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| Public Act 101-0333 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | ||||
21B-70 as follows: | ||||
(105 ILCS 5/21B-70) | ||||
Sec. 21B-70. Illinois Teaching Excellence Program. | ||||
(a) As used in this Section: | ||||
"Poverty or low-performing school" means a school | ||||
identified as a priority school under Section 2-3.25d-5 of this | ||||
Code or a school in which 50% or more of its students are | ||||
eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches. | ||||
"National Board certified teacher rural or remote | ||||
candidate cohort facilitator" means a National Board certified | ||||
teacher who collaborates to advance the goal of supporting | ||||
rural or remote candidates through the Illinois National Board | ||||
for Professional Teaching Standards Comprehensive Support | ||||
System. | ||||
"National Board certified teacher rural or remote liaison" | ||||
means an individual who supports the National Board certified | ||||
teacher leading a rural or remote candidate cohort. | ||||
"Qualified educator" means a teacher or school counselor | ||||
currently employed in a school district who is in the process | ||||
of obtaining certification through the National Board for | ||
Professional Teaching Standards or who has completed | ||
certification and holds a current Professional Educator | ||
License with a National Board for Professional Teaching | ||
Standards designation or a retired teacher or school counselor | ||
who holds a Professional Educator License with a National Board | ||
for Professional Teaching Standards designation. | ||
"Rural or remote" means local codes 33, 41, 42, and 43 of | ||
the New Urban-Centric Locale Codes, as defined by the National | ||
Center for Education Statistics. | ||
"Tier 1" has the meaning given to that term under Section | ||
18-8.15. | ||
(b) Any Beginning on July 1, 2011, any funds appropriated | ||
for the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program must be used to | ||
provide monetary assistance and incentives for qualified | ||
educators who are employed by or retired from school districts | ||
and who have or are in the process of obtaining licensure | ||
through the National Board for Professional Teaching | ||
Standards. The goal of the program is to improve instruction | ||
and student performance. | ||
The State Board of Education shall allocate an amount as | ||
annually appropriated by the General Assembly for the Illinois | ||
Teaching Excellence Program for (i) application or re-take fees | ||
for each qualified educator seeking to complete certification | ||
through the National Board for Professional Teaching | ||
Standards, to be paid directly to the National Board for | ||
Professional Teaching Standards, and (ii) incentives under | ||
paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (c) for each | ||
qualified educator, to be distributed to the respective school | ||
district, and incentives under paragraph (5) of subsection (c), | ||
to be distributed to the respective school district or directly | ||
to the qualified educator. The school district shall distribute | ||
this payment to each eligible teacher or school counselor as a | ||
single payment. | ||
The State Board of Education's annual budget must set out | ||
by separate line item the appropriation for the program. Unless | ||
otherwise provided by appropriation, qualified educators are | ||
eligible for monetary assistance and incentives outlined in | ||
subsections subsection (c) and (d) of this Section. | ||
(c) When there are adequate funds available, monetary | ||
assistance and incentives shall include the following: | ||
(1) A maximum of $2,000 towards the application or | ||
re-take fee for up to 750 teachers or school counselors in | ||
a Tier 1 poverty or low-performing school district who | ||
apply on a first-come, first-serve basis for National Board | ||
certification. | ||
(2) A maximum of $2,000 towards the application or | ||
re-take fee for up to 250 teachers or school counselors in | ||
a school district other than a Tier 1 poverty or | ||
low-performing school district who apply on a first-come, | ||
first-serve basis for National Board certification. | ||
However, if there were fewer than 750 individuals supported | ||
in item (1) of this subsection (c), then the number | ||
supported in this item (2) may be increased as such that | ||
the combination of item (1) of this subsection (c) and this | ||
item (2) shall equal 1,000 applicants. | ||
(3) A maximum of $1,000 towards the National Board for | ||
Professional Teaching Standards' renewal application fee. | ||
(4) (Blank). | ||
(5) An annual incentive equal to $1,500, which shall be | ||
paid to each qualified educator currently employed in a | ||
school district who holds both a National Board for | ||
Professional Teaching Standards designation and a current | ||
corresponding certificate issued by the National Board for | ||
Professional Teaching Standards and who agrees, in | ||
writing, to provide at least 30 hours of mentoring or | ||
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards | ||
professional development or both during the school year to | ||
classroom teachers or school counselors, as applicable. | ||
Funds must be disbursed on a first-come, first-serve basis, | ||
with priority given to Tier 1 school districts poverty or | ||
low-performing schools. Mentoring shall include, either | ||
singly or in combination, the following: | ||
(A) National Board for Professional Teaching | ||
Standards certification candidates. | ||
(B) National Board for Professional Teaching | ||
Standards re-take candidates. | ||
(C) National Board for Professional Teaching | ||
Standards renewal candidates. | ||
(D) (Blank).
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Funds may also be used for instructional leadership | ||
training for qualified educators interested in supporting | ||
implementation of the Illinois Learning Standards or teaching | ||
and learning priorities of the State Board of Education or | ||
both. | ||
(d) In addition to the monetary assistance and incentives | ||
provided under subsection (c), if adequate funds are available, | ||
incentives shall include the following incentives for the | ||
program in rural or remote school districts, to be distributed | ||
to the respective school district or directly to the qualified | ||
educator: | ||
(1) A one-time incentive of $3,000 payable to National | ||
Board certified teachers teaching in Tier 1 rural or remote | ||
school districts. | ||
(2) An annual incentive of $3,200 for National Board | ||
certified teacher rural or remote candidate cohort | ||
facilitators. | ||
(3) An annual incentive of $2,500 for National Board | ||
certified teacher rural or remote liaisons. | ||
(Source: P.A. 99-193, eff. 7-30-15; 100-201, eff. 8-18-17.)
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