99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB4024

 

Introduced , by Rep. Deborah Conroy

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21B-45

    Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to ensure that professional educator licensees have access to professional development activities aligned with the best practices in civics education and to seek an efficient and effective method of providing professional development of civics content and skills.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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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-45 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/21B-45)
7    Sec. 21B-45. Professional Educator License renewal.
8    (a) Individuals holding a Professional Educator License
9are required to complete the licensure renewal requirements as
10specified in this Section, unless otherwise provided in this
11Code.
12    Individuals holding a Professional Educator License shall
13meet the renewal requirements set forth in this Section, unless
14otherwise provided in this Code. If an individual holds a
15license endorsed in more than one area that has different
16renewal requirements, that individual shall follow the renewal
17requirements for the position for which he or she spends the
18majority of his or her time working.
19    (b) All Professional Educator Licenses not renewed as
20provided in this Section shall lapse on September 1 of that
21year. Lapsed licenses may be immediately reinstated upon (i)
22payment by the applicant of a $500 penalty to the State Board
23of Education or, for individuals holding an Educator License

 

 

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1with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement
2only, payment by the applicant of a $150 penalty to the State
3Board of Education or (ii) the demonstration of proficiency by
4completing 9 semester hours of coursework from a regionally
5accredited institution of higher education in the content area
6that most aligns with one or more of the educator's endorsement
7areas. Any and all back fees, including without limitation
8registration fees owed from the time of expiration of the
9certificate until the date of reinstatement, shall be paid and
10kept in accordance with the provisions in Article 3 of this
11Code concerning an institute fund and the provisions in Article
1221B of this Code concerning fees and requirements for
13registration. Licenses not registered in accordance with
14Section 21B-40 of this Code shall lapse after a period of 6
15months from the expiration of the last year of registration. An
16unregistered license is invalid after September 1 for
17employment and performance of services in an Illinois public or
18State-operated school or cooperative and in a charter school.
19Any license or endorsement may be voluntarily surrendered by
20the license holder. A voluntarily surrendered license, except a
21substitute teaching license issued under Section 21B-20 of this
22Code, shall be treated as a revoked license.
23    (c) From July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014, in order to
24satisfy the requirements for licensure renewal provided for in
25this Section, each professional educator licensee with an
26administrative endorsement who is working in a position

 

 

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1requiring such endorsement shall complete one Illinois
2Administrators' Academy course, as described in Article 2 of
3this Code, per fiscal year.
4    (d) Beginning July 1, 2014, in order to satisfy the
5requirements for licensure renewal provided for in this
6Section, each professional educator licensee may create a
7professional development plan each year. The plan shall address
8one or more of the endorsements that are required of his or her
9educator position if the licensee is employed and performing
10services in an Illinois public or State-operated school or
11cooperative. If the licensee is employed in a charter school,
12the plan shall address that endorsement or those endorsements
13most closely related to his or her educator position. Licensees
14employed and performing services in any other Illinois schools
15may participate in the renewal requirements by adhering to the
16same process.
17    Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the
18licensee's professional development activities shall align
19with one or more of the following criteria:
20        (1) activities are of a type that engage participants
21    over a sustained period of time allowing for analysis,
22    discovery, and application as they relate to student
23    learning, social or emotional achievement, or well-being;
24        (2) professional development aligns to the licensee's
25    performance;
26        (3) outcomes for the activities must relate to student

 

 

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1    growth or district improvement;
2        (4) activities align to State-approved standards; and
3        (5) higher education coursework.
4    (d-5) The State Board of Education shall ensure that
5professional educator licensees have access to professional
6development activities aligned with the best practices in
7civics education and shall seek an efficient and effective
8method of providing professional development of civics content
9and skills.
10    (e) For each renewal cycle, each professional educator
11licensee shall engage in professional development activities.
12Within 60 days after the conclusion of a professional
13development activity, the licensee shall enter electronically
14into the Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) the name,
15date, and location of the activity, the number of professional
16development hours, and the provider's name. The following
17provisions shall apply concerning professional development
18activities:
19        (1) Each licensee shall complete a total of 120 hours
20    of professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in
21    order to renew the license, except as otherwise provided in
22    this Section.
23        (2) Beginning with his or her first full 5-year cycle,
24    any licensee with an administrative endorsement who is not
25    working in a position requiring such endorsement shall
26    complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course, as

 

 

