Section 33.10  Definitions

 

As used in this Part: 

 

"Educational unit" means the college, school, department or division of an institution or not-for-profit entity that is primarily responsible for the initial and continuing preparation of educators.

 

"Field-based experiences" means multiple experiences that occur within a school setting that relate directly to core subject matter of the course and enable candidates to apply theory to practice.

 

"Internship" means a sustained, continuous, structured and supervised experience lasting a minimum of 12 months, with defined objectives and activities designed to enable candidates to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to demonstrate mastery of certain competencies expected of superintendents.  (Also see Appendix A.)

 

"Internship Supervisor" means a superintendent of the school district (or the chief executive officer of a school district authorized under Article 34 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/Art. 34]) where a candidate's internship is conducted and who supervises candidates during the internship period. 

 

"Institution" means a regionally accredited institution of higher learning as specified in Section 21B-105 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21B-105].  (Also see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.10 (Accredited Institution).) 

 

"Not-for-profit entity" means an entity that is subject to the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986 [805 ILCS 105] or incorporated as a not-for-profit entity in another state but registered to do business in the State of Illinois pursuant to the Business Corporation Act of 1983 [805 ILCS 5] and that is recognized to provide an educator preparation program in the State of Illinois pursuant to 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.Subpart C (Approving Programs that Prepare Professional Educators in the State of Illinois).

 

"Partner" means one or more institutions, not-for-profit entities or school districts that jointly design, implement and administer the superintendent preparation program.  For the purposes of this Part, "partners" do not include school districts and their schools that serve only as sites for candidates to complete internship requirements or field experiences.

 

"Program completers" means persons who have met all the requirements of a State-approved superintendent preparation program established pursuant to this Part and who have fulfilled the requirements for receipt of a superintendent endorsement set forth in Section 21B-25 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21B-25] and 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.355 (Endorsement for Superintendent (2019)). 

 

"School Code" or "Code" means 105 ILCS 5.

 

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 13152, effective July 13, 2022)

 

Section 33.20  Purpose and Applicability

 

a)         This Part sets forth the requirements for the approval of programs to provide individuals with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary to implement a systems-orientation approach to educational leadership, financial oversight, school management, and parental and community involvement. 

 

b)         Requirements of this Part are in addition to the requirements for the approval of new educator preparation programs set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.Subpart C. 

 

c)         Candidates successfully completing a superintendent preparation program shall obtain a superintendent endorsement on a professional educator license and are eligible to work as superintendents or assistant superintendents. 

 

d)         Beginning September 1, 2019, all programs for the preparation of superintendents shall meet the requirements set forth in this Part. 

 

e)         Beginning October 1, 2025, no new candidates shall be admitted into a superintendent program until the program's alignment to the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Program Recognition Standards-District Level, published by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration, 1615 Duke Street, Alexandria VA 22314-3483, and available at http://www.npbea.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/NELP-DISTRICT-Standards.pdf is approved by the State Superintendent.

 

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 13152, effective July 13, 2022)

 

Section 33.30  General Program Requirements

 

a)         The program shall be jointly established by one or more institutions or not-for-profit entities in partnership with one or more public school districts and in consultation with one or more professional organizations that represent school administrators, school boards, chief school business officials, or regional superintendents of education. 

 

b)         The responsibility and roles of each partner in the design, implementation, and administration of the program shall be set forth in a written agreement signed by each partner.  The written agreement shall address at least the following:

 

1)         the process and responsibilities of each partner for the selection and assessment of candidates;

 

2)         the establishment of the internship and any field experiences, and the specific roles of each partner in providing those experiences, as applicable;

 

3)         the development and implementation of a training program for internship supervisors and faculty supervisors that supports candidates' progress during their internships in participating in and demonstrating leadership;

 

4)         names and locations of non-partnering school districts where the internship and any field experiences may occur, including the roles and responsibilities of the participating districts and the provider; and

 

5)         the process to evaluate the program at least annually, including the partnership, and the role of each partner in making improvements based on the results of the evaluation.

