Section 65.150  Criteria for the Review of Initial Applications

Applications for initial funding shall be evaluated by the State Board of Education, and members of the Teaching Induction and Mentoring Advisory group (as necessary), to determine the extent to which each meets the criteria set forth in this Section. 

a)         Program Goals and Design and Resources (20 points)

1)         The proposal articulates goals for the program that focus on the improvement of new teacher practice, retention, and student achievement, as well as the continuous improvement of the program.

2)         The proposal articulates the requirements for new teachers to successfully complete the program.

3)         The proposal contains a plan for effective communication among all stakeholders.

4)         The proposal articulates how the program is aligned with school and district improvement plans, other teaching effectiveness initiatives, and other professional learning opportunities.

5)         The proposal identifies and allocates adequate resources to ensure the successful implementation of the program design.

6)         The proposal provides for specific practices and policies, such as reduced course load for mentors, reduced course load for new teachers, release time, substitute pay, mentor stipends and access to resources, that will permit the participants in the program to devote the time necessary to reach the goals of the program.

b)         Induction Program Leadership, Administration and Support (15 points)

1)         The proposal identifies the individuals who will lead the program and clearly delineates their roles in planning, implementing, evaluating and refining the program.  The roles and responsibilities of the program leaders are appropriate for the scope and complexity of the proposed program.

2)         The proposal includes strategies that will be used in providing oversight for the program to permit ongoing analysis of its effectiveness, allow for necessary programmatic modifications and provide communication with all stakeholders.

3)         The proposal identifies how the induction program leadership will encourage and facilitate communication and collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure support of the program.

c)         Site Administrator's Roles and Responsibilities (15 points)

1)         The detailed description of the role and responsibilities of the program's site administrator (e.g., principal) suggests that each administrator will have ongoing participation in and provide leadership for the program so as to engender positive teaching and learning conditions for beginning teachers.

2)         The proposal presents a plan for professional development for site administrators that provides at least four hours of training specific to the site administrator's role in understanding, designing and implementing high-quality new teacher induction programs.

d)         Mentor Selection, Assignment, Training and Ongoing Development (20 points)

1)         The proposal describes a comprehensive strategy for recruiting teachers who are suited to the role of mentor. 

2)         The proposal describes the criteria for mentor selection, which shall include at least the following:

A)        a record of the mentor's effective teaching practice and professional conduct, including at least three years of teaching experience and a performance evaluation rating of "proficient" or "excellent" from each of the mentor's last two performance evaluations conducted pursuant to Section 24A-5 of the School Code and 23 Ill. Adm. Code 50 (Evaluation of Certified Employees under Articles 24A and 34 of the School Code);

B)        demonstrated commitment of the mentor to the mentor's own professional growth and learning, including the ability to be articulate and reflective about personal teaching practice;

C)        ability of the mentor to relate and communicate effectively with colleagues;

D)        the mentor's professional commitment to improving the induction of new teachers; and

E)        knowledge of effective professional development for new teachers and effective adult learning strategies.

3)         The proposal describes the foundational training for mentors, which shall include or incorporate at least the following topics:

A)        adult learning theory and/or instruction relative to the implementation of the Standards for Professional Learning (2011) published by Learning Forward, 504 South Locust Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056 and posted at http://www.learningforward.org/ standards/index.cfm; no later amendments to or editions of these standards are incorporated by this Section;

B)        foundations of mentoring;

C)        formative assessment;

D)        coaching and observation strategies; and

E)        analysis of student work and data.

4)         The proposal provides a plan for mentor training that is ongoing, with at least monthly opportunities for mentors to interact with other mentors via a mentor learning community to build mentors' skills through problem-solving and reflection so that they can better assist new teachers in the development of their teaching skills and professional practices.  The sessions will enable participating mentors to share experiences and strengthen their ability to employ mentoring tools, protocols and formative assessment to support mentoring effectiveness.

5)         The proposal provides a detailed description of the process to be used to assess mentor practice and mentor accountability.

e)         New Teacher Development and Formative Assessment (15 points)

1)         The proposal describes plans for the timely orientation of the new teachers to the induction program before the start of their teaching assignments and for a formal network to provide novice colleagues with at least quarterly learning opportunities and ongoing support.

2)         The proposal provides for the professional development of new teachers, which includes at least the development of an individual learning plan for each new teacher served and for the provision of professional development that is directly related to the needs identified in the individual learning plan.

3)         The proposal clearly articulates a method for the formative assessment of new teachers' practice and describes how that information will be used in the individual learning plan.

4)         The proposal includes quarterly plans for incorporating issues of pedagogy, classroom management and content knowledge into professional development for new teachers and for ensuring alignment of this material with the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, the participants' specific identified needs and local instructional priorities.

5)         The program is designed to afford at least one opportunity during each semester to observe teaching practices modeled by experienced teachers and discuss selected aspects of teaching practice with these teachers.

f)         Program Impact and Implementation (Evaluation) (15 points)

1)         The proposal identifies information to be collected and reported on the performance and retention of beginning teachers that will add to an understanding of the effects of more intensive induction programs as compared to the results of more typical models.

2)         The evaluation is designed to assess the effectiveness of particular initiatives or components of the program and will likely produce data that can be used to improve the program.

3)         The applicant identifies a method for tracking the continued service of the teachers served after the project ends so that longitudinal data can be compiled.

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 13208, effective July 13, 2022)