HB2675 Enrolled LRB096 03621 NHT 13649 b

1     AN ACT concerning 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 adding Section
5 18-12.5 and by changing Sections 21-1a and 21-10 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/18-12.5 new)
7     Sec. 18-12.5. State aid claims during health emergencies.
8 After consultation with a local health department, if a school
9 district closes one or more recognized school buildings, but
10 not all buildings, during a public health emergency, as
11 determined by the State Board of Education in consultation with
12 the Illinois Department of Public Health, the district may
13 claim a full day of attendance for those days based on the
14 average of the 3 school days of attendance immediately
15 preceding the closure of the school building. Attendance for
16 those days may be claimed only if the school building was
17 scheduled to be in operation on those days. The partial or no
18 day of attendance and the reasons thereof shall be certified,
19 as prescribed by the State Board of Education, within a month
20 after the closing by the school district superintendent to the
21 regional superintendent of schools for forwarding to the State
22 Superintendent of Education for approval.
23     This Section is applicable beginning April 1, 2009 and only

 

 

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1 if a school district closes a building or buildings, but not
2 the entire district, which must be done in accordance with
3 Section 18-12 of this Code.
 
4     (105 ILCS 5/21-1a)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-1a)
5     Sec. 21-1a. Tests required for certification and teacher
6 preparation.
7     (a) After July 1, 1988, in addition to all other
8 requirements, early childhood, elementary, special, high
9 school, school service personnel, or, except as provided in
10 Section 34-6, administrative certificates shall be issued to
11 persons who have satisfactorily passed a test of basic skills,
12 an assessment of professional teaching, and a test of subject
13 matter knowledge, provided that a person who passed another
14 state's test of basic skills as a condition of certification or
15 of admission to a teacher preparation program shall not be
16 required to pass this State's test of basic skills and subject
17 matter knowledge. A person who holds a valid and comparable
18 out-of-state certificate, however, is not required to take a
19 test of basic skills and is not required to take a test of
20 subject matter knowledge, provided that the person has
21 successfully passed a test of subject matter knowledge in
22 another state or territory of the United States that is
23 directly related in content to the specific subject area of
24 certification. The tests of basic skills and subject matter
25 knowledge shall be the tests which from time to time are

 

 

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1 designated by the State Board of Education in consultation with
2 the State Teacher Certification Board and may be tests prepared
3 by an educational testing organization or tests designed by the
4 State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
5 Certification Board. The areas to be covered by the test of
6 basic skills shall include the basic skills of reading,
7 writing, grammar and mathematics. The test of subject matter
8 knowledge shall assess content knowledge in the specific
9 subject field. The tests shall be designed to be racially
10 neutral to assure that no person in taking the tests is thereby
11 discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national
12 origin or other factors unrelated to the person's ability to
13 perform as a certificated employee. The score required to pass
14 the tests of basic skills and subject matter knowledge shall be
15 fixed by the State Board of Education in consultation with the
16 State Teacher Certification Board. The tests shall be held not
17 fewer than 3 times a year at such time and place as may be
18 designated by the State Board of Education in consultation with
19 the State Teacher Certification Board.
20     (b) Except as provided in Section 34-6, the provisions of
21 subsection (a) of this Section shall apply equally in any
22 school district subject to Article 34, provided that the State
23 Board of Education shall determine which certificates issued
24 under Sections 34-8.1 and 34-83 prior to July 1, 1988 are
25 comparable to any early childhood certificate, elementary
26 school certificate, special certificate, high school

 

 

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1 certificate, school service personnel certificate or
2 administrative certificate issued under this Article as of July
3 1, 1988.
4     (c) A person who holds an early childhood, elementary,
5 special, high school or school service personnel certificate
6 issued under this Article on or at any time before July 1,
7 1988, including a person who has been issued any such
8 certificate pursuant to Section 21-11.1 or in exchange for a
9 comparable certificate theretofore issued under Section 34-8.1
10 or Section 34-83, shall not be required to take or pass the
11 tests in order to thereafter have such certificate renewed.
12     (d) The State Board of Education in consultation with the
13 State Teacher Certification Board shall conduct a pilot
14 administration of the tests by administering the test to
15 students completing teacher education programs in the 1986-87
16 school year for the purpose of determining the effect and
17 impact of testing candidates for certification.
18     Beginning with the 2002-2003 academic year, a student may
19 not enroll in a teacher preparation program at a recognized
20 teacher training institution until he or she has passed the
21 basic skills test.
22     Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of
23 the 94th General Assembly, prior to completing an approved
24 teacher preparation program, a preservice education candidate
25 must satisfactorily pass the test of subject matter knowledge
26 in the discipline in which he or she will be certified to