 

c)         Each program shall meet the National Educational Leadership Program Standards:  2018 NELP District Level Standards published by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration, 1615 Duke Street, Alexandria VA 22314-3483 and posted at https://www.npbea.org/nelp. No later amendments to or editions of these standards are incorporated by this Part.

 

d)         Each program shall offer curricula that address student learning, school improvement, and system management and focus on:

 

1)         support of rigorous standards for all students (e.g., students with disabilities, English learners, gifted students, students in early childhood programs) and high-quality accountability systems that promote increasing student achievement and improving results;

 

2)         the efficient use of district or school resources (e.g., human, fiscal, technological) and the importance of maintaining a safe, healthy, and productive environment;

 

3)         understanding the knowledge, skills, and responsibilities of high-quality professional staff; and

 

4)         collaborative relationships with all members of the school community (e.g., parents, school board members, local school councils or other governing councils, community partners).

 

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 13152, effective July 13, 2022)

 

Section 33.40  Internship Requirements

 

a)         The internship portion of the program shall be conducted at one or more public school districts so as to enable the candidate to be exposed to and to participate in a variety of educational leadership situations in settings that represent diverse economic and cultural conditions and involve interaction with various members of the school community (e.g., parents, school board members, local school councils or other governing councils, community partners).

 

1)         The internship shall consist of the following components: 

 

A)        Engagement in leadership activities at all grade levels (i.e., preschool through grade 12), that focus on creating, evaluating, selecting, supervising, and monitoring high-quality and rigorous curricular, instructional, assessment, and financial resources designed to:

 

i)          increase achievement of students in general education, special education, bilingual education, and gifted education settings; and

 

ii)         contribute to school improvement;

 

B)        Active participation in the hiring, supervision, and evaluation of administrators, teachers, other licensed staff and nonlicensed staff, as applicable, and development of professional development plans aligned to the goals of the district improvement plan;

 

C)        Active participation in management and operational activities (e.g., strategic or long-range planning, policies and procedures, budgeting and financial management, facilities maintenance) that promote efficiency and a safe and healthy environment; and

 

D)        Active collaboration with administrators, faculty, families, and communities that results in decision-making that has legal and ethical bases.

 

2)         The internship shall require the candidate to work directly with administrators and others in the school district's primary office and to participate and take the lead in specific tasks related to meeting the competencies referenced in Appendix A.

 

b)         Internship Site

 

1)         A public school district may serve as an internship site if the superintendent:

 

A)        holds a valid and current professional educator license endorsed for superintendent issued pursuant to 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.355; or

 

B)        if the internship site is located in another state, holds a valid and current license that is comparable to the required Illinois professional educator license endorsed for superintendent issued by the state in which the internship site is located.

 

2)         The provisions of subsection (b)(1) do not apply to a school district authorized under Article 34 of the School Code.

 

3)         In all cases, the superintendent shall have two years of successful experience in that position as evidenced by relevant data and formal evaluations or letters of recommendation from former supervisors that reflect achievement of the competencies set forth in Appendix A.

 

c)         The school district superintendent shall serve as the internship supervisor for that portion of the program.

 

1)         Each internship supervisor shall meet the following qualifications:

 

A)        hold a valid and current professional educator license endorsed for superintendent or a valid and current license that is comparable to the required Illinois professional educator license endorsed for superintendent issued by the state in which the internship site is located; and

 

B)        have served at least two years on a full-time basis as a superintendent, except that a first-year superintendent may serve as the internship supervisor if that individual was hired after the candidate started the internship in the respective school district.

 

2)         Each internship supervisor shall:

 

A)        assign the candidate to the administrative staff whose duties and responsibilities are most closely aligned to the particular leadership skills and experiences being assessed; however, the internship supervisor shall retain supervisory authority and oversight for the candidate's progress; 

 

B)        observe, evaluate, and provide feedback to each candidate about the candidate's performance; and

 

C)        work in collaboration with other personnel with whom the candidate has been assigned to complete the assessment of the candidate's performance during the internship as required pursuant to Section 33.45.

 

d)         Programs shall ensure that each candidate:

 

1)         successfully completes the training and passes the assessment required under Section 24A-3 of the School Code prior to licensure, or before the candidate evaluates staff, should evaluations be included as a component of the preparation program, whichever occurs first; and

 

2)         passes the applicable content-area test (see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.710) prior to receipt of endorsement.

