Public Act 094-1039
 
SB0860 Enrolled LRB094 04494 NHT 34523 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
 
    WHEREAS, The new principal mentoring program is intended to
exist as a statewide program in which different providers
around the State, including statewide organizations, regional
offices of education, higher education institutions, school
districts, and others, may be approved as providers by the
State Board of Education to offer mentoring programs if they
meet the standards and criteria of the new principal mentoring
program; and
 
    WHEREAS, Mentors must complete mentoring training offered
by the different providers approved by the State Board and work
with the new principals to identify areas for professional
growth that will assist the principal when making
Administrators' Academy and professional development choices,
allowing the new principals, with the approval of their
mentors, to select any appropriate Administrators' Academy
courses even though it might be a duplication of an Illinois
Professional Standards for School Leaders standard; therefore
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections
2-3.53a, 21-5e, 21-7.5, 21-7.10, 21-7.15, 24A-15, and 34-18.33
and by changing Section 10-23.8a as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.53a new)
    Sec. 2-3.53a. New principal mentoring program.
    (a) Beginning on July 1, 2007, and subject to an annual
appropriation by the General Assembly, to establish a new
principal mentoring program for new principals. Any individual
who is hired as a principal in the State of Illinois on or
after July 1, 2007 shall participate in a new principal
mentoring program for the duration of his or her first year as
a principal and must complete the program in accordance with
the requirements established by the State Board of Education by
rule or, for a school district created by Article 34 of this
Code, in accordance with the provisions of Section 34-18.27 of
this Code. School districts created by Article 34 are not
subject to the requirements of subsection (b), (c), (d), (e),
(f), or (g) of this Section. The new principal mentoring
program shall match an experienced principal who meets the
requirements of subsection (b) of this Section with each new
principal in his or her first year in that position in order to
assist the new principal in the development of his or her
professional growth and to provide guidance during the new
principal's first year of service.
    (b) Any individual who has been a principal in Illinois for
3 or more years and who has demonstrated success as an
instructional leader, as determined by the State Board by rule,
is eligible to apply to be a mentor under a new principal
mentoring program. Mentors shall complete mentoring training
by entities approved by the State Board and meet any other
requirements set forth by the State Board and by the school
district employing the mentor.
    (c) The State Board shall certify an entity or entities
approved to provide training of mentors.
    (d) A mentor shall be assigned to a new principal based on
(i) similarity of grade level or type of school, (ii) learning
needs of the new principal, and (iii) geographical proximity of
the mentor to the new principal. The principal, in
collaboration with the mentor, shall identify areas for
improvement of the new principal's professional growth,
including, but not limited to, each of the following:
        (1) Analyzing data and applying it to practice.
        (2) Aligning professional development and
    instructional programs.
        (3) Building a professional learning community.
        (4) Observing classroom practices and providing
    feedback.
        (5) Facilitating effective meetings.
        (6) Developing distributive leadership practices.
        (7) Facilitating organizational change.
The mentor shall not be required to provide an evaluation of
the new principal on the basis of the mentoring relationship.
    (e) On or after January 1, 2008 and on or after January 1
of each year thereafter, each mentor and each new principal
shall complete a survey of progress on a form developed by
their respective school districts. On or before July 1, 2008
and on or after July 1 of each year thereafter, the State Board
shall facilitate a review and evaluate the mentoring training
program in collaboration with the approved providers. Each new
principal and his or her mentor must complete a verification
form developed by the State Board in order to certify their
completion of a new principal mentoring program.
    (f) The requirements of this Section do not apply to any
individual who has previously served as an assistant principal
in Illinois acting under an administrative certificate for 5 or
more years and who is hired, on or after July 1, 2007, as a
principal by the school district in which the individual last
served as an assistant principal, although such an individual
may choose to participate in this program or shall be required
to participate by the school district.
    (g) The State Board may adopt any rules necessary for the
implementation of this Section.
 
