Public Act 098-0144
 
SB0084 EnrolledLRB098 05488 NHT 35523 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
21-14 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21-14)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-14)
    Sec. 21-14. Registration and renewal of certificates.
    (a) A limited four-year certificate or a certificate issued
after July 1, 1955, shall be renewable at its expiration or
within 60 days thereafter by the county superintendent of
schools having supervision and control over the school where
the teacher is teaching upon certified evidence of meeting the
requirements for renewal as required by this Act and prescribed
by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State
Teacher Certification Board. An elementary supervisory
certificate shall not be renewed at the end of the first
four-year period covered by the certificate unless the holder
thereof has filed certified evidence with the State Teacher
Certification Board that he has a master's degree or that he
has earned 8 semester hours of credit in the field of
educational administration and supervision in a recognized
institution of higher learning. The holder shall continue to
earn 8 semester hours of credit each four-year period until
such time as he has earned a master's degree.
    All certificates not renewed as provided in this Section or
registered in accordance with this Code shall lapse after a
period of 6 months from the expiration of the last year of
registration. Such certificates may be immediately reinstated
upon payment by the applicant to the State Board of Education
of (1) any and all back fees, including without limitation
registration fees, owed from the time of expiration of the
certificate until the date of reinstatement; and (2) a $500
penalty or the demonstration of proficiency by completing 9
semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited
institution of higher education in the content area that most
aligns with the educator's endorsement area or areas; provided
that, until September 1, 2012, certificates that have lapsed
solely for the failure to pay a registration fee may be
immediately reinstated upon payment only of any and all back
fees, including without limitation registration fees, owed
from the time of expiration of the certificate until the date
of reinstatement. Penalty Any and all back fees and penalty
amounts shall be deposited by the State Board of Education into
the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund. Beginning on the
effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General
Assembly, all back fees for registration must be paid and kept
in accordance with Sections 3-12 and 21-16 of this Code. Any
certificate may be voluntarily surrendered by the certificate
holder. A voluntarily surrendered certificate shall be treated
as a revoked certificate.
    (b) When those teaching certificates issued before
February 15, 2000 are renewed for the first time after February
15, 2000, all such teaching certificates shall be exchanged for
Standard Teaching Certificates as provided in subsection (c) of
Section 21-2. All Initial and Standard Teaching Certificates,
including those issued to persons who previously held teaching
certificates issued before February 15, 2000, shall be
renewable under the conditions set forth in this subsection
(b).
    Initial Teaching Certificates are valid for 4 years of
teaching, as provided in subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of this
Code, and are renewable every 4 years until the person
completes 4 years of teaching. If the holder of an Initial
Certificate has completed 4 years of teaching but has not
completed the requirements set forth in paragraph (2) of
subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code, then the Initial
Certificate may be reinstated for one year, during which the
requirements must be met. A holder of an Initial Certificate
who has not completed 4 years of teaching may continuously
register the certificate for additional 4-year periods without
penalty. Initial Certificates that are not registered shall
lapse consistent with subsection (a) of this Section and may be
reinstated only in accordance with subsection (a). Standard
Teaching Certificates are renewable every 5 years as provided
in subsection (c) of Section 21-2 and subsection (c) of this
Section. For purposes of this Section, "teaching" is defined as
employment and performance of services in an Illinois public or
State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
of control, in a certificated teaching position, or a charter
school operating in compliance with the Charter Schools Law.