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1    described in Article 2 of this Code, in each 5-year renewal
2    cycle in which the administrative endorsement was held for
3    at least one year. The Illinois Administrators' Academy
4    course may count toward the total of 120 hours per 5-year
5    cycle.
6        (3) Any licensee with an administrative endorsement
7    who is working in a position requiring such endorsement or
8    an individual with a Teacher Leader endorsement serving in
9    an administrative capacity at least 50% of the day shall
10    complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course, as
11    described in Article 2 of this Code, each fiscal year in
12    addition to 100 hours of professional development per
13    5-year renewal cycle in accordance with this Code.
14        (4) Any licensee holding a current National Board for
15    Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) master teacher
16    designation shall complete a total of 60 hours of
17    professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in order
18    to renew the license.
19        (5) Licensees working in a position that does not
20    require educator licensure or working in a position for
21    less than 50% for any particular year are considered to be
22    exempt and shall be required to pay only the registration
23    fee in order to renew and maintain the validity of the
24    license.
25        (6) Licensees who are retired and qualify for benefits
26    from a State retirement system shall notify the State Board

 

 

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1    of Education using ELIS, and the license shall be
2    maintained in retired status. An individual with a license
3    in retired status shall not be required to complete
4    professional development activities or pay registration
5    fees until returning to a position that requires educator
6    licensure. Upon returning to work in a position that
7    requires the Professional Educator License, the licensee
8    shall immediately pay a registration fee and complete
9    renewal requirements for that year. A license in retired
10    status cannot lapse.
11        (7) For any renewal cycle in which professional
12    development hours were required, but not fulfilled, the
13    licensee shall complete any missed hours to total the
14    minimum professional development hours required in this
15    Section prior to September 1 of that year. For any fiscal
16    year or renewal cycle in which an Illinois Administrators'
17    Academy course was required but not completed, the licensee
18    shall complete any missed Illinois Administrators' Academy
19    courses prior to September 1 of that year. The licensee may
20    complete all deficient hours and Illinois Administrators'
21    Academy courses while continuing to work in a position that
22    requires that license until September 1 of that year.
23        (8) Any licensee who has not fulfilled the professional
24    development renewal requirements set forth in this Section
25    at the end of any 5-year renewal cycle is ineligible to
26    register his or her license and may submit an appeal to the

 

 

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1    State Superintendent of Education for reinstatement of the
2    license.
3        (9) If professional development opportunities were
4    unavailable to a licensee, proof that opportunities were
5    unavailable and request for an extension of time beyond
6    August 31 to complete the renewal requirements may be
7    submitted from April 1 through June 30 of that year to the
8    State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. If an
9    extension is approved, the license shall remain valid
10    during the extension period.
11        (10) Individuals who hold exempt licenses prior to the
12    effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General
13    Assembly shall commence the annual renewal process with the
14    first scheduled registration due after the effective date
15    of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.
16    (f) At the time of renewal, each licensee shall respond to
17the required questions under penalty of perjury.
18    (g) The following entities shall be designated as approved
19to provide professional development activities for the renewal
20of Professional Educator Licenses:
21        (1) The State Board of Education.
22        (2) Regional offices of education and intermediate
23    service centers.
24        (3) Illinois professional associations representing
25    the following groups that are approved by the State
26    Superintendent of Education:

 

 

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1            (A) school administrators;
2            (B) principals;
3            (C) school business officials;
4            (D) teachers, including special education
5        teachers;
6            (E) school boards;
7            (F) school districts;
8            (G) parents; and
9            (H) school service personnel.
10        (4) Regionally accredited institutions of higher
11    education that offer Illinois-approved educator
12    preparation programs.
13        (5) Illinois public school districts, charter schools
14    authorized under Article 27A of this Code, and joint
15    educational programs authorized under Article 10 of this
16    Code for the purposes of providing career and technical
17    education or special education services.
18        (6) A not-for-profit organization that, as of the
19    effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General
20    Assembly, has had or has a grant from or a contract with
21    the State Board of Education to provide professional
22    development services in the area of English Language
23    Learning to Illinois school districts, teachers, or
24    administrators.
25    (h) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this Section
26shall make available professional development opportunities

 

 

