093_SB0891
LRB093 10613 NHT 10899 b
1 AN ACT regarding education.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing
5 Section 21-2 as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/21-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-2)
7 Sec. 21-2. Grades of certificates.
8 (a) All certificates issued under this Article shall be
9 State certificates valid, except as limited in Section 21-1,
10 in every school district coming under the provisions of this
11 Act and shall be limited in time and designated as follows:
12 Provisional vocational certificate, temporary provisional
13 vocational certificate, early childhood certificate,
14 elementary school certificate, special certificate, secondary
15 certificate, school service personnel certificate,
16 administrative certificate, provisional certificate, and
17 substitute certificate. The requirement of student teaching
18 under close and competent supervision for obtaining a
19 teaching certificate may be waived by the State Teacher
20 Certification Board upon presentation to the Board by the
21 teacher of evidence of 5 years successful teaching experience
22 on a valid certificate and graduation from a recognized
23 institution of higher learning with a bachelor's degree.
24 (b) Initial Teaching Certificate. Persons who (1) have
25 completed an approved teacher preparation program, (2) are
26 recommended by an approved teacher preparation program, (3)
27 have successfully completed the Initial Teaching
28 Certification examinations required by the State Board of
29 Education, and (4) have met all other criteria established by
30 the State Board of Education in consultation with the State
31 Teacher Certification Board, shall be issued an Initial
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1 Teaching Certificate valid for 4 years of teaching, as
2 defined in Section 21-14 of this Code. Initial Teaching
3 Certificates shall be issued for categories corresponding to
4 Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and Special K-12,
5 with special certification designations for Special
6 Education, Bilingual Education, fundamental learning areas
7 (including Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, Science,
8 Social Science, Physical Development and Health, Fine Arts,
9 and Foreign Language, including Asian languages), and other
10 areas designated by the State Board of Education, in
11 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.
12 (c) Standard Certificate.
13 (1) Persons who (i) have completed 4 years of teaching,
14 as defined in Section 21-14 of this Code, with an Initial
15 Certificate or an Initial Alternative Teaching Certificate
16 and have met all other criteria established by the State
17 Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
18 Certification Board, (ii) have completed 4 years of teaching
19 on a valid equivalent certificate in another State or
20 territory of the United States, or have completed 4 years of
21 teaching in a nonpublic Illinois elementary or secondary
22 school with an Initial Certificate or an Initial Alternative
23 Teaching Certificate, and have met all other criteria
24 established by the State Board of Education, in consultation
25 with the State Teacher Certification Board, or (iii) were
26 issued teaching certificates prior to February 15, 2000 and
27 are renewing those certificates after February 15, 2000,
28 shall be issued a Standard Certificate valid for 5 years,
29 which may be renewed thereafter every 5 years by the State
30 Teacher Certification Board based on proof of continuing
31 education or professional development. Beginning July 1,
32 2003, persons who have completed 4 years of teaching, as
33 described in clauses (i) and (ii) of this paragraph (1), have
34 successfully completed the requirements of paragraphs (2)
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1 through (4) of this subsection (c), and have met all other
2 criteria established by the State Board of Education, in
3 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board,
4 shall be issued Standard Certificates. Standard Certificates
5 shall be issued for categories corresponding to Early
6 Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and Special K-12, with
7 special certification designations for Special Education,
8 Bilingual Education, fundamental learning areas (including
9 Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, Science, Social Science,
10 Physical Development and Health, Fine Arts, and Foreign
11 Language, including Asian languages), and other areas
12 designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation
13 with the State Teacher Certification Board.
14 (2) This paragraph (2) applies only to those persons
15 required to successfully complete the requirements of this
16 paragraph under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). In
17 order to receive a Standard Teaching Certificate, a person
18 must satisfy one of the following requirements, which the
19 person must identify, in writing, as the requirement that the
20 person has chosen to satisfy to the responsible local
21 professional development committee established pursuant to
22 subsection (f) of Section 21-14 of this Code:
23 (A) Completion of a program of induction and
24 mentoring for new teachers that is based upon a specific
25 plan approved by the State Board of Education, in
26 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.
27 The plan must describe the role of mentor teachers, the
28 criteria and process for their selection, and how all the
29 following components are to be provided:
30 (i) Assignment of a formally trained mentor
31 teacher to each new teacher for a specified period
32 of time, which shall be established by the employing
33 school or school district but shall be at least 2
34 school years in duration, provided that a mentor
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1 teacher may not directly or indirectly participate
2 in the evaluation of a new teacher pursuant to
3 Article 24A of this Code or the evaluation procedure
4 of the school.
