Illinois § 24A-15

§ 24A-15.

Sec. 24A-15. Development of evaluation plan for principals and assistant principals. (a) Each school district, except for a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code, shall establish a principal and assistant principal evaluation plan in accordance with this Section. The plan must ensure that each principal and assistant principal is evaluated as follows: (1) For a principal or assistant principal on a single-year contract, the evaluation must take place by March 1 of each year. (2) For a principal or assistant principal on a multi-year contract under Section 10-23.8a of this Code, the evaluation must take place by March 1 of the final year of the contract. The plan must: (i) rate the principal's or assistant principal's performance as "excellent", "proficient", "needs improvement" or "unsatisfactory"; and (ii) ensure that each principal and assistant principal is evaluated at least once every school year. Nothing in this Section prohibits a school district from conducting additional evaluations of principals and assistant principals. (b) The evaluation shall include a description of the principal's or assistant principal's responsibilities and the standards to which the principal or assistant principal is expected to conform. (c) The evaluation for a principal must be performed by the district superintendent, the superintendent's designee, or, in the absence of the superintendent or his or her designee, an individual appointed by the school board who holds a registered and active Professional Educator License with a principal endorsement or general administrative endorsement. The evaluation must be in writing and must at least do all of the following: (1) Consider the principal's specific responsibilities, management, and competence as a principal. (2) Specify the principal's strengths and weaknesses, with supporting reasons. (3) Align with the Illinois Professional Standards for School Leaders or research-based standards established by administrative rule. Until July 1, 2025, the evaluation must, in addition to the requirements in items (1), (2), and (3) of this subsection (c), provide for the use of data and indicators on student growth as a significant factor in rating performance. Beginning July 1, 2025, the evaluation must include the requirements in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of this subsection (c). The evaluation may provide for the use of data and indicators on student growth as a factor in rating performance. (c-5) The evaluation of an assistant principal must be performed by the principal, the district superintendent, the superintendent's designee, or, in the absence of the superintendent or his or her designee, an individual appointed by the school board who holds a registered and active Professional Educator License with a principal endorsement or general administrative endorsement. The evaluation must be in writing and must at least do all of the following: (1) Consider the assistant principal's specific responsibilities, management, and competence as an assistant principal. (2) Specify the assistant principal's strengths and weaknesses with supporting reasons. (3) Align with the Illinois Professional Standards for School Leaders or research-based standards established by administrative rule. Until July 1, 2025, the evaluation must, in addition to the requirements in items (1), (2), and (3) of this subsection (c-5), provide for the use of data and indicators on student growth as a significant factor in rating performance. Beginning July 1, 2025, the evaluation must include the requirements in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of this subsection (c-5). The evaluation may provide for the use of data and indicators on student growth as a factor in rating performance. (d) One copy of the evaluation must be included in the principal's or assistant principal's personnel file and one copy of the evaluation must be provided to the principal or assistant principal. (e) Failure by a district to evaluate a principal or assistant principal and to provide the principal or assistant principal with a copy of the evaluation at least once during the term of the principal's or assistant principal's contract, in accordance with this Section, is evidence that the principal or assistant principal is performing duties and responsibilities in at least a satisfactory manner and shall serve to automatically extend the principal's or assistant principal's contract for a period of one year after the contract would otherwise expire, under the same terms and conditions as the prior year's contract. The requirements in this Section are in addition to the right of a school board to reclassify a principal or assistant principal pursuant to Section 10-23.8b of this Code. (f) Nothing in this Section prohibits a school board from ordering lateral transfers of principals or assistant principals to positions of similar rank and salary. (Source: P.A. 104-20, eff. 7-1-25.)