AUTHORITY: Implementing Article 21B and authorized by Section 2-3.6 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/Art. 21B and 2-3.6].

SOURCE: Adopted at 26 Ill. Reg. 6263, effective April 22, 2002; amended at 37 Ill. Reg. 16759, effective October 2, 2013; amended at 39 Ill. Reg. 2413, effective February 2, 2015; amended at 39 Ill. Reg. 13472, effective September 24, 2015; amended at 40 Ill. Reg. 12433, effective August 9, 2016; amended at 41 Ill. Reg. 6962, effective June 2, 2017; amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 14807, effective November 10, 2021.

SUBPART A: STANDARDS FOR ENDORSEMENTS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

 

Section 26.100  Purpose and Effective Dates of Standards in Subpart A

 

These standards, together with the standards set forth in Standards for All Illinois Educators (23 Ill. Adm. Code 24) and the standards in this Subpart A, shall apply to the issuance of endorsements in early childhood education on professional educator licenses pursuant to Article 21B of the School Code [105 ILCS 5].  The standards set forth in this Subpart A shall apply both to candidates for an endorsement in early childhood education and to the programs that prepare them.

 

a)         Approval of any teacher preparation program or course of study in early childhood education pursuant to the State Board's rules for Educator Licensure (23 Ill. Adm. Code 25, Subpart C) shall be based on the congruence of that program's or course's content with the standards identified in this Subpart A.

 

b)         The examinations required for issuance of an endorsement in early childhood education shall be based on the standards identified in this Subpart A.

 

c)         Beginning September 1, 2017, no candidate shall be admitted to a program that has not shown alignment to the standards set forth in Sections 26.125, 26.135, and 26.245.  Any candidate who is enrolled in an early childhood education program aligned to the standards set forth in Sections 26.120, 26.130, and 26.240 shall complete the program on or before September 1, 2019 and be entitled (i.e., receive verification by the candidate's institution of higher education that the candidate has completed an approved early childhood education program and has met the testing and experience requirements for licensure) for that endorsement for the early childhood education endorsement by September 1, 2020.  Applicants undergoing the State Board's transcript evaluation process must submit their application for the endorsement by September 1, 2020.

 

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 14807, effective November 10, 2021)

 

Section 26.110  Curriculum:  General

 

The competent early childhood teacher understands and demonstrates the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the content areas and creates and integrates meaningful learning experiences that develop children's competence across all developmental areas and content areas.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         demonstrates current knowledge of integrated learning experiences for children from birth through grade 2 and understands the central concepts and tools of inquiry in each of the following content areas:  language and literacy (English language arts); mathematics; science; health, safety, nutrition and movement (physical development and health); art, music and drama (fine arts); and social science;

 

2)         understands conceptually sound and meaningful curriculum for children from birth through grade 2; and

 

3)         demonstrates an understanding of current research, best practice and professional standards.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         plans, implements and evaluates integrated, conceptually sound, meaningful learning experiences for children from birth through grade 2; and

 

2)         structures a variety of learning experiences that reflect the standards set forth in this Subpart A.

 

c)         National Standards

Each early childhood preparation program shall align to "2010 NAEYC Standards for Initial and Advanced Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs" (2010) published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1313 L Street, Suite 500, Washington DC 20005 and posted at https://www.naeyc.org/accreditation/higher-ed/standards.  (No later amendments to or editions of these standards are incorporated.)Recognized institutions seeking initial approval for early childhood education preparation programs on or after January 1, 2015 shall align to the standards set forth in this subsection (c).

 

d)         Gateways to Opportunity Credential Entitlement

Beginning September 1, 2019, each early childhood education program shall become entitled by the Gateways to Opportunity Illinois Professional Development System, by aligning its coursework to the benchmarks for the ECE Credential Level 5 (see http://www.ilgateways.com/en/gateways-credential-entitlement-information). 

 

1)         Satisfactory evidence of entitlement status either shall be the name of the program's recognized institution listed at http://www.ilgateways.com/en/entitled-institutions or a letter communicating the name and level of the credential of entitlement and the date upon which the entitlement was granted.

 

2)         The program shall resubmit the evidence required under subsection (d)(1) to the State Superintendent of Education each time a renewal of entitlement is granted.

 

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 14807, effective November 10, 2021)

 

Section 26.120  Curriculum:  English Language Arts Standards Through August 31, 2019

(Repealed)

 

(Source:  Repealed at 45 Ill. Reg. 14807, effective November 10, 2021)

 

Section 26.125  Curriculum:  English Language Arts Standards

 

Each teacher holding an early childhood education endorsement shall possess the knowledge and skills articulated in this Section.

 

a)         Foundational Knowledge

 

1)         Language

The effective early childhood education teacher:

 

A)        applies major theories, stages, and processes of first and second language acquisition, in particular understanding the importance of social interaction, culture, play, emergence of social discourse, and the relationship between first and second language development during the early years; 

 

B)        applies the nature, development, and communicative role of various features of language, including the four cuing systems of graphophonemic, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic, in the language experiences of children;

 

C)        demonstrates the importance of play as the cognitive and social basis for the development of phonemic, semantic, and pragmatic knowledge across languages in young children;

 

D)        supports the role of the home (the first) language in learning to read and write in a second language;

 

E)        applies the theories, principles, and practices of emergent literacy, including the development of speaking and listening and their relationship to the developmental process of reading and writing acquisition;

 

F)         recognizes the sequence of stages in language, reading, and writing development from birth through grade 2 using supporting evidence from theory and research, and acknowledges individual differences among children progressing through those stages. Applies understanding of the particularities of these processes for children whose first language is other than English;

 

G)        utilizes social discourse in developing critical thinking, argumentation and analysis;

 

H)        acknowledges the role of fine motor development in children's emergent literacy, specifically the ability to form letters and words through a variety of media;

 

I)         provides experiences with content-specific vocabulary and decontextualized language that develop children's understanding of concepts, content, skills and processes;

 

J)         applies understanding of the relationship between first and second language content-specific vocabulary for children whose first language is other than English;

 

K)        provides experiences explicitly designed to facilitate the acquisition of academic decontextualized language and English vocabulary for children whose first language is not English;

 

L)        models and supports children's use of conventions of grammar and language of wider communication; and

 

M)       supports bilingual children's awareness of differences and commonalities between the conventions of grammar and language of English and that of the home language.

 

2)         Alphabetic Code

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        models and supports the development of phonological awareness (recognition of phonemes and the sound structure of words, including rhyming words; initial, middle, and ending sounds; syllables; and onsets and rimes) and its relationship to reading and writing proficiency;

 

B)        supports children's developing understanding of the orthographic-phonological system, including sound-letter relationships and common English spelling patterns and their relationship to pronunciation and developmental spelling;

 

C)        supports bilingual children's awareness of the differences and commonalities between the orthographic-phonological systems of English and the home language; and

 

D)        supports structural analysis (e.g., syllabication, affixes, root words) for decoding unknown words in language experiences for children.

 

3)         Text

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        supports the development of narratives in young children's spoken language and understanding of narrative structure;

 

B)        supports the development of text awareness and emergent reading behaviors in young children, including concepts of print, book knowledge, and narrative structure evidenced in picture reading, story-telling, and retelling of the story;

 

C)        uses "read-alouds" and shared reading experiences to support emerging language and literacy, and ongoing literacy development;

 

D)        acknowledges and uses the quantitative, qualitative, and individual factors that affect text complexity, including how to estimate developmentally appropriate levels of text;

 

E)        uses texts that engage children with the organizational structures, literary devices, rhetorical features, text features, and graphics commonly used in literary and informational texts;

 

F)         uses texts that engage children with the characteristics of various genre or forms of literary and informational text;

 

G)        uses a variety of textual and authentic resources that promote differentiated instruction that meets the needs of all learners;

 

H)        understands the role, perspective, and purpose of text in all content areas; and

 

I)         supports the transference of text competencies from the home language to English for bilingual children.