5 (ii) Formal mentoring for each new teacher.
6 (iii) Support for each new teacher in relation
7 to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, the
8 content-area standards applicable to the new
9 teacher's area of certification, and any applicable
10 local school improvement and professional
11 development plans.
12 (iv) Professional development specifically
13 designed to foster the growth of each new teacher's
14 knowledge and skills.
15 (v) Formative assessment that is based on the
16 Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and
17 designed to provide feedback to the new teacher and
18 opportunities for reflection on his or her
19 performance, which must not be used directly or
20 indirectly in any evaluation of a new teacher
21 pursuant to Article 24A of this Code or the
22 evaluation procedure of the school and which must
23 include the activities specified in clauses (B)(i),
24 (B)(ii), and (B)(iii) of this paragraph (2).
25 (vi) Assignment of responsibility for
26 coordination of the induction and mentoring program
27 within each school district participating in the
28 program.
29 (B) Successful completion of 4 semester hours of
30 graduate-level coursework on the assessment of one's own
31 performance in relation to the Illinois Professional
32 Teaching Standards. The coursework must be approved by
33 the State Board of Education, in consultation with the
34 State Teacher Certification Board; must be offered either
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1 by an institution of higher education, by such an
2 institution in partnership with a teachers' association
3 or union or with a regional office of education, or by
4 another entity authorized to issue college credit; and
5 must include demonstration of performance through all of
6 the following activities for each of the Illinois
7 Professional Teaching Standards:
8 (i) Observation, by the course instructor or
9 another experienced teacher, of the new teacher's
10 classroom practice (the observation may be recorded
11 for later viewing) for the purpose of identifying
12 and describing how the new teacher made content
13 meaningful for students; how the teacher motivated
14 individuals and the group and created an environment
15 conducive to positive social interactions, active
16 learning, and self-motivation; what instructional
17 strategies the teacher used to encourage students'
18 development of critical thinking, problem solving,
19 and performance; how the teacher communicated using
20 written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication
21 techniques; and how the teacher maintained standards
22 of professional conduct and provided leadership to
23 improve students' learning.
24 (ii) Review and analysis, by the course
25 instructor or another experienced teacher, of
26 written documentation (i.e., lesson plans,
27 assignments, assessment instruments, and samples of
28 students' work) prepared by the new teacher for at
29 least 2 lessons. The documentation must provide
30 evidence of classroom performance related to
31 Illinois Professional Teaching Standards 1 through
32 9, with an emphasis on how the teacher used his or
33 her understanding of students, assessment data, and
34 subject matter to decide on learning goals; how the
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1 teacher designed or selected activities and
2 instructional materials and aligned instruction to
3 the relevant Illinois Learning Standards; how the
4 teacher adapted or modified curriculum to meet
5 individual students' needs; and how the teacher
6 sequenced instruction and designed or selected
7 student assessment strategies.
8 (iii) Demonstration of professional expertise
9 on the part of the new teacher in reflecting on his
10 or her practice, which was observed under clause
11 (B)(i) of this paragraph (2) and documented under
12 clause (B)(ii) of this paragraph (2), in terms of
13 teaching strengths, weaknesses, and implications for
14 improvement according to the Illinois Professional
15 Teaching Standards.
16 (C) Successful completion of a minimum of 4
17 semester hours of graduate-level coursework addressing
18 preparation to meet the requirements for certification by
19 the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
20 (NBPTS). The coursework must be approved by the State
21 Board of Education, in consultation with the State
22 Teacher Certification Board, and must be offered either
23 by an institution of higher education, by such an
24 institution in partnership with a teachers' association
25 or union or with a regional office of education, or by
26 another entity authorized to issue college credit. The
27 course must address the 5 NBPTS Core Propositions and
28 relevant standards through such means as the following:
29 (i) Observation, by the course instructor or
30 another experienced teacher, of the new teacher's
31 classroom practice (the observation may be recorded
32 for later viewing) for the purpose of identifying
33 and describing how the new teacher made content
34 meaningful for students; how the teacher motivated
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1 individuals and the group and created an environment
2 conducive to positive social interactions, active
3 learning, and self-motivation; what instructional
4 strategies the teacher used to encourage students'
5 development of critical thinking, problem solving,
6 and performance; how the teacher communicated using
7 written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication
8 techniques; and how the teacher maintained standards
9 of professional conduct and provided leadership to
10 improve students' learning.
