
11     leadership.
12         (2) Application of strategies and collection of
13     evidence of student learning and school processes.
14         (3) Demonstration of the ability and skills necessary
15     to lead sustained academic improvement in a school or
16     district.
17     (c) An individual serving as a principal for at least 3
18 years is eligible for participation in a master principal
19 designation program. Each year, those entities approved to
20 offer a master principal designation program must submit to the
21 State Board a report indicating the number of individuals
22 enrolled in the program, the progress of candidates,
23 anticipated changes to the program, and any other relevant
24 information requested by the State Board. All substantive
25 changes to an entity's master principal designation program
26 shall require prior written approval from the State Board. An
27 entity that fails to meet the requirements of this Section or
28 any other criteria established by the State Board by rule shall
29 have its authority to offer a master principal designation
30 program revoked pursuant to procedures established by rule by
31 the State Board.
 
32     (105 ILCS 5/21-7.15 new)
33     Sec. 21-7.15. Illinois Administrators' Academy Review Task

 

 

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1 Force. The State Board of Education shall create a task force
2 to review the Illinois Administrators' Academy and recommend
3 revisions to the program. The goal of the task force shall be
4 to revise the Illinois Administrators' Academy so that it
5 offers professional development opportunities tailored to the
6 individual and collective needs of principals and other
7 administrators. The task force shall also examine the content
8 and duration of teacher evaluation courses required under
9 subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subsection (c-10) of
10 Section 21-7.1 of this Act and make recommendations for
11 improvement. The task force shall consist of members appointed
12 by the State Superintendent of Education. The task force shall
13 include without limitation representatives from a statewide
14 organization representing principals, a statewide organization
15 representing school business officials, a statewide
16 organization representing school administrators, a statewide
17 organization representing education leadership, a statewide
18 organization representing school boards, regional offices of
19 education, and other appropriate stakeholders. The task force
20 shall file a report of its findings with the General Assembly,
21 the Governor, and the State Board by July 1, 2007. A copy of
22 the report shall also be delivered to the Executive Committee
23 of the Illinois State Action for Education Leadership Project.
24 This Section is repealed on July 2, 2007.
 
25     (105 ILCS 5/24A-15 new)
26     Sec. 24A-15. Development and submission of evaluation plan
27 for principals.
28     (a) Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year and each
29 school year thereafter, each school district, except for a
30 school district organized under Article 34 of this Code, shall
31 establish a principal evaluation plan in accordance with this
32 Section. The plan must ensure that each principal is evaluated
33 as follows:

 

 

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

 

 

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1 prior year's contract. The requirements in this Section are in
2 addition to the right of a school board to reclassify a
3 principal pursuant to Section 10-23.8b of this Code.
4     (f) Nothing in this Section prohibits a school board from
5 ordering lateral transfers of principals to positions of
6 similar rank and salary.
 
7     (105 ILCS 5/34-18.33 new)
8     Sec. 34-18.33. Principal mentoring program. Beginning on
9 July 1, 2007, and subject to an annual appropriation by the
10 General Assembly, the school district shall develop a principal
11 mentoring program. The school district shall submit a copy of
12 its principal mentoring program to the State Board of Education
13 for its review and public comment. Whenever a substantive
14 change has been made by the school district to its principal
15 mentoring program, these changes must be submitted to the State
16 Board of Education for review and comment.
 
17     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
18 becoming law.".