 

b)         The Language and Literacy Curriculum

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands and uses developmentally appropriate and evidence-based practices to plan, evaluate and modify instruction (e.g., use of appropriate research in identifying and implementing effective instructional practices);

 

2)         knows the developmental sequence of language acquisition and emergent literacy strategies and skills, along with age-level or grade-level benchmarks of development, and utilizes them in classroom practice;

 

3)         demonstrates the understanding that language is acquired through social interaction and that social discourse, in spoken and written formats, underlies all learning in literacy; 

 

4)         incorporates the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards – Children Age 3 to Kindergarten Enrollment Age set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 235.Appendix A, the Illinois Early Learning Guidelines – Children from Birth to Age 3 set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 235.Appendix C, and the Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 1.Appendix D, including their organization and progressions and the interconnections among the strategies and skills;

 

5)         evaluates the components of a comprehensive curriculum that develops children's language and literacy skills and strategies, and ensures that instructional goals and objectives are met;

 

6)         creates a developmentally appropriate language- and literacy-rich classroom environment that incorporates opportunities, experiences, routines, and activities that promote literacy;

 

7)         intentionally engages children in experiences that will build foundational literacy skills;

 

8)         understands and uses evidence-based instructional strategies that have been demonstrated to be particularly successful in differentiating instruction for all learners;

 

9)         builds upon children's skills in their home language to develop language and literacy skills that are transferable to English;

 

10)        understands and uses the relationship between first and second language and literacy development to support the transfer of language and literacy skills from the home language to English; and

 

11)        utilizes a wide range of developmentally appropriate literacy assessments (e.g., informal, observational, performance-based, standardized, diagnostic measures, universal screening, curriculum-based, and progress monitoring), recognizing their purposes, strengths, and limitations.

 

c)         Using Research-based Instructional Approaches

 

1)         Current Research

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        critically reviews current research in English language arts; and

 

B)        applies research to instructional practice as appropriate.

 

2)         Decoding and Fluency

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        uses a developmentally appropriate, balanced literacy framework, such as "read-alouds", guided reading, centers, and independent reading and writing;

 

B)        systematically and intentionally engages children with authentic functions of print to develop awareness and build understanding of concepts of print and text, including the use of illustrations and graphic representations; the use and understanding of graphemes and grapheme patterns; and understanding directionality of print in a wide variety of graphic and textual formats;

 

C)        intentionally and systematically engages and supports children in developing the use of oral language, play, and experimentation with language;

 

D)        utilizes phonologically significant text to build children's knowledge and understanding of the phonological aspects of language, including the patterns of sounds and segmentation in and blending of speech at the word, syllable, and phoneme levels;

 

E)        engages children in textual experiences that provide opportunities for exploration of sound-symbol relationships at the word, syllable, and phoneme levels;

 

F)         intentionally and systematically engages children in textual experiences that provide opportunities for exploration and for embedded implicit and explicit instruction of varied and appropriate word identification strategies, including sight word recognition, phonics, and context and morphemic cues;

 

G)        models and supports fluent language use in dialogue and in numerous and varied print sources and encourages children's developing use of fluent oral language;

 

H)        provides intentional instruction of strategies that support the development of fluency, such as recognition of word and letter patterns, use of high frequency words, and development of reading comprehension; and

 

I)         intentionally supports the transfer of literacy competencies from the first to the second language for English learners, particularly in regards to functions of print (e.g., understanding the concepts of print and text, use of illustrations and graphic representations, use of oral language, play and experimentation with language, and sound-symbol relationships).

 

3)         Reading Comprehension

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        selects a balance of developmentally appropriate, high-quality, complex information and narrative texts that match children's interests, cultural backgrounds, developmental levels, and reading purposes;

 

B)        recognizes text features that may challenge readers' understanding (e.g., prior knowledge assumptions, unfamiliar vocabulary, sentence complexity, unclear cohesive links, subtlety of relationships among characters or ideas, sophistication of tone, complexity of text structure, literary devices, or data) and provides explicit modeling, instruction, and discussion of these features to support reading comprehension;

 

C)        selects texts that support and build comprehension, vocabulary, understanding of text structure and literary devices and that provide clear and cohesive links between ideas and relationships. Illustrations, photographs, charts, and graphs should meet the same criteria;

 

D)        models for and engages children in social discourse about texts as a means of scaffolding their understanding of more complex texts;

 

E)        provides text-appropriate supports, such as background experiences, previewing text, pre-teaching vocabulary or key information, repeated reading, discussing illustrations or other graphic features, and other strategies to enable children to understand and learn from challenging text;

 

F)         provides developmentally appropriate introductions to text, including materials, experiences, discussion, and background connections that support children's motivation, purpose, and understanding;

 

G)        provides developmentally appropriate modeling of and instruction on close reading of text, including identification of key ideas and details; analysis of craft, structure and illustrations; critical text evaluation; and numerous opportunities for guided and independent practice;

 

H)        models and engages children in the interpretation of graphic text features (e.g., tables, charts, illustrations, tables of contents, captions, headings, indexes) and includes numerous opportunities for guided and independent practice;

 

I)         models for and engages children in developmentally appropriate guided and independent discussions of high-level, text-dependent topics and ideas requiring complex thinking, understanding, inference, application, evaluation, analysis, synthesis, persuasion, and evidentiary argument;

 

J)         models for and engages children in developmentally appropriate independent practice of comparing multiple texts and evaluating and synthesizing information between and across texts to support coherent understanding of a topic;

 

K)        models for and engages children in the use of developmentally appropriate reading comprehension strategies (e.g., predicting, sequencing, connecting, visualizing, monitoring, questioning, summarizing, synthesizing, making inferences, evaluating), and includes numerous opportunities for guided and independent practice of these strategies' use in understanding text;

 

L)        models, discusses, and supports children's developmentally appropriate use of literary elements and text features across multiple genres and disciplines in age-appropriate text;

 

M)       shares varied print sources, discussing, as appropriate, alternate views and perspectives of topics presented in texts;

 

N)        models, discusses, and supports children's use of critical reading strategies, including the evaluation of text claims through identification of supporting evidence, such as evidentiary argument and persuasion;

 

O)        shares varied print sources, discussing, as appropriate, text structures that support children's understanding of the text;

 

P)         provides intentional modeling of and instruction on the use of the organizational structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs and larger portions of the text relate to each other and the whole, and offers numerous opportunities for guided and independent practice; and

 

Q)        intentionally plans experiences for English learners that facilitate the transfer of effective reading comprehension strategies and competencies from the home language to English.

 

4)         Writing

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        introduces children to the organization and basic features of print;

 

B)        provides opportunities for children to write, including pictures and dictation, for authentic purposes in multiple forms and genres to demonstrate how ideas, thoughts, and language can be represented by pictures or texts;

 

C)        engages children in using drawing and writing to develop an understanding of content-area concepts and skills;

 

D)        encourages and guides children in all stages of writing development from the earliest scribbles through conventional writing;

 

E)        models and provides instruction in producing coherent and clear writing with organization, development, substance, and style appropriate to the task, purpose and audience;

 

F)         confers with children to motivate and scaffold children's development throughout the writing process;

 

G)        models and provides instruction in creating a text (oral or written) that represents information learned through a hands-on experience;

 

H)        introduces and provides instruction in creating an informative and explanatory text that introduces a topic supported by logically ordered facts, definitions, details, examples, quotations, and other types of information; uses precise language, academic vocabulary, and appropriate transitional devices; and concludes with a statement related to the topic;

 

I)         models and provides instruction in creating a text (oral or written) with a beginning, middle, and end, based on real or imagined experiences or events;

 

J)         introduces and provides instruction in creating a narrative text based on real or imagined experiences or events that introduces a narrator or characters; uses dialogue, description, and pacing to develop and organize a sequence of events; uses concrete words, phrases, sensory details, and transitional devices; and uses a conclusion that follows from the experiences or events;

 

K)        models and provides instruction in creating a text (oral or written) that shares an opinion about a hands-on experience;

 

L)        provides instruction in creating a text that introduces an opinion on a topic, supports the opinion with information and reasons based on facts and details, uses appropriate transitional devices, and concludes with a statement supporting the opinion;

 

M)       models and provides instruction in developing written and oral arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence;

 

N)        teaches children to conduct research projects, as developmentally appropriate, using evidence drawn from multiple sources, including how to select and develop topics; gather information from a variety of sources, including the Internet; synthesize information; and paraphrase, summarize, and quote and cite sources;

 

O)        models and provides instruction in the conventions of standard English grammar and usage (e.g., irregular verbs, plural nouns, past tense of irregular verbs, subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, conjunctions, prepositions, interjections, perfect verb tenses) in children's oral and written work;

 

P)         models, encourages, and guides the use of widely accepted English conventions of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling as children use these conventions in creating written work;

 

Q)        models and provides instruction in using technology to produce and publish oral and written texts and to interact and collaborate with others;

 

R)        provides feedback to written work to guide the process of children's revising and editing their work; and

 

S)         intentionally plans experiences for English learners that facilitate the transfer of effective writing strategies and competencies from the home language to English.

