Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois Senate Bill SB0028 Latest Draft

Bill / Engrossed Version Filed 04/03/2025

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1  AN ACT concerning education.
2  Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3  represented in the General Assembly:
4  Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
5  24-16.5, 24A-2.5, 24A-4, 24A-5, 24A-7, 24A-15, 24A-20, 34-8,
6  and 34-85c as follows:
7  (105 ILCS 5/24-16.5)
8  Sec. 24-16.5. Optional alternative evaluative dismissal
9  process for PERA evaluations.
10  (a) As used in this Section:
11  "Applicable hearing requirements" means (i) for any school
12  district having less than 500,000 inhabitants or a program of
13  a special education joint agreement, those procedures and
14  requirements relating to a teacher's request for a hearing,
15  selection of a hearing officer, pre-hearing and hearing
16  procedures, and post-hearing briefs set forth in paragraphs
17  (1) through (6) of subsection (d) of Section 24-12 of this Code
18  or (ii) for a school district having 500,000 inhabitants or
19  more, those procedures and requirements relating to a
20  teacher's request for a hearing, selection of a hearing
21  officer, pre-hearing and hearing procedures, and post-hearing
22  briefs set forth in paragraphs (1) through (5) of subsection
23  (a) of Section 34-85 of this Code.

 

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1  "Board" means, for a school district having less than
2  500,000 inhabitants or a program of a special education joint
3  agreement, the board of directors, board of education, or
4  board of school inspectors, as the case may be. For a school
5  district having 500,000 inhabitants or more, "board" means the
6  Chicago Board of Education.
7  "Evaluator" means an evaluator, as defined in Section
8  24A-2.5 of this Code, who has successfully completed the
9  pre-qualification program described in subsection (b) of
10  Section 24A-3 of this Code.
11  "PERA-trained board member" means a member of a board that
12  has completed a training program on PERA evaluations either
13  administered or approved by the State Board of Education.
14  "PERA evaluation" means a performance evaluation of a
15  teacher after the implementation date of an evaluation system
16  for teachers, as specified by Section 24A-2.5 of this Code,
17  using a performance evaluation instrument and process that
18  meets the minimum requirements for teacher evaluation
19  instruments and processes set forth in rules adopted by the
20  State Board of Education to implement Public Act 96-861.
21  "Remediation" means the remediation plan, mid-point and
22  final evaluations, and related processes and requirements set
23  forth in subdivisions (i), (j), and (k) of Section 24A-5 of
24  this Code.
25  "School district" means a school district or a program of
26  a special education joint agreement.

 

 

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1  "Second evaluator" means an evaluator who either conducts
2  the mid-point and final remediation evaluation or conducts an
3  independent assessment of whether the teacher completed the
4  remediation plan with a rating equal to or better than a
5  "Proficient" rating, all in accordance with subdivision (c) of
6  this Section.
7  "Student growth components" means the components of a
8  performance evaluation plan described in subdivision (c) of
9  Section 24A-5 of this Code, as may be supplemented by
10  administrative rules adopted by the State Board of Education.
11  "Teacher practice components" means the components of a
12  performance evaluation plan described in subdivisions (a) and
13  (b) of Section 24A-5 of this Code, as may be supplemented by
14  administrative rules adopted by the State Board of Education.
15  "Teacher representatives" means the exclusive bargaining
16  representative of a school district's teachers or, if no
17  exclusive bargaining representatives exists, a representative
18  committee selected by teachers.
19  (b) This Section applies to all school districts,
20  including those having 500,000 or more inhabitants. The
21  optional dismissal process set forth in this Section is an
22  alternative to those set forth in Sections 24-12 and 34-85 of
23  this Code. Nothing in this Section is intended to change the
24  existing practices or precedents under Section 24-12 or 34-85
25  of this Code, nor shall this Section be interpreted as
26  implying standards and procedures that should or must be used

 

 

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1  as part of a remediation that precedes a dismissal sought
2  under Section 24-12 or 34-85 of this Code.
3  A board may dismiss a teacher who has entered upon
4  contractual continued service under this Section if the
5  following are met:
6  (1) the cause of dismissal is that the teacher has
7  failed to complete a remediation plan with a rating equal
8  to or better than a "Proficient" rating;
9  (2) the "Unsatisfactory" performance evaluation rating
10  that preceded remediation resulted from a PERA evaluation;
11  and
12  (3) the school district has complied with subsection
13  (c) of this Section.
14  A school district may not, through agreement with a
15  teacher or its teacher representatives, waive its right to
16  dismiss a teacher under this Section.
17  (c) Each school district electing to use the dismissal
18  process set forth in this Section must comply with the
19  pre-remediation and remediation activities and requirements
20  set forth in this subsection (c).
21  (1) Before a school district's first remediation
22  relating to a dismissal under this Section, the school
23  district must create and establish a list of at least 2
24  evaluators who will be available to serve as second
25  evaluators under this Section. The school district shall
26  provide its teacher representatives with an opportunity to

 

 

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1  submit additional names of teacher evaluators who will be
2  available to serve as second evaluators and who will be
3  added to the list created and established by the school
4  district, provided that, unless otherwise agreed to by the
5  school district, the teacher representatives may not
6  submit more teacher evaluators for inclusion on the list
7  than the number of evaluators submitted by the school
8  district. Each teacher evaluator must either have (i)
9  National Board of Professional Teaching Standards
10  certification, with no "Unsatisfactory" or "Needs
11  Improvement" performance evaluating ratings in his or her
12  2 most recent performance evaluation ratings; or (ii)
13  "Excellent" performance evaluation ratings in 2 of his or
14  her 3 most recent performance evaluations, with no "Needs
15  Improvement" or "Unsatisfactory" performance evaluation
16  ratings in his or her last 3 ratings. If the teacher
17  representatives do not submit a list of teacher evaluators
18  within 21 days after the school district's request, the
19  school district may proceed with a remediation using a
20  list that includes only the school district's selections.
21  Either the school district or the teacher representatives
22  may revise or add to their selections for the list at any
23  time with notice to the other party, subject to the
24  limitations set forth in this paragraph (1).
25  (2) Before a school district's first remediation
26  relating to a dismissal under this Section, the school

 

 

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1  district shall, in good faith cooperation with its teacher
2  representatives, establish a process for the selection of
3  a second evaluator from the list created pursuant to
4  paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). Such process may be
5  amended at any time in good faith cooperation with the
6  teacher representatives. If the teacher representatives
7  are given an opportunity to cooperate with the school
8  district and elect not to do so, the school district may,
9  at its discretion, establish or amend the process for
10  selection. Before the hearing officer and as part of any
11  judicial review of a dismissal under this Section, a
12  teacher may not challenge a remediation or dismissal on
13  the grounds that the process used by the school district
14  to select a second evaluator was not established in good
15  faith cooperation with its teacher representatives.
16  (3) For each remediation preceding a dismissal under
17  this Section, the school district shall select a second
18  evaluator from the list of second evaluators created
19  pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection (c), using
20  the selection process established pursuant to paragraph
21  (2) of this subsection (c). The selected second evaluator
22  may not be the same individual who determined the
23  teacher's "Unsatisfactory" performance evaluation rating
24  preceding remediation, and, if the second evaluator is an
25  administrator, may not be a direct report to the
26  individual who determined the teacher's "Unsatisfactory"

