94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB3624


 
Introduced 2/24/2005, by Rep. William B. Black
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 		













105 ILCS 5/21-5b









    Amends the School
Code. Increases the maximum number of new participants that may be in the Alternative Teacher Certification Program each year from 260 to 500.
 In the provision concerning the employment requirement, removes the minimum period of time that the person must have been employed. Effective July 1, 2005.
















LRB094 07157 RAS 37311 b

















FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
















 


 


A BILL FOR









 











HB3624

LRB094 07157 RAS 37311 b






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    AN ACT concerning teacher certification. 

 
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
Section 
5
21-5b as follows:


 
6
    (105 ILCS 5/21-5b)

7
    Sec. 21-5b. Alternative certification.   The State Board of 
8
Education, in
consultation with the State Teacher 
9
Certification Board, shall
establish and implement an 
10
alternative certification program under which
persons who meet 
11
the requirements of and successfully complete the program

12
established by this Section shall be issued an alternative 
13
teaching certificate
for teaching in the schools. The program 
14
shall be
limited to not more than 500
260 new participants


15
during
each year that the program
is in effect.  The State Board 
16
of Education, in cooperation with a
partnership
formed with a 
17
university that offers 4-year baccalaureate and masters degree

18
programs and that is a recognized institution as defined in 
19
Section 21-21 and
one or more
not-for-profit
organizations in 
20
the State which support excellence in teaching, shall within
30 
21
days after submission by the partnership approve
a course of 
22
study developed by the partnership that persons
in the program 
23
must successfully complete in order to satisfy one
criterion 
24
for issuance of an alternative certificate under this Section.

25
The Alternative Teacher Certification program course of study 
26
must include the
current content and skills contained in the 
27
university's current courses for
State certification which 
28
have been approved by the State Board of Education,
in 
29
consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, as the 
30
requirement
for State teacher certification.


31
    The alternative certification program established under 
32
this Section shall be
known as the Alternative Teacher 
 


 






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1
Certification program.  The Alternative
Teacher Certification 
2
Program shall be offered by the submitting partnership
and may 
3
be offered in conjunction with one or more not-for-profit

4
organizations in the State which support excellence in 
5
teaching.  The program
shall be
comprised of the following 3 
6
phases: (a) the first phase is the
course of study offered on 
7
an intensive basis in education theory,
instructional methods, 
8
and
practice
teaching; (b) the second phase is the person's 
9
assignment to a full-time
teaching position for one school 
10
year; and (c) the third phase is a
comprehensive assessment of 
11
the person's teaching performance by school
officials and the 
12
partnership participants
and a recommendation by the partner 
13
institution of higher education to the
State Board of Education 
14
that the person be issued a standard alternative
teaching 
15
certificate.  Successful completion of the Alternative Teacher

16
Certification program shall be deemed to satisfy any other

17
practice or student teaching and subject matter requirements 
18
established by
law.


19
    A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for 
20
one year of
teaching
in the common schools and not renewable, 
21
shall be issued under this Section
21-5b to persons who at the 
22
time of applying for the provisional alternative
teaching 
23
certificate under this Section:


24
        (1)  have graduated from an accredited college or 
25
    university with a
bachelor's degree;


26
        (2)  have successfully completed the first phase of 
27
    the Alternative Teacher
Certification program as provided 
28
    in this Section;


29
        (3)  have passed the tests of basic skills and subject 
30
    matter knowledge
required by Section
21-1a; and


31
        (4)  have been employed for a period of at least 5 
32
    years in an area
requiring application of the individual's 
33
    education; however, this requirement
does not apply with 
34
    respect to a provisional alternative teaching certificate

35
    for
teaching in schools situated in a school district that 
36
    is located in a city
having a
population in excess of 
 


 






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    500,000 inhabitants.


2
A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate 
3
under this Section
shall be treated as a regularly certified 
4
teacher for purposes of compensation,
benefits, and other terms 
5
and conditions of employment afforded teachers in the
school 
6
who are members of a bargaining unit represented by an 
7
exclusive
bargaining representative, if any.


8
    Until February 15, 2000, a standard alternative teaching 
9
certificate,
valid for 4 years for teaching
in the schools and 
10
renewable as provided in
Section 21-14, shall be
issued under 
11
this Section 21-5b to persons who first complete the 
12
requirements
for the provisional alternative teaching 
13
certificate
and who at the time of applying for a standard 
14
alternative teaching certificate
under this Section have 
15
successfully completed the second and third phases of
the 
16
Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided in this 
17
Section.
Alternatively, beginning February 15, 2000, at the end 
18
of the 4-year
validity
period,
persons who were issued a 
19
standard alternative teaching certificate shall be
eligible, 
20
on
the same basis as holders of an Initial Teaching Certificate 
21
issued under
subsection (b) of
Section 21-2 of this Code, to 
22
apply for a Standard Teaching Certificate,
provided they
meet 
23
the requirements of
subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code 
24
and further provided that a
person who
does not
apply for and 
25
receive a Standard Teaching Certificate shall be able to teach

26
only in
schools situated in a school district that is located 
27
in a city having a
population in excess
of 500,000 inhabitants.


28
    Beginning February 15, 2000, persons who have completed the 
29
requirements for
a
standard alternative teaching certificate 
30
under this Section shall be issued an
Initial
Alternative 
31
Teaching Certificate valid for 4 years of teaching and not

32
renewable.  At the end of the 4-year validity period, these 
33
persons shall be
eligible, on the same
basis as
holders of an 
34
Initial Teaching Certificate issued under subsection (b) of

35
Section 21-2 of
this Code, to apply for a Standard Teaching 
36
Certificate, provided they meet the
requirements of subsection 
 


 






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(c) of Section 21-2.


2
    This alternative certification program shall be 
3
implemented so that the first
provisional alternative teaching 
4
certificates issued under this Section are
effective upon the 
5
commencement of the 1997-1998 academic year and the first

6
standard alternative teaching certificates issued under this 
7
Section are
effective upon the commencement of the 1998-1999 
8
academic year.


9
    The State Board of Education, in cooperation with the 
10
partnership
establishing the Alternative Teacher Certification 
11
program, shall adopt rules
and regulations that are consistent 
12
with this Section and that the State Board
of Education deems 
13
necessary to establish and implement the program.


14
(Source: P.A. 91-609, eff. 1-1-00.)


 
15
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 
16
2005.