 

5)         Speaking and Listening

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        provides opportunities for social discourse between individual children and in whole and small group collaborative discussions and assists them in following appropriate social conventions, such as eye contact, body language, and taking turns;

 

B)        engages children in a variety of developmentally appropriate oral language and listening activities, including following directions, asking and responding to questions, conveying information and ideas, describing feelings, and arguing and persuading; 

 

C)        engages children in a variety of listening activities, including identifying rhymes and sounds in the environment, discriminating phonemes and conducting other phonemic awareness activities;

 

D)        models and supports children in listening actively and critically in order to understand, evaluate, and respond to a speaker's message;

 

E)        models, guides, and instructs children in presenting ideas, opinions, and information using facts and relevant details to support main ideas;

 

F)         accepts children's home language and developing English language skills while modeling the widely accepted conventions of English grammar and usage; and

 

G)        intentionally plans experiences for English learners that facilitate the transfer of speaking and listening strategies and competencies from the home language to English.

 

6)         Vocabulary

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        supports vocabulary development daily by intentionally selecting literacy materials that expand children's knowledge and language development;

 

B)        guides and supports children's explorations of word relationships and nuances in word meanings;

 

C)        understands the socio-cultural context for language use and social discourse;

 

D)        uses information about children's individual experiences, families, cultures, and communities to create meaningful vocabulary learning opportunities and enrich instruction for all children;

 

E)        for the instructional focus, selects appropriate words central to the meaning of the text and likely to be unknown, academic vocabulary and word relationships;

 

F)         introduces children to word play and forms of language that enhance vocabulary and understanding of language (e.g., poetic devices, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms);

 

G)        introduces strategies for clarifying the meaning of unknown words, including contextual analysis, structural analysis, and the use of reference materials;

 

H)        plans experiences that promote oral and written language development and the use of newly acquired vocabulary across disciplines;

 

I)         understands and implements the forms and functions of academic language to help children develop and express content understandings;

 

J)         utilizes authentic text (e.g., informational text, fiction, newspapers, recipes, charts) to help children develop word consciousness;

 

K)        actively engages children in using a wide variety of strategies and authentic materials for developing and expanding vocabularies; and

 

L)        uses home language vocabulary to develop and expand English vocabulary for English learners. 

 

d)         Authentic Materials

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

1)         selects and uses a wide range of high-quality, diverse literature and informational, narrative, and other texts that address the interests and social and cultural backgrounds of children at levels that are appropriate to their development and build background knowledge and understanding;

 

2)         uses evidence-based and developmentally based criteria for evaluating and selecting texts and instructional materials;

 

3)         estimates the accessibility of texts using qualitative and quantitative factors, as well as children's background knowledge;

 

4)         uses culturally responsive texts to promote children's understanding of their lives, society, and other cultures and societies;

 

5)         uses a variety of technology and technologically based texts and online resources to support literacy instruction; and

 

6)         makes available to English learners a wide range of high-quality, diverse literature and informational, narrative, and other texts that address the interests and social, cultural, and language backgrounds of these children at levels that are appropriate to their development and build background knowledge and understanding.

 

e)         Constructing a Supportive Language and Literacy Environment

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands the foundational role that literacy and language play across the classroom environment and in content areas;

 

2)         sets up an environment that is safe and low risk that encourages children and allows them to be comfortable taking risks;

 

3)         designs a literacy-rich environment incorporating authentic, diverse, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate materials and experiences;

 

4)         understands motivation and engagement and the use of the "gradual-release-of-responsibility" approach to design learning experiences that build children's self-direction and ownership of literacy learning;

 

5)         establishes classroom routines that promote independence, self-direction, collaboration, and responsibility for literacy learning;

 

6)         uses a strategic combination of flexible groupings (individual, group, and whole class) to meet the learning needs of each child efficiently and effectively;

 

7)         incorporates children's choices in choosing literacy materials and activities; and

 

8)         builds collaborative classroom communities that support and engage all children in reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and visually representing in their home language and English.

 

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 14807, effective November 10, 2021)

 

Section 26.130  Curriculum:  Mathematics Standards Through August 31, 2019 (Repealed)

 

(Source:  Repealed at 45 Ill. Reg. 14807, effective November 10, 2021)

 

Section 26.135  Curriculum:  Mathematics Standards

 

Each teacher holding an early childhood education endorsement shall possess the knowledge and skills articulated in this Section.

 

a)         Foundational Mathematical Knowledge

 

1)         Mathematical Proficiency

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        understands conceptually the mathematical content taught during preschool to grade 2 as well as the content taught in grades 3 to 8; can explain and apply mathematical concepts and procedures; and can make connections to everyday mathematical applications or real-world analogies necessary to translate formal mathematical content into meaningful instruction that children can understand and learn;

 

B)       understands the mathematical procedures taught during the early childhood years and just beyond, including the skills to link procedural knowledge to conceptual understanding so each step in a procedure can be explained or a procedure can be readily adapted to solve a novel problem; and

 

C)        possesses affective capacities, including a productive disposition with positive beliefs about mathematics (e.g., nearly everyone is capable of understanding at an elementary level) and the confidence to tackle challenging problems and teach mathematics.

 

2)         Children's Mathematical Development

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        understands how children develop mathematical proficiency from birth to age 8 and what conditions foster or impede this development;

 

B)        understands how informal mathematical knowledge based on everyday experiences develops and provides a basis for understanding and learning formal mathematics (i.e., school-taught and largely symbolic) during the early childhood years and beyond; and 

 

C)        understands the developmental progressions of key early childhood concepts and skills. 

 

b)         Pedagogical Knowledge

 

1)         Best Practices

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        understands the importance of using a variety of teaching techniques (including regular instruction that specifically targets mathematics, integrated instruction, and unstructured and structured play) and how to systematically and intentionally engage children with developmentally appropriate and worthwhile mathematical activities, materials and ideas; take advantage of spontaneous learning moments; structure the classroom environment to elicit self-directed mathematical engagement; and choose and use games to serve as the basis for intentional, spontaneous or self-directed learning;

 

B)        understands the importance of using instructional activities and materials or manipulatives thoughtfully and how these are used to transmit key concepts and skills;

 

C)        understands the importance of focusing on the learning of both skills and concepts that is meaningful;

 

D)        understands the importance of engaging children in the processes of mathematical inquiry (problem-solving, reasoning, conjecturing and communicating/justifying or "talking math") and how to do so effectively;

 

E)        understands the importance of fostering a positive disposition and how to do so effectively (e.g., encouraging children to do as much for themselves as possible), including how to prevent or remedy math anxiety; and

 

F)         understands the importance of using assessment on an ongoing basis in planning and evaluating instruction, targeting student needs and evaluating student progress.

 

2)         Psychological Development

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        understands the importance of building on what children already know, so that instruction is meaningful (e.g., how to relate or connect formal terms and procedures to children's informal knowledge);

 

B)        understands the importance of using developmental progressions effectively in assessing developmental readiness (e.g., identifying whether developmental prerequisites for an instructional goal have been acquired), planning developmentally appropriate instruction and determining the next instruction, step, or a remedial plan;

 

C)        understands the importance of the limitations of children's informal knowledge and how developmentally inappropriate instruction can cause misconceptions or other learning difficulties, as well as how to address common learning pitfalls; and

 

D)        understands the importance of the progression in children's thinking from concrete (relatively specific and context-bound) to abstract (relatively general and context free), including the need to help children "mathematize" situations (going beyond appearances to consider underlying commonalities or patterns).

 

c)         Standards

 

1)         Counting and Cardinality

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        understands that subitizing (i.e., immediately and reliably recognizing the total number of items in small collections of items and labeling the total with an appropriate number word) is the basis for a learning trajectory of verbal-based number, counting and arithmetic concepts and skills;

 

B)        understands the requirements, components, and principles of meaningful object counting (i.e., stable order principle, one-for-one principle, cardinality principle, and abstraction principle);

 

C)        understands key, more advanced verbal and object counting skills on the learning trajectory for counting and cardinality and knows how these skills are logically and developmentally related;

 

D)        understands how children's ability to make verbal-based magnitude comparisons develops, including the mathematical ideas this entails;

 

E)        understands why written numbers (numerals) are valuable tools (e.g., can serve as a memory aid; make written calculations with large numbers easier or even possible) and how to promote the meaningful learning of numeral reading and writing to 10; and

 

F)         understands the role of estimation (e.g., useful when exact answers are not possible or an approximate answer is sufficient) and why children resist estimating answers (e.g., fear of being wrong, obsession with the correct answer as reinforced by the guess-and-check).