 

 

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1  performance evaluation rating preceding remediation. The
2  school district's authority to select a second evaluator
3  from the list of second evaluators must not be delegated
4  or limited through any agreement with the teacher
5  representatives, provided that nothing shall prohibit a
6  school district and its teacher representatives from
7  agreeing to a formal peer evaluation process as permitted
8  under Article 24A of this Code that could be used to meet
9  the requirements for the selection of second evaluators
10  under this subsection (c).
11  (4) The second evaluator selected pursuant to
12  paragraph (3) of this subsection (c) must either (i)
13  conduct the mid-point and final evaluation during
14  remediation or (ii) conduct an independent assessment of
15  whether the teacher completed the remediation plan with a
16  rating equal to or better than a "Proficient" rating,
17  which independent assessment shall include, but is not
18  limited to, personal or video-recorded observations of the
19  teacher that relate to the teacher practice components of
20  the remediation plan. Nothing in this subsection (c) shall
21  be construed to limit or preclude the participation of the
22  evaluator who rated a teacher as "Unsatisfactory" in
23  remediation.
24  (d) To institute a dismissal proceeding under this
25  Section, the board must first provide written notice to the
26  teacher within 30 days after the completion of the final

 

 

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1  remediation evaluation. The notice shall comply with the
2  applicable hearing requirements and, in addition, must specify
3  that dismissal is sought under this Section and include a copy
4  of each performance evaluation relating to the scope of the
5  hearing as described in this subsection (d).
6  The applicable hearing requirements shall apply to the
7  teacher's request for a hearing, the selection and
8  qualifications of the hearing officer, and pre-hearing and
9  hearing procedures, except that all of the following must be
10  met:
11  (1) The hearing officer must, in addition to meeting
12  the qualifications set forth in the applicable hearing
13  requirements, have successfully completed the
14  pre-qualification program described in subsection (b) of
15  Section 24A-3 of this Code, unless the State Board of
16  Education waives this requirement to provide an adequate
17  pool of hearing officers for consideration.
18  (2) The scope of the hearing must be limited as
19  follows:
20  (A) The school district must demonstrate the
21  following:
22  (i) that the "Unsatisfactory" performance
23  evaluation rating that preceded remediation
24  applied the teacher practice components and
25  student growth components, if any, and determined
26  an overall evaluation rating of "Unsatisfactory"

 

 

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1  in accordance with the standards and requirements
2  of the school district's evaluation plan;
3  (ii) that the remediation plan complied with
4  the requirements of Section 24A-5 of this Code;
5  (iii) that the teacher failed to complete the
6  remediation plan with a performance evaluation
7  rating equal to or better than a "Proficient"
8  rating, based upon a final remediation evaluation
9  meeting the applicable standards and requirements
10  of the school district's evaluation plan; and
11  (iv) that if the second evaluator selected
12  pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of
13  this Section does not conduct the mid-point and
14  final evaluation and makes an independent
15  assessment that the teacher completed the
16  remediation plan with a rating equal to or better
17  than a "Proficient" rating, the school district
18  must demonstrate that the final remediation
19  evaluation is a more valid assessment of the
20  teacher's performance than the assessment made by
21  the second evaluator.
22  (B) The teacher may only challenge the substantive
23  and procedural aspects of (i) the "Unsatisfactory"
24  performance evaluation rating that led to the
25  remediation, (ii) the remediation plan, and (iii) the
26  final remediation evaluation. To the extent the

 

 

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1  teacher challenges procedural aspects, including any
2  in applicable collective bargaining agreement
3  provisions, of a relevant performance evaluation
4  rating or the remediation plan, the teacher must
5  demonstrate how an alleged procedural defect
6  materially affected the teacher's ability to
7  demonstrate a level of performance necessary to avoid
8  remediation or dismissal or successfully complete the
9  remediation plan. Without any such material effect, a
10  procedural defect shall not impact the assessment by
11  the hearing officer, board, or reviewing court of the
12  validity of a performance evaluation or a remediation
13  plan.
14  (C) The hearing officer shall only consider and
15  give weight to performance evaluations relevant to the
16  scope of the hearing as described in clauses (A) and
17  (B) of this subdivision (2).
18  (3) Each party shall be given only 2 days to present
19  evidence and testimony relating to the scope of the
20  hearing, unless a longer period is mutually agreed to by
21  the parties or deemed necessary by the hearing officer to
22  enable a party to present adequate evidence and testimony
23  to address the scope of the hearing, including due to the
24  other party's cross-examination of the party's witnesses.
25  (e) The provisions of Sections 24-12 and 34-85 pertaining
26  to the decision or recommendation of the hearing officer do

 

 

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1  not apply to dismissal proceedings under this Section. For any
2  dismissal proceedings under this Section, the hearing officer
3  shall not issue a decision, and shall issue only findings of
4  fact and a recommendation, including the reasons therefor, to
5  the board to either retain or dismiss the teacher and shall
6  give a copy of the report to both the teacher and the
7  superintendent of the school district. The hearing officer's
8  findings of fact and recommendation must be issued within 30
9  days from the close of the record of the hearing.
10  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules regarding
11  the length of the hearing officer's findings of fact and
12  recommendation. If a hearing officer fails without good cause,
13  specifically provided in writing to both parties and the State
14  Board of Education, to render a recommendation within 30 days
15  after the hearing is concluded or the record is closed,
16  whichever is later, the parties may mutually agree to select a
17  hearing officer pursuant to the alternative procedure, as
18  provided in Section 24-12 or 34-85, to rehear the charges
19  heard by the hearing officer who failed to render a
20  recommendation or to review the record and render a
21  recommendation. If any hearing officer fails without good
22  cause, specifically provided in writing to both parties and
23  the State Board of Education, to render a recommendation
24  within 30 days after the hearing is concluded or the record is
25  closed, whichever is later, the hearing officer shall be
26  removed from the master list of hearing officers maintained by

 

 

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1  the State Board of Education for not more than 24 months. The
2  parties and the State Board of Education may also take such
3  other actions as it deems appropriate, including recovering,
4  reducing, or withholding any fees paid or to be paid to the
5  hearing officer. If any hearing officer repeats such failure,
6  he or she shall be permanently removed from the master list of
7  hearing officers maintained by the State Board of Education.
8  (f) The board, within 45 days after receipt of the hearing
9  officer's findings of fact and recommendation, shall decide,
10  through adoption of a written order, whether the teacher must
11  be dismissed from its employ or retained, provided that only
12  PERA-trained board members may participate in the vote with
13  respect to the decision.
14  If the board dismisses the teacher notwithstanding the
15  hearing officer's recommendation of retention, the board shall
16  make a conclusion, giving its reasons therefor, and such
17  conclusion and reasons must be included in its written order.
18  The failure of the board to strictly adhere to the timelines
19  contained in this Section does not render it without
20  jurisdiction to dismiss the teacher. The board shall not lose
21  jurisdiction to discharge the teacher if the hearing officer
22  fails to render a recommendation within the time specified in
23  this Section. The decision of the board is final, unless
24  reviewed as provided in subsection (g) of this Section.
25  If the board retains the teacher, the board shall enter a
26  written order stating the amount of back pay and lost

 

 

