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Public Act 101-0085 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | ||||
21B-45 as follows: | ||||
(105 ILCS 5/21B-45) | ||||
Sec. 21B-45. Professional Educator License renewal. | ||||
(a) Individuals holding a Professional Educator License | ||||
are required to complete the licensure renewal requirements as | ||||
specified in this Section, unless otherwise provided in this | ||||
Code. | ||||
Individuals holding a Professional Educator License shall | ||||
meet the renewal requirements set forth in this Section, unless | ||||
otherwise provided in this Code. If an individual holds a | ||||
license endorsed in more than one area that has different | ||||
renewal requirements, that individual shall follow the renewal | ||||
requirements for the position for which he or she spends the | ||||
majority of his or her time working. | ||||
(b) All Professional Educator Licenses not renewed as | ||||
provided in this Section shall lapse on September 1 of that | ||||
year. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, if | ||||
a license holder's electronic mail address is available, the | ||||
State Board of Education shall send him or her notification |
electronically that his or her license will lapse if not | ||
renewed, to be sent no more than 6 months prior to the license | ||
lapsing. Lapsed licenses may be immediately reinstated upon (i) | ||
payment by the applicant of a $500 penalty to the State Board | ||
of Education or (ii) the demonstration of proficiency by | ||
completing 9 semester hours of coursework from a regionally | ||
accredited institution of higher education in the content area | ||
that most aligns with one or more of the educator's endorsement | ||
areas. Any and all back fees, including without limitation | ||
registration fees owed from the time of expiration of the | ||
license until the date of reinstatement, shall be paid and kept | ||
in accordance with the provisions in Article 3 of this Code | ||
concerning an institute fund and the provisions in Article 21B | ||
of this Code concerning fees and requirements for registration. | ||
Licenses not registered in accordance with Section 21B-40 of | ||
this Code shall lapse after a period of 6 months from the | ||
expiration of the last year of registration or on January 1 of | ||
the fiscal year following initial issuance of the license. An | ||
unregistered license is invalid after September 1 for | ||
employment and performance of services in an Illinois public or | ||
State-operated school or cooperative and in a charter school. | ||
Any license or endorsement may be voluntarily surrendered by | ||
the license holder. A voluntarily surrendered license, except a | ||
substitute teaching license issued under Section 21B-20 of this | ||
Code, shall be treated as a revoked license. An Educator | ||
License with Stipulations with only a paraprofessional |
endorsement does not lapse.
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(c) From July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014, in order to | ||
satisfy the requirements for licensure renewal provided for in | ||
this Section, each professional educator licensee with an | ||
administrative endorsement who is working in a position | ||
requiring such endorsement shall complete one Illinois | ||
Administrators' Academy course, as described in Article 2 of | ||
this Code, per fiscal year. | ||
(d) Beginning July 1, 2014, in order to satisfy the | ||
requirements for licensure renewal provided for in this | ||
Section, each professional educator licensee may create a | ||
professional development plan each year. The plan shall address | ||
one or more of the endorsements that are required of his or her | ||
educator position if the licensee is employed and performing | ||
services in an Illinois public or State-operated school or | ||
cooperative. If the licensee is employed in a charter school, | ||
the plan shall address that endorsement or those endorsements | ||
most closely related to his or her educator position. Licensees | ||
employed and performing services in any other Illinois schools | ||
may participate in the renewal requirements by adhering to the | ||
same process. | ||
Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the | ||
licensee's professional development activities shall align | ||
with one or more of the following criteria: | ||
(1) activities are of a type that engage participants | ||
over a sustained period of time allowing for analysis, |
discovery, and application as they relate to student | ||
learning, social or emotional achievement, or well-being; | ||
(2) professional development aligns to the licensee's | ||
performance; | ||
(3) outcomes for the activities must relate to student | ||
growth or district improvement; | ||
(4) activities align to State-approved standards;
and | ||
(5) higher education coursework. | ||
(e) For each renewal cycle, each professional educator | ||
licensee shall engage in professional development activities. | ||
Prior to renewal, the licensee shall enter electronically into | ||
the Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) the name, | ||
date, and location of the activity, the number of professional | ||
development hours, and the provider's name. The following | ||
provisions shall apply concerning professional development | ||
activities: | ||
(1) Each licensee shall complete a total of 120 hours | ||
of professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in | ||
order to renew the license, except as otherwise provided in | ||
this Section. | ||
(2) Beginning with his or her first full 5-year cycle, | ||
any licensee with an administrative endorsement who is not | ||
working in a position requiring such endorsement is not | ||
required to complete Illinois Administrators' Academy | ||
courses, as described in Article 2 of this Code. Such | ||
licensees must complete one Illinois Administrators' |
Academy course within one year after returning to a | ||
position that requires the administrative endorsement. | ||
(3) Any licensee with an administrative endorsement | ||
who is working in a position requiring such endorsement or | ||
an individual with a Teacher Leader endorsement serving in | ||
an administrative capacity at least 50% of the day shall | ||
complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course, as | ||
described in Article 2 of this Code, each fiscal year in | ||
addition to 100 hours of professional development per | ||
5-year renewal cycle in accordance with this Code. | ||
(4) Any licensee holding a current National Board for | ||
Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) master teacher | ||
designation shall complete a total of 60 hours of | ||
professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in order | ||
to renew the license. | ||
(5) Licensees working in a position that does not | ||
require educator licensure or working in a position for | ||
less than 50% for any particular year are considered to be | ||
exempt and shall be required to pay only the registration | ||
fee in order to renew and maintain the validity of the | ||
license. | ||
(6) Licensees who are retired and qualify for benefits | ||
from a State of Illinois retirement system shall notify the | ||
State Board of Education using ELIS, and the license shall | ||
be maintained in retired status. For any renewal cycle in | ||
which a licensee retires during the renewal cycle, the |
licensee must complete professional development activities | ||
on a prorated basis depending on the number of years during | ||
the renewal cycle the educator held an active license. If a | ||
licensee retires during a renewal cycle, the licensee must | ||
notify the State Board of Education using ELIS that the | ||
licensee wishes to maintain the license in retired status | ||
and must show proof of completion of professional | ||
development activities on a prorated basis for all years of | ||
that renewal cycle for which the license was active. An | ||
individual with a license in retired status shall not be | ||
required to complete professional development activities | ||
or pay registration fees until returning to a position that | ||
requires educator licensure. Upon returning to work in a | ||
position that requires the Professional Educator License, | ||
the licensee shall immediately pay a registration fee and | ||
complete renewal requirements for that year. A license in | ||
retired status cannot lapse. Beginning on January 6, 2017 | ||
(the effective date of Public Act 99-920) through December | ||
31, 2017, any licensee who has retired and whose license | ||
has lapsed for failure to renew as provided in this Section | ||
may reinstate that license and maintain it in retired | ||
status upon providing proof to the State Board of Education | ||
using ELIS that the licensee is retired and is not working | ||
in a position that requires a Professional Educator | ||
License. | ||
(7) For any renewal cycle in which professional |
development hours were required, but not fulfilled, the | ||
licensee shall complete any missed hours to total the | ||
minimum professional development hours required in this | ||
Section prior to September 1 of that year. Professional | ||
development hours used to fulfill the minimum required | ||
hours for a renewal cycle may be used for only one renewal | ||
cycle. For any fiscal year or renewal cycle in which an | ||
Illinois Administrators' Academy course was required but | ||
not completed, the licensee shall complete any missed | ||
Illinois Administrators' Academy courses prior to | ||
September 1 of that year. The licensee may complete all | ||
deficient hours and Illinois Administrators' Academy | ||
courses while continuing to work in a position that | ||
requires that license until September 1 of that year. | ||
(8) Any licensee who has not fulfilled the professional | ||
development renewal requirements set forth in this Section | ||
at the end of any 5-year renewal cycle is ineligible to | ||
register his or her license and may submit an appeal to the | ||
State Superintendent of Education for reinstatement of the | ||
license. | ||
(9) If professional development opportunities were | ||
unavailable to a licensee, proof that opportunities were | ||