 

2)         Operations and Algebraic Thinking

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        understands the specific addition and subtraction concepts and skills children need to learn in early childhood;

 

B)        understands the formal meaning of relational symbols and how these symbols are or can be interpreted by children; and

 

C)        understands the specific multiplication and division concepts and skills children need to learn in early childhood.

 

3)         Numbers and Operations in Base Ten

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        understands, can identify, and can apply the fundamental concepts of grouping and place-value that underlie the Hindu-Arabic numeral system and operations with multi-digit numbers;

 

B)        understands the application of place value, the properties of operations, and the relation between addition and subtraction to adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers up to 1,000, including demonstrating and explaining renaming (carrying and borrowing) algorithms with base-ten blocks; and

 

C)        understands the application of place value and properties of operations to multiply one-digit whole numbers and multiples of 10 up to 90 (e.g., 9 x 80), including demonstrating and explaining how the meaning of multiplication can be demonstrated with base-ten blocks.

 

4)         Numbers and Operations:  Fractions

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        understands, and can explain, two common meanings of fraction notation in terms of the conceptual basis for fractions (equal partitioning) using the informal analogy of "fair" sharing;

 

B)        understands, and can justify, equivalent fractions in terms of the informal analogy of "fair" sharing; and

 

C)        understands, and can justify, fraction comparisons in terms of the informal analogy of "fair" sharing.

 

5)         Measurement and Data

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        understands the general principles of measurement (e.g., object attributes, direct and indirect comparisons, unit value);

 

B)        explicitly understands purposes of and procedures for measurements (e.g., length, time, currency, volume) commonly used in everyday life, including how to derive formulas for area and perimeter; and

 

C)        understands the role of data, data analysis, and data representations (e.g., graphs, tables) in solving problems, raising or addressing issues or questions (e.g., scientific, social, economic or political), and informing others about the importance of involving participants in collecting and analyzing their own data.

 

6)         Geometry

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

A)        understands the van Hiele developmental levels of geometric thinking and demonstrates achievement of at least Level 2 (i.e., Level 0, visual; Level 1, analysis; Level 2, informal reasoning or abstraction; Level 3, deduction; and Level 4, rigor);

 

B)        understands how the "big ideas" of composition and decomposition and equal partitioning apply to geometry and the developmental trajectory children follow in becoming competent composers and decomposers;

 

C)        understands basic geometric concepts, such as angle, parallel, and perpendicular, and can describe these ideas in terms of an informal analogy (e.g., an angle is the "amount of turn");

 

D)        understands and can summarize and illustrate the cognitive developmental progression from visual to descriptive to analytic to abstract characterizations of shapes; uses this progression to understand children's thinking;

 

E)        understands the importance of precision in describing and reasoning about spatial locations and relationships, including descriptive power of prepositions (and their imprecise mapping among languages and dialects) and mathematically precise tools, such as measurements, grids, and the coordinate plane;

 

F)         understands that spatial relationships can be manipulated mentally and that point of view affects both experiences and representations of spatial relationships; and

 

G)        describes the connections (relationships) between geometric properties and arithmetic and algebraic properties, and adapts a problem in one domain to be solved in the other domain.

 

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 14807, effective November 10, 2021)

 

Section 26.140  Curriculum:  Science

 

The competent early childhood teacher understands the interrelationships among science, technology and society; understands and applies fundamental concepts related to earth and space science, the life sciences, the physical sciences, and the environmental sciences; and promotes the scientific abilities of children as they acquire new knowledge through the use of scientific thinking, reasoning and inquiry.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands the process of scientific inquiry and the interrelationships among science, technology and society;

 

2)         understands the principles of earth and space science, the life sciences and the physical sciences and their interconnectedness in everyday environments; and

 

3)         incorporates the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards – Children Age 3 to Kindergarten Enrollment Age set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 235.Appendix A, the Illinois Early Learning Guidelines – Children from Birth to Age 3 set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 235.Appendix C, and the Illinois Learning Standards for Science set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 1.Appendix D.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         promotes and encourages children's innate curiosity about objects and events, respect for living organisms and appreciation of the environment;

 

2)         provides opportunities for children to conduct experiments, solve problems, apply the scientific process and incorporate safety practices during all investigations; and

 

3)         implements activities that foster children's application of the principles of earth and space science, the life sciences and the physical sciences, and exploration of their interconnectedness in everyday environments.

 

(Source:  Amended at 39 Ill. Reg. 2413, effective February 2, 2015)

 

Section 26.150  Curriculum:  Social Science

 

The competent early childhood teacher understands the interrelationships among the social sciences; uses historical, geographical, economic and political concepts and modes of inquiry; and promotes the abilities of children as they begin to experience, think about and make informed decisions as members of a culturally diverse, democratic society and interdependent world.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands the basic concepts of and interrelationships among the social sciences and the ways in which geography, history, civics and economics relate to everyday situations and experiences;

 

2)         understands geographic concepts and phenomena;

 

3)         understands the major ideas, eras, themes, developments and turning points in the history of Illinois, the United States and the world;

 

4)         understands the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States;

 

5)         understands the basic concepts of economic systems, with emphasis on the United States;

 

6)         understands concepts related to the structure and organization of human societies and relationships among social, economic, cultural and political activities and institutions; and

 

7)         incorporates the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards – Children Age 3 to Kindergarten Enrollment Age set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 235.Appendix A, the Illinois Early Learning Guidelines – Children from Birth to Age 3 set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 235.Appendix C, and the Illinois Learning Standards for Social Science set forth in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 1.Appendix D.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         provides opportunities for children to develop beginning concepts, skills and dispositions that focus on how geography, history, civics (participation and citizenship) and economics relate to everyday situations and experiences;

 

2)         provides opportunities for children to use maps and symbols, observe and describe physical characteristics of local communities, and explain the interdependence of people, places and regions;

 

3)         creates opportunities for children to develop beginning historical concepts involving people, cultures, families, folklore and related events;

 

4)         provides opportunities for children to explore the interrelationships among people and the roles of individuals and groups in the world in which they live;

 

5)         provides opportunities for children to gather, organize, map and interpret data and to use technology to communicate concepts, information and procedures; and

 

6)         creates opportunities for children to understand the relationship of self to others and to social, economic, cultural and political activities and institutions.

 

(Source:  Amended at 39 Ill. Reg. 2413, effective February 2, 2015)

 

Section 26.160  Curriculum:  Physical Development and Health

 

The competent early childhood teacher understands the comprehensive nature of the physical, emotional, and social well-being of children from birth through grade three; understands the role of human movement and physical activity as elements central to active, healthy lifestyles; and promotes the abilities of children from birth through grade three as they develop and practice skills that contribute to good health and enhance quality of life.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands ways in which the physical, social, and emotional well-being of children enhances enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction.

 

2)         understands basic principles and practices of personal, interpersonal, and community health and safety, including the prevention and treatment of illness and injury.

 

3)         understands human body systems and interrelationships between fitness and body systems.

 

4)         understands the phases, stages, and continuity of motor development.

 

5)         understands the relationship between resolution of conflicts and health and well-being.

 

6)         understands and respects differences among children in settings where children engage in physical activity.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         applies basic principles and practices of personal, interpersonal, and community health and safety, including the prevention and treatment of illness and injury.

 

2)         provides opportunities for children to explore concepts and make decisions that positively influence their health and safety.

 

3)         applies health-related physical fitness concepts and practices.

 

4)         provides opportunities for children to explore movement activities in a variety of contexts.

 

5)         provides opportunities for children to resolve conflicts, communicate positively, and cooperate in a variety of contexts.

 

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 14807, effective November 10, 2021)

 

Section 26.170  Curriculum:  Fine Arts

 

The competent early childhood teacher understands the content, function, and achievements of dance, music, drama, and visual arts as primary media for communication, inquiry, and insight and promotes the abilities of children from birth through grade three as they express themselves through the arts.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands the concepts, techniques, and materials of the visual arts, the cultural dimensions of the visual arts, and the interrelationships between the visual arts and other art forms.