    (c) In compliance with subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of
this Code, which provides that a Standard Teaching Certificate
may be renewed by the State Teacher Certification Board based
upon proof of continuing professional development, the State
Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board
shall jointly:
        (1) establish a procedure for renewing Standard
    Teaching Certificates, which shall include but not be
    limited to annual timelines for the renewal process and the
    components set forth in subsections (d) through (k) of this
    Section;
        (2) establish the standards for certificate renewal;
        (3) approve or disapprove the providers of continuing
    professional development activities;
        (4) determine the maximum credit for each category of
    continuing professional development activities, based upon
    recommendations submitted by a continuing professional
    development activity task force, which shall consist of 6
    staff members from the State Board of Education, appointed
    by the State Superintendent of Education, and 6 teacher
    representatives, 3 of whom are selected by the Illinois
    Education Association and 3 of whom are selected by the
    Illinois Federation of Teachers;
        (5) designate the type and amount of documentation
    required to show that continuing professional development
    activities have been completed; and
        (6) provide, on a timely basis to all Illinois
    teachers, certificate holders, regional superintendents of
    schools, school districts, and others with an interest in
    continuing professional development, information about the
    standards and requirements established pursuant to this
    subsection (c).
    (d) Any Standard Teaching Certificate held by an individual
employed and performing services in an Illinois public or
State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
of control in a certificated teaching position or a charter
school in compliance with the Charter Schools Law must be
maintained Valid and Active through certificate renewal
activities specified in the certificate renewal procedure
established pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section,
provided that a holder of a Valid and Active certificate who is
only employed on either a part-time basis or day-to-day basis
as a substitute teacher shall pay only the required
registration fee to renew his or her certificate and maintain
it as Valid and Active. All other Standard Teaching
Certificates held may be maintained as Valid and Exempt through
the registration process provided for in the certificate
renewal procedure established pursuant to subsection (c) of
this Section. A Valid and Exempt certificate must be
immediately activated, through procedures developed jointly by
the State Board of Education and the State Teacher
Certification Board, upon the certificate holder becoming
employed and performing services in an Illinois public or
State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
of control in a certificated teaching position or a charter
school operating in compliance with the Charter Schools Law. A
holder of a Valid and Exempt certificate may activate his or
her certificate through procedures provided for in the
certificate renewal procedure established pursuant to
subsection (c) of this Section.
    (e)(1) A Standard Teaching Certificate that has been
maintained as Valid and Active for the 5 years of the
certificate's validity shall be renewed as Valid and Active
upon the certificate holder: (i) completing an advanced degree
from an approved institution in an education-related field;
(ii) completing at least 8 semester hours of coursework as
described in subdivision (B) of paragraph (3) of this
subsection (e); (iii) (blank); (iv) completing the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards process as described
in subdivision (D) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (e); or
(v) earning 120 continuing professional development units
("CPDU") as described in subdivision (E) of paragraph (3) of
this subsection (e). The maximum continuing professional
development units for each continuing professional development
activity identified in subdivisions (F) through (J) of
paragraph (3) of this subsection (e) shall be jointly
determined by the State Board of Education and the State
Teacher Certification Board. If, however, the certificate
holder has maintained the certificate as Valid and Exempt for a
portion of the 5-year period of validity, the number of
continuing professional development units needed to renew the
certificate as Valid and Active shall be proportionately
reduced by the amount of time the certificate was Valid and
Exempt. Furthermore, if a certificate holder is employed and
performs teaching services on a part-time basis for all or a
portion of the certificate's 5-year period of validity, the
number of continuing professional development units needed to
renew the certificate as Valid and Active shall be reduced by
50% for the amount of time the certificate holder has been
employed and performed teaching services on a part-time basis.
Part-time shall be defined as less than 50% of the school day
or school term.
    Notwithstanding any other requirements to the contrary, if
a Standard Teaching Certificate has been maintained as Valid
and Active for the 5 years of the certificate's validity and
the certificate holder has completed his or her certificate
renewal plan before July 1, 2002, the certificate shall be
renewed as Valid and Active.
    (2) Beginning July 1, 2004, in order to satisfy the
requirements for continuing professional development provided
for in subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code, each Valid
and Active Standard Teaching Certificate holder shall complete
professional development activities that address the
certificate or those certificates that are required of his or
her certificated teaching position, if the certificate holder
is employed and performing services in an Illinois public or
State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
of control, or that certificate or those certificates most
closely related to his or her teaching position, if the
certificate holder is employed in a charter school. Except as
otherwise provided in this subsection (e), the certificate
holder's activities must address purposes (A), (B), (C), or (D)
and must reflect purpose (E) of the following continuing
professional development purposes:
        (A) Advance both the certificate holder's knowledge
    and skills as a teacher consistent with the Illinois
    Professional Teaching Standards and the Illinois Content
    Area Standards in the certificate holder's areas of
    certification, endorsement, or teaching assignment in
    order to keep the certificate holder current in those
    areas.
