Rep. Rita Mayfield

Filed: 5/10/2023

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2243

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2243 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Findings. The General Assembly makes all of
5the following findings:
6        (1) Literacy is not only critical for individuals'
7    ability to earn income, secure housing, participate in
8    their health care, support their children's education,
9    pursue happiness, and navigate the world but also
10    collectively foundational to our community and democracy.
11        (2) The World Literacy Foundation found that low
12    literacy is a major contributor to inequality and
13    increases the likelihood of poor physical and mental
14    health, workplace accidents, misuse of medication,
15    participation in crime, and welfare dependency, all of
16    which have substantial additional social and economic
17    costs.

 

 

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1        (3) Fifty percent of Illinois' third graders met,
2    exceeded, or approached learning standards in English
3    language arts according to the Illinois Assessment of
4    Readiness with the other half of students not meeting or
5    partially meeting standards; this represents a 10
6    percentage-point swing from the 2019 prepandemic rates
7    when 60% of students met, exceeded, or approached learning
8    standards.
9        (4) Thirty-three percent of Illinois' fourth graders
10    achieved proficient or advanced reading scores on the 2022
11    National Assessment of Educational Progress with another
12    29% meeting basic reading proficiency and the remaining
13    38% scoring below basic reading proficiency.
14        (5) Research from the Annie E. Casey Institute found
15    that students who are not proficient readers in third
16    grade are 4 times more likely not to finish high school; if
17    those students are from low-income families, they are more
18    than 6 times more likely not to finish high school.
19        (6) Research consistently finds that a diverse,
20    well-trained, and expanding pool of teachers, in
21    conjunction with curricula responsive to the strengths and
22    needs of diverse student populations, improves educational
23    outcomes for all students.
24        (7) An appropriate curriculum considers the learning
25    needs of students with their developmental needs and
26    increases in complexity with every new stage of childhood.

 

 

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1        (8) Oral language development is a prerequisite for
2    reading and writing that is nurtured from birth through
3    talking, reading, story-telling, singing, nursery rhymes,
4    and other language exposure and, as younger children
5    develop, through intentional dialogue with rich
6    vocabulary, home visiting programs, access to books,
7    high-quality child care and preschool, and lived
8    experiences that strengthen students' opportunity to build
9    oracy skills, vocabulary, and background knowledge,
10    leading to higher-level cognitive thinking.
11        (9) Reading builds new neural pathways in the brain as
12    people, usually children, learn to connect the sounds in
13    language to letters on a page to the meaning of the text;
14    however, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to
15    literacy, as learners will require differentiated
16    strategies or methods and dosages within different areas
17    of literacy instruction to meet their individual needs.
18        (10) Reading, writing, and oracy have a reciprocal
19    relationship, as each strengthens the other, and students
20    benefit when their instruction is closely intertwined.
21        (11) English learners benefit from a comprehensive
22    literacy approach that recognizes the value of
23    multilingualism by enveloping all areas of literacy
24    instruction with a deep focus on oral language development
25    and encouraging students to make connections between
26    English and their home language.

 

 

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1        (12) Teachers deserve the tools to be knowledgeable
2    about the cultural practices and language system of the
3    children they serve, including those children who speak
4    language variations of English, such as African-American
5    English (AAE); AAE has a linguistic structure that is a
6    systematic and rule-governed variation of General American
7    English.
8        (13) Research shows that direct, systematic,
9    cumulative, and explicit reading instruction that is
10    focused on the foundational reading skills of phonemic
11    awareness, phonics or decoding, spelling or encoding,
12    vocabulary development that includes morphology, oral
13    language development, reading fluency, and reading
14    comprehension that includes syntax and building background
15    or content knowledge, is highly effective in teaching
16    young children to read.
17        (14) High literacy achievement across all demographic
18    groups is an essential indicator of educational equity
19    within this State; strengthening early literacy
20    instruction and support for students in Illinois will pay
21    dividends in the future by empowering students, providing
22    them with the skills they will need to graduate, find
23    fulfilling careers, and be productive members of their
24    communities and of our democracy.
25        (15) Ensuring that every child has access to
26    high-quality, research-aligned, developmentally

 

 

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1    appropriate reading instruction implemented using a
2    comprehensive approach is a foundational component of this
3    State's public education system and a responsibility
4    shared among federal, State, and local education agencies.
 