11 (ii) Review and analysis, by the course
12 instructor or another experienced teacher, of
13 written documentation (i.e., lesson plans,
14 assignments, assessment instruments, and samples of
15 students' work) prepared by the new teacher for at
16 least 2 lessons. The documentation must provide
17 evidence of classroom performance, including how the
18 teacher used his or her understanding of students,
19 assessment data, and subject matter to decide on
20 learning goals; how the teacher designed or selected
21 activities and instructional materials and aligned
22 instruction to the relevant Illinois Learning
23 Standards; how the teacher adapted or modified
24 curriculum to meet individual students' needs; and
25 how the teacher sequenced instruction and designed
26 or selected student assessment strategies.
27 (iii) Demonstration of professional expertise
28 on the part of the new teacher in reflecting on his
29 or her practice, which was observed under clause
30 (C)(i) of this paragraph (2) and documented under
31 clause (C)(ii) of this paragraph (2), in terms of
32 teaching strengths, weaknesses, and implications for
33 improvement.
34 (D) Receipt of an advanced degree from an
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1 accredited institution of higher education in an
2 education-related field, provided that at least 8
3 semester hours of the coursework completed count toward a
4 degree, certificate, or endorsement in a teaching field.
5 (E) Accumulation of 60 continuing professional
6 development units (CPDUs), earned by completing selected
7 activities that comply with paragraphs (3) and (4) of
8 this subsection (c). However, for an individual who
9 holds an Initial Teaching Certificate on the effective
10 date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly,
11 the number of CPDUs shall be reduced to reflect the
12 teaching time remaining on the Initial Teaching
13 Certificate.
14 (F) Completion of a nationally normed,
15 performance-based assessment, if made available by the
16 State Board of Education in consultation with the State
17 Teacher Certification Board, provided that the cost to
18 the person shall not exceed the cost of the coursework
19 described in clause (B) of this paragraph (2).
20 (3) This paragraph (3) applies only to those persons
21 required to successfully complete the requirements of this
22 paragraph under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). At
23 least one-half the CPDUs a person must accrue in order to
24 qualify for a Standard Teaching Certificate must be earned
25 through completion of coursework, workshops, seminars,
26 conferences, and other similar training events that are
27 pre-approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation
28 with the State Teacher Certification Board, for the purpose
29 of reflection on teaching practices in order to address all
30 of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards necessary to
31 obtain a Standard Teaching Certificate. These activities
32 must meet all of the following requirements:
33 (A) Each activity must be designed to advance a
34 person's knowledge and skills in relation to one or more
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1 of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards or in
2 relation to the content-area standards applicable to the
3 teacher's field of certification.
4 (B) Taken together, the activities completed must
5 address each of the Illinois Professional Teaching
6 Standards as provided in clauses (B)(i), (B)(ii), and
7 (B)(iii) of paragraph (2) of this subsection (c).
8 (C) Each activity must be provided by an entity
9 approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation
10 with the State Teacher Certification Board, for this
11 purpose.
12 (D) Each activity, integral to its successful
13 completion, must require participants to demonstrate the
14 degree to which they have acquired new knowledge or
15 skills, such as through performance, through preparation
16 of a written product, through assembling samples of
17 students' or teachers' work, or by some other means that
18 is appropriate to the subject matter of the activity.
19 (E) One CPDU shall be available for each hour of
20 direct participation by a holder of an Initial Teaching
21 Certificate in a qualifying activity. An activity may be
22 attributed to more than one of the Illinois Professional
23 Teaching Standards, but credit for any activity shall be
24 counted only once.
25 (4) This paragraph (4) applies only to those persons
26 required to successfully complete the requirements of this
27 paragraph under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). The
28 balance of the CPDUs a person must accrue in order to qualify
29 for a Standard Teaching Certificate, in combination with
30 those earned pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection
31 (c), may be chosen from among the following, provided that an
32 activity listed in clause (C) of this paragraph (4) shall be
33 creditable only if its provider is approved for this purpose
34 by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the
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1 State Teacher Certification Board:
2 (A) Collaboration and partnership activities
3 related to improving a person's knowledge and skills as a
4 teacher, including all of the following:
5 (i) Peer review and coaching.
6 (ii) Mentoring in a formal mentoring program,
7 including service as a consulting teacher
8 participating in a remediation process formulated
9 under Section 24A-5 of this Code.