        (B) Develop the certificate holder's knowledge and
    skills in areas determined to be critical for all Illinois
    teachers, as defined by the State Board of Education, known
    as "State priorities".
        (C) Address the knowledge, skills, and goals of the
    certificate holder's local school improvement plan, if the
    teacher is employed in an Illinois public or State-operated
    elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or
    joint agreement with a governing body or board of control.
        (D) Expand the certificate holder's knowledge and
    skills in an additional teaching field or toward the
    acquisition of another teaching certificate, endorsement,
    or relevant education degree.
        (E) Address the needs of serving students with
    disabilities, including adapting and modifying the general
    curriculum related to the Illinois Learning Standards to
    meet the needs of students with disabilities and serving
    such students in the least restrictive environment.
    Teachers who hold certificates endorsed for special
    education must devote at least 50% of their continuing
    professional development activities to this purpose.
    Teachers holding other certificates must devote at least
    20% of their activities to this purpose.
    A speech-language pathologist or audiologist who is
licensed under the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and
Audiology Practice Act and who has met the continuing education
requirements of that Act and the rules promulgated under that
Act shall be deemed to have satisfied the continuing
professional development requirements established by the State
Board of Education and the Teacher Certification Board to renew
a Standard Certificate.
    (3) Continuing professional development activities may
include, but are not limited to, the following activities:
        (A) completion of an advanced degree from an approved
    institution in an education-related field;
        (B) at least 8 semester hours of coursework in an
    approved education-related program, of which at least 2
    semester hours relate to the continuing professional
    development purpose set forth in purpose (A) of paragraph
    (2) of this subsection (e), completion of which means no
    other continuing professional development activities are
    required;
        (C) (blank);
        (D) completion of the National Board for Professional
    Teaching Standards ("NBPTS") process for certification or
    recertification, completion of which means no other
    continuing professional development activities are
    required;
        (E) completion of 120 continuing professional
    development units that satisfy the continuing professional
    development purposes set forth in paragraph (2) of this
    subsection (e) and may include without limitation the
    activities identified in subdivisions (F) through (J) of
    this paragraph (3);
        (F) collaboration and partnership activities related
    to improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a
    teacher, including the following:
            (i) participating on collaborative planning and
        professional improvement teams and committees;
            (ii) peer review and coaching;
            (iii) mentoring in a formal mentoring program,
        including service as a consulting teacher
        participating in a remediation process formulated
        under Section 24A-5 of this Code;
            (iv) participating in site-based management or
        decision making teams, relevant committees, boards, or
        task forces directly related to school improvement
        plans;
            (v) coordinating community resources in schools,
        if the project is a specific goal of the school
        improvement plan;
            (vi) facilitating parent education programs for a
        school, school district, or regional office of
        education directly related to student achievement or
        school improvement plans;
            (vii) participating in business, school, or
        community partnerships directly related to student
        achievement or school improvement plans; or
            (viii) supervising a student teacher or teacher
        education candidate in clinical supervision, provided
        that the supervision may only be counted once during
        the course of 5 years;
        (G) college or university coursework related to
    improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher
    as follows:
            (i) completing undergraduate or graduate credit
        earned from a regionally accredited institution in
        coursework relevant to the certificate area being
        renewed, including coursework that incorporates
        induction activities and development of a portfolio of
        both student and teacher work that provides experience
        in reflective practices, provided the coursework meets
        Illinois Professional Teaching Standards or Illinois
        Content Area Standards and supports the essential
        characteristics of quality professional development;
        or
            (ii) teaching college or university courses in
        areas relevant to the certificate area being renewed,
        provided that the teaching may only be counted once
        during the course of 5 years;
        (H) conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars, and
    symposiums related to improving the teacher's knowledge
    and skills as a teacher, subject to disapproval of the
    activity or event by the State Teacher Certification Board
    acting jointly with the State Board of Education, including
    the following:
            (i) completing non-university credit directly
        related to student achievement, school improvement
        plans, or State priorities;
            (ii) participating in or presenting at workshops,
        seminars, conferences, institutes, and symposiums;
            (iii) training as external reviewers for Quality
        Assurance;
            (iv) training as reviewers of university teacher
        preparation programs; or
            (v) participating in or presenting at in-service
        training programs on suicide prevention.