 

2)         understands the concepts, techniques, and materials for producing, listening to, and responding to music, the cultural dimensions of music, and the interrelationships between music and other art forms.

 

3)         understands concepts, techniques, and materials related to drama and dance, the cultural dimension of drama and dance, and interrelationships between drama and dance and other art forms.

 

4)         understands various tools, including technology, for creating, analyzing, and performing works of art.

 

5)         understands the interrelationship of the arts and their representations in past and present society.

 

6)         understands the elements of visual art, music, dance, and drama.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         provides opportunities for children to explore media, techniques, and processes to communicate for communicating ideas, experiences, and stories.

 

2)         provides opportunities for children to explore music in a variety of contexts and communicate ideas, experiences, and stories through music.

 

3)         provides opportunities for children to explore drama and dance in a variety of contexts and to communicate ideas.

 

4)         provides opportunities for children to apply various tools, including technology, as they create, interpret, and perform.

 

5)         provides opportunities for children to examine relationships among the arts.

 

Section 26.180  Human Development and Learning

 

The competent early childhood teacher understands how individuals grow, develop, and learn and provides learning opportunities that support the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of all children from birth through grade three.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands how children from birth through grade three develop physically, socially, emotionally, cognitively, linguistically, and aesthetically.

 

2)         understands how to provide learning opportunities that support and enhance each area of development – physical, social, emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and aesthetic.

 

3)         understands how brain development from birth through grade three is promoted through developmentally and culturally appropriate learning experiences.

 

4)         understands how children from birth through grade three differ in their development and in their approaches to learning.

 

5)         understands how to support the development and learning of individual children from birth through grade three.

 

6)         understands the developmental consequences of stress and trauma on children and their families, including protective factors and resilience.

 

7)         understands the development of mental health and the importance of supportive relationships.

 

8)         understands the basic health, nutrition, and safety needs of children from birth through grade three, including specific procedures related to health, safety, and nutrition for infants and toddlers.

 

9)         understands appropriate procedures for responding to childhood illnesses and communicable diseases.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         applies knowledge of development and individual differences when designing developmentally and culturally appropriate learning experiences for children from birth through grade three.

 

2)         analyzes and evaluates learners' performance in order to design and facilitate learning experiences that are responsive to children's interests, developmental levels, and learning styles.

 

3)         examines the developmental consequences of stress and trauma on children and their families and responds by designing learning opportunities that promote resilience and support students' well-being.

 

4)         applies knowledge of mental health and supportive relationships when providing learning opportunities for children from birth through grade three.

 

5)         follows appropriate procedures and designs learning opportunities that are responsive to the health, safety, and nutritional needs of children from birth through grade three, including specific procedures and learning opportunities related to the health, safety, and nutrition of infants and toddlers.

 

6)         follows appropriate procedures when responding to childhood illnesses and communicable diseases.

 

Section 26.190  Diversity

 

The competent early childhood teacher understands how children and families differ in their perspectives and approaches to learning and creates opportunities for growth and learning that are developmentally and culturally appropriate and are adapted for children from birth through grade three.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands conditions that affect children's development and learning, including risk factors, developmental variations, and developmental patterns of related to specific disabilities.

 

2)         understands cultural and linguistic diversity and the significance of familial, socio-cultural, and political contexts for development and learning.

 

3)         recognizes that children are best understood within the contexts of family, culture, and society.

 

4)         understands the function of the home language in the development of young children and the interrelationships among culture, language, and thought.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         creates and modifies environments and experiences that meet the individual needs of all children from birth through grade three and their families, including children with disabilities, developmental delays, and special abilities.

 

2)         respects and affirms culturally and linguistically diverse children from birth through grade three and their families.

 

3)         supports home language preservation and creates learning environments and experiences that are free of bias.

 

4)         demonstrates sensitivity to differences in family structures and social and cultural backgrounds.

 

5)         works effectively over time with children of diverse ages (infants, toddlers, preprimary and primary students), with children of differing abilities, and with children reflecting culturally and linguistically diverse family systems.

 

Section 26.200  Planning for Instruction

 

The competent early childhood teacher understands instructional planning and designs learning opportunities based on knowledge of the children, their families, and their communities and of content areas and curriculum goals.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands how to plan developmentally and culturally appropriate curriculum.

 

2)         understands the rationale for developmentally and culturally appropriate practice.

 

3)         understands how to develop short- and long-range instructional plans based on play, open-ended inquiry, and long-term investigation.

 

4)         understands how to use and integrate appropriate technology technological resources into classroom instruction.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         plans, implements, and evaluates developmentally and culturally appropriate curriculum and instructional practices that are based on knowledge of individual children, their families, and their communities and of content areas and curriculum goals.

 

2)         incorporates a variety of instructional strategies when designing learning experiences that promote children's physical, social, emotional, aesthetic, linguistic, and cognitive development.

 

3)         develops, implements, and evaluates an integrated curriculum that focuses on children's needs and interests and takes into account culturally valued content and children's experiences at home.

 

4)         creates, selects, evaluates, and incorporates developmentally and culturally appropriate materials and equipment into the instructional plans.

 

5)         uses and integrates appropriate technological resources (e.g., puzzles, logical thinking programs, writing tools, digital cameras, drawing tools) in instructional planning for problem-solving, communication, and the illustration of thoughts, ideas, and stories.

 

Section 26.210  Learning Environment

 

The competent early childhood teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior as well as of children's developmental levels and needs to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, intrinsic motivation, and self-esteem.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – he competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands how to create, select, and evaluate developmentally appropriate materials, equipment and technology for inclusion in the learning environment.

 

2)         understands how to adapt strategies to meet the specific needs of all children from birth through grade three, including those with disabilities, developmental delays, or special abilities.

 

3)         understands how to design learning environments that support the educational needs and interests of all children from birth through grade three.

 

4)         understands how to design and maintain physically and psychologically safe, healthy, and productive learning environments.

 

5)         understands the influence of the physical setting, schedule, routines, and transitions on children from birth through grade three.

 

6)         understands how to interpret and apply information gained through formative and summative program evaluation to ensure a high-quality learning environment for children, their families, and the community.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         creates and modifies learning environments to meet the individual needs of children from birth through grade three, including children with disabilities, developmental delays, and special abilities.

 

2)         designs learning environments for children from birth through grade three that include and integrate developmentally and culturally appropriate materials, equipment, and technological resources.

 

3)         integrates and applies individual and group guidance and problem-solving strategies that develop positive and supportive relationships, encourage positive social interaction, promote conflict resolution, and develop personal self-control, self-motivation, and self-esteem  in children from birth through grade three.

 

4)         designs and maintains physically and psychologically safe, healthy, and productive learning environments for children from birth through grade three.

 

5)         applies an understanding of developmentally appropriate physical settings, schedules, routines, and transitions when promoting the development and learning of children from birth through grade three.

 

6)         interprets and applies information gained from formative and summative program evaluation to ensure a high-quality learning environment for children, their families, and the community.

 

Section 26.220  Instructional Delivery

 

The competent early childhood teacher uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands the rationale for a variety of instructional strategies, including play, small group projects, open-ended questioning, group discussion, problem-solving, cooperative learning, and inquiry experiences for children from birth through grade three.

 

2)         understands how to enhance the intellectual curiosity, problem-solving, and decision-making of children from birth through grade three.

 

3)         understands how to select, integrate, and implement technology and multimedia resources with children from birth through grade three, including assistive technologies for children with special needs.

 

4)         understands the importance of utilizing knowledge and strategies from multiple disciplines and systems in instructional delivery and in the development of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for children from birth through grade three.

 

b)           Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         implements and evaluates a variety of instructional strategies, including play, small group projects, open-ended questioning, group discussion, problem-solving, cooperative learning, and inquiry experiences for children from birth through grade three.

 

2)         implements and evaluates instructional strategies that promote the development of intellectual curiosity, problem-solving, and decision-making for children from birth through grade three.

 

3)         selects, evaluates, and implements technology and multimedia resources and activities for children from birth through grade three and is able to include and adapt assistive technologies for children with special needs.

 

4)         makes decisions regarding intervention strategies and daily activities that incorporate knowledge and strategies from multiple disciplines, including health and social service systems, for children from birth through grade three and their families with IFSPs and IEPs.