10 (iii) Facilitating parent education programs
11 directly related to student achievement for a
12 school, school district, or regional office of
13 education.
14 (iv) Participating in business, school, or
15 community partnerships directly related to student
16 achievement.
17 (B) Teaching college or university courses in areas
18 relevant to a teacher's field of certification, provided
19 that the teaching may only be counted once during the
20 course of 4 years.
21 (C) Conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars,
22 and symposiums related to improving a person's knowledge
23 and skills as a teacher, including all of the following:
24 (i) Completing non-university credit directly
25 related to student achievement, the Illinois
26 Professional Teaching Standards, or content-area
27 standards.
28 (ii) Participating in or presenting at
29 workshops, seminars, conferences, institutes, and
30 symposiums.
31 (iii) Training as external reviewers for the
32 State Board of Education.
33 (iv) Training as reviewers of university
34 teacher preparation programs.
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1 (D) Other educational experiences related to
2 improving a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher,
3 including all of the following:
4 (i) Participating in action research and
5 inquiry projects.
6 (ii) Observing programs or teaching in
7 schools, related businesses, or industry that is
8 systematic, purposeful, and relevant to a teacher's
9 field of certification.
10 (iii) Participating in study groups related to
11 student achievement, the Illinois Professional
12 Teaching Standards, or content-area standards.
13 (iv) Participating in work/learn programs or
14 internships.
15 (v) Developing a portfolio of students' and
16 teacher's work.
17 (E) Professional leadership experiences related to
18 improving a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher,
19 including all of the following:
20 (i) Participating in curriculum development or
21 assessment activities at the school, school district,
22 regional office of education, State, or national level.
23 (ii) Participating in team or department
24 leadership in a school or school district.
25 (iii) Participating on external or internal
26 school or school district review teams.
27 (iv) Publishing educational articles, columns,
28 or books relevant to a teacher's field of
29 certification.
30 (v) Participating in non-strike related
31 activities of a professional association or labor
32 organization that are related to professional
33 development.
34 (5) A person must complete his or her chosen requirement
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1 under paragraph (2) of this subsection (c) before the
2 expiration of his or her Initial Teaching Certificate and
3 must submit evidence of having done so to the local
4 professional development committee. Within 30 days after
5 receipt of a person's evidence of completion, the local
6 professional development committee shall forward the evidence
7 of completion to the responsible regional superintendent of
8 schools along with the local professional development
9 committee's recommendation, based on that evidence, as to
10 whether the person is eligible to receive a Standard Teaching
11 Certificate. The local professional development committee
12 shall provide a copy of this recommendation to the affected
13 person.
14 The regional superintendent of schools shall review the
15 evidence of completion submitted by a person and, based upon
16 compliance with all of the requirements for receipt of a
17 Standard Teaching Certificate, shall forward to the State
18 Board of Education a recommendation for issuance or
19 non-issuance. The regional superintendent of schools shall
20 notify the affected person of the recommendation forwarded.
21 Upon review of a regional superintendent of school's
22 recommendations, the State Board of Education shall issue
23 Standard Teaching Certificates to those who qualify and shall
24 notify a person, in writing, of a decision denying a Standard
25 Teaching Certificate. Any decision denying issuance of a
26 Standard Teaching Certificate to a person may be appealed to
27 the State Teacher Certification Board.
28 (6) The State Board of Education, in consultation with
29 the State Teacher Certification Board, may adopt rules to
30 implement this subsection (c) and may periodically evaluate
31 any of the methods of qualifying for a Standard Teaching
32 Certificate described in this subsection (c).
33 (d) Master Certificate. Persons who have successfully
34 achieved National Board certification through the National
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1 Board for Professional Teaching Standards shall be issued a
2 Master Certificate, valid for 10 years and renewable
3 thereafter every 10 years through compliance with
4 requirements set forth by the State Board of Education, in
5 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.
6 However, each teacher who holds a Master Certificate shall be
7 eligible for a teaching position in this State in the areas
8 for which he or she holds a Master Certificate without
9 satisfying any other requirements of this Code, except for
10 those requirements pertaining to criminal background checks.
11 A teacher who holds a Master Certificate shall be deemed to
12 meet State certification renewal requirements in the area or
13 areas for which he or she holds a Master Certificate for the
14 10-year term of the teacher's Master Certificate.
15 (Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99; 91-606, eff. 8-16-99;
16 91-609, eff. 1-1-00; 92-16, eff. 6-28-01; 92-796, eff.
17 8-10-02.)
18 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on
19 July 1, 2003.