    A teacher, however, may not receive credit for conferences,
    workshops, institutes, seminars, or symposiums that are
    designed for entertainment, promotional, or commercial
    purposes or that are solely inspirational or motivational.
    The State Superintendent of Education and regional
    superintendents of schools are authorized to review the
    activities and events provided or to be provided under this
    subdivision (H) and to investigate complaints regarding
    those activities and events, and either the State
    Superintendent of Education or a regional superintendent
    of schools may recommend that the State Teacher
    Certification Board and the State Board of Education
    jointly disapprove those activities and events considered
    to be inconsistent with this subdivision (H);
        (I) other educational experiences related to improving
    the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including
    the following:
            (i) participating in action research and inquiry
        projects;
            (ii) observing programs or teaching in schools,
        related businesses, or industry that is systematic,
        purposeful, and relevant to certificate renewal;
            (iii) traveling related to one's teaching
        assignment, directly related to student achievement or
        school improvement plans and approved by the regional
        superintendent of schools or his or her designee at
        least 30 days prior to the travel experience, provided
        that the traveling shall not include time spent
        commuting to destinations where the learning
        experience will occur;
            (iv) participating in study groups related to
        student achievement or school improvement plans;
            (v) serving on a statewide education-related
        committee, including but not limited to the State
        Teacher Certification Board, State Board of Education
        strategic agenda teams, or the State Advisory Council
        on Education of Children with Disabilities;
            (vi) participating in work/learn programs or
        internships; or
            (vii) developing a portfolio of student and
        teacher work;
        (J) professional leadership experiences related to
    improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher,
    including the following:
            (i) participating in curriculum development or
        assessment activities at the school, school district,
        regional office of education, State, or national
        level;
            (ii) participating in team or department
        leadership in a school or school district;
            (iii) participating on external or internal school
        or school district review teams;
            (iv) publishing educational articles, columns, or
        books relevant to the certificate area being renewed;
        or
            (v) participating in non-strike related
        professional association or labor organization service
        or activities related to professional development;
        (K) receipt of a subsequent Illinois certificate or
    endorsement pursuant to this Article;
        (L) completion of requirements for meeting the
    Illinois criteria for becoming "highly qualified" (for
    purposes of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Public
    Law 107-110) in an additional teaching area;
        (M) successful completion of 4 semester hours of
    graduate-level coursework on the assessment of one's own
    performance in relation to the Illinois Teaching
    Standards, as described in clause (B) of paragraph (2) of
    subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code; or
        (N) successful completion of a minimum of 4 semester
    hours of graduate-level coursework addressing preparation
    to meet the requirements for certification by the National
    Board for Professional Teaching Standards, as described in
    clause (C) of paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Section
    21-2 of this Code.
    (4) A person must complete the requirements of this
subsection (e) before the expiration of his or her Standard
Teaching Certificate and must submit assurance to the regional
superintendent of schools or, if applicable, a local
professional development committee authorized by the regional
superintendent to submit recommendations to him or her for this
purpose. The statement of assurance shall contain a list of the
activities completed, the provider offering each activity, the
number of credits earned for each activity, and the purposes to
which each activity is attributed. The certificate holder shall
maintain the evidence of completion of each activity for at
least one certificate renewal cycle. The certificate holder
shall affirm under penalty of perjury that he or she has
completed the activities listed and will maintain the required
evidence of completion. The State Board of Education or the
regional superintendent of schools for each region shall
conduct random audits of assurance statements and supporting
documentation.
