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of obtaining certification through the National Board for |
Professional Teaching Standards or who has completed |
certification and holds a current Professional Educator |
License with a National Board for Professional Teaching |
Standards designation or a retired teacher or school counselor |
who holds a Professional Educator License with a National Board |
for Professional Teaching Standards designation. |
"Rural or remote" means local codes 33, 41, 42, and 43 of |
the New Urban-Centric Locale Codes, as defined by the National |
Center for Education Statistics. |
"Tier 1" has the meaning given to that term under Section |
18-8.15. |
(b) Any Beginning on July 1, 2011, any funds appropriated |
for the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program must be used to |
provide monetary assistance and incentives for qualified |
educators who are employed by or retired from school districts |
and who have or are in the process of obtaining licensure |
through the National Board for Professional Teaching |
Standards. The goal of the program is to improve instruction |
and student performance. |
The State Board of Education shall allocate an amount as |
annually appropriated by the General Assembly for the Illinois |
Teaching Excellence Program for (i) application or re-take fees |
for each qualified educator seeking to complete certification |
through the National Board for Professional Teaching |
Standards, to be paid directly to the National Board for |
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Professional Teaching Standards, and (ii) incentives under |
paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (c) for each |
qualified educator, to be distributed to the respective school |
district, and incentives under paragraph (5) of subsection (c), |
to be distributed to the respective school district or directly |
to the qualified educator. The school district shall distribute |
this payment to each eligible teacher or school counselor as a |
single payment. |
The State Board of Education's annual budget must set out |
by separate line item the appropriation for the program. Unless |
otherwise provided by appropriation, qualified educators are |
eligible for monetary assistance and incentives outlined in |
subsections subsection (c) and (d) of this Section. |
(c) When there are adequate funds available, monetary |
assistance and incentives shall include the following: |
(1) A maximum of $2,000 towards the application or |
re-take fee for up to 750 teachers or school counselors in |
a Tier 1 poverty or low-performing school district who |
apply on a first-come, first-serve basis for National Board |
certification. |
(2) A maximum of $2,000 towards the application or |
re-take fee for up to 250 teachers or school counselors in |
a school district other than a Tier 1 poverty or |
low-performing school district who apply on a first-come, |
first-serve basis for National Board certification. |
However, if there were fewer than 750 individuals supported |
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in item (1) of this subsection (c), then the number |
supported in this item (2) may be increased as such that |
the combination of item (1) of this subsection (c) and this |
item (2) shall equal 1,000 applicants. |
(3) A maximum of $1,000 towards the National Board for |
Professional Teaching Standards' renewal application fee. |
(4) (Blank). |
(5) An annual incentive equal to $1,500, which shall be |
paid to each qualified educator currently employed in a |
school district who holds both a National Board for |
Professional Teaching Standards designation and a current |
corresponding certificate issued by the National Board for |
Professional Teaching Standards and who agrees, in |
writing, to provide at least 30 hours of mentoring or |
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards |
professional development or both during the school year to |
classroom teachers or school counselors, as applicable. |
Funds must be disbursed on a first-come, first-serve basis, |
with priority given to Tier 1 school districts poverty or |
low-performing schools. Mentoring shall include, either |
singly or in combination, the following: |
(A) National Board for Professional Teaching |
Standards certification candidates. |
(B) National Board for Professional Teaching |
Standards re-take candidates. |
(C) National Board for Professional Teaching |
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Standards renewal candidates. |
(D) (Blank).
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Funds may also be used for instructional leadership |
training for qualified educators interested in supporting |
implementation of the Illinois Learning Standards or teaching |
and learning priorities of the State Board of Education or |
both. |
(d) In addition to the monetary assistance and incentives |
provided under subsection (c), if adequate funds are available, |
incentives shall include the following incentives for the |
program in rural or remote school districts, to be distributed |
to the respective school district or directly to the qualified |
educator: |
(1) A one-time incentive of $3,000 payable to National |
Board certified teachers teaching in Tier 1 rural or remote |
school districts. |
(2) An annual incentive of $3,200 for National Board |
certified teacher rural or remote candidate cohort |
facilitators. |
(3) An annual incentive of $2,500 for National Board |
certified teacher rural or remote liaisons. |
(Source: P.A. 99-193, eff. 7-30-15; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17.)
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