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1  benefits, less mitigation, to be paid to the teacher, within
2  45 days of its retention order.
3  (g) A teacher dismissed under this Section may apply for
4  and obtain judicial review of a decision of the board in
5  accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Review
6  Law, except as follows:
7  (1) for a teacher dismissed by a school district
8  having 500,000 inhabitants or more, such judicial review
9  must be taken directly to the appellate court of the
10  judicial district in which the board maintains its primary
11  administrative office, and any direct appeal to the
12  appellate court must be filed within 35 days from the date
13  that a copy of the decision sought to be reviewed was
14  served upon the teacher;
15  (2) for a teacher dismissed by a school district
16  having less than 500,000 inhabitants after the hearing
17  officer recommended dismissal, such judicial review must
18  be taken directly to the appellate court of the judicial
19  district in which the board maintains its primary
20  administrative office, and any direct appeal to the
21  appellate court must be filed within 35 days from the date
22  that a copy of the decision sought to be reviewed was
23  served upon the teacher; and
24  (3) for all school districts, if the hearing officer
25  recommended dismissal, the decision of the board may be
26  reversed only if it is found to be arbitrary, capricious,

 

 

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1  an abuse of discretion, or not in accordance with law.
2  In the event judicial review is instituted by a teacher,
3  any costs of preparing and filing the record of proceedings
4  must be paid by the teacher. If a decision of the board is
5  adjudicated upon judicial review in favor of the teacher, then
6  the court shall remand the matter to the board with direction
7  for entry of an order setting the amount of back pay, lost
8  benefits, and costs, less mitigation. The teacher may
9  challenge the board's order setting the amount of back pay,
10  lost benefits, and costs, less mitigation, through an
11  expedited arbitration procedure with the costs of the
12  arbitrator borne by the board.
13  (Source: P.A. 97-8, eff. 6-13-11; 98-513, eff. 1-1-14.)
14  (105 ILCS 5/24A-2.5)
15  Sec. 24A-2.5. Definitions. In this Article:
16  "Evaluator" means:
17  (1) an administrator qualified under Section 24A-3; or
18  (2) other individuals qualified under Section 24A-3,
19  provided that, if such other individuals are in the
20  bargaining unit of a district's teachers, the district and
21  the exclusive bargaining representative of that unit must
22  agree to those individuals evaluating other bargaining
23  unit members.
24  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in item (2) of
25  this definition, a school district operating under Article 34

 

 

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1  of this Code may require department chairs qualified under
2  Section 24A-3 to evaluate teachers in their department or
3  departments, provided that the school district shall bargain
4  with the bargaining representative of its teachers over the
5  impact and effects on department chairs of such a requirement.
6  "Implementation date" means, unless otherwise specified
7  and provided that the requirements set forth in subsection (d)
8  of Section 24A-20 have been met:
9  (1) For school districts having 500,000 or more
10  inhabitants, in at least 300 schools by September 1, 2012
11  and in the remaining schools by September 1, 2013.
12  (2) For school districts having less than 500,000
13  inhabitants and receiving a Race to the Top Grant or
14  School Improvement Grant after the effective date of this
15  amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly, the date
16  specified in those grants for implementing an evaluation
17  system for teachers and principals incorporating student
18  growth as a significant factor.
19  (3) For the lowest performing 20% percent of remaining
20  school districts having less than 500,000 inhabitants
21  (with the measure of and school year or years used for
22  school district performance to be determined by the State
23  Superintendent of Education at a time determined by the
24  State Superintendent), September 1, 2015.
25  (4) For all other school districts having less than
26  500,000 inhabitants, September 1, 2016.

 

 

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1  Notwithstanding items (3) and (4) of this definition, a
2  school district and the exclusive bargaining representative of
3  its teachers may jointly agree in writing to an earlier
4  implementation date, provided that such date must not be
5  earlier than September 1, 2013. The written agreement of the
6  district and the exclusive bargaining representative must be
7  transmitted to the State Board of Education.
8  "Race to the Top Grant" means a grant made by the Secretary
9  of the U.S. Department of Education for the program first
10  funded pursuant to paragraph (2) of Section 14006(a) of the
11  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
12  "School Improvement Grant" means a grant made by the
13  Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education pursuant to
14  Section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
15  (Source: P.A. 96-861, eff. 1-15-10; 97-8, eff. 6-13-11;
16  revised 7-17-24.)
17  (105 ILCS 5/24A-4)    (from Ch. 122, par. 24A-4)
18  Sec. 24A-4. Development of evaluation plan.
19  (a) As used in this and the succeeding Sections, "teacher"
20  means any and all school district employees regularly required
21  to be certified under laws relating to the certification of
22  teachers. Each school district shall develop, in cooperation
23  with its teachers or, where applicable, the exclusive
24  bargaining representatives of its teachers, an evaluation plan
25  for all teachers.

 

 

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1  (b) Until July 1, 2025 By no later than the applicable
2  implementation date, each school district shall, in good faith
3  cooperation with its teachers or, where applicable, the
4  exclusive bargaining representatives of its teachers,
5  incorporate the use of data and indicators on student growth
6  as a significant factor in rating teaching performance, into
7  its evaluation plan for all teachers, both those teachers in
8  contractual continued service and those teachers not in
9  contractual continued service. The plan shall at least meet
10  the standards and requirements for student growth and teacher
11  evaluation established under Section 24A-7, and specifically
12  describe how student growth data and indicators will be used
13  as part of the evaluation process, how this information will
14  relate to evaluation standards, the assessments or other
15  indicators of student performance that will be used in
16  measuring student growth and the weight that each will have,
17  the methodology that will be used to measure student growth,
18  and the criteria other than student growth that will be used in
19  evaluating the teacher and the weight that each will have.
20  (b-5) Beginning July 1, 2025, each school district may, in
21  good faith cooperation with its teachers or, where applicable,
22  with the exclusive bargaining representatives of its teachers,
23  incorporate the use of data and indicators on student growth
24  as a factor in rating teaching performance, into its
25  evaluation plan for all teachers in contractual continued
26  service and teachers not in contractual continued service. The

 

 

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1  plan shall at least meet the standards and requirements for
2  teacher evaluations established under Section 24A-7.
3  To incorporate the use of data and indicators of student
4  growth as a significant factor in rating teacher performance
5  into the evaluation plan, the district shall use a joint
6  committee composed of equal representation selected by the
7  district and its teachers or, where applicable, the exclusive
8  bargaining representative of its teachers. If, within 180
9  calendar days of the committee's first meeting, the committee
10  does not reach agreement on the plan, then the district shall
11  implement the model evaluation plan established under Section
12  24A-7 with respect to the use of data and indicators on student
13  growth as a significant factor in rating teacher performance.
14  Nothing in this subsection (b) shall make decisions on the
15  use of data and indicators on student growth as a significant
16  factor in rating teaching performance mandatory subjects of
17  bargaining under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act
18  that are not currently mandatory subjects of bargaining under
19  the Act.
20  The provisions of the Open Meetings Act shall not apply to
21  meetings of a joint committee formed under this subsection
22  (b).
23  (c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in subsection
24  (b) of this Section, if the joint committee referred to in that
25  subsection does not reach agreement on the plan within 90
26  calendar days after the committee's first meeting, a school

 

 

