Administrative Rules

Administrative rules establish the policies of state agencies regarding a variety of issues. For the purposes of performance evaluation systems for teachers and principals, a set of rules will address the minimum components that any locally developed evaluation system must contain. In addition, these rules will outline the state models that a school district may choose to use for principals or teachers. Members of the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC) are drafting detailed recommendations for the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to consider as it develops the rules for the teacher and principal evaluation systems. Included in the rules will be the minimum percentage of student growth factors that must comprise either a teacher’s or principal’s evaluation.

Common Core

The Common Core State Standards are a set of expectations that define what U.S. students at every grade level should be learning in math and reading. The standards are designed to help students succeed, ensure education is consistent from school to school, and provide benchmarks for teachers and parents to determine if a child is on track. Forty-two states and the District of Columbia have adopted the standards, which were developed through a state-led effort.

State Default/Optional Models

Illinois public school districts that choose not to develop their own evaluation systems can use the state default/optional model, beginning in the 2012-2013 school year. Illinois educators on the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC) will make recommendations to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), which will incorporate the recommendations it accepts into administrative rules.

ISBE

The Illinois State Board of Education, or ISBE, refers to both the nine-member board appointed by the governor and the administrative agency. The nine-member board formulates education policy for schools statewide and makes recommendations to the state legislature and governor; members serve four-year terms. The agency administers those board-adopted policies; implements education programs required under state and federal laws; ensures school districts’ compliance with state laws and regulations; and provides technical assistance as needed. ISBE has final approval over the administrative rules for new educator evaluation systems being developed by the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC).

Joint Committee

In each school district, a Joint Committee composed equally of representatives selected by district officials and teachers (or, where applicable, teachers' exclusive bargaining representatives) will work to create a teacher evaluation plan that incorporates student growth measures as a significant factor. If the Committee does not agree on how to incorporate data and indicators of student growth within 180 days of its first meeting, the school district must then implement all or parts of the the state default/optional evaluation system. (Note: For Chicago Public Schools, this deadline is 90 days, rather than 180. After 90 days, CPS may implement its last, best teacher evaluation plan proposal.)

Multiple Measures

Multiple measures are an array of different academic assessments and relevant information sources that can be considered when rating a teacher or principal’s performance. These various measures can include both indicators of student growth and educator professional practice.

PARCC

The Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, is a coalition of 24 states (including Illinois) working together to create tests that can be used by member states to track K-12 students’ progress in meeting Common Core standards in reading and math. The tests, funded with $186 million in federal Race to the Top money, are intended to better prepare students to graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and careers. The PARCC tests in language arts and mathematics will be ready for schools to use beginning in fall 2014. Illinois is a member of the PARCC governing board.

PEAC

The Performance Evaluation Advisory Council, or PEAC, is an appointed group of 32 teachers, administrators, stakeholder and union leaders who are responsible for making recommendations to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) about the new teacher and principal evaluation systems required by the state Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA).

PERA

The Performance Evaluation Reform Act, or PERA, was signed into law by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn in January 2010. The state law requires that teachers and principals be evaluated in a new way that incorporates student growth measures as a significant factor in performance ratings. Under PERA, the work of teachers and principals must be rated in one of four categories: Excellent; Proficient; Needs Improvement; Unsatisfactory. The Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC) is working to make recommendations related to new evaluation systems to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Select districts and schools will begin using new teacher evaluation systems beginning in the 2012-2013 school year, with all districts implementing new systems by 2016. Every district will begin using new principal evaluation systems beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.

SB7

Illinois Senate Bill 7, or SB7, is an education reform measure enacted in June 2011 (Public Act 97-0008). The bill has provisions that are connected to the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA), including those that stipulate how teacher performance ratings are directly connected to educators’ layoffs, assignments, and tenure decisions. SB7 also makes teachers’ contract negotiation process more transparent and flexible.

Resources

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