 

Section 26.230  Communication

 

The competent early childhood teacher uses knowledge of effective written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands communication theory, language development, and the role of language in learning.

 

2)         understands how cultural, gender, and socioeconomic differences can affect communication in the classroom.

 

3)         understands the interrelationships among culture, language and thought and the function of the home language in the development of young children.

 

4)         understands the importance of audience and purpose when selecting ways to communicate ideas.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         models accurate, effective communication when conveying ideas and information and when asking questions and responding to students.

 

2)         uses effective questioning techniques and stimulates discussion in different ways for specific instructional purposes.

 

3)         creates varied opportunities for all students to use effective written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication.

 

4)         communicates with and challenges students in a supportive manner and provides students with constructive feedback.

 

5)         uses a variety of communication modes to communicate with a diverse student population effectively.

 

6)         practices effective listening, conflict resolution, and group-facilitation skills as a team member.

 

7)         uses a variety of communication tools to enrich learning opportunities.

 

8)         uses individual and group guidance and problem-solving skills to develop positive and supportive relationships with children, to encourage positive social interaction among children, and to develop children's personal self-control, self-motivation, and self-esteem.

 

Section 26.240  Assessment Standards Through August 31, 2019 (Repealed)

 

(Source:  Repealed at 45 Ill. Reg. 14807, effective November 10, 2021)

 

Section 26.245  Assessment Standards

 

The effective early childhood teacher:

 

a)         creates and uses assessment information both for the facilitation of child development and measuring academic achievement;

 

b)         uses a variety of assessment tools, including developmental continuums, universal screening, authentic assessment, diagnostic measures, curriculum-based assessment, and progress monitoring procedures;

 

c)         monitors child progress for content area benchmarks and developmental outcomes;

 

d)         assesses children's interests, motivation, and engagement in instruction;

 

e)         uses assessment data, including observational records and children's work products to plan instruction;

 

f)         partners with families to understand children's background and ongoing learning progress;

 

g)         empowers children to self-assess their learning progress;

 

h)         communicates academic progress and personal development to all stakeholders, including children, families, other teachers and school administrators, and communicates aggregated trends to the school board and other policy bodies;

 

i)          aligns assessments with required reporting mechanisms to assure that benchmarks for learning standards and developmental growth are monitored systematically; and

 

j)          uses, interprets, and plans instruction with all forms of assessment instruments appropriate to the developmental level.  These instruments include standardized instruments, textbooks, and other curricular instruments and teacher-developed approaches.

 

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 14807, effective November 10, 2021)

 

Section 26.250  Collaborative Relationships

 

The competent early childhood teacher understands the role of the community in education and develops and maintains collaborative relationships with colleagues, parents/guardians, and representatives of community service agencies in order to support children's learning and well-being.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands schools as organizations within the larger community context.

 

2)         understands the benefits, barriers, and techniques involved in school/family relationships.

 

3)         understands the collaborative process and the skills that are necessary to carry out the process.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         uses appropriate health appraisal procedures and recommends referrals to appropriate community health and social services when necessary.

 

2)         establishes and maintains positive collaborative relations with families, colleagues, and other professionals working effectively to support children's development, learning, and well-being.

 

3)         develops relationships with parents/family to acquire an understanding of students' lives outside of the school and to support parents/family in making decisions related to their child's development and learning.

 

4)         supports parents in making decisions related to parenting and their child's development.

 

5)         applies family systems theory and knowledge of the dynamics, roles, and relationships within families and communities.

 

6)         links families with a range of family-oriented services based on identified resources, priorities, and concerns.

 

7)         establishes and maintains positive, collaborative relationships with colleagues, other professionals, and families and works effectively as a member of a professional team.

 

8)         identifies and uses community resources to enhance children's development, learning, and well-being and to explore career opportunities.

 

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 14807, effective November 10, 2021)

 

Section 26.260  Reflection and Professional Growth

 

The competent early childhood teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates how choices and actions affect students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community and actively seeks opportunities to grow professionally.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands that reflection is an integral part of professional growth and the improvement of instruction.

 

2)         understands methods of inquiry that provide for a variety of self-assessment and problem-solving strategies for reflecting on practice.

 

3)         understands major areas of research on the learning process and resources that are available for professional development.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         reflects on his or her practices, articulates a philosophy and rationale for decisions, and continually evaluates the effects of his or her choices and actions on others (young children, parents, and other professionals) as a basis for program planning and modification and continuing professional development.

 

2)         actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally by locating and using appropriate professional literature, organizations, resources, and experiences to inform and improve practice.

 

3)         participates in a variety of settings in which children, from birth through age eight, are served (such as public and private centers, schools, and community agencies).

 

4)         demonstrates ability to work effectively serving children of two different age groups (infant/toddler, preprimary, or primary age) and with varying abilities.

 

5)         analyzes and evaluates experiences in working with parents and with interdisciplinary teams of professionals.

 

6)         uses classroom observation, information about students, pedagogical knowledge, and research as sources for active reflection, evaluation, and revision of practice.

 

Section 26.270  Professional Conduct and Leadership

 

The competent early childhood teacher understands education as a profession, maintains standards of professional conduct, and provides leadership to improve children's learning and well-being.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         understands the unique characteristics of education as a profession and the ethical considerations that apply to educators.

 

2)         understands how school systems are organized and operate.

 

3)         understands school policies and procedures.

 

4)         understands legal issues in education.

 

5)         understands the importance of active participation and leadership in professional education organizations.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent early childhood teacher:

 

1)         demonstrates an understanding of conditions of children, families, and professionals; current issues and trends; legal issues; and legislation and other public policies affecting children, families, programs for young children, and the early childhood profession.

 

2)         demonstrates an understanding of the early childhood profession, its multiple historical, philosophical, and social foundations, and how these foundations influence current thought and practice.

 

3)         acts in accordance with current legal directives.

 

4)         serves as an advocate on behalf of young children and their families, improved quality of programs and services for young children, and enhanced professional status and working conditions for early childhood educators.

 

5)         demonstrates an understanding of basic principles of administration, organization, and operation of early childhood programs, including supervision of staff and volunteers and program evaluation.

 

6)         recognizes signs of emotional distress, child abuse, and neglect in young children and understands the responsibility and procedures for reporting known or suspected abuse or neglect to appropriate authorities.

 

7)         communicates effectively with other professionals concerned with children and with agencies in the larger community to support children's development, learning, and well-being.

 

8)         follows school policy and procedures, respecting the boundaries of professional responsibilities, when working with students, colleagues, and families.

 

SUBPART B: STANDARDS FOR ENDORSEMENTS IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

 

Section 26.300  Purpose and Effective Dates of Standards in Subpart B

 

Beginning February 1, 2018, the provisions of Sections 26.320 and 26.330 are replaced by 23 Ill. Adm. Code 20 (Standards for Endorsements in Elementary Education) as the standards that, together with the standards set forth in Standards for All Illinois Teachers (see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 24), and the standards in this Subpart B other than those in Sections 26.320 and 26.330 shall apply to the issuance of an endorsement in elementary education on a professional educator license pursuant to Article 21B of the School Code [105 ILCS 5].  The standards set forth in this Subpart B shall apply both to candidates for an endorsement in elementary education and to the programs that prepare them. 

 

a)         Approval of any teacher preparation program or course of study in elementary education pursuant to the State Board's rules for Educator Licensure (23 Ill. Adm. Code 25, Subpart C) shall be based on the congruence of that program's or course's content with the standards identified in this Subpart B.

 

b)         The examinations required for issuance of an elementary endorsement shall be based on the standards identified in this Subpart B.

 

c)         No candidate shall be admitted to a program approved under the provisions of this Subpart B after October 1, 2015.  Any candidate who is enrolled in an elementary program approved under this Part shall complete the program on or before September 1, 2018 and be entitled (see Section 26.100(c)) for the elementary education endorsement by September 1, 2019.  Applicants undergoing the State Board's transcript evaluation process must submit their application for the endorsement by September 1, 2019.

 

(Source:  Amended at 41 Ill. Reg. 6962, effective June 2, 2017)

 

Section 26.310  Curriculum

 

The competent elementary teacher understands and demonstrates the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of content and creates meaningful, integrated learning experiences that develop all students' competence in subject matter and skills for various developmental levels.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands the connections among various content areas and is able to analyze ideas, problems, and real-world situations within and across content areas.

