HB4293 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 22589 CMG 31731 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4293

Introduced 1/5/2022, by Rep. Thomas M. Bennett

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/21B-30

Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. With regard to licensure candidates being required to pass a teacher performance assessment, provides that a candidate may not be required to submit test materials by video or audio submission (rather than by video submission). Instead of a video or audio submission, provides that a candidate may submit a written letter approved and signed by (i) the principal of the school in which the candidate completed student teaching, (ii) the supervising licensed educator overseeing the candidate's classroom experience, and (iii) the candidate's academic advisor at the candidate's educator preparation program stating that the candidate meets the requirements to pass the teacher performance assessment. Provides that the submission of a written letter by a candidate does not waive the requirement that the candidate pass a teacher performance assessment approved by the State Board of Education. Requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, to develop a standard form to be used by a candidate in the submission of the written letter. Effective July 1, 2022.

A BILL FOR

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 21B-30 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/21B-30)

Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing.

(a) (Blank).

(b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design and implement a system of examinations, which shall be required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These examinations and indicators must be based on national and State professional teaching standards, as determined by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to implement and administer this Section.

(c) (Blank).

(c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 other than the higher education requirements.

(d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record until he or she has passed the applicable content area test.

(e) (Blank).

(f) Except as otherwise provided in this Article, beginning on September 1, 2015, all candidates completing teacher preparation programs in this State and all candidates subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code are required to pass a teacher performance assessment approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. A candidate may not be required to submit test materials by video or audio submission. Instead of a video or audio submission, a candidate may submit a written letter that states that the candidate meets the requirements to pass the teacher performance assessment and that is approved and signed by (i) the principal of the school in which the candidate completed student teaching, (ii) the supervising licensed educator overseeing the candidate's classroom experience, and (iii) the candidate's academic advisor at the candidate's educator preparation program; however, the submission of a written letter by a candidate does not waive the requirement that the candidate pass a teacher performance assessment approved by the State Board of Education under this subsection (f). The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall develop a standard form to be used by a candidate in the submission of the written letter. Subject to appropriation, an individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher performance assessment under this subsection.

(g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to time are designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing organization or tests designed by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.

The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this Code in the English language and in the language of the transitional bilingual education program requested by the applicant.

(h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school district subject to Article 34 of this Code.

(i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the testing requirements under this Section shall include without limitation provisions governing test selection, test validation and determination of a passing score, administration of the tests, frequency of administration, applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.

(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 102-301, eff. 8-26-21.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2022.