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1  district having 500,000 or more inhabitants shall not be
2  required to implement any aspect of the model evaluation plan
3  and may implement its last best proposal.
4  (d) The Beginning the first school year following the
5  effective date of this amendatory Act of the 100th General
6  Assembly, the joint committee referred to in subsections
7  subsection (b) and (c) of this Section shall meet no less than
8  one time annually to assess and review the effectiveness of
9  the district's evaluation plan for the purposes of continuous
10  improvement of instruction and evaluation practices.
11  (Source: P.A. 100-768, eff. 1-1-19.)
12  (105 ILCS 5/24A-5)    (from Ch. 122, par. 24A-5)
13  Sec. 24A-5. Content of evaluation plans. This Section does
14  not apply to teachers assigned to schools identified in an
15  agreement entered into between the board of a school district
16  operating under Article 34 of this Code and the exclusive
17  representative of the district's teachers in accordance with
18  Section 34-85c of this Code.
19  Each school district to which this Article applies shall
20  establish a teacher evaluation plan which ensures that each
21  teacher in contractual continued service is evaluated at least
22  once in the course of every 2 or 3 school years as provided in
23  this Section.
24  Each school district shall establish a teacher evaluation
25  plan that ensures that:

 

 

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1  (1) each teacher not in contractual continued service
2  is evaluated at least once every school year; and
3  (2) except as otherwise provided in this Section, each
4  teacher in contractual continued service is evaluated at
5  least once in the course of every 2 school years. However,
6  any teacher in contractual continued service whose
7  performance is rated as either "needs improvement" or
8  "unsatisfactory" must be evaluated at least once in the
9  school year following the receipt of such rating.
10  No later than September 1, 2022, each school district must
11  establish a teacher evaluation plan that ensures that each
12  teacher in contractual continued service whose performance is
13  rated as either "excellent" or "proficient" is evaluated at
14  least once in the course of the 3 school years after receipt of
15  the rating and implement an informal teacher observation plan
16  established by agency rule and by agreement of the joint
17  committee established under subsection (b) of Section 24A-4 of
18  this Code that ensures that each teacher in contractual
19  continued service whose performance is rated as either
20  "excellent" or "proficient" is informally observed at least
21  once in the course of the 2 school years after receipt of the
22  rating.
23  For the 2022-2023 school year only, if the Governor has
24  declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant
25  to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act,
26  a school district may waive the evaluation requirement of all

 

 

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1  teachers in contractual continued service whose performances
2  were rated as either "excellent" or "proficient" during the
3  last school year in which the teachers were evaluated under
4  this Section.
5  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section
6  or any other Section of this Code, a principal shall not be
7  prohibited from evaluating any teachers within a school during
8  his or her first year as principal of such school. If a
9  first-year principal exercises this option in a school
10  district where the evaluation plan provides for a teacher in
11  contractual continued service to be evaluated once in the
12  course of every 2 or 3 school years, as applicable, then a new
13  2-year or 3-year evaluation plan must be established.
14  The evaluation plan shall comply with the requirements of
15  this Section and of any rules adopted by the State Board of
16  Education pursuant to this Section.
17  The plan shall include a description of each teacher's
18  duties and responsibilities and of the standards to which that
19  teacher is expected to conform, and shall include at least the
20  following components:
21  (a) personal observation of the teacher in the
22  classroom by the evaluator, unless the teacher has no
23  classroom duties.
24  (b) consideration of the teacher's attendance,
25  planning, instructional methods, classroom management,
26  where relevant, and competency in the subject matter

 

 

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1  taught.
2  (c) (blank). by no later than the applicable
3  implementation date, consideration of student growth as a
4  significant factor in the rating of the teacher's
5  performance.
6  (d) (blank). prior to September 1, 2012, rating of the
7  performance of teachers in contractual continued service
8  as either:
9  (i) "excellent", "satisfactory" or
10  "unsatisfactory"; or
11  (ii) "excellent", "proficient", "needs
12  improvement" or "unsatisfactory".
13  (e) on and after September 1, 2012, rating of the
14  performance of all teachers as "excellent", "proficient",
15  "needs improvement" or "unsatisfactory".
16  (f) specification as to the teacher's strengths and
17  weaknesses, with supporting reasons for the comments made.
18  (g) inclusion of a copy of the evaluation in the
19  teacher's personnel file and provision of a copy to the
20  teacher.
21  (h) within 30 school days after the completion of an
22  evaluation rating a teacher in contractual continued
23  service as "needs improvement", development by the
24  evaluator, in consultation with the teacher, and taking
25  into account the teacher's ongoing on-going professional
26  responsibilities including his or her regular teaching

 

 

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1  assignments, of a professional development plan directed
2  to the areas that need improvement and any supports that
3  the district will provide to address the areas identified
4  as needing improvement.
5  (i) within 30 school days after completion of an
6  evaluation rating a teacher in contractual continued
7  service as "unsatisfactory", development and commencement
8  by the district of a remediation plan designed to correct
9  deficiencies cited, provided the deficiencies are deemed
10  remediable. In all school districts the remediation plan
11  for unsatisfactory, tenured teachers shall provide for 90
12  school days of remediation within the classroom, unless an
13  applicable collective bargaining agreement provides for a
14  shorter duration. In all school districts evaluations
15  issued pursuant to this Section shall be issued within 10
16  days after the conclusion of the respective remediation
17  plan. However, the school board or other governing
18  authority of the district shall not lose jurisdiction to
19  discharge a teacher in the event the evaluation is not
20  issued within 10 days after the conclusion of the
21  respective remediation plan.
22  (j) participation in the remediation plan by the
23  teacher in contractual continued service rated
24  "unsatisfactory", an evaluator and a consulting teacher
25  selected by the evaluator of the teacher who was rated
26  "unsatisfactory", which consulting teacher is an

 

 

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1  educational employee as defined in the Illinois
2  Educational Labor Relations Act, has at least 5 years'
3  teaching experience, and a reasonable familiarity with the
4  assignment of the teacher being evaluated, and who
5  received an "excellent" rating on his or her most recent
6  evaluation. Where no teachers who meet these criteria are
7  available within the district, the district shall request
8  and the applicable regional office of education shall
9  supply, to participate in the remediation process, an
10  individual who meets these criteria.
11  In a district having a population of less than 500,000
12  with an exclusive bargaining agent, the bargaining agent
13  may, if it so chooses, supply a roster of qualified
14  teachers from whom the consulting teacher is to be
15  selected. That roster shall, however, contain the names of
16  at least 5 teachers, each of whom meets the criteria for
17  consulting teacher with regard to the teacher being
18  evaluated, or the names of all teachers so qualified if
19  that number is less than 5. In the event of a dispute as to
20  qualification, the State Board shall determine
21  qualification.
22  (k) a mid-point and final evaluation by an evaluator
23  during and at the end of the remediation period,
24  immediately following receipt of a remediation plan
25  provided for under subsections (i) and (j) of this
26  Section. Each evaluation shall assess the teacher's

 

 

