Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 15, April 8, 2022
The State Superintendent of Education shall approve one or more
organizations representing Illinois principals, institutions of higher
education, community colleges, regional offices of education, school districts,
or other educational entities to administer and implement the new principal
mentoring program according to the requirements stated in Section
35.30
of this Part, including delivering the training program for mentors that is
required under Section
35.50 of
this Part.
a) Any entity seeking
approval under this Section shall submit to the State Superintendent an
application, in a format prescribed by the State Superintendent, outlining the
organization's qualifications for serving potential mentors and recipients of
mentoring. Applications shall be submitted to the State Superintendent or
designee by March 1 of the year in which a provider wishes to participate in
the mentoring program for the following school year.
b) The State Superintendent shall approve as
providers one or more entities whose applications:
1) provide evidence of an overall commitment
to professionalizing education and school improvement efforts;
2) demonstrate capacity to meet the needs of
an identified geographic area or set of districts; and
3) indicate that the applicants have staff or
access to other presenters who:
A) have been
employed in roles requiring mastery of the Illinois Professional School Leader
Standards; and
B) have experience
in providing professional development to educators.
c) Each approved provider shall,
with respect to each mentor who enrolls with that provider:
1) provide or arrange for another provider
approved under this Section to provide the initial training required under
Section
35.50 of
this Part if the individual has not already completed it;
2) to the extent necessitated by the level of
demand, facilitate the individual's assignment to one or more new principals
based on the factors set forth in Section 2-3.53a of the School Code;
3) provide support and professional resources
to the mentor in the course of his or her mentoring relationships;
4) provide at least annually networking
sessions to enhance the mentor's skills and provide structured opportunities
for problem-solving;
5) guide the
mentor in the compilation of information that will contribute to the evaluation
of individual mentoring relationships and of the mentoring program as a
whole;
6) receive and distribute
payments to mentors as delineated in Section
35.20(h)
of this Part; and
7) provide annual
continuation training.
d) Approval of providers shall be valid for
three years. To request renewal, a provider shall, no later than March 1 of the
year of expiration, submit an application in a format specified by the State
Superintendent of Education, containing:
1) a
description of any significant changes in the material submitted as part of its
approved application; or
2) a
statement that no significant changes have occurred.
e) A provider's approval shall be renewed if
the application conforms to the requirements of subsection (d) of this Section,
provided that the State Superintendent has received no evidence of the
provider's failure to provide the required services under the
program.
f) The State
Superintendent of Education may evaluate any approved provider at any time to
ensure the consistent quality of the mentoring program. Upon request by the
State Superintendent, a provider shall supply information regarding its
activities in conjunction with the mentoring program, which the State
Superintendent may monitor at any time. In the event an evaluation indicates
that a provider is not furnishing services in keeping with subsection (c) of
this Section, the State Superintendent may withdraw approval of the
provider.
