Illinois Administrators' Academy Information
The Administrator Academy represents six counties in West Central Illinois (Adams, Brown, Cass, Morgan, Pike and Scott). Its purpose is to provide meaningful and timely academies for administrators so they can:
- stay current on issues
- develop leadership skills
- build capacity in their role
- network with peers
- complete state requirements for licensing
State law requires administrators to participate in one academy every year (July 1 - June 30). Failure to do so results in penalties for the administrator with increased academies in future years. If more than one academy is taken during a single year, the extra academies will automatically roll over into professional development hours.
Academies are held throughout the state and offered by groups including Regional Offices of Education, the Illinois Principals' Association, and the Illinois Association of School Administrators. Participants may choose any academy at any site.
Please note that cancellation less than 48 hours prior to an Academy will result in a $50 charge to the participant. Thank you for your understanding.
Upcoming Illinois Administrators' Academies
August 07, 2025
AA 593
Identification and Provision of Service to the Special Education Student
Brandon Wright, Attorney
8:30am-3:30pm
Jacksonville, Illinois
REGISTER through www.frsed.org under the professional development tab.
Student behavior issues tend to be the most litigated, especially when they involve a change of placement to a more restrictive setting. From IEPs to behavioral intervention plans and functional behavioral assessments, Brandon Wright will point out the red flags associated with the IDEA's least restrictive environment requirement in the context of student behavior. In this workshop, Brandon details what the law and regulations say about behavior and how the case law has interpreted these requirements, focusing particularly on the new and newly proposed rules related to physical restraint, time out, and other behavioral interventions. And, in addition, you’ll learn how to prepare for other behavior-related issues, including restorative practices, continuing implementation of SB100’s discipline requirements, manifestation determinations, and the role of Section 504.
September 23 & 24, 2025
AA 2001
Illinois Performance Evaluation: Teacher Evaluation Training
Jessica Funk
8am-4pm
Location: TBD
REGISTER: call Priscilla McElroy at 217.277.2080.
This two-day training is designed for individuals who are seeking initial training qualification for teacher evaluation. This academy aligns to the competencies for Part 50, Section 50.420 (a-b). Participants will be able to use assessments and measurement models to determine student growth attributable to individual teachers. They will understand how different types of assessments are used for measuring growth. Participants will link teacher and professional development to evaluation results by using data from the evaluation rubric, other evidence collected, and best practices related to student growth evaluation. Attendees will communicate evaluation findings in a constructive and supportive way that enable teachers to set goals and improve practice. Participants will understand sources of personal bias and learn to recognize and control bias when conducting an evaluation and determining results. In collaboration with teachers, participants will create targeted professional development plans that consider past results, contribute to professional growth, and help teachers align professional development and goal-setting to school improvement goals.
January 15, 2026
AA 1801
Gathering Evidence during Observations and Conferencing Using the Danielson Model
Patrick Durley
8am-4pm
Zoom
REGISTER: call Priscilla McElroy at 217.277.2080.
This course will allow participants to learn effective skills and strategies for using Charlotte Danielson’s Instructional Framework in an evaluation setting in order to more effectively: 1. Identify evidence at the component level during formal and informal observations; 2. Use evidence, with minimal bias, to effectively rate staff on the levels of performance for each component in domains 2 and 3; 3. Increase inter-rater reliability in all phases of the evaluation process; 4. Acquire strategies to support effective collaborative conferencing around formal and informal observations; and 5. Learn techniques, strategies, and protocols to use when conferencing with staff to promote improvement in instructional practice.
February 2026
AA 4114
Using Student Growth Data from Diverse Populations in Teacher Performance Evaluation
Jessica Funk
8am-4pm
Location: Regional Office of Education - Quincy
REGISTER: call Priscilla McElroy at 217.277.2080.
This course is for retraining in the area of student growth. The one day course focuses on understanding implicit bias, differentiating for equity, and coaching more deeply when evaluating student growth for special education, English learners, and early childhood students.
March 4 & 5, 2026
AA 4050
Illinois Performance Evaluation-Initial and Retraining for Principals and Assistant Principals
Patrick Durley
8am-4pm
Location: Regional Office of Education - Quincy
REGISTER: call Priscilla McElroy at 217.277.2080.
This two-day in person course will cover all aspects of evaluation, including principal and assistant principal professional practice and student growth.
Teacher/Principal Evaluation Certification Renewal Information
The state has released the following information regarding the process for teacher/principal evaluator retraining.
Evaluators who have taken the initial evaluator training (Growth Through Learning Modules or Teacher Evaluator Initial Training #2001 or Initial Administrator Evaluation Training) must complete retraining "once within the next renewal cycle"(105 ILCS 5/24A-3). Please note that retraining is connected to the renewal cycle of the license (PEL).
Retraining will be offered through the Administrator's Academies. Retraining through the Administrator Academy structure will allow for the inclusion of teachers who have successfully completed initial evaluator training, but do not hold an administrator endorsement on their PEL. Two academies are required to meet the retraining requirement. One will address teacher practice, and the other will address student growth. The academies neither need to be taken in any particular order, nor do they have to be taken together.
The year you take your initial training/s covers your requirement to evaluate for that 5 year renewal cycle. When you renew and enter your next 5 year cycle, your refresher requirements kick in.
Initial Training
Individuals who are new to evaluating teachers and principals/assistant principals must complete an initial training. No individual should conduct a performance evaluation without having completed an initial training. View the “evaluator qualifications” section of an individual’s Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) account to determine if they have completed the required training.
| Teacher evaluators must meet ONE of the following requirements: | |
|---|---|
| Prior to January 1, 2019: Have all five Growth Through Learning modules in the Evaluator Qualifications section of ELIS. | |
| On or after January 1, 2019: Have successfully completed AA No. 2001. | |
| Principal/assistant principal evaluators must meet ONE of the following requirements: | |
|---|---|
| Prior to January 1, 2019: Have all five Growth Through Learning modules listed in the Evaluator Qualifications section of ELIS. | |
| Between January 1, 2019, and August 31, 2020: Have completed AA No. 1865 and AA No. 3001 OR AA No. 3002. (May have been recorded as AA 2000 in ELIS.) | |
| Between September 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020: Have completed AA No. 1865 and AA No. 3000. (May have been recorded as AA No. 2000 in ELIS.) | |
| Between January 1, 2021, and June 30, 2024: Have completed AA No. 2000 | |
| On or after July 1, 2024: Have completed AA No. 4050 - 2-day in-person required | |
Retraining
An individual is qualified to conduct performance evaluations through the end of their next license cycle after the license cycle in which they completed the initial training. The individual must complete retraining prior to June 30 of the last year of that license cycle to retain the evaluator qualification.
Retraining for principal/assistant principal evaluators is due by June 30 of the last year of the next renewal cycle after the evaluator completes the initial training.
Retraining for teacher evaluators is due by June 30 of the last year of the next renewal cycle after the evaluator completes the initial training.
Specific courses that satisfy retraining are listed below.
|
Teacher Evaluator (One course is needed from both categories.) |
|
|---|---|
| Professional Practice | Student Growth |
|
#1448 #1451 #1452 #1801 |
#3000 #4114 |
|
Principal/Assistant Principal Evaluator (Effective July 1, 2024.) |
|
|---|---|
| Professional Practice | |
| Required | |
| #4050 | |
Lapsed Qualification
If you have failed to complete the retraining course(s) within your allotted timeframe, you are prohibited from continuing to evaluate and you must complete the relevant retraining requirements before commencing evaluations.
Administrator Academy Coordinator
Julie Stratman
[email protected]
217.277.2090