    (105 ILCS 5/10-23.8a)  (from Ch. 122, par. 10-23.8a)
    Sec. 10-23.8a. Principal and other administrator
contracts. After the effective date of this amendatory Act of
1997 and the expiration of contracts in effect on the effective
date of this amendatory Act, school districts may only employ
principals and other school administrators under either a
contract for a period not to exceed one year or a
performance-based contract for a period not to exceed 5 years,
unless the provisions of Section 10-23.8b of this Code or
subsection (e) of Section 24A-15 of this Code otherwise apply.
    Performance-based contracts shall be linked to student
performance and academic improvement attributable to the
responsibilities and duties of the principal or administrator.
No performance-based contract shall be extended or rolled-over
prior to its scheduled expiration unless all the performance
and improvement goals contained in the contract have been met.
Each performance-based contract shall include the goals and
indicators of student performance and academic improvement
determined and used by the local school board to measure the
performance and effectiveness of the principal or other
administrator and such other information as the local school
board may determine.
    By accepting the terms of a multi-year contract, the
principal or administrator waives all rights granted him or her
under Sections 24-11 through 24-16 of this Act only for the
term of the multi-year contract. Upon acceptance of a
multi-year contract, the principal or administrator shall not
lose any previously acquired tenure credit with the district.
(Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98; 91-314, eff. 1-1-00.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21-5e new)
    Sec. 21-5e. Alternative Route to Administrative
Certification for National Board Certified Teachers.
    (a) It shall be the policy of the State of Illinois to
improve the recruitment and preparation of instructional
leaders.
    (b) On or before July 1, 2007, the State Board of
Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
Certification Board, shall establish and implement an
alternative route to administrative certification for teacher
leaders, to be known as the Alternative Route to an
Administrative Certificate for National Board Certified
Teachers. "Teacher leader" means a certified teacher who has
already received National Board certification through the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and who has
a teacher leader endorsement under Section 21-7.5 of this Code.
Persons who meet the requirements of and successfully complete
the program established by this Section shall be issued a
standard administrative certificate for serving in schools in
this State. The State Board shall approve a course of study
that persons must successfully complete in order to satisfy one
criterion for issuance of the administrative certificate under
this Section. The Alternative Route to an Administrative
Certificate for National Board Certified Teachers must include
the current content and skills contained in a college's or
university's courses and the Illinois Professional School
Leader Standards for State certification, with the exception of
courses that contain the competency areas and the Illinois
Professional School Leader Standards that a candidate has
already met through National Board certification or through a
teacher leadership master's degree program.
    (c) The Alternative Route to an Administrative Certificate
for National Board Certified Teachers shall be comprised of the
following 4 phases:
        (1) National Board certification and an endorsement in
    teacher leadership in accordance with Section 21-7.5 of
    this Code;
        (2) a master's degree in a teacher leader program;
        (3) 15 hours of coursework in which the candidate must
    show evidence of meeting competencies for organizational
    management and development, finance, supervision and
    evaluation, policy and legal issues, and leadership, as
    stated in the Illinois Professional School Leader
    Standards for principals; and
        (4) a passing score on the Illinois Administrator
    Assessment.
    (d) Successful completion of the Alternative Route to an
Administrative Certificate for National Board Certified
Teachers shall be deemed to satisfy all requirements to receive
an administrative certificate established by law. The State
Board shall adopt rules that are consistent with this Section
and that the State Board deems necessary for the establishment
and implementation of the program.
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21-7.5 new)
    Sec. 21-7.5. Teacher leader endorsement. It shall be the
policy of the State of Illinois to improve the quality of
instructional leaders by providing a career pathway for
teachers interested in serving in leadership roles. Beginning
on July 1, 2007, the State Board, in consultation with the
State Teacher Certification Board, shall establish and
implement a teacher leader endorsement, to be known as a
teacher leader endorsement. Persons who meet the requirements
of and successfully complete the requirements of the
endorsement established under this Section shall be issued a
teacher leader endorsement for serving in schools in this
State. The endorsement shall be a career path endorsement but
not a restrictive endorsement available to: (i) teachers who
are certified through the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards and complete a specially designed strand of
teacher leadership courses; (ii) teachers who have completed a
master's degree program in teacher leadership; and (iii) proven
teacher leaders with a master's degree who complete a specially
designed strand of teacher leadership courses. Colleges and
universities shall have the authority to qualify the
proficiency of proven teacher leaders under clause (iii) of
this Section. A teacher who meets any of clauses (i) through
(iii) of this Section shall be deemed to satisfy the
requirements for the teacher leader endorsement. The State
Board may adopt rules that are consistent with this Section and
that the State Board deems necessary to establish and implement
this teacher leadership endorsement program.
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21-7.10 new)
    Sec. 21-7.10. Master principal designation program.
    (a) The General Assembly recognizes the important role a
principal serves as a school's instructional leader and
believes it is in the best interest of the State to establish a
mechanism for training and recognizing master level
principals.
    (b) The State Board of Education shall certify statewide
organizations representing principals, institutions of higher
education, and regional offices of education and one school
district or organization representing principals in a school
district organized under Article 34 of this Code to establish a
master principal designation program if these entities meet the
criteria established by the State Board. These entities shall
work with a statewide design team made up of institutions of
higher education, regional offices of education, statewide
organizations, and other appropriate entities, as determined
by the State Board, to conceptualize the master principal
designation program. The State Board shall adopt rules, in
consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, for
entities seeking to provide a program under this Section,
including an approval process and other criteria. A master
principal designation program aligned with the Illinois
Professional Leadership Standards shall include at least the
following components:
        (1) Expansion of the principal's knowledge base and
    leadership.
        (2) Application of strategies and collection of
    evidence of student learning and school processes.
        (3) Demonstration of the ability and skills necessary
    to lead sustained academic improvement in a school or
    district.
    (c) An individual serving as a principal for at least 3
years is eligible for participation in a master principal
designation program. Each year, those entities approved to
offer a master principal designation program must submit to the
State Board a report indicating the number of individuals
enrolled in the program, the progress of candidates,
anticipated changes to the program, and any other relevant
information requested by the State Board. All substantive
changes to an entity's master principal designation program
shall require prior written approval from the State Board. An
entity that fails to meet the requirements of this Section or
any other criteria established by the State Board by rule shall
have its authority to offer a master principal designation
program revoked pursuant to procedures established by rule by
the State Board.
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21-7.15 new)
    Sec. 21-7.15. Illinois Administrators' Academy Review Task
Force. The State Board of Education shall create a task force
to review the Illinois Administrators' Academy and recommend
revisions to the program. The goal of the task force shall be
to revise the Illinois Administrators' Academy so that it
offers professional development opportunities tailored to the
individual and collective needs of principals and other
administrators. The task force shall also examine the content
and duration of teacher evaluation courses required under
subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subsection (c-10) of
Section 21-7.1 of this Act and make recommendations for
improvement. The task force shall consist of members appointed
by the State Superintendent of Education. The task force shall
include without limitation representatives from a statewide
organization representing principals, a statewide organization
representing school business officials, a statewide
organization representing school administrators, a statewide
organization representing education leadership, a statewide
organization representing school boards, regional offices of
education, and other appropriate stakeholders. The task force
shall file a report of its findings with the General Assembly,
the Governor, and the State Board by July 1, 2007. A copy of
the report shall also be delivered to the Executive Committee
of the Illinois State Action for Education Leadership Project.
This Section is repealed on July 2, 2007.
 