5    Section 90. The School Code is amended by adding Section
62-3.196 and by changing Sections 21B-30 and 21B-35 and as
7follows:
 
8    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new)
9    Sec. 2-3.196. State Board of Education literacy
10assistance.
11    (a) The State Board of Education shall adopt and make
12available all of the following to each publicly funded school
13district by July 1, 2024:
14        (1) A rubric by which districts may evaluate curricula
15    and select and implement evidence-based, culturally
16    inclusive core reading instruction programs aligned with
17    the comprehensive literacy plan for the State described in
18    subsection (c).
19        (2) A template to support districts when developing
20    comprehensive, district-wide literacy plans that include
21    support for special student populations, including, at a
22    minimum, students with disabilities, multilingual
23    students, and bidialectal students.
24        (3) Guidance on evidence-based practices for effective

 

 

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1    structures for training and deploying literacy coaches to
2    support teachers and close opportunity gaps among student
3    demographic groups.
4    (b) On or before January 1, 2025, the State Board of
5Education shall develop and make available training
6opportunities for educators in teaching reading that are
7aligned with the comprehensive literacy plan described in
8subsection (c) and consistent with State learning standards.
9This support may include:
10        (1) the development of a microcredential or a series
11    of microcredentials in literacy instruction aligned with
12    the comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection
13    (c) to be affixed to educator licenses upon successful
14    demonstration of the skill or completion of the required
15    coursework or assessment, or both, or online training
16    modules on literacy instruction, aligned with the
17    comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection (c)
18    and consistent with State learning standards, accepted for
19    continuing professional development units; and
20        (2) the creation and dissemination of a tool that
21    school districts, educators, and the public may use to
22    evaluate professional development and training programs
23    related to literacy instruction.
24    (c) In consultation with education stakeholders, the State
25Board of Education shall develop and adopt a comprehensive
26literacy plan for the State on or before January 31, 2024. The

 

 

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1comprehensive literacy plan shall consider, without
2limitation, evidence-based research and culturally and
3linguistically sustaining pedagogical approaches to meet the
4needs of all students and shall, at a minimum, do all of the
5following:
6        (1) Consider core instructional literacy practices and
7    practices related to the unique needs of and support for
8    specific student populations, including, at a minimum,
9    students with disabilities, multilingual students, and
10    bidialectal students, and the resources and support,
11    including professional learning for teachers, needed to
12    effectively implement the literacy instruction.
13        (2) Provide guidance related to screening tools, the
14    administration of such screening tools, and the
15    interpretation of the resulting data to identify students
16    at risk of reading difficulties in grades kindergarten
17    through 2. This guidance shall outline instances in which
18    dyslexia screenings and other universal screeners are
19    appropriate for use with English learners.
20        (3) Provide guidance related to early literacy
21    intervention for students in grades kindergarten through 2
22    for schools to implement with students at risk of reading
23    difficulties, as well as literacy intervention for
24    students in grades 3 through 12 demonstrating reading
25    difficulties.
26        (4) Consider the impact of second language acquisition

 

 

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1    and bilingual education on reading instruction in the
2    student's native language and English.
3        (5) Define key terminology, such as "evidence-based".
4        (6) Contextualize the interaction between elements of
5    the plan and existing laws and regulations that have
6    overlapping components, such as a multi-tiered system of
7    support.
8        (7) Focus on a comprehensive range of elements of
9    literacy, including phonological awareness; decoding
10    (phonics); encoding (spelling); vocabulary development,
11    including morphology, oracy, and reading fluency; and
12    reading comprehension, including syntax and background and
13    content knowledge.
 