 

 

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1 teach. The teacher preparation program may require passage of
2 the test of subject matter knowledge at any time during the
3 program, including prior to student teaching.
4     (e) The rules and regulations developed to implement the
5 required test of basic skills and subject matter knowledge
6 shall include the requirements of subsections (a), (b), and (c)
7 and shall include specific regulations to govern test
8 selection; test validation and determination of a passing
9 score; administration of the tests; frequency of
10 administration; applicant fees; frequency of applicants'
11 taking the tests; the years for which a score is valid; and,
12 waiving certain additional tests for additional certificates
13 to individuals who have satisfactorily passed the test of basic
14 skills and subject matter knowledge as required in subsection
15 (a). The State Board of Education shall provide, by rule,
16 specific policies that assure uniformity in the difficulty
17 level of each form of the basic skills test and each subject
18 matter knowledge test from test-to-test and year-to-year. The
19 State Board of Education shall also set a passing score for the
20 tests.
21     (f) The State Teacher Certification Board may issue a
22 nonrenewable temporary certificate between July 1, 1988 and
23 August 31, 1988 to individuals who have taken the tests of
24 basic skills and subject matter knowledge prescribed by this
25 Section but have not received such test scores by August 31,
26 1988. Such temporary certificates shall expire on December 31,

 

 

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1 1988.
2     (g) Beginning February 15, 2000, the State Board of
3 Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
4 Certification Board, shall implement and administer a new
5 system of certification for teachers in the State of Illinois.
6 The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
7 Teacher Certification Board, shall design and implement a
8 system of examinations and various other criteria which shall
9 be required prior to the issuance of Initial Teaching
10 Certificates and Standard Teaching Certificates. These
11 examinations and indicators shall be based on national and
12 State professional teaching standards, as determined by the
13 State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
14 Teacher Certification Board. The State Board of Education may
15 adopt any and all regulations necessary to implement and
16 administer this Section.
17     (h) The State Board of Education shall report to the
18 Illinois General Assembly and the Governor with
19 recommendations for further changes and improvements to the
20 teacher certification system no later than July 1, 1999 and on
21 an annual basis until July 1, 2001.
22 (Source: P.A. 93-679, eff. 6-30-04; 94-208, eff. 7-14-05.)
 
23     (105 ILCS 5/21-10)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-10)
24     Sec. 21-10. Provisional certificate.
25     (A) Until July 1, 1972, the State Teacher Certification

 

 

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1 Board may issue a provisional certificate valid for teaching in
2 elementary, high school or special subject fields subject to
3 the following conditions:
4     A provisional certificate may be issued to a person who
5 presents certified evidence of having earned a bachelor's
6 degree from a recognized institution of higher learning. The
7 academic and professional courses offered as a basis of the
8 provisional certificate shall be courses approved by the State
9 Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
10 Certification Board.
11     A certificate earned under this plan may be renewed at the
12 end of each two-year period upon evidence filed with the State
13 Teacher Certification Board that the holder has earned 8
14 semester hours of credit within the period; provided the
15 requirements for the certificate of the same type issued for
16 the teaching position for which the teacher is employed shall
17 be met by the end of the second renewal period. A second
18 provisional certificate shall not be issued. The credits so
19 earned must be approved by the State Board of Education in
20 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board and
21 must meet the general pattern for a similar type of certificate
22 issued on the basis of credit. No more than 4 semester hours
23 shall be chosen from elective subjects.
24     (B) After July 1, 1972, the State Teacher Certification
25 Board may issue a provisional certificate valid for teaching in
26 early childhood, elementary, high school or special subject