    (5) (Blank).
    (6) (Blank).
    (f) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code, a
school district is authorized to enter into an agreement with
the exclusive bargaining representative, if any, to form a
local professional development committee (LPDC). The
membership and terms of members of the LPDC may be determined
by the agreement. Provisions regarding LPDCs contained in a
collective bargaining agreement in existence on the effective
date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly
between a school district and the exclusive bargaining
representative shall remain in full force and effect for the
term of the agreement, unless terminated by mutual agreement.
The LPDC shall make recommendations to the regional
superintendent of schools on renewal of teaching certificates.
The regional superintendent of schools for each region shall
perform the following functions:
        (1) review recommendations for certificate renewal, if
    any, received from LPDCs;
        (2) (blank);
        (3) (blank);
        (4) (blank);
        (5) determine whether certificate holders have met the
    requirements for certificate renewal and notify
    certificate holders if the decision is not to renew the
    certificate;
        (6) provide a certificate holder with the opportunity
    to appeal a recommendation made by a LPDC, if any, not to
    renew the certificate to the regional professional
    development review committee;
        (7) issue and forward recommendations for renewal or
    nonrenewal of certificate holders' Standard Teaching
    Certificates to the State Teacher Certification Board; and
        (8) (blank).
    (g)(1) Each regional superintendent of schools shall
review and concur or nonconcur with each recommendation for
renewal or nonrenewal of a Standard Teaching Certificate he or
she receives from a local professional development committee,
if any, or, if a certificate holder appeals the recommendation
to the regional professional development review committee, the
recommendation for renewal or nonrenewal he or she receives
from a regional professional development review committee and,
within 14 days of receipt of the recommendation, shall provide
the State Teacher Certification Board with verification of the
following, if applicable:
        (A) the certificate holder has satisfactorily
    completed professional development and continuing
    education activities set forth in paragraph (3) of
    subsection (e) of this Section;
        (B) the certificate holder has submitted the statement
    of assurance required under paragraph (4) of subsection (e)
    of this Section, and this statement has been attached to
    the application for renewal;
        (C) the local professional development committee, if
    any, has recommended the renewal of the certificate
    holder's Standard Teaching Certificate and forwarded the
    recommendation to the regional superintendent of schools;
        (D) the certificate holder has appealed his or her
    local professional development committee's recommendation
    of nonrenewal, if any, to the regional professional
    development review committee and the result of that appeal;
        (E) the regional superintendent of schools has
    concurred or nonconcurred with the local professional
    development committee's or regional professional
    development review committee's recommendation, if any, to
    renew or nonrenew the certificate holder's Standard
    Teaching Certificate and made a recommendation to that
    effect; and
        (F) the established registration fee for the Standard
    Teaching Certificate has been paid.
    If the notice required by this subsection (g) includes a
recommendation of certificate nonrenewal, then, at the same
time the regional superintendent of schools provides the State
Teacher Certification Board with the notice, he or she shall
also notify the certificate holder in writing, by certified
mail, return receipt requested, that this notice has been
provided to the State Teacher Certification Board.
    (2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to appeal
his or her local professional development committee's
recommendation of nonrenewal, if any, to the regional
professional development review committee, within 14 days of
receipt of notice that the recommendation has been sent to the
regional superintendent of schools. Each regional
superintendent of schools shall establish a regional
professional development review committee or committees for
the purpose of advising the regional superintendent of schools,
upon request, and handling certificate holder appeals. This
committee shall consist of at least 4 classroom teachers, one
non-administrative certificated educational employee, 2
administrators, and one at-large member who shall be either (i)
a parent, (ii) a member of the business community, (iii) a
community member, or (iv) an administrator, with preference
given to an individual chosen from among those persons listed
in items (i), (ii), and (iii) in order to secure representation
of an interest not already represented on the committee. The
teacher and non-administrative certificated educational
employee members of the review committee shall be selected by
their exclusive representative, if any, and the administrators
and at-large member shall be selected by the regional
superintendent of schools. A regional superintendent of
schools may add additional members to the committee, provided
that the same proportion of teachers to administrators and
at-large members on the committee is maintained. Any additional
teacher and non-administrative certificated educational
employee members shall be selected by their exclusive
representative, if any. Vacancies in positions on a regional
professional development review committee shall be filled in
the same manner as the original selections. Committee members
shall serve staggered 3-year terms. All individuals selected to
serve on regional professional development review committees
must be known to demonstrate the best practices in teaching or
their respective field of practice.