 

e)         Programs may charge fees of candidates, in addition to tuition, to be used to reimburse school districts for the costs of employing substitute administrators for candidates who are full-time administrators and must be absent from their school districts in order to complete internship activities.

 

f)         Programs may provide monetary stipends for candidates while they are participating in their internship.

 

g)         A program may extend the length of an internship beyond the expected date of completion for any candidate who has to discontinue the internship portion of the program due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a medical or family emergency, provided that the program adopts procedures for requesting the exemption, the specific reasons under which the exemption would be granted, and the length of time within which a candidate must resume the internship.  A copy of the policy shall be provided to each candidate who enrolls in the program. 

 

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 13152, effective July 13, 2022)

 

Section 33.45  Assessment of the Internship

 

a)         The superintendent preparation program shall rate each candidate's level of knowledge and abilities gained as a result of the candidate's participation in the internship required under Section 33.40 by implementing a process to assess both the candidate's understanding of school practices that foster student achievement and a positive learning environment and of the candidate's ability to provide effective leadership. The assessment process and any rubrics to be used shall be submitted as part of the program's application for approval under Section 33.70. 

 

b)         Each superintendent preparation program shall use the assessments and evaluation rubrics identified in Appendix A to determine a candidate's level of knowledge and abilities gained.

 

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 13152, effective July 13, 2022)

 

Section 33.50  Coursework Requirements

 

a)         The coursework required by the preparation program of its candidates must cover each of the following areas:

 

1)         State and federal laws, regulations, and case law affecting Illinois public schools;

 

2)         State and federal laws, regulations, and case law regarding programs for students with disabilities and English learners; 

 

3)         use of technology for effective teaching and learning and administrative needs;

 

4)         use of a process that determines how a child responds to scientific, research-based interventions that are designed to screen students who may be at risk of academic failure, monitor the effectiveness of instruction proposed for students identified as at risk, and modify instruction as needed to meet the needs of each student;

 

5)         identification of bullying; understanding the different types of bullying behavior and its harm to individual students and the school; and the importance of teaching, promoting, and rewarding a peaceful and productive school climate; and

 

6)         the process to be used to evaluate licensed staff in accordance with the provisions of Section 24A-3 of the School Code.

 

b)         The superintendent preparation program shall determine the courses for which completion of field experiences will be required and the time allotted to field experiences across all courses in the curriculum.

 

c)         A superintendent preparation program may allow candidates to "proficiency out" of certain coursework, provided that the candidate presents acceptable evidence of having mastered the competencies gained from the coursework and the program has adopted a policy regarding proficiency procedures.

 

1)         The policy adopted under this subsection (c) shall require that candidates provide evidence of specific experiences that exemplify competency rather than providing only the results from written examinations or evidence of participation in an activity.

 

2)         The policy adopted under this subsection (c) shall list those courses that are mandatory for program completion, regardless of a candidate's previously acquired competencies.

 

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 13152, effective July 13, 2022)

 

Section 33.60  Candidate Selection

 

Candidates admitted to a program for superintendent preparation shall be selected through an interview process. Each candidate must meet the following minimum requirements:

 

a)         Hold a valid and current Illinois professional educator license endorsed in general administrative, principal, chief school business official, or director of special education.

 

b)         Have experience in a public school district or nonpublic school recognized in accordance with 23 Ill. Adm. Code 425 on one of the following endorsements to the professional educator license or, for out-of-state candidates, the requisite experience while holding a certificate or license that is comparable to the respective Illinois credential:

 

1)         General Administrative;

 

2)         Principal;

 

3)         Director of Special Education; or

 

4)         Chief School Business Official.

 

c)         Submission of a portfolio that presents evidence of a candidate's achievements during the candidate's administrative experience in each of the following categories:

 

1)         Support of all students in the classroom to achieve high standards of learning;

 

2)         Significant leadership roles in the school (e.g., curriculum, assessment or instructional development, school management or budgeting, evaluation of staff, mentoring);

 

3)         Strong oral and written communication skills;

 

4)         Analytic abilities needed to collect and analyze data for school and district improvement;

 

5)         Demonstrated respect for family and community;

 

6)         Strong interpersonal skills; and

 

7)         Strong demonstrated leadership skills and abilities.