 

 

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1 fields, or for providing service as school service personnel or
2 for administering schools subject to the following conditions:
3 A provisional certificate may be issued to a person who meets
4 the requirements for a regular teaching, school service
5 personnel or administrative certificate in another State and
6 who presents certified evidence of having earned a bachelor's
7 degree from a recognized institution of higher learning. The
8 academic and professional courses offered as a basis of the
9 provisional certificate shall be courses approved by the State
10 Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
11 Certification Board. A certificate earned under this plan is
12 valid for a period of 2 years and shall not be renewed;
13 however, the individual to whom this certificate is issued
14 shall have passed or shall pass the examinations set forth by
15 the State Board of Education within 9 months of the date of
16 issuance of the provisional certificate. Failure to pass the
17 tests, required in Section 21-1a, shall result in the
18 cancellation of the provisional certificate.
19     (C) The State Teacher Certification Board may also issue a
20 provisional vocational certificate and a temporary provisional
21 vocational certificate.
22         (1) The requirements for a provisional vocational
23     certificate shall be determined by the State Board of
24     Education in consultation with the State Teacher
25     Certification Board; provided, the following minimum
26     requirements are met: (a) after July 1, 1972, at least 30

 

 

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1     semester hours of credit from a recognized institution of
2     higher learning; and (b) after July 1, 1974, at least 60
3     semester hours of credit from a recognized institution of
4     higher learning.
5         (2) The requirements for a temporary provisional
6     vocational certificate shall be determined by the State
7     Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
8     Certification Board; provided, the following minimum
9     requirements are met: (a) after July 1, 1973, at least
10     4,000 hours of work experience in the skill to be certified
11     for teaching; and (b) after July 1, 1975, at least 8,000
12     hours of work experience in the skill to be certified for
13     teaching. Any certificate issued under the provisions of
14     this paragraph shall expire on June 30 following the date
15     of issue. Renewals may be granted on a yearly basis, but
16     shall not be granted to any person who does not file with
17     the State Teacher Certification Board a transcript showing
18     at least 3 semester hours of credit earned during the
19     previous year in a recognized institution of learning. No
20     such certificate shall be issued except upon certification
21     by the employing board, subject to the approval of the
22     regional superintendent of schools, that no qualified
23     teacher holding a regular certificate or a provisional
24     vocational certificate is available and that actual
25     circumstances and need require such issuance.
26     The courses or work experience offered as a basis for the

 

 

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1 issuance of the provisional vocational certificate or the
2 temporary provisional vocational certificate shall be approved
3 by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State
4 Teacher Certification Board.
5     (D) Until July 1, 1972, the State Teacher Certification
6 Board may also issue a provisional foreign language certificate
7 valid for 4 years for teaching the foreign language named
8 therein in all grades of the common schools and shall be issued
9 to persons who have graduated from a recognized institution of
10 higher learning with not fewer than 120 semester hours of
11 credit and who have met other requirements as determined by the
12 State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
13 Certification Board. If the holder of a provisional foreign
14 language certificate is not a citizen of the United States
15 within 6 years of the date of issuance of the original
16 certificate, such certificate shall be suspended by the
17 regional superintendent of schools of the region in which the
18 holder is engaged to teach and shall not be reinstated until
19 the holder is a citizen of the United States.
20     (E) Notwithstanding anything in this Act to the contrary,
21 the State Teacher Certification Board shall issue part-time
22 provisional certificates to eligible individuals who are
23 professionals and craftsmen.
24     The requirements for a part-time provisional teachers
25 certificate shall be determined by the State Board of Education
26 in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board,

 

 

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1 provided the following minimum requirements are met: 60
2 semester hours of credit from a recognized institution of
3 higher learning or 4000 hours of work experience in the skill
4 to be certified for teaching.
5     A part-time provisional certificate may be issued for
6 teaching no more than 2 courses of study for grades 6 through
7 12.
8     A part-time provisional teachers certificate shall be
9 valid for 2 years and may be renewed at the end of each 2 year
10 period.
11 (Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)
 
12     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
13 2009.