Bill Text: IL HB1291 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, provides that the annual incentive shall be $2,250 (instead of $1,500) and that 45 hours of mentoring shall be required (instead of 30). Provides that funds may also be used for professional development training provided by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or the National Board Resource Center. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-1)

Status: (Passed) 2023-06-30 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0122 [HB1291 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB1291-Introduced.html

---

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1291 Introduced , by Rep. Katie Stuart SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/21B-70
Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, provides that the annual incentive shall be $2,250 (instead of $1,500) and that 45 hours of mentoring shall be required (instead of 30). Provides that funds may also be used for professional development training provided by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or the National Board Resource Center. Effective immediately.
LRB103 25192 RJT 51533 b
A BILL FOR
HB1291 LRB103 25192 RJT 51533 b
AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
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:
"Diverse candidate" means a candidate who identifies with
any of the ethnicities reported on the Illinois Report Card
other than White.
"National Board certified teacher candidate cohort
facilitator" means a National Board certified teacher who
collaborates to advance the goal of supporting all other
candidate cohorts other than diverse candidate cohorts through
the Illinois National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards Comprehensive Support System.
"National Board certified teacher diverse candidate cohort
facilitator" means a National Board certified teacher who
collaborates to advance the goal of supporting racially and
ethnically diverse candidates through the Illinois National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards Comprehensive
Support System.

HB1291 - 2 - LRB103 25192 RJT 51533 b
"National Board certified teacher diverse liaison" means
an individual or entity that supports the National Board
certified teacher leading a diverse candidate cohort.
"National Board certified teacher liaison" means an
individual or entity that supports the National Board
certified teacher leading candidate cohorts other than diverse
candidate cohorts.
"National Board certified teacher rural or remote or
distant 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 or
distant liaison" means an individual or entity that 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.

HB1291 - 3 - LRB103 25192 RJT 51533 b
"Rural or remote" or "rural or remote or distant" means
local codes 32, 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.
"Tier 2" has the meaning given to that term under Section
18-8.15.
(b) 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

HB1291 - 4 - LRB103 25192 RJT 51533 b
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 (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 teachers or school counselors in a Tier 1
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 teachers or school counselors in a school
district other than a Tier 1 school district who apply on a
first-come, first-serve basis for National Board
certification.
(3) A maximum of $1,000 towards the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards' renewal application fee.
(4) (Blank).
(5) An annual incentive of no more than $2,250 $1,500
prorated at $50 per hour, which shall be paid to each
qualified educator currently employed in a school district
who holds both a National Board for Professional Teaching

HB1291 - 5 - LRB103 25192 RJT 51533 b
Standards designation and a current corresponding
certificate issued by the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards and who agrees, in writing, to provide
up to 45 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. 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).
Funds may also be used for professional development
training provided by the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards or the National Board Resource Center.
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

HB1291 - 6 - LRB103 25192 RJT 51533 b
provided under subsection (c), if adequate funds are
available, incentives shall include the following incentives
for the program in rural or remote schools or school districts
or for programs working with diverse candidates, to be
distributed to the respective school district or directly to
the qualified educator or entity:
(1) A one-time incentive of $3,000 payable to National
Board certified teachers teaching in Tier 1 or Tier 2
rural or remote school districts or rural or remote
schools in Tier 1 or Tier 2 school districts, with
priority given to teachers teaching in Tier 1 rural or
remote school districts or rural or remote schools in Tier
1 school districts.
(2) An annual incentive of $3,200 for National Board
certified teacher rural or remote or distant candidate
cohort facilitators, diverse candidate cohort
facilitators, and candidate cohort facilitators. Priority
shall be given to rural or remote candidate cohort
facilitators and diverse candidate cohort facilitators.
(3) An annual incentive of $2,500 for National Board
certified teacher rural or remote or distant liaisons,
diverse liaisons, and liaisons. Priority shall be given to
rural or remote liaisons and diverse liaisons.
(Source: P.A. 100-201, eff. 8-18-17; 101-333, eff. 1-1-20;
101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

HB1291 - 7 - LRB103 25192 RJT 51533 b
becoming law.