unavailable and request for an extension of time beyond | ||
August 31 to complete the renewal requirements may be | ||
submitted from April 1 through June 30 of that year to the | ||
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. If an |
extension is approved, the license shall remain valid | ||
during the extension period. | ||
(10) Individuals who hold exempt licenses prior to | ||
December 27, 2013 (the effective date of Public Act 98-610) | ||
shall commence the annual renewal process with the first | ||
scheduled registration due after December 27, 2013 (the | ||
effective date of Public Act 98-610). | ||
(11) Notwithstanding any other provision of this | ||
subsection (e), if a licensee earns more than the required | ||
number of professional development hours during a renewal | ||
cycle, then the licensee may carry over any hours earned | ||
from April 1 through June 30 of the last year of the | ||
renewal cycle. Any hours carried over in this manner must | ||
be applied to the next renewal cycle. Illinois | ||
Administrators' Academy courses or hours earned in those | ||
courses may not be carried over. | ||
(f) At the time of renewal, each licensee shall respond to | ||
the required questions under penalty of perjury. | ||
(g) The following entities shall be designated as approved | ||
to provide professional development activities for the renewal | ||
of Professional Educator Licenses: | ||
(1) The State Board of Education. | ||
(2) Regional offices of education and intermediate | ||
service centers. | ||
(3) Illinois professional associations representing | ||
the following groups that are approved by the State |
Superintendent of Education: | ||
(A) school administrators; | ||
(B) principals; | ||
(C) school business officials; | ||
(D) teachers, including special education | ||
teachers; | ||
(E) school boards; | ||
(F) school districts; | ||
(G) parents; and | ||
(H) school service personnel. | ||
(4) Regionally accredited institutions of higher | ||
education that offer Illinois-approved educator | ||
preparation programs and public community colleges subject | ||
to the Public Community College Act. | ||
(5) Illinois public school districts, charter schools | ||
authorized under Article 27A of this Code, and joint | ||
educational programs authorized under Article 10 of this | ||
Code for the purposes of providing career and technical | ||
education or special education services. | ||
(6) A not-for-profit organization that, as of December | ||
31, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-1147), has | ||
had or has a grant from or a contract with the State Board | ||
of Education to provide professional development services | ||
in the area of English Learning to Illinois school | ||
districts, teachers, or administrators. | ||
(7) State agencies, State boards, and State |
commissions. | ||
(8) Museums as defined in Section 10 of the Museum | ||
Disposition of Property Act. | ||
(h) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this Section | ||
shall make available professional development opportunities | ||
that satisfy at least one of the following: | ||
(1) increase the knowledge and skills of school and | ||
district leaders who guide continuous professional | ||
development; | ||
(2) improve the learning of students; | ||
(3) organize adults into learning communities whose | ||
goals are aligned with those of the school and district; | ||
(4) deepen educator's content knowledge; | ||
(5) provide educators with research-based | ||
instructional strategies to assist students in meeting | ||
rigorous academic standards; | ||
(6) prepare educators to appropriately use various | ||
types of classroom assessments; | ||
(7) use learning strategies appropriate to the | ||
intended goals; | ||
(8) provide educators with the knowledge and skills to | ||
collaborate; or | ||
(9) prepare educators to apply research to | ||
decision-making ; or . | ||
(10) provide educators with training on inclusive | ||
practices in the classroom that examines instructional and |
behavioral strategies that improve academic and | ||
social-emotional outcomes for all students, with or | ||
without disabilities, in a general education setting. | ||
(i) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this Section | ||
shall do the following: | ||
(1) align professional development activities to the | ||
State-approved national standards for professional | ||
learning; | ||
(2) meet the professional development criteria for | ||
Illinois licensure renewal; | ||
(3) produce a rationale for the activity that explains | ||
how it aligns to State standards and identify the | ||
assessment for determining the expected impact on student | ||
learning or school improvement; | ||
(4) maintain original documentation for completion of | ||
activities; | ||
(5) provide license holders with evidence of | ||
completion of activities; and | ||
(6) request an Illinois Educator Identification Number | ||
(IEIN) for each educator during each professional | ||
development activity. | ||
(j) The State Board of Education shall conduct annual | ||