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1  performance during the time period since the prior
2  evaluation; provided that the last evaluation shall also
3  include an overall evaluation of the teacher's performance
4  during the remediation period. A written copy of the
5  evaluations and ratings, in which any deficiencies in
6  performance and recommendations for correction are
7  identified, shall be provided to and discussed with the
8  teacher within 10 school days after the date of the
9  evaluation, unless an applicable collective bargaining
10  agreement provides to the contrary. These subsequent
11  evaluations shall be conducted by an evaluator. The
12  consulting teacher shall provide advice to the teacher
13  rated "unsatisfactory" on how to improve teaching skills
14  and to successfully complete the remediation plan. The
15  consulting teacher shall participate in developing the
16  remediation plan, but the final decision as to the
17  evaluation shall be done solely by the evaluator, unless
18  an applicable collective bargaining agreement provides to
19  the contrary. Evaluations at the conclusion of the
20  remediation process shall be separate and distinct from
21  the required annual evaluations of teachers and shall not
22  be subject to the guidelines and procedures relating to
23  those annual evaluations. The evaluator may but is not
24  required to use the forms provided for the annual
25  evaluation of teachers in the district's evaluation plan.
26  (l) reinstatement to the evaluation schedule set forth

 

 

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1  in the district's evaluation plan for any teacher in
2  contractual continued service who achieves a rating equal
3  to or better than "satisfactory" or "proficient" in the
4  school year following a rating of "needs improvement" or
5  "unsatisfactory".
6  (m) dismissal in accordance with subsection (d) of
7  Section 24-12 or Section 24-16.5 or 34-85 of this Code of
8  any teacher who fails to complete any applicable
9  remediation plan with a rating equal to or better than a
10  "satisfactory" or "proficient" rating. Districts and
11  teachers subject to dismissal hearings are precluded from
12  compelling the testimony of consulting teachers at such
13  hearings under subsection (d) of Section 24-12 or Section
14  24-16.5 or 34-85 of this Code, either as to the rating
15  process or for opinions of performances by teachers under
16  remediation.
17  (n) If After the implementation date of an evaluation
18  system for teachers in a district as specified in Section
19  24A-2.5 of this Code, if a teacher in contractual
20  continued service successfully completes a remediation
21  plan following a rating of "unsatisfactory" in an overall
22  performance evaluation received after the foregoing
23  implementation date and receives a subsequent rating of
24  "unsatisfactory" in any of the teacher's overall
25  performance evaluation ratings received during the
26  36-month period following the teacher's completion of the

 

 

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1  remediation plan, then the school district may forgo
2  remediation and seek dismissal in accordance with
3  subsection (d) of Section 24-12 or Section 34-85 of this
4  Code.
5  (o) Teachers who are due to be evaluated in the last
6  year before they are set to retire shall be offered the
7  opportunity to waive their evaluation and to retain their
8  most recent rating, unless the teacher was last rated as
9  "needs improvement" or "unsatisfactory". The school
10  district may still reserve the right to evaluate a teacher
11  provided the district gives notice to the teacher at least
12  14 days before the evaluation and a reason for evaluating
13  the teacher.
14  Nothing in this Section or Section 24A-4 shall be
15  construed as preventing immediate dismissal of a teacher for
16  deficiencies which are deemed irremediable or for actions
17  which are injurious to or endanger the health or person of
18  students in the classroom or school, or preventing the
19  dismissal or non-renewal of teachers not in contractual
20  continued service for any reason not prohibited by applicable
21  employment, labor, and civil rights laws. Failure to strictly
22  comply with the time requirements contained in Section 24A-5
23  shall not invalidate the results of the remediation plan.
24  Nothing contained in Public Act 98-648 repeals,
25  supersedes, invalidates, or nullifies final decisions in
26  lawsuits pending on July 1, 2014 (the effective date of Public

 

 

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1  Act 98-648) in Illinois courts involving the interpretation of
2  Public Act 97-8.
3  If the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public
4  health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois
5  Emergency Management Agency Act that suspends in-person
6  instruction, the timelines in this Section connected to the
7  commencement and completion of any remediation plan are
8  waived. Except if the parties mutually agree otherwise and the
9  agreement is in writing, any remediation plan that had been in
10  place for more than 45 days prior to the suspension of
11  in-person instruction shall resume when in-person instruction
12  resumes and any remediation plan that had been in place for
13  fewer than 45 days prior to the suspension of in-person
14  instruction shall be discontinued and a new remediation period
15  shall begin when in-person instruction resumes. The
16  requirements of this paragraph apply regardless of whether
17  they are included in a school district's teacher evaluation
18  plan.
19  (Source: P.A. 102-252, eff. 1-1-22; 102-729, eff. 5-6-22;
20  103-85, eff. 6-9-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; revised 8-8-24.)
21  (105 ILCS 5/24A-7)    (from Ch. 122, par. 24A-7)
22  Sec. 24A-7. Rules.
23  (a) The State Board of Education is authorized to adopt
24  such rules as are deemed necessary to implement and accomplish
25  the purposes and provisions of this Article, including, but

 

 

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1  not limited to, rules:
2  (1) relating to the methods for measuring student
3  growth (including, but not limited to, limitations on the
4  age of usable data; the amount of data needed to reliably
5  and validly measure growth for the purpose of teacher and
6  principal evaluations; and whether and at what time annual
7  State assessments may be used as one of multiple measures
8  of student growth);
9  (2) (blank); defining the term "significant factor"
10  for purposes of including consideration of student growth
11  in performance ratings;
12  (3) controlling for such factors as student
13  characteristics (including, but not limited to, students
14  receiving special education and English Learner services),
15  student attendance, and student mobility so as to best
16  measure the impact that a teacher, principal, school and
17  school district has on students' academic achievement;
18  (4) establishing minimum requirements for district
19  teacher and principal evaluation instruments and
20  procedures; and
21  (5) (blank). establishing a model evaluation plan for
22  use by school districts in which student growth shall
23  comprise 50% of the performance rating.
24  A Notwithstanding any other provision in this Section,
25  such rules shall not preclude a school district may use having
26  500,000 or more inhabitants from using an annual State

 

 

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1  assessment as a the sole measure of student growth for
2  purposes of teacher or principal evaluations.
3  (b) (Blank). The State Superintendent of Education shall
4  convene a Performance Evaluation Advisory Council, which shall
5  be staffed by the State Board of Education. Members of the
6  Council shall be selected by the State Superintendent and
7  include, without limitation, representatives of teacher unions
8  and school district management, persons with expertise in
9  performance evaluation processes and systems, as well as other
10  stakeholders. The Council shall meet at least quarterly and
11  may also meet at the call of the chairperson of the Council,
12  following August 18, 2017 (the effective date of Public Act
13  100-211) until December 31, 2024. The Council shall advise the
14  State Board of Education on the ongoing implementation of
15  performance evaluations in this State, which may include
16  gathering public feedback, sharing best practices, consulting
17  with the State Board on any proposed rule changes regarding
18  evaluations, and other subjects as determined by the
19  chairperson of the Council.
20  (c) On July 1, 2024, the State Superintendent of Education
21  shall convene a Performance Evaluation Advisory Committee for
22  the purpose of maintaining and improving the evaluator
23  training and pre-qualification program in this State under
24  Section 24A-3. The Committee shall be staffed by the State
25  Board of Education. Members of the Committee shall include,
26  without limitation, representatives from providers of the

 

 

