Section 1.320  Evaluation of Licensed Educators

Each school district shall develop an evaluation plan (the Plan) for the evaluation of all licensed educators.  Where cooperative educational programs operate between or among school districts, or are operated by regional superintendents of education, pursuant to Sections 3-15.14, 10-22.31 and/or 10-22.31a of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/3-15.14, 10-22.31, and/or 10-22.31a], the Plan shall be developed by the administrative agent who is the fiscal and legal agent for the cooperative program, or the governing board, or the board of control of the entity.  In this Section, all of these entities are included in the term "school district".

a)         The Plan shall conform to the requirements of Article 24A of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/Art. 24A] and, upon the date as set forth in Section 24A-2.5 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/24A-2.5] by which the school district must implement a performance evaluation system incorporating data and indicators of student growth, meet the requirements of 23 Ill. Adm. Code 50 (Evaluation of Certified Employees under Articles 24A and 34 of the School Code).  The school district shall involve teachers in the development of the Plan or, when applicable, develop the Plan in cooperation with the exclusive bargaining representatives. Development of the Plan under a performance evaluation system shall conform to the requirements of Section 24A-4 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/24A-4].

b)         On or before July 1 of the calendar year in which a school district is required to implement a performance evaluation system incorporating data and indicators of student growth for teachers or principals and assistant principals, a school district shall execute and make available to the State Board of Education, upon request, a signed assurance specific to its principal evaluation plan and one specific to its teacher evaluation plan as to whether the Plan:

1)         incorporates the State Performance Evaluation Model for Teachers or the State Performance Evaluation Model for Principals, as applicable; or

2)         incorporates a locally developed principal evaluation plan or teacher evaluation plan that aligns to the provisions of Article 24A of the School Code and 23 Ill. Adm. Code 50.

c)         Consulting Teachers

1)         The school official responsible for selecting a consulting teacher when required under Section 24A-5(j) of the School Code must undertake a diligent effort to identify a consulting teacher, which effort must include, but should not be limited to:

A)        contacting qualified teachers within the district;

B)        requesting the regional superintendent of schools to supply a roster of qualified consulting teachers; and

C)        requesting the exclusive bargaining agent for the district to supply a roster of qualified consulting teachers.

2)         If the school official cannot identify a qualified consulting teacher after completing the effort described in subsection (c)(1) of this Section, the employing school district's regional office of education shall supply a qualified consulting teacher.

3)         If the consulting teacher becomes unavailable during the course of a remediation plan, a new consulting teacher shall be selected in the same manner as the initial consulting teacher.  The remediation plan shall be amended as necessary upon consultation with the new consulting teacher for the balance of the remediation period.  The consulting teacher shall be informed, through conferences with the evaluator and the teacher under remediation, of the results of the periodic evaluations conducted pursuant to Section 24A-5(k) of the School Code in order to continue to provide assistance to the teacher under a remediation plan.

(Source:  Amended at 38 Ill. Reg. 6127, effective February 27, 2014)