103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3684

 

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Sen. Michael W. Halpin

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21B-30

    Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that if the State Board declares a teacher shortage, then an applicant shall be deemed to have passed a test of content area knowledge. Provides that the State Board shall adopt rules to define a teacher shortage, and shall post and publicly display this definition on the State Board's Internet website.


LRB103 37590 RJT 67716 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3684LRB103 37590 RJT 67716 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
521B-30 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/21B-30)
7    Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing.
8    (a) (Blank).
9    (b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
10State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design
11and implement a system of examinations, which shall be
12required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These
13examinations and indicators must be based on national and
14State professional teaching standards, as determined by the
15State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
16Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of
17Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to
18implement and administer this Section.
19    (c) (Blank).
20    (c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a
21paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an
22applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a
23paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the

 

 

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1endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other
2requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section
321B-20 other than the higher education requirements.
4    (d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be
5required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area
6of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. If the
7State Board declares a teacher shortage, then an applicant
8shall be deemed to have passed a test of content area knowledge
9under this Section. The State Board shall adopt rules to
10define a teacher shortage, and shall post and publicly display
11this definition on the State Board's Internet website. There
12shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall
13be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record
14until he or she has passed the applicable content area test.
15    (d-5) The State Board shall consult with any applicable
16vendors within 90 days after July 28, 2023 (the effective date
17of Public Act 103-402) this amendatory Act of the 103rd
18General Assembly to develop a plan to transition the test of
19content area knowledge in the endorsement area of elementary
20education, grades one through 6, by July 1, 2026 to a content
21area test that contains testing elements that cover
22bilingualism, biliteracy, oral language development,
23foundational literacy skills, and developmentally appropriate
24higher-order comprehension and on which a valid and reliable
25language and literacy subscore can be determined. The State
26Board shall base its rules concerning the passing subscore on

 

 

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1the language and literacy portion of the test on the
2recommended cut-score determined in the formal
3standard-setting process. Candidates need not achieve a
4particular subscore in the area of language and literacy. The
5State Board shall aggregate and publish the number of
6candidates in each preparation program who take the test and
7the number who pass the language and literacy portion.
8    (e) (Blank).
9    (f) Beginning on August 4, 2023 (the effective date of
10Public Act 103-488) this amendatory Act of the 103rd General
11Assembly through August 31, 2025, no candidate completing a
12teacher preparation program in this State or candidate subject
13to Section 21B-35 of this Code is required to pass a teacher
14performance assessment. Except as otherwise provided in this
15Article, beginning on September 1, 2015 until August 4, 2023
16(the effective date of Public Act 103-488) this amendatory Act
17of the 103rd General Assembly and beginning again on September
181, 2025, all candidates completing teacher preparation
19programs in this State and all candidates subject to Section
2021B-35 of this Code are required to pass a teacher performance
21assessment approved by the State Board of Education, in
22consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
23Board. A candidate may not be required to submit test
24materials by video submission. Subject to appropriation, an
25individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is
26employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district

 

 

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1designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after
2application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a
3refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher
4performance assessment under this subsection.
5    (f-5) The Teacher Performance Assessment Task Force is
6created to evaluate potential performance-based and objective
7teacher performance assessment systems for implementation
8across all educator preparation programs in this State, with
9the intention of ensuring consistency across programs and
10supporting a thoughtful and well-rounded licensure system.
11Members appointed to the Task Force must reflect the racial,
12ethnic, and geographic diversity of this State. The Task Force
13shall consist of all of the following members:
14        (1) One member of the Senate, appointed by the
15    President of the Senate.
16        (2) One member of the Senate, appointed by the
17    Minority Leader of the Senate.
18        (3) One member of the House of Representatives,
19    appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
20        (4) One member of the House of Representatives,
21    appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
22    Representatives.
23        (5) One member who represents a statewide professional
24    teachers' organization, appointed by the State
25    Superintendent of Education.
26        (6) One member who represents a different statewide

 

 