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1  evaluator retraining and pre-qualification program in this
2  State, which include teacher unions, school district
3  management, including a school district organized under
4  Article 34, and a statewide organization representing regional
5  offices of education. Members of the Committee shall be
6  nominated by the providers and appointed by the State
7  Superintendent.
8  The Committee shall meet initially at the call of the
9  State Superintendent and shall select one member as
10  chairperson at its initial meeting. The Committee shall meet
11  at least quarterly and may also meet at the call of the
12  chairperson of the Committee.
13  The Committee shall advise the State Board of Education on
14  the continued implementation of the evaluator training and
15  pre-qualification program in this State, which may include the
16  development and delivery of the program's existing and new
17  administrators' academies, gathering feedback from program
18  instructors and participants, sharing best practices,
19  consulting with the State Board on any proposed rule changes
20  regarding evaluator training, and other subjects as determined
21  by the chairperson of the Committee.
22  (d) Prior to the applicable implementation date, the rules
23  shall not apply to teachers assigned to schools identified in
24  an agreement entered into between the board of a school
25  district operating under Article 34 of this Code and the
26  exclusive representative of the district's teachers in

 

 

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1  accordance with Section 34-85c of this Code.
2  (Source: P.A. 102-252, eff. 1-1-22; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21;
3  103-617, eff. 7-1-24.)
4  (105 ILCS 5/24A-15)
5  Sec. 24A-15. Development of evaluation plan for principals
6  and assistant principals.
7  (a) Each school district, except for a school district
8  organized under Article 34 of this Code, shall establish a
9  principal and assistant principal evaluation plan in
10  accordance with this Section. The plan must ensure that each
11  principal and assistant principal is evaluated as follows:
12  (1) For a principal or assistant principal on a
13  single-year contract, the evaluation must take place by
14  March 1 of each year.
15  (2) For a principal or assistant principal on a
16  multi-year contract under Section 10-23.8a of this Code,
17  the evaluation must take place by March 1 of the final year
18  of the contract.
19  The On and after September 1, 2012, the plan must:
20  (i) rate the principal's or assistant principal's
21  performance as "excellent", "proficient", "needs
22  improvement" or "unsatisfactory"; and
23  (ii) ensure that each principal and assistant
24  principal is evaluated at least once every school year.
25  Nothing in this Section prohibits a school district from

 

 

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1  conducting additional evaluations of principals and assistant
2  principals.
3  For the 2022-2023 school year only, if the Governor has
4  declared a disaster due to a public health emergency pursuant
5  to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act,
6  a school district may waive the evaluation requirement of all
7  principals or assistant principals whose performances were
8  rated as either "excellent" or "proficient" during the last
9  school year in which the principals or assistant principals
10  were evaluated under this Section.
11  (b) The evaluation shall include a description of the
12  principal's or assistant principal's duties and
13  responsibilities and the standards to which the principal or
14  assistant principal is expected to conform.
15  (c) The evaluation for a principal must be performed by
16  the district superintendent, the superintendent's designee,
17  or, in the absence of the superintendent or his or her
18  designee, an individual appointed by the school board who
19  holds a registered and active Professional Educator License
20  with a principal endorsement or general administrative
21  endorsement Type 75 State administrative certificate.
22  The Prior to September 1, 2012, the evaluation must be in
23  writing and must at least do all of the following:
24  (1) Consider the principal's specific duties,
25  responsibilities, management, and competence as a
26  principal.

 

 

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1  (2) Specify the principal's strengths and weaknesses,
2  with supporting reasons.
3  (3) Align with the Illinois Professional Standards for
4  School Leaders or research-based standards established by
5  administrative rule.
6  Until July 1, 2025 On and after September 1, 2012, the
7  evaluation must, in addition to the requirements in items (1),
8  (2), and (3) of this subsection (c), provide for the use of
9  data and indicators on student growth as a significant factor
10  in rating performance.
11  Beginning July 1, 2025, the evaluation must include the
12  requirements in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of this
13  subsection (c). The evaluation may provide for the use of data
14  and indicators on student growth as a factor in rating
15  performance.
16  (c-5) The evaluation of an assistant principal must be
17  performed by the principal, the district superintendent, the
18  superintendent's designee, or, in the absence of the
19  superintendent or his or her designee, an individual appointed
20  by the school board who holds a registered and active
21  Professional Educator License with a principal endorsement or
22  general administrative endorsement Type 75 State
23  administrative certificate. The evaluation must be in writing
24  and must at least do all of the following:
25  (1) Consider the assistant principal's specific
26  duties, responsibilities, management, and competence as an

 

 

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1  assistant principal.
2  (2) Specify the assistant principal's strengths and
3  weaknesses with supporting reasons.
4  (3) Align with the Illinois Professional Standards for
5  School Leaders or research-based district standards
6  established by administrative rule.
7  Until July 1, 2025 On and after September 1, 2012, the
8  evaluation must, in addition to the requirements in items (1),
9  (2), and (3) of this subsection (c-5), provide for the use of
10  data and indicators on student growth as a significant factor
11  in rating performance.
12  Beginning July 1, 2025, the evaluation must include the
13  requirements in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of this
14  subsection (c-5). The evaluation may provide for the use of
15  data and indicators on student growth as a factor in rating
16  performance.
17  (d) One copy of the evaluation must be included in the
18  principal's or assistant principal's personnel file and one
19  copy of the evaluation must be provided to the principal or
20  assistant principal.
21  (e) Failure by a district to evaluate a principal or
22  assistant principal and to provide the principal or assistant
23  principal with a copy of the evaluation at least once during
24  the term of the principal's or assistant principal's contract,
25  in accordance with this Section, is evidence that the
26  principal or assistant principal is performing duties and

 

 

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1  responsibilities in at least a satisfactory manner and shall
2  serve to automatically extend the principal's or assistant
3  principal's contract for a period of one year after the
4  contract would otherwise expire, under the same terms and
5  conditions as the prior year's contract. The requirements in
6  this Section are in addition to the right of a school board to
7  reclassify a principal or assistant principal pursuant to
8  Section 10-23.8b of this Code.
9  (f) Nothing in this Section prohibits a school board from
10  ordering lateral transfers of principals or assistant
11  principals to positions of similar rank and salary.
12  (Source: P.A. 102-729, eff. 5-6-22.)
13  (105 ILCS 5/24A-20)
14  Sec. 24A-20. State Board of Education data collection and
15  evaluation assessment and support systems.
16  (a) The On or before the date established in subsection
17  (b) of this Section, the State Board of Education shall,
18  through a process involving collaboration with the Performance
19  Evaluation Advisory Committee Council, develop or contract for
20  the development of and implement all of the following data
21  collection and evaluation assessment and support systems:
22  (1) A system to annually collect and publish data by
23  district and school on teacher and administrator
24  performance evaluation outcomes. The system must ensure
25  that no teacher or administrator can be personally

 

 

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1  identified by publicly reported data.
2  (2) Both a teacher and principal model evaluation
3  template. The model templates must incorporate the
4  requirements of this Article and any other requirements
5  established by the State Board by administrative rule, but
6  allow customization by districts in a manner that does not
7  conflict with such requirements.
8  (3) An evaluator pre-qualification program based on
9  the model teacher evaluation template.
10  (4) An evaluator training program based on the model
11  teacher evaluation template. The training program shall
12  provide multiple training options that account for the
13  prior training and experience of the evaluator.
14  (5) A superintendent training program based on the
15  model principal evaluation template.
16  (6) One or more instruments to provide feedback to
17  principals on the instructional environment within a
18  school.
19  (7) A State Board-provided or approved technical
20  assistance system that supports districts with the
21  development and implementation of teacher and principal
22  evaluation systems.
23  (8) Web-based systems and tools supporting
24  implementation of the model templates and the evaluator
25  pre-qualification and training programs.
26  (9) A process for measuring and reporting correlations