 

2)         understands the connections among various content areas and is able to interpret and communicate information, reasoning, concepts, and procedures within and across content areas.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         uses teaching techniques that demonstrate analysis of ideas, problems, and real-world situations within and across content areas.

 

2)         interprets and communicates information, reasoning, concepts, and procedures within and across content areas.

 

Section 26.320  Curriculum:  English Language Arts

 

The competent elementary teacher demonstrates proficiency in the use of oral and written English; understands and communicates ideas, information, and perspectives in reading, writing, speaking, and listening; and promotes all students' ability to apply language and thinking skills to many different genres, concepts, and situations.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands phonological, word analysis, and vocabulary strategies.

 

2)         understands skills and strategies involved in reading for various purposes:  factual information, personal response, literary appreciation, critical analysis, and social interaction.

 

3)         understands a diverse body of works, authors, and movements in U.S. and world literature, literature for children and young adults, and characteristic features of various literary genres.

 

4)         understands skills and strategies involved in writing for various purposes and audiences, incorporating knowledge of English grammar and mechanics, and the critical analysis of written work in terms of organization, clarity, and style.

 

5)         understands skills and strategies involved in listening for various purposes:  factual information, personal response, literary appreciation, critical analysis, and social interaction.

 

6)         understands skills and strategies involved in speaking to audiences for various purposes: information, persuasion, and entertainment.

 

7)         understands the research process and study skills.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         demonstrates proficiency in the use of oral and written English.

 

2)         teaches the reading, writing, speaking, and listening processes.

 

3)         teaches using a diverse body of works, authors, and movements in U.S. and world literature, literature for children and young adults, and characteristic features of various literary genres.

 

4)         selects and uses a wide range of instructional resources and technologies to support reading, writing, and research.

 

Section 26.330  Curriculum:  Mathematics

 

The competent elementary teacher demonstrates proficiency in the use of mathematics; understands, communicates, and connects the major concepts, procedures, and reasoning processes of mathematics, including number systems and number sense, geometry, measurement, statistics, probability, and algebra; and promotes all students' ability to apply, interpret, and construct mathematical thinking skills in a variety of situations.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands various approaches used (estimation, mental mathematics, manipulative modeling, numerical/geometric/ algebraic pattern recognition, and technology) to analyze mathematical ideas, solve problems, and investigate real-world situations.

 

2)         understands approaches used (estimation, mental mathematics, manipulative modeling, numerical/geometric/algebraic pattern recognition, and technology) to interpret and communicate mathematical information, reasoning, concepts, applications, and procedures.

 

3)         understands concepts, skills, and procedures related to numbers (e.g., integers and natural, rational, and real numbers), number sense, and numeration and their use in real-world situations.

 

4)         understands concepts, skills, and procedures related to synthetic/analytical geometry and spatial relationships and their use in real-world situations.

 

5)         understands concepts, skills, and procedures related to algebraic relations/functions and their use in real-world situations.

 

6)         understands concepts, skills, and procedures related to measurement and their use in real-world situations.

 

7)         understands concepts, skills, and procedures related to statistics/data analysis and their use in real-world situations.

 

8)         understands concepts, skills, and procedures related to probability/expectations and their use in real-world situations.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         demonstrates proficiency in the use of mathematics.

 

2)         teaches major concepts, procedures, and reasoning processes related to number systems and number sense, geometry, measurement, statistics, probability, and algebra.

 

3)         selects and uses a wide range of manipulatives, instructional resources, and technologies to support the learning of mathematics.

 

Section 26.340  Curriculum:  Science

 

The competent elementary teacher understands the interrelationships among science, technology, and society; understands the fundamental concepts of earth and space science, the life sciences, the physical sciences, and the environmental sciences; and uses strategies to engage all students in acquiring new knowledge through the use of scientific thinking and reasoning.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands the interrelationships among science, technology, and society in historical and contemporary contexts.

 

2)         understands the fundamental concepts, principles, and interconnections of the life sciences, the physical sciences, the environmental sciences, and earth and space science and their use to interpret, analyze, and explain phenomena.

 

3)         understands principles and procedures, including safety practices, related to the design and implementation of scientific investigations and the application of inquiry skills and processes to develop explanations of natural phenomena.

 

4)         understands the use of scientific investigation and inquiry skills across the sciences to conduct experiments and solve problems.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         demonstrates and communicates the concepts, theories, and practices of science.

 

2)         demonstrates and uses strategies to engage students in acquiring new knowledge through the use of scientific thinking and reasoning.

 

3)         selects and uses a wide range of instructional resources and technologies to support scientific learning.

 

Section 26.350  Curriculum:  Social Science

 

The competent elementary teacher understands the interrelationships among the social sciences; uses concepts and modes of inquiry appropriate to history, geography, economics, political science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and archaeology; and promotes all students' ability to make informed decisions as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society and interdependent world.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States and the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for successful participation in civic life.

 

2)         understands the interrelationships of economic and political principles, concepts, and systems and their relationship to historical and contemporary developments in Illinois, the United States, and the world.

 

3)         understands from multiple perspectives the significant eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of Illinois, the United States, and the world.

 

4)         understands the interrelationships between people and their environment.

 

5)         understands geographic concepts and phenomena and their impact on Illinois, the United States, and the world.

 

6)         understands concepts related to the structure and organization of human societies and processes of socialization and social interaction.

 

7)         understands the implications of cultural heritage and diversity, as well as cohesion, within and across groups.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         demonstrates proficiency in the principles of social science.

 

2)         uses history and modes of inquiry to make informed decisions.

 

3)         uses literature for children and young adults to support learning in the social sciences.

 

4)         uses social science processes, skills, and concepts (e.g., gathering, organizing, mapping, interpreting, and analyzing information).

 

5)         models and teaches the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society.

 

6)         selects and uses a wide range of instructional resources and technologies to support learning in the social sciences.

 

Section 26.360  Curriculum:  Physical Development and Health

 

The competent elementary teacher understands the comprehensive nature of students' physical, emotional, and social well-being; understands the role of human movement and physical activity as elements central to active, healthy lifestyles; and promotes all students' ability to develop and practice skills that contribute to good health and enhanced quality of life.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands concepts related to movement, sports, and team-building skills.

 

2)         understands human body, the systems of the human body, physical fitness concepts and practices, and interrelationships between fitness and body systems.

 

3)         understands basic principles and practices of personal, interpersonal, and community health and safety.

 

4)         understands conflict resolution and its relationship to health and well-being.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         uses communication and decision-making skills to promote personal, interpersonal, and community health and well-being.

 

2)         promotes and adapts skills that contribute to health and safety.

 

3)         provides opportunities for individual and team physical activities.

 

4)         models, teaches, and promotes conflict resolution and its relationship to health and well-being.

 

5)         selects and uses a wide range of instructional resources and technologies to support physical development and health.

 

Section 26.370  Curriculum:  Fine Arts

 

The competent elementary teacher understands the educational, communicative, and aesthetic value of dance, drama, music, and visual art and the role fine arts play in reflecting history and culture and promotes all students' ability to express themselves creatively.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands concepts, techniques, and materials of the visual arts; cultural dimensions of the visual arts; and interrelationships among the visual arts and the other art forms.

 

2)         understands concepts, techniques, and materials for producing, listening to, and responding to music; cultural dimensions of music; and interrelationships among music and the other art forms.

 

3)         understands concepts, techniques, and materials related to drama; cultural dimensions of drama; and interrelationships among drama and the other art forms.

 

4)         understands concepts, techniques, and materials related to dance; cultural dimensions of dance; and interrelationships among dance and the other art forms.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         promotes artistic development, appreciation, and performance.

 

2)         teaches the use of various tools, including technology, for creating, analyzing and performing works of art.

 

Section 26.380  Human Development and Learning

 

The competent elementary teacher understands how individuals grow, develop, and learn and provides learning opportunities that support all students' cognitive, social, emotional, moral/ethical, and physical development.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands that physical, social, emotional, moral/ethical, cognitive, and linguistic development influences learning and uses this understanding when planning curriculum, delivering instruction, and constructing assessment.

 

2)         understands human and cognitive development, learning theories, and the ranges of individual variation within each developmental domain.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         assesses individual and group performance in relation to cognitive, social, emotional, moral/ethical, and physical development.

 

2)         recognizes and respects differences among students and designs instruction so all students can learn.

