Signed by Governor Pat Quinn

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that amends teacher evaluation requirements, including incorporating student growth data, in order to qualify for federal Race-to-the-Top funding.

Highlights:

-Requires school districts, no later than September 1, 2012, to establish a teacher evaluation plan that ensures the following (Sec. 10):

-Annual evaluations for teachers not under contractual continued service; -Biannual evaluations for teachers under contractual continued service, unless the teacher was evaluated as "needs improvement" or "unsatisfactory," then they must be evaluated annually.

-Requires school districts, no later than the applicable implementation date, to incorporate into teacher evaluations the use of data and indicators on student growth as a "significant factor" in rating teaching performance, and specifies that student growth shall comprise 50 percent of the performance rating (Sec. 10). -Requires school districts, when incorporating student growth data into teacher evaluations, to do so "in good faith cooperation" with teachers and bargaining representatives (Sec. 10). -Establishes the following implementation dates for the aforementioned incorporation of student growth data into teacher evaluations (Sec. 10):

-For school districts with 500,000 or more inhabitants:
-September 1, 2012 for at least 300 schools; and -September 1, 2013 for the remaining schools;
-For school districts with less than 500,000 and receiving a Race-to-the-Top Grant or School Improvement Grant, the date specified in such grant for implementing an evaluation that includes student growth data; -For the lowest performing 20 percent of remaining school districts with less than 500,000 inhabitants, September 1, 2015; and -For all other school districts having less than 500,000 inhabitants, September 1, 2016.

-Prohibits the public disclosure of teacher, principal, and superintendent evaluations (Sec. 10). -Requires evaluators undertaking an evaluation after September 1, 2012 to complete a pre-qualification program provided by the State Board of Education, and specifies that such program must include "rigorous training" and an independent observer's determination that the evaluator's ratings properly align to the requirements (Sec. 10). -Authorizes school districts to require department chairs to evaluate teachers in their department, provided that school districts and bargaining representatives agree to such requirement (Sec. 10). -Requires that an evaluation be discussed with the teacher, including recommendations for corrections, within 10 school days following the evaluation (Sec. 10). -Requires school districts, no later than September 1, 2012, to ensure that principals on a multi-year contract are annually evaluated and that such evaluation includes "excellent," "proficient," "needs improvement" and "unsatisfactory" ratings (Sec. 10). -Requires the State Board of Education, in collaboration with the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council, to develop the following data collection and support systems by September 30, 2011 if the state of Illinois receives federal Race-to-the-Top funding, or by September 30, 2012 if such funding is not received (Sec. 10):

-Annual collection of teacher and administration evaluation outcomes, without identifying specific individuals; -Teacher and principal evaluation templates; -Evaluator pre-qualification and training programs (must be developed by September 30, 2011 regardless of receiving Race-to-the-Top funds); -Superintendent training program based on the principal evaluation template; -1 or more instruments to provide feedback to principals with regard to instruction in their school; -Board-approved technical assistance systems that support districts with the development and implementation of evaluation systems; -Web-based tools for assistance with evaluator pre-qualification and training programs; -Process for measuring and reporting the correlation between teacher and principal evaluations and student growth data; and -Process for assessing whether school district evaluation systems are valid and reliable.

-The text of this bill was replaced by a substitute amendment sponsored by the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends teacher evaluation requirements, including incorporating student growth data, in order to qualify for federal Race-to-the-Top funding.

Highlights:

-Requires school districts, no later than September 1, 2012, to establish a teacher evaluation plan that ensures the following (Sec. 10):

-Annual evaluations for teachers not under contractual continued service; -Biannual evaluations for teachers under contractual continued service, unless the teacher was evaluated as "needs improvement" or "unsatisfactory," then they must be evaluated annually.

-Requires school districts, no later than the applicable implementation date, to incorporate into teacher evaluations the use of data and indicators on student growth as a "significant factor" in rating teaching performance, and specifies that student growth shall comprise 50 percent of the performance rating (Sec. 10). -Requires school districts, when incorporating student growth data into teacher evaluations, to do so "in good faith cooperation" with teachers and bargaining representatives (Sec. 10). -Establishes the following implementation dates for the aforementioned incorporation of student growth data into teacher evaluations (Sec. 10):

-For school districts with 500,000 or more inhabitants:
-September 1, 2012 for at least 300 schools; and -September 1, 2013 for the remaining schools;
-For school districts with less than 500,000 and receiving a Race-to-the-Top Grant or School Improvement Grant, the date specified in such grant for implementing an evaluation that includes student growth data; -For the lowest performing 20 percent of remaining school districts with less than 500,000 inhabitants, September 1, 2015; and -For all other school districts having less than 500,000 inhabitants, September 1, 2016.

-Prohibits the public disclosure of teacher, principal, and superintendent evaluations (Sec. 10). -Requires evaluators undertaking an evaluation after September 1, 2012 to complete a pre-qualification program provided by the State Board of Education, and specifies that such program must include "rigorous training" and an independent observer's determination that the evaluator's ratings properly align to the requirements (Sec. 10). -Authorizes school districts to require department chairs to evaluate teachers in their department, provided that school districts and bargaining representatives agree to such requirement (Sec. 10). -Requires that an evaluation be discussed with the teacher, including recommendations for corrections, within 10 school days following the evaluation (Sec. 10). -Requires school districts, no later than September 1, 2012, to ensure that principals on a multi-year contract are annually evaluated and that such evaluation includes "excellent," "proficient," "needs improvement" and "unsatisfactory" ratings (Sec. 10). -Requires the State Board of Education, in collaboration with the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council, to develop the following data collection and support systems by September 30, 2011 if the state of Illinois receives federal Race-to-the-Top funding, or by September 30, 2012 if such funding is not received (Sec. 10):

-Annual collection of teacher and administration evaluation outcomes, without identifying specific individuals; -Teacher and principal evaluation templates; -Evaluator pre-qualification and training programs (must be developed by September 30, 2011 regardless of receiving Race-to-the-Top funds); -Superintendent training program based on the principal evaluation template; -1 or more instruments to provide feedback to principals with regard to instruction in their school; -Board-approved technical assistance systems that support districts with the development and implementation of evaluation systems; -Web-based tools for assistance with evaluator pre-qualification and training programs; -Process for measuring and reporting the correlation between teacher and principal evaluations and student growth data; and -Process for assessing whether school district evaluation systems are valid and reliable.

-The text of this bill was replaced by a substitute amendment sponsored by the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education.

Full Bill Text