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1    professional teachers' organization, appointed by the
2    State Superintendent of Education.
3        (7) One member from a statewide organization
4    representing school principals, appointed by the State
5    Superintendent of Education.
6        (8) One member from a statewide organization
7    representing regional superintendents of schools,
8    appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
9        (9) One member from a statewide organization
10    representing school administrators, appointed by the State
11    Superintendent of Education.
12        (10) One member representing a school district
13    organized under Article 34 of this Code, appointed by the
14    State Superintendent of Education.
15        (11) One member of an association representing rural
16    and small schools, appointed by the State Superintendent
17    of Education.
18        (12) One member representing a suburban school
19    district, appointed by the State Superintendent of
20    Education.
21        (13) One member from a statewide organization
22    representing school districts in the southern suburbs of
23    the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent
24    of Education.
25        (14) One member from a statewide organization
26    representing large unit school districts, appointed by the

 

 

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1    State Superintendent of Education.
2        (15) One member from a statewide organization
3    representing school districts in the collar counties of
4    the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent
5    of Education.
6        (16) Three members, each representing a different
7    public university in this State and each a current member
8    of the faculty of an approved educator preparation
9    program, appointed by the State Superintendent of
10    Education.
11        (17) Three members, each representing a different
12    4-year nonpublic university or college in this State and
13    each a current member of the faculty of an approved
14    educator preparation program, appointed by the State
15    Superintendent of Education.
16        (18) One member of the Board of Higher Education,
17    appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
18        (19) One member representing a statewide policy
19    organization advocating on behalf of multilingual students
20    and families, appointed by the State Superintendent of
21    Education.
22        (20) One member representing a statewide organization
23    focused on research-based education policy to support a
24    school system that prepares all students for college, a
25    career, and democratic citizenship, appointed by the State
26    Superintendent of Education.

 

 

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1        (21) Two members representing an early childhood
2    advocacy organization, appointed by the State
3    Superintendent of Education.
4        (22) One member representing a statewide organization
5    that partners with educator preparation programs and
6    school districts to support the growth and development of
7    preservice teachers, appointed by the State Superintendent
8    of Education.
9        (23) One member representing a statewide organization
10    that advocates for educational equity and racial justice
11    in schools, appointed by the State Superintendent of
12    Education.
13        (24) One member representing a statewide organization
14    that represents school boards, appointed by the State
15    Superintendent of Education.
16        (25) One member who has, within the last 5 years,
17    served as a cooperating teacher, appointed by the State
18    Superintendent of Education.
19    Members of the Task Force shall serve without
20compensation. The Task Force shall first meet at the call of
21the State Superintendent of Education, and each subsequent
22meeting shall be called by the chairperson of the Task Force,
23who shall be designated by the State Superintendent of
24Education. The State Board of Education shall provide
25administrative and other support to the Task Force.
26    On or before August 1, 2024, the Task Force shall report on

 

 

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1its work, including recommendations on a teacher performance
2assessment system in this State, to the State Board of
3Education and the General Assembly. The Task Force is
4dissolved upon submission of this report.
5    (g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher
6performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to
7time are designated by the State Board of Education, in
8consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
9Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing
10organization or tests designed by the State Board of
11Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
12and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall
13assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The
14tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no
15person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis
16of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to
17the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The
18score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State
19Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator
20Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be
21administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and
22place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in
23consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
24Board.
25    The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess
26the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of

 

 

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1applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under
2subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this
3Code in the English language and in the language of the
4transitional bilingual education program requested by the
5applicant.
6    (h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the
7provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school
8district subject to Article 34 of this Code.
9    (i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the
10testing requirements under this Section shall include, without
11limitation, provisions governing test selection, test
12validation, and determination of a passing score,
13administration of the tests, frequency of administration,
14applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the
15years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special
16accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop
17such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to
18year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.
19(Source: P.A. 102-301, eff. 8-26-21; 103-402, eff. 7-28-23;
20103-488, eff. 8-4-23; revised 9-1-23.)