14    (105 ILCS 5/21B-30)
15    Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing.
16    (a) (Blank).
17    (b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
18State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design
19and implement a system of examinations, which shall be
20required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These
21examinations and indicators must be based on national and
22State professional teaching standards, as determined by the
23State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
24Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of
25Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to

 

 

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1implement and administer this Section.
2    (c) (Blank).
3    (c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a
4paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an
5applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a
6paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the
7endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other
8requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section
921B-20 other than the higher education requirements.
10    (d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be
11required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area
12of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There
13shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall
14be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record
15until he or she has passed the applicable content area test.
16    (d-5) The State Board shall consult with any applicable
17vendors within 90 days after the effective date of this
18amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly to develop a plan
19to transition the test of content area knowledge in the
20endorsement area of elementary education, grades one through
216, by July 1, 2026 to a content area test that contains testing
22elements that cover bilingualism, biliteracy, oral language
23development, foundational literacy skills, and developmentally
24appropriate higher-order comprehension and on which a valid
25and reliable language and literacy subscore can be determined.
26The State Board shall base its rules concerning the passing

 

 

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1subscore on the language and literacy portion of the test on
2the recommended 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) Except as otherwise provided in this Article,
10beginning on September 1, 2015, all candidates completing
11teacher preparation programs in this State and all candidates
12subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code are required to pass a
13teacher performance assessment approved by the State Board of
14Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
15and Licensure Board. A candidate may not be required to submit
16test materials by video submission. Subject to appropriation,
17an individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is
18employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district
19designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after
20application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a
21refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher
22performance assessment under this subsection.
23    (g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher
24performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to
25time are designated by the State Board of Education, in
26consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure

 

 

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1Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing
2organization or tests designed by the State Board of
3Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
4and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall
5assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The
6tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no
7person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis
8of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to
9the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The
10score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State
11Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator
12Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be
13administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and
14place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in
15consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
16Board.
17    The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess
18the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of
19applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under
20subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this
21Code in the English language and in the language of the
22transitional bilingual education program requested by the
23applicant.
24    (h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the
25provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school
26district subject to Article 34 of this Code.

 

 

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1    (i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the
2testing requirements under this Section shall include, without
3limitation, provisions governing test selection, test
4validation, and determination of a passing score,
5administration of the tests, frequency of administration,
6applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the
7years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special
8accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop
9such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to
10year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.
11(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19;
12101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 102-301, eff. 8-26-21.)
 
13    (105 ILCS 5/21B-35)
14    Sec. 21B-35. Minimum requirements for educators trained in
15other states or countries.
16    (a) Any applicant who has not been entitled by an
17Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois
18institution of higher education applying for a Professional
19Educator License endorsed in a teaching field or school
20support personnel area must meet the following requirements:
21        (1) the applicant must:
22            (A) hold a comparable and valid educator license
23        or certificate, as defined by rule, with similar grade
24        level and content area credentials from another state,
25        with the State Board of Education having the authority

 

 

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1        to determine what constitutes similar grade level and
2        content area credentials from another state;
3            (B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally
4        accredited institution of higher education; and
5            (C) (blank); or
6        (2) the applicant must:
7            (A) have completed a state-approved program for
8        the licensure area sought, including coursework
9        concerning (i) methods of instruction of the
10        exceptional child, (ii) methods of reading that align
11        with all applicable standards set forth in Part 23 of
12        Title 23 of the Illinois Administrative Code and
13        reading in the content area, and (iii) instructional
14        strategies for English learners;
15            (B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally
16        accredited institution of higher education;
17            (C) have successfully met all Illinois examination
18        requirements, except that:
19                (i) (blank);
20                (ii) an applicant who has successfully
21            completed a test of content, as defined by rules,
22            at the time of initial licensure in another state
23            is not required to complete a test of content; and
24                (iii) an applicant for a teaching endorsement
25            who has successfully completed an evidence-based
26            assessment of teacher effectiveness, as defined by

 

 

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1            rules, at the time of initial licensure in another
2            state is not required to complete an
3            evidence-based assessment of teacher
4            effectiveness; and
5            (D) for an applicant for a teaching endorsement,
6        have completed student teaching or an equivalent
7        experience or, for an applicant for a school service
8        personnel endorsement, have completed an internship or
9        an equivalent experience.
10    (b) In order to receive a Professional Educator License
11endorsed in a teaching field or school support personnel area,
12applicants trained in another country must meet all of the
13following requirements:
14        (1) Have completed a comparable education program in
15    another country.
16        (2) Have had transcripts evaluated by an evaluation
17    service approved by the State Superintendent of Education.
18        (3) Have a degree comparable to a degree from a
19    regionally accredited institution of higher education.
20        (4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards
21    concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional
22    child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all
23    applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of
24    the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the
25    content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for
26    English learners.