    (105 ILCS 5/24A-15 new)
    Sec. 24A-15. Development and submission of evaluation plan
for principals.
    (a) Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year and each
school year thereafter, each school district, except for a
school district organized under Article 34 of this Code, shall
establish a principal evaluation plan in accordance with this
Section. The plan must ensure that each principal is evaluated
as follows:
        (1) For a principal on a single-year contract, the
    evaluation must take place by February 1 of each year.
        (2) For a principal on a multi-year contract under
    Section 10-23.8a of this Code, the evaluation must take
    place by February 1 of the final year of the contract.
Nothing in this Section prohibits a school district from
conducting additional evaluations of principals.
    (b) The evaluation shall include a description of the
principal's duties and responsibilities and the standards to
which the principal is expected to conform.
    (c) The evaluation must be performed by the district
superintendent, the superintendent's designee, or, in the
absence of the superintendent or his or her designee, an
individual appointed by the school board who holds a registered
Type 75 State administrative certificate. The evaluation must
be in writing and must at least do all of the following:
        (1) Consider the principal's specific duties,
    responsibilities, management, and competence as a
    principal.
        (2) Specify the principal's strengths and weaknesses,
    with supporting reasons.
        (3) Align with the Illinois Professional Standards for
    School Leaders or research-based district standards.
    (d) One copy of the evaluation must be included in the
principal's personnel file and one copy of the evaluation must
be provided to the principal.
    (e) Failure by a district to evaluate a principal and to
provide the principal with a copy of the evaluation at least
once during the term of the principal's contract, in accordance
with this Section, is evidence that the principal is performing
duties and responsibilities in at least a satisfactory manner
and shall serve to automatically extend the principal's
contract for a period of one year after the contract would
otherwise expire, under the same terms and conditions as the
prior year's contract. The requirements in this Section are in
addition to the right of a school board to reclassify a
principal pursuant to Section 10-23.8b of this Code.
    (f) Nothing in this Section prohibits a school board from
ordering lateral transfers of principals to positions of
similar rank and salary.
 
    (105 ILCS 5/34-18.33 new)
    Sec. 34-18.33. Principal mentoring program. Beginning on
July 1, 2007, and subject to an annual appropriation by the
General Assembly, the school district shall develop a principal
mentoring program. The school district shall submit a copy of
its principal mentoring program to the State Board of Education
for its review and public comment. Whenever a substantive
change has been made by the school district to its principal
mentoring program, these changes must be submitted to the State
Board of Education for review and comment.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.