 

 

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1  between local principal and teacher evaluations and the
2  (A) student growth in tested grades and subjects and (B)
3  retention rates of teachers.
4  (10) (Blank). A process for assessing whether school
5  district evaluation systems developed pursuant to this Act
6  and that consider student growth as a significant factor
7  in the rating of a teacher's and principal's performance
8  are valid and reliable, contribute to the development of
9  staff, and improve student achievement outcomes. By no
10  later than September 1, 2014, a research-based study shall
11  be issued assessing such systems for validity and
12  reliability, contribution to the development of staff, and
13  improvement of student performance and recommending, based
14  on the results of this study, changes, if any, that need to
15  be incorporated into teacher and principal evaluation
16  systems that consider student growth as a significant
17  factor in the rating performance for remaining school
18  districts to be required to implement such systems.
19  (b) (Blank). If the State of Illinois receives a Race to
20  the Top Grant, the data collection and support systems
21  described in subsection (a) must be developed on or before
22  September 30, 2011. If the State of Illinois does not receive a
23  Race to the Top Grant, the data collection and support systems
24  described in subsection (a) must be developed on or before
25  September 30, 2012; provided, however, that the data
26  collection and support systems set forth in items (3) and (4)

 

 

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1  of subsection (a) of this Section must be developed by
2  September 30, 2011 regardless of whether the State of Illinois
3  receives a Race to the Top Grant. By no later than September 1,
4  2011, if the State of Illinois receives a Race to the Top
5  Grant, or September 1, 2012, if the State of Illinois does not
6  receive a Race to the Top Grant, the State Board of Education
7  must execute or contract for the execution of the assessment
8  referenced in item (10) of subsection (a) of this Section to
9  determine whether the school district evaluation systems
10  developed pursuant to this Act have been valid and reliable,
11  contributed to the development of staff, and improved student
12  performance.
13  (c) Districts shall submit data and information to the
14  State Board on teacher and principal performance evaluations
15  and evaluation plans in accordance with procedures and
16  requirements for submissions established by the State Board.
17  Such data shall include, without limitation, (i) data on the
18  performance rating given to all teachers in contractual
19  continued service, (ii) data on district recommendations to
20  renew or not renew teachers not in contractual continued
21  service, and (iii) data on the performance rating given to all
22  principals.
23  (d) If the State Board of Education does not timely
24  fulfill any of the requirements set forth in Sections 24A-7
25  and 24A-20, and adequate and sustainable federal, State, or
26  other funds are not provided to the State Board of Education

 

 

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1  and school districts to meet their responsibilities under this
2  Article, the applicable implementation date shall be postponed
3  by the number of calendar days equal to those needed by the
4  State Board of Education to fulfill such requirements and for
5  the adequate and sustainable funds to be provided to the State
6  Board of Education and school districts. The determination as
7  to whether the State Board of Education has fulfilled any or
8  all requirements set forth in Sections 24A-7 and 24A-20 and
9  whether adequate and sustainable funds have been provided to
10  the State Board of Education and school districts shall be
11  made by the State Board of Education in consultation with the
12  P-20 Council.
13  (e) The State Board of Education shall annually report
14  teacher evaluation data from each school in the State. The
15  State Board's report shall include:
16  (1) data from the most recent performance evaluation
17  ratings issued prior to the effective date of this
18  amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly for all
19  nontenured teachers and teachers in contractual continued
20  service disaggregated broken down by the race and
21  ethnicity of teachers; and
22  (2) data from the most recent performance evaluation
23  ratings issued prior to the effective date of this
24  amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly for all
25  nontenured teachers and teachers in contractual continued
26  service disaggregated broken down by the race, ethnicity,

 

 

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1  and eligibility status for free or reduced-price lunch of
2  students in the school where the teachers work.
3  The report shall contain data in an aggregate format. The
4  report with the aggregate data is not confidential pursuant to
5  Section 24A-7.1 of this Code unless an individual teacher is
6  personally identifiable in the report. With respect to the
7  report, the underlying data and any personally identifying
8  information of a teacher shall be confidential. The State
9  Board shall provide the data in the report in a format that
10  prevents identification of individual teachers.
11  (Source: P.A. 103-452, eff. 1-1-24.)
12  (105 ILCS 5/34-8)    (from Ch. 122, par. 34-8)
13  Sec. 34-8. Powers and duties of general superintendent.
14  The general superintendent of schools shall prescribe and
15  control, subject to the approval of the board and to other
16  provisions of this Article, the courses of study mandated by
17  State law, textbooks, educational apparatus and equipment,
18  discipline in and conduct of the schools, and shall perform
19  such other duties as the board may by rule prescribe. The
20  superintendent shall also notify the State Board of Education,
21  the board and the chief administrative official, other than
22  the alleged perpetrator himself, in the school where the
23  alleged perpetrator serves, that any person who is employed in
24  a school or otherwise comes into frequent contact with
25  children in the school has been named as a perpetrator in an

 

 

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1  indicated report filed pursuant to the Abused and Neglected
2  Child Reporting Act, approved June 26, 1975, as amended.
3  The general superintendent may be granted the authority by
4  the board to hire a specific number of employees to assist in
5  meeting immediate responsibilities. Conditions of employment
6  for such personnel shall not be subject to the provisions of
7  Section 34-85.
8  The general superintendent may, pursuant to a delegation
9  of authority by the board and Section 34-18, approve contracts
10  and expenditures.
11  Pursuant to other provisions of this Article, sites shall
12  be selected, schoolhouses located thereon and plans therefor
13  approved, and textbooks and educational apparatus and
14  equipment shall be adopted and purchased by the board only
15  upon the recommendation of the general superintendent of
16  schools or by a majority vote of the full membership of the
17  board and, in the case of textbooks, subject to Article 28 of
18  this Act. The board may furnish free textbooks to pupils and
19  may publish its own textbooks and manufacture its own
20  apparatus, equipment and supplies.
21  In addition, in January of each year, the general
22  superintendent of schools shall report to the State Board of
23  Education the number of high school students in the district
24  who are enrolled in accredited courses (for which high school
25  credit will be awarded upon successful completion of the
26  courses) at any community college, together with the name and

 

 

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1  number of the course or courses which each such student is
2  taking.
3  The general superintendent shall also have the authority
4  to monitor the performance of attendance centers, to identify
5  and place an attendance center on remediation and probation,
6  and to recommend to the board that the attendance center be
7  placed on intervention and be reconstituted, subject to the
8  provisions of Sections 34-8.3 and 8.4.
9  The general superintendent, or his or her designee, shall
10  conduct an annual evaluation of each principal in the district
11  pursuant to guidelines promulgated by the Board and the Board
12  approved principal evaluation form. The evaluation shall be
13  based on factors, including the following: (i) student
14  academic improvement, as defined by the school improvement
15  plan; (ii) student absenteeism rates at the school; (iii)
16  instructional leadership; (iv) effective implementation of
17  programs, policies, or strategies to improve student academic
18  achievement; (v) school management; and (vi) other factors,
19  including, without limitation, the principal's communication
20  skills and ability to create and maintain a student-centered
21  learning environment, to develop opportunities for
22  professional development, and to encourage parental
23  involvement and community partnerships to achieve school
24  improvement.
25  The Effective no later than September 1, 2012, the general
26  superintendent or his or her designee shall develop a written