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1that satisfy at least one of the following:
2        (1) increase the knowledge and skills of school and
3    district leaders who guide continuous professional
4    development;
5        (2) improve the learning of students;
6        (3) organize adults into learning communities whose
7    goals are aligned with those of the school and district;
8        (4) deepen educator's content knowledge;
9        (5) provide educators with research-based
10    instructional strategies to assist students in meeting
11    rigorous academic standards;
12        (6) prepare educators to appropriately use various
13    types of classroom assessments;
14        (7) use learning strategies appropriate to the
15    intended goals;
16        (8) provide educators with the knowledge and skills to
17    collaborate; or
18        (9) prepare educators to apply research to
19    decision-making.
20    (i) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this Section
21shall do the following:
22        (1) align professional development activities to the
23    State-approved national standards for professional
24    learning;
25        (2) meet the professional development criteria for
26    Illinois licensure renewal;

 

 

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1        (3) produce a rationale for the activity that explains
2    how it aligns to State standards and identify the
3    assessment for determining the expected impact on student
4    learning or school improvement;
5        (4) maintain original documentation for completion of
6    activities; and
7        (5) provide license holders with evidence of
8    completion of activities.
9    (j) The State Board of Education shall conduct annual
10audits of approved providers, except for school districts,
11which shall be audited by regional offices of education and
12intermediate service centers. The State Board of Education
13shall complete random audits of licensees.
14        (1) Approved providers shall annually submit to the
15    State Board of Education a list of subcontractors used for
16    delivery of professional development activities for which
17    renewal credit was issued and other information as defined
18    by rule.
19        (2) Approved providers shall annually submit data to
20    the State Board of Education demonstrating how the
21    professional development activities impacted one or more
22    of the following:
23            (A) educator and student growth in regards to
24        content knowledge or skills, or both;
25            (B) educator and student social and emotional
26        growth; or

 

 

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1            (C) alignment to district or school improvement
2        plans.
3        (3) The State Superintendent of Education shall review
4    the annual data collected by the State Board of Education,
5    regional offices of education, and intermediate service
6    centers in audits to determine if the approved provider has
7    met the criteria and should continue to be an approved
8    provider or if further action should be taken as provided
9    in rules.
10    (k) Registration fees shall be paid for the next renewal
11cycle between April 1 and June 30 in the last year of each
125-year renewal cycle using ELIS. If all required professional
13development hours for the renewal cycle have been completed and
14entered by the licensee, the licensee shall pay the
15registration fees for the next cycle using a form of credit or
16debit card.
17    (l) Beginning July 1, 2014, any professional educator
18licensee endorsed for school support personnel who is employed
19and performing services in Illinois public schools and who
20holds an active and current professional license issued by the
21Department of Financial and Professional Regulation related to
22the endorsement areas on the Professional Educator License
23shall be deemed to have satisfied the continuing professional
24development requirements provided for in this Section. Such
25individuals shall be required to pay only registration fees to
26renew the Professional Educator License. An individual who does

 

 

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1not hold a license issued by the Department of Financial and
2Professional Regulation shall complete professional
3development requirements for the renewal of a Professional
4Educator License provided for in this Section.
5    (m) Appeals to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
6Board must be made within 30 days after receipt of notice from
7the State Superintendent of Education that a license will not
8be renewed based upon failure to complete the requirements of
9this Section. A licensee may appeal that decision to the State
10Educator Preparation and Licensure Board in a manner prescribed
11by rule.
12        (1) Each appeal shall state the reasons why the State
13    Superintendent's decision should be reversed and shall be
14    sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the
15    State Board of Education.
16        (2) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board
17    shall review each appeal regarding renewal of a license
18    within 90 days after receiving the appeal in order to
19    determine whether the licensee has met the requirements of
20    this Section. The State Educator Preparation and Licensure
21    Board may hold an appeal hearing or may make its
22    determination based upon the record of review, which shall
23    consist of the following:
24            (A) the regional superintendent of education's
25        rationale for recommending nonrenewal of the license,
26        if applicable;

 

 

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1            (B) any evidence submitted to the State
2        Superintendent along with the individual's electronic
3        statement of assurance for renewal; and
4            (C) the State Superintendent's rationale for
5        nonrenewal of the license.
6        (3) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board
7    shall notify the licensee of its decision regarding license
8    renewal by certified mail, return receipt requested, no
9    later than 30 days after reaching a decision. Upon receipt
10    of notification of renewal, the licensee, using ELIS, shall
11    pay the applicable registration fee for the next cycle
12    using a form of credit or debit card.
13    (n) The State Board of Education may adopt rules as may be
14necessary to implement this Section.
15(Source: P.A. 97-607, eff. 8-26-11; 98-610, eff. 12-27-13;
1698-1147, eff. 12-31-14.)