Section 65.130  Program Specifications

a)         Each program supported with grant funds under this Subpart B shall incorporate:

1)         mentoring for beginning teachers that is provided by experienced teachers who have received training to equip them for this role;

2)         professional development for recipient teachers, mentors, and administrators who have roles in the program;

3)         formative assessment of beginning teachers' practice with respect to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and the content-area standards relevant to their respective fields of assignment; and

4)         the Illinois Standards of Quality and Effectiveness for Beginning Teacher Induction Programs.  (See Appendix A of this Part.)

b)         Each program shall serve no fewer than 10 beginning teachers. If fewer than 10 teachers are proposed to be served, the applicant may either:

1)         participate in a beginning teacher induction program as part of a joint application; or

2)         provide in its application a specific rationale for the reduction that demonstrates that the applicant has sufficient resources, in addition to funding received under this Subpart B, and adequate personnel to continue the program and provide each beginning teacher with adequate attention and support comparable to what would be provided in a larger program.

c)         Each beginning teacher shall have, at the time he or she begins the program, less than two years' teaching experience and hold an initial or a provisional early childhood, elementary, secondary, special K-12, or special preschool-age 21 certificate issued pursuant to Article 21 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/Art. 21] or a professional educator license issued pursuant to Article 21B of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/Art. 21B], as applicable. An individual seeking a professional educator license under the provisions of Section 21B-35 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21B-35] and holding an educator license with stipulations endorsed for provisional educator also may participate if he or she has less than two years' teaching experience.

d)         Subject to the exceptions of this subsection (d), each program shall be designed to ensure that each beginning teacher spends no less than 40 hours with the mentor assigned, including both classroom observation of the beginning teacher by the mentor and other interactions between these individuals. 

1)         During a teacher's first year of the program, at least 30 hours of contact between the teacher and mentor shall be face to face, either one on one or in another configuration, and the remaining interactions may be through electronic means, such as web-based applications, telephone or video.

2)         During a teacher's second year of the program, a minimum of 30 hours of contact is required, of which at least 20 hours shall be face to face.

e)         Each program shall provide for the development of an individual learning plan for each beginning teacher served and for the provision of professional development that is directly related to the needs identified in the individual learning plan.

(Source:  Amended at 36 Ill. Reg. 16098, effective October 25, 2012)