 

 

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1  principal evaluation plan. The evaluation plan must be in
2  writing and shall supersede the evaluation requirements set
3  forth in this Section. The evaluation plan must do at least all
4  of the following:
5  (1) Provide for annual evaluation of all principals
6  employed under a performance contract by the general
7  superintendent or his or her designee, no later than July
8  1st of each year.
9  (2) Consider the principal's specific duties,
10  responsibilities, management, and competence as a
11  principal.
12  (3) Specify the principal's strengths and weaknesses,
13  with supporting reasons.
14  (4) Align with research-based standards.
15  (5) Until July 1, 2025, use Use data and indicators on
16  student growth as a significant factor in rating principal
17  performance.
18  Beginning July 1, 2025, the evaluation plan may provide
19  for the use of data and indicators on student growth as a
20  factor in rating performance.
21  (Source: P.A. 95-496, eff. 8-28-07; 96-861, eff. 1-15-10.)
22  (105 ILCS 5/34-85c)
23  Sec. 34-85c. Alternative procedures for teacher
24  evaluation, remediation, and removal for cause after
25  remediation.

 

 

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1  (a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the board and
2  the exclusive representative of the district's teachers are
3  hereby authorized to enter into an agreement to establish
4  alternative procedures for teacher evaluation, remediation,
5  and removal for cause after remediation, including an
6  alternative system for peer evaluation and recommendations;
7  provided, however, that no later than September 1, 2012: (i)
8  any alternative procedures must include provisions whereby
9  student performance data is a significant factor in teacher
10  evaluation and (ii) teachers are rated as "excellent",
11  "proficient", "needs improvement" or "unsatisfactory".
12  Pursuant exclusively to that agreement, teachers assigned to
13  schools identified in that agreement shall be subject to an
14  alternative performance evaluation plan and remediation
15  procedures in lieu of the plan and procedures set forth in
16  Article 24A of this Code and alternative removal for cause
17  standards and procedures in lieu of the removal standards and
18  procedures set forth in Section 34-85 of this Code. To the
19  extent that the agreement provides a teacher with an
20  opportunity for a hearing on removal for cause before an
21  independent hearing officer in accordance with Section 34-85
22  or otherwise, the hearing officer shall be governed by the
23  alternative performance evaluation plan, remediation
24  procedures, and removal standards and procedures set forth in
25  the agreement in making findings of fact and a recommendation.
26  (a-5) If the Governor has declared a disaster due to a

 

 

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1  public health emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois
2  Emergency Management Agency Act that suspends in-person
3  instruction, the timelines connected to the commencement and
4  completion of any remediation plan are paused. Except where
5  the parties mutually agree otherwise and such agreement is in
6  writing, any remediation plan that had been in place for 45 or
7  more days prior to the suspension of in-person instruction
8  shall resume when in-person instruction resumes; any
9  remediation plan that had been in place for fewer than 45 days
10  prior to the suspension of in-person instruction shall
11  discontinue and a new remediation period will begin when
12  in-person instruction resumes.
13  (a-10) No later than September 1, 2022, the school
14  district must establish a teacher evaluation plan that ensures
15  that each teacher in contractual continued service whose
16  performance is rated as either "excellent" or "proficient" is
17  evaluated at least once in the course of the 3 school years
18  after receipt of the rating and establish an informal teacher
19  observation plan that ensures that each teacher in contractual
20  continued service whose performance is rated as either
21  "excellent" or "proficient" is informally observed at least
22  once in the course of the 2 school years after receipt of the
23  rating.
24  (a-15) (Blank). For the 2022-2023 school year only, if the
25  Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health
26  emergency pursuant to Section 7 of the Illinois Emergency

 

 

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1  Management Agency Act, the school district may waive the
2  evaluation requirement of any teacher in contractual continued
3  service whose performance was rated as either "excellent" or
4  "proficient" during the last school year in which the teacher
5  was evaluated under this Section.
6  (b) The board and the exclusive representative of the
7  district's teachers shall submit a certified copy of an
8  agreement as provided under subsection (a) of this Section to
9  the State Board of Education.
10  (Source: P.A. 101-643, eff. 6-18-20; 102-252, eff. 1-1-22;
11  102-729, eff. 5-6-22.)
12  Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
13  2025.
SB0028 Engrossed- 48 -LRB104 07498 LNS 17542 b 1 INDEX 2 Statutes amended in order of appearance 3    105 ILCS 5/24-16.54    105 ILCS 5/24A-2.55    105 ILCS 5/24A-4from Ch. 122, par. 24A-46    105 ILCS 5/24A-5from Ch. 122, par. 24A-57    105 ILCS 5/24A-7from Ch. 122, par. 24A-78    105 ILCS 5/24A-159    105 ILCS 5/24A-2010    105 ILCS 5/34-8from Ch. 122, par. 34-811    105 ILCS 5/34-85c  SB0028 Engrossed- 48 -LRB104 07498 LNS 17542 b   SB0028 Engrossed - 48 - LRB104 07498 LNS 17542 b  1  INDEX 2  Statutes amended in order of appearance  3  105 ILCS 5/24-16.5   4  105 ILCS 5/24A-2.5   5  105 ILCS 5/24A-4 from Ch. 122, par. 24A-4  6  105 ILCS 5/24A-5 from Ch. 122, par. 24A-5  7  105 ILCS 5/24A-7 from Ch. 122, par. 24A-7  8  105 ILCS 5/24A-15   9  105 ILCS 5/24A-20   10  105 ILCS 5/34-8 from Ch. 122, par. 34-8  11  105 ILCS 5/34-85c
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1  INDEX
2  Statutes amended in order of appearance
3  105 ILCS 5/24-16.5
4  105 ILCS 5/24A-2.5
5  105 ILCS 5/24A-4 from Ch. 122, par. 24A-4
6  105 ILCS 5/24A-5 from Ch. 122, par. 24A-5
7  105 ILCS 5/24A-7 from Ch. 122, par. 24A-7
8  105 ILCS 5/24A-15
9  105 ILCS 5/24A-20
10  105 ILCS 5/34-8 from Ch. 122, par. 34-8
11  105 ILCS 5/34-85c

 

 

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1  INDEX
2  Statutes amended in order of appearance
3  105 ILCS 5/24-16.5
4  105 ILCS 5/24A-2.5
5  105 ILCS 5/24A-4 from Ch. 122, par. 24A-4
6  105 ILCS 5/24A-5 from Ch. 122, par. 24A-5
7  105 ILCS 5/24A-7 from Ch. 122, par. 24A-7
8  105 ILCS 5/24A-15
9  105 ILCS 5/24A-20
10  105 ILCS 5/34-8 from Ch. 122, par. 34-8
11  105 ILCS 5/34-85c

 

 

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