    (h)(1) The State Teacher Certification Board shall review
the regional superintendent of schools' recommendations to
renew or nonrenew Standard Teaching Certificates and notify
certificate holders in writing whether their certificates have
been renewed or nonrenewed within 90 days of receipt of the
recommendations, unless a certificate holder has appealed a
regional superintendent of schools' recommendation of
nonrenewal, as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection
(h). The State Teacher Certification Board shall verify that
the certificate holder has met the renewal criteria set forth
in paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of this Section.
    (2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to appeal
a regional superintendent of school's recommendation to
nonrenew his or her Standard Teaching Certificate to the State
Teacher Certification Board, within 14 days of receipt of
notice that the decision has been sent to the State Teacher
Certification Board, which shall hold an appeal hearing within
60 days of receipt of the appeal. When such an appeal is taken,
the certificate holder's Standard Teaching Certificate shall
continue to be valid until the appeal is finally determined.
The State Teacher Certification Board shall review the regional
superintendent of school's recommendation, the regional
professional development review committee's recommendation, if
any, and the local professional development committee's
recommendation, if any, and all relevant documentation to
verify whether the certificate holder has met the renewal
criteria set forth in paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of this
Section. The State Teacher Certification Board may request that
the certificate holder appear before it. All actions taken by
the State Teacher Certification Board shall require a quorum
and be by a simple majority of those present and voting. A
record of all votes shall be maintained. The State Teacher
Certification Board shall notify the certificate holder in
writing, within 7 days of completing the review, whether his or
her Standard Teaching Certificate has been renewed or
nonrenewed, provided that if the State Teacher Certification
Board determines to nonrenew a certificate, the written notice
provided to the certificate holder shall be by certified mail,
return receipt requested. All certificate renewal or
nonrenewal decisions of the State Teacher Certification Board
are final and subject to administrative review.
    (i) Holders of Master Teaching Certificates shall meet the
same requirements and follow the same procedures as holders of
Standard Teaching Certificates, except that their renewal
cycle shall be as set forth in subsection (d) of Section 21-2
of this Code and their renewal requirements shall be subject to
paragraph (8) of subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code.
    A holder of a teaching certificate endorsed as a
speech-language pathologist who has been granted the
Certificate of Clinical Competence by the American
Speech-Language Hearing Association may renew his or her
Standard Teaching Certificate pursuant to the 10-year renewal
cycle set forth in subsection (d) of Section 21-2 of this Code.
    (j) Holders of Valid and Exempt Standard and Master
Teaching Certificates who are not employed and performing
services in an Illinois public or State-operated elementary
school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement
with a governing body or board of control, in a certificated
teaching position, may voluntarily activate their certificates
through the regional superintendent of schools of the regional
office of education for the geographic area where their
teaching is done. These certificate holders shall follow the
same renewal criteria and procedures as all other Standard and
Master Teaching Certificate holders, except that their
continuing professional development activities need not
reflect or address the knowledge, skills, and goals of a local
school improvement plan.
    (k) (Blank).
    (l) (Blank).
    (m) The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act
of the 93rd General Assembly that affect renewal of Standard
and Master Certificates shall apply to those persons who hold
Standard or Master Certificates on or after the effective date
of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and shall
be given effect upon renewal of those certificates.
(Source: P.A. 96-951, eff. 6-28-10; 97-607, eff. 8-26-11;
97-682, eff. 5-8-12.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.