audits of a subset of approved providers, except for school | ||
districts, which shall be audited by regional offices of | ||
education and intermediate service centers. The State Board of | ||
Education shall ensure that each approved provider, except for |
a school district, is audited at least once every 5 years. The | ||
State Board of Education may conduct more frequent audits of | ||
providers if evidence suggests the requirements of this Section | ||
or administrative rules are not being met. The State Board of | ||
Education shall complete random audits of licensees. | ||
(1) (Blank). | ||
(2) Approved providers shall comply with the | ||
requirements in subsections (h) and (i) of this Section by | ||
annually submitting data to the State Board of Education | ||
demonstrating how the professional development activities | ||
impacted one or more of the following: | ||
(A) educator and student growth in regards to | ||
content knowledge or skills, or both; | ||
(B) educator and student social and emotional | ||
growth; or | ||
(C) alignment to district or school improvement | ||
plans. | ||
(3) The State Superintendent of Education shall review | ||
the annual data collected by the State Board of Education, | ||
regional offices of education, and intermediate service | ||
centers in audits to determine if the approved provider has | ||
met the criteria and should continue to be an approved | ||
provider or if further action should be taken as provided | ||
in rules. | ||
(k) Registration fees shall be paid for the next renewal | ||
cycle between April 1 and June 30 in the last year of each |
5-year renewal cycle using ELIS. If all required professional | ||
development hours for the renewal cycle have been completed and | ||
entered by the licensee, the licensee shall pay the | ||
registration fees for the next cycle using a form of credit or | ||
debit card. | ||
(l) Any professional educator licensee endorsed for school | ||
support personnel who is employed and performing services in | ||
Illinois public schools and who holds an active and current | ||
professional license issued by the Department of Financial and | ||
Professional Regulation or a national certification board, as | ||
approved by the State Board of Education, related to the | ||
endorsement areas on the Professional Educator License shall be | ||
deemed to have satisfied the continuing professional | ||
development requirements provided for in this Section. Such | ||
individuals shall be required to pay only registration fees to | ||
renew the Professional Educator License. An individual who does | ||
not hold a license issued by the Department of Financial and | ||
Professional Regulation shall complete professional | ||
development requirements for the renewal of a Professional | ||
Educator License provided for in this Section. | ||
(m) Appeals to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure | ||
Board
must be made within 30 days after receipt of notice from | ||
the State Superintendent of Education that a license will not | ||
be renewed based upon failure to complete the requirements of | ||
this Section. A licensee may appeal that decision to the State | ||
Educator Preparation and Licensure Board in a manner prescribed |
by rule. | ||
(1) Each appeal shall state the reasons why the State | ||
Superintendent's decision should be reversed and shall be | ||
sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the | ||
State Board of Education. | ||
(2) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board | ||
shall review each appeal regarding renewal of a license | ||
within 90 days after receiving the appeal in order to | ||
determine whether the licensee has met the requirements of | ||
this Section. The State Educator Preparation and Licensure | ||
Board may hold an appeal hearing or may make its | ||
determination based upon the record of review, which shall | ||
consist of the following: | ||
(A) the regional superintendent of education's | ||
rationale for recommending nonrenewal of the license, | ||
if applicable; | ||
(B) any evidence submitted to the State | ||
Superintendent along with the individual's electronic | ||
statement of assurance for renewal; and | ||
(C) the State Superintendent's rationale for | ||
nonrenewal of the license. | ||
(3) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board | ||
shall notify the licensee of its decision regarding license | ||
renewal by certified mail, return receipt requested, no | ||
later than 30 days after reaching a decision. Upon receipt | ||
of notification of renewal, the licensee, using ELIS, shall |
pay the applicable registration fee for the next cycle | ||
using a form of credit or debit card. | ||
(n) The State Board of Education may adopt rules as may be | ||
necessary to implement this Section. | ||
(Source: P.A. 99-58, eff. 7-16-15; 99-130, eff. 7-24-15; | ||
99-591, eff. 1-1-17; 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 99-920, eff. 1-6-17; | ||
100-13, eff. 7-1-17; 100-339, eff. 8-25-17; 100-596, eff. | ||
7-1-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18.)
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