 

 

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1        (5) (Blank).
2        (6) (Blank).
3        (7) Have successfully met all State licensure
4    examination requirements. Applicants who have successfully
5    completed a test of content, as defined by rules, at the
6    time of initial licensure in another country shall not be
7    required to complete a test of content. Applicants for a
8    teaching endorsement who have successfully completed an
9    evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness, as
10    defined by rules, at the time of initial licensure in
11    another country shall not be required to complete an
12    evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness.
13        (8) Have completed student teaching or an equivalent
14    experience.
15        (9) (Blank).
16    (b-5) All applicants who have not been entitled by an
17Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois
18institution of higher education and applicants trained in
19another country applying for a Professional Educator License
20endorsed for principal or superintendent must hold a master's
21degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher
22education and hold a comparable and valid educator license or
23certificate with similar grade level and subject matter
24credentials, with the State Board of Education having the
25authority to determine what constitutes similar grade level
26and subject matter credentials from another state, or must

 

 

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1meet all of the following requirements:
2        (1) Have completed an educator preparation program
3    approved by another state or comparable educator program
4    in another country leading to the receipt of a license or
5    certificate for the Illinois endorsement sought.
6        (2) Have successfully met all State licensure
7    examination requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of
8    this Code. Applicants who have successfully completed a
9    test of content, as defined by rules, at the time of
10    initial licensure in another state or country shall not be
11    required to complete a test of content.
12        (2.5) Have completed an internship, as defined by
13    rule.
14        (3) (Blank).
15        (4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards
16    concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional
17    child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all
18    applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of
19    the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the
20    content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for
21    English learners.
22        (4.5) (Blank).
23        (5) Have completed a master's degree.
24        (6) Have successfully completed teaching, school
25    support, or administrative experience as defined by rule.
26    (b-7) All applicants who have not been entitled by an

 

 

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1Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois
2institution of higher education applying for a Professional
3Educator License endorsed for Director of Special Education
4must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited
5institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and
6valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level
7and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of
8Education having the authority to determine what constitutes
9similar grade level and subject matter credentials from
10another state, or must meet all of the following requirements:
11        (1) Have completed a master's degree.
12        (2) Have 2 years of full-time experience providing
13    special education services.
14        (3) Have successfully completed all examination
15    requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.
16    Applicants who have successfully completed a test of
17    content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial
18    licensure in another state or country shall not be
19    required to complete a test of content.
20        (4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards
21    concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional
22    child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all
23    applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of
24    the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the
25    content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for
26    English learners.

 

 

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1    (b-10) All applicants who have not been entitled by an
2Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois
3institution of higher education applying for a Professional
4Educator License endorsed for chief school business official
5must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited
6institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and
7valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level
8and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of
9Education having the authority to determine what constitutes
10similar grade level and subject matter credentials from
11another state, or must meet all of the following requirements:
12        (1) Have completed a master's degree in school
13    business management, finance, or accounting.
14        (2) Have successfully completed an internship in
15    school business management or have 2 years of experience
16    as a school business administrator.
17        (3) Have successfully met all State examination
18    requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.
19    Applicants who have successfully completed a test of
20    content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial
21    licensure in another state or country shall not be
22    required to complete a test of content.
23        (4) Have completed modules aligned to standards
24    concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional
25    child, methods of reading and reading in the content area,
26    and instructional strategies for English learners.

 

 

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1    (c) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
2State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such
3rules as may be necessary to implement this Section.
4(Source: P.A. 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20;
5102-539, eff. 8-20-21.)
 
6    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
7becoming law.".