 

Section 26.390  Diversity

 

The competent elementary teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands characteristics of gifted and talented students and the characteristics of students with various disabilities.

 

2)         understands the process of second-language acquisition and strategies that support the learning of students whose first language is not English.

 

3)         understands how students' learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents, and prior learning as well as language, culture, family, and community values.

 

4)         understands and identifies differences in approaches to learning and performance, including different learning styles, multiple intelligences, and performance modes.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         facilitates a learning community in which individual differences and cultural diversity are respected.

 

2)         makes appropriate provisions (in terms of time and circumstances for work, tasks assigned, communication, and response modes) for all students.

 

3)         uses information about students' families, cultures, and communities as a basis for connecting instruction to students' experiences.

 

4)         uses cultural diversity and individual student experiences to enrich instruction.

 

5)         uses a wide range of instructional strategies and technologies to meet diverse student needs.

 

6)         identifies and makes use of appropriate services or resources to assist students with exceptional learning needs.

 

Section 26.400  Planning for Instruction

 

The competent elementary teacher understands instructional planning and designs instruction based upon knowledge of the discipline, students, community, and curriculum goals.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands the Illinois Learning Standards (see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 1.Appendix D), content knowledge, learning theories, and student needs, including IEPs.

 

2)         understands how to develop flexible short- and long-range plans consistent with curriculum goals, learners' diversity, and learning theories.

 

3)         understands how to integrate career awareness into the curriculum.

 

4)         understands how students' individualized education programs (IEPs) relate to the instruction they receive.

 

5)         understands how to evaluate and integrate technologies, including assistive technology, into classroom instruction.

 

6)         understands how to use various technological tools to locate and manage information.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         establishes goals and selects learning materials based on the Illinois Learning Standards, content knowledge, learning theories, and students' needs, including IEPs.

 

2)         creates flexible short-range and long-term plans based on elementary-level scope and sequence when planning curriculum and instruction.

 

3)         creates learning activities to allow for variation in students' learning styles and performance modes.

 

4)         incorporates experiences into instructional practices that relate to the students' life experiences and to future career and work experiences.

 

5)         creates approaches to learning that are interdisciplinary and that integrate multiple content areas.

 

6)         selects and uses a wide range of instructional resources and technologies.

 

Section 26.410  Learning Environment

 

The competent elementary teacher understands individual/group motivation and behavior and uses that understanding to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands principles of and strategies for effective classroom management.

 

2)         understands how individuals influence groups, how groups influence individuals, and how groups function in society.

 

3)         understands how to help students work cooperatively and productively in groups.

 

4)         understands factors that influence motivation and engagement and how to help students become self-motivated.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         creates a learning community in which students take responsibility for themselves and others, participate in decision-making, and work independently and in cooperative learning groups.

 

2)         promotes social relationships, students' motivation and engagement in productive work through mutual respect, and support for one another.

 

3)         organizes, allocates, and manages time, materials, and physical space to provide active and equitable engagement of students in productive tasks.

 

Section 26.420  Instructional Delivery

 

The competent elementary teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage all students' development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning.

 

2)         understands principles and techniques associated with various instructional strategies.

 

3)         understands how to enhance learning through the use of a wide variety of materials and resources.

 

4)         understands the disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to learning and how they relate to life and career experiences.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         uses multiple teaching and learning strategies and varied resources to promote the development of critical and creative thinking skills.

 

2)         monitors and adjusts strategies in response to learners' feedback.

 

3)         varies his or her role in the instructional process as instructor, facilitator, coach, or audience in relation to the content and purposes of instruction and the needs of students.

 

4)         uses a variety of clear, accurate presentations and representations of concepts; uses alternative explanations; and presents diverse perspectives.

 

5)         presents curriculum that demonstrates an interconnection among subject areas that will reflect life and career experiences.

 

6)         selects and uses a wide range of instructional resources and technologies to support learning.

 

Section 26.430  Communication

 

The competent elementary teacher uses knowledge of effective written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands communication theory, language development, and the role of language in learning.

 

2)         understands how individual, cultural, linguistic, and gender differences can affect communication in the classroom.

 

3)         understands the social, intellectual, and political implications of language use.

 

4)         understands the importance of audience and purpose when communicating ideas.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         models accurate, effective modes of communication and uses a variety of communication tools, including technology.

 

2)         uses effective questioning techniques and stimulates discussion in different ways for specific instructional purposes.

 

3)         creates varied opportunities for all students to use effective written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication.

 

4)         communicates with all students in a supportive manner.

 

5)         practices effective listening, conflict-resolution, and group-facilitation skills as a team member.

 

Section 26.440  Assessment

 

The competent elementary teacher understands and uses various formal and informal assessment strategies to support the learning of all students.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands assessment as a means of evaluating how students learn; what they know and are able to do in relation to national, State, and local standards; and what kinds of experiences will support students' future growth and development.

 

2)         understands the purposes, characteristics, and limitations of different kinds of assessments.

 

3)         understands measurement theory and assessment-related issues such as validity, reliability, bias, and scoring.

 

4)         understands how to select, construct, and use assessment and evaluation strategies and instruments for diagnosis and prescription for the learner.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         uses assessment results to diagnose students' learning, develop a student profile, align and modify instruction, and design teaching strategies.

 

2)         develops and uses a variety of formal and informal assessments to evaluate the progress and performance of students.

 

3)         involves students in self-assessment, reflection, and goal-setting.

 

4)         maintains useful, accurate, and ethical records of students' work and performance and communicates regarding students' progress knowledgeably and responsibly to students, parents, school, and community.

 

5)         selects and uses appropriate instructional resources and technologies to monitor and assess students' progress.

 

Section 26.450  Collaborative Relationships

 

The competent elementary teacher understands the role of the community in education and develops and maintains collaborative relationships with colleagues, parents/family, and the community to promote the cognitive, social, emotional, moral/ethical, and physical growth of all learners.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands schools as organizations within the larger community context.

 

2)         understands the benefits of, barriers to, and techniques for working collaboratively with parents/family, community, colleagues, specialists, support personnel, and administrators.

 

3)         understands school- and work-based learning environments and the need for collaboration with business organizations in the community.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         initiates and creates situations for collaborative decision-making and problem-solving with parents/family and other professionals, including colleagues, specialists, and support personnel, to facilitate students' progress and advocate for students' needs.

 

2)         develops relationships with parents/family and other community professionals in a professional manner that is fair and equitable in order to acquire an understanding of the students' lives outside of the school.

 

3)         works effectively with parents/family and other members of the community from diverse homes and community situations.

 

4)         identifies and uses community resources to enhance students' learning and to provide opportunities for students to explore career opportunities.

 

Section 26.460  Reflection and Professional Growth

 

The competent elementary teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates how choices and actions affect students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community and actively seeks opportunities to grow professionally.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands that reflection is an integral part of professional growth and improvement of instruction.

 

2)         understands methods of inquiry that provide for a variety of self-assessment and problem-solving strategies.

 

3)         understands major resources for professional development, including professional literature, professional associations, professional development opportunities, and procedures for action-based research.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         uses classroom observation, information about students, pedagogical knowledge, and research as sources for active reflection, evaluation, and revision of practice.

 

2)         collaborates with other professionals as resources for problem-solving, generating new ideas, sharing experiences, and seeking and giving feedback.

 

3)         participates in continuous learning to support his or her own development.

 

4)         applies knowledge of current research related to national, State, and local guidelines/standards.

 

Section 26.470  Professional Conduct and Leadership

 

The competent elementary teacher understands education as a profession, maintains standards of professional conduct, serves as a positive role model, and provides leadership to improve students' learning and well-being.

 

a)         Knowledge Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         understands the unique characteristics of education as a profession and the ethical considerations that apply to educators.

 

2)         understands how school systems are organized and operate.

 

3)         understands school policies and procedures.

 

4)         understands legal issues in education.

 

5)         understands the importance of active participation and leadership in professional organizations.

 

b)         Performance Indicators – The competent elementary teacher:

 

1)         contributes knowledge and expertise about teaching and learning to the profession.

 

2)         acts in accordance with current legal directives.

 

3)         follows school policy and procedures, respecting the boundaries of professional responsibilities, when working with students, colleagues, and families.

 

4)         initiates and develops educational projects and programs.

 

5)         participates actively in curriculum development, staff development, and student organizations.

 

6)         participates, as appropriate, in policy design and development at the local level, with professional organizations, and/or with community organizations.