 

d)         For purposes of subsection (c), "evidence" includes, but is not limited to:

 

1)         Evaluations of the candidate's administrative abilities from supervisors that attest to school and district improvement;

 

2)         Evidence of leadership roles held and descriptions of the impact the candidate has had on the classroom, school or district, or the constituents served;

 

3)         An analysis of school or district data (e.g., student scores) that describes how the data were used to inform instructional planning and implementation, including an explanation of what standards were addressed, the academic achievement or school improvement outcomes, and steps taken when expected outcomes did not occur;

 

4)         Information about the candidate's work with families or community groups and a description of how this work affected school or district operations, policies, and procedures;

 

5)         Examples of the candidate's analytical abilities as evidenced by a description of how the candidate used the results from student assessments to improve student learning; and

 

6)         Evidence of curriculum development, student assessments, or other initiatives that resulted from the candidate's involvement with school committees.

 

e)         Each applicant shall interview with no fewer than two of the program's full-time faculty members and shall, at a minimum, discuss the contents of the applicant's portfolio and complete a written response to a scenario presented by the interviewers.

 

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 13152, effective July 13, 2022)

 

Section 33.70  Program Approval and Review

 

a)         A program seeking approval shall follow the procedures set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.120.

 

b)         In addition to meeting the requirements of 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.120, the program proposal required to be submitted as part of the request for approval shall specify how the program will meet the requirements set forth in this Part, as well as address each of the following:

 

1)         The guidance to be developed to ensure that internship supervisors effectively assist candidates to optimize their experiences during the internship;

 

2)         The roles and responsibilities of candidates and internship supervisors;

 

3)         The process the institution or not-for-profit entity will use to communicate with the internship supervisor and candidate;

 

4)         Any additional requirements for admission to the program that the institution or not-for-profit entity will impose;

 

5)         A description of the rubric the program will use to assess and evaluate the quality of a candidate's portfolio required under Section 33.60;

 

6)         The competencies, to include those specified in Appendix A, expected of candidates who complete the program and how those expectations will be communicated to the candidate upon the candidate's admittance to the program;

 

7)         The activities to meet the expectations embedded in the competencies specified in Appendix A that will be required of candidates for completion of the program and how these activities and expectations will be communicated to the candidate upon the candidate's admittance to the program;

 

8)         A copy of the partnership agreement or agreements and a description of the partners' involvement in the development of the program, a description of the roles each partner will have, and information about how the partnership will continue to operate and how it will be evaluated; 

 

9)         A copy of any agreements with school districts (other than those participating in the partnership) that will serve as sites for the internship or field experiences;

 

10)         A description of each course proposed and the internship, to include:

 

A)        a course syllabus;

 

B)        how progress will be measured and successful completion will be determined;

 

C)        a data table that demonstrates each course's, and the internship's, alignment to the NELP standards (see Section 33.30(c)); and

 

D)        for individual courses, a detailed description of any field experiences required for course completion;

 

11)         Copies of assessments and rubrics to be used in the program, including, but not limited to, samples of scenarios to which a candidate must provide a written response and interview questions for selection in the program and any additional assessments to be used for the internship beyond what is required under Section 33.45;

 

12)         A description of the coursework for candidates and training to be provided for faculty members relative to the evaluation of licensed staff under Article 24A of the School Code; and

 

13)        A complete description of how data about the program will be collected, analyzed, and used for program improvement, and how these data will be shared with the educational unit or not-for-profit entity and the partnering school district.

 

c)         A request for program approval shall be submitted to the State Superintendent for consideration (see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.120(a)).

 

d)         The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board (SEPLB) shall provide a recommendation for program approval or denial to the State Superintendent.

 

e)         Actions following upon the final recommendation of the SEPLB shall be as described in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.160.

 

f)         An approved superintendent preparation program shall be subject to the review process set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.Subpart C.

 

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 13152, effective July 13, 2022)