Section 451.410  Faculty Qualifications

a)         A school shall establish and enforce specific written policies setting standards for qualification, supervision, evaluation, and promotion of its faculty.

1)         The policies shall set minimum requirements for the employment of faculty, including previous training and on-the-job experience in the subject area for which the faculty applicant is being considered for employment or transfer.

2)         Qualification standards for faculty shall at least conform to the standards set forth in subsection (b) of this Section.

b)         At minimum each faculty member shall possess at least one of the following qualifications:  

1)         graduation from a State-approved, four-year degree-granting school with satisfactory completion of no fewer than 24 semester hours in the academic or vocational/skill subject area in which the applicant will be assigned to teach, including evidence of satisfactory completion of at least one 3-semester-hour college level course in each subject to which the faculty member is to be assigned; or

2)         a combination of no fewer than 4,000 clock hours of successful training and on-the-job experience in the academic or vocational/skill subject area in which the faculty member is to be assigned; or

3)         completion of no fewer than 6,000 clock hours of successful on-the-job experience in the academic or vocational/skill subject area in which the applicant will be assigned to teach.

c)         A faculty member who complies with the requirements established in this Part shall not be relieved of the responsibility of complying with more stringent requirements established by any other State agency.

d)         Faculty approval by the Superintendent shall be for the specific subjects listed on the application for approval only, shall not be transferable from one school to another, and shall terminate on cessation of the faculty member's employment with the school.

e)         All applications for faculty approval shall:  

1)         be submitted on forms provided by the Superintendent;

2)         indicate the specific subjects the applicant will teach;

3)         be signed by the applicant and the chief managing employee;

4)         be accompanied by official transcripts, letters, and documents which confirm that the applicant meets:  

A)        the school's employment standards for previous instruction, on-the-job experience, and mastery of the subject area to which the faculty member is to be assigned;

B)        the minimum standards for faculty approval set forth in this Part.

f)          For purposes of this Section, documentation of on-the-job and teaching experience shall:  

1)         be from any official providing the teaching or on-the-job experience of the applicant or from an administrator(s) at the previous place(s) of employment who can be reached for verification of the documentation submitted;

2)         state the period of employment;

3)         describe the applicant's on-the-job experience and duties in detail.

g)         In the event that the faculty member's former employer is no longer in business and/or the applicant's supervisor is no longer available to verify employment, the applicant shall submit an affidavit stating the facts concerning his or her work experience in lieu of the documentation specified in subsection (f) of this Section.

h)         Substitute faculty shall meet the same qualifications as regular faculty, including the prior approval of the Superintendent.

i)          If a school utilizes faculty assistants, it shall establish and maintain policies which set forth qualifications, duties and procedures for use of these personnel.  Faculty assistants shall:  

1)         not be used as substitutes or replacements for regular faculty;

2)         not be responsible for the overall evaluation of any student;

3)         work under the direct supervision of approved faculty.

j)          The school shall have and implement written policies to promote improvement of faculty competency in their occupational fields and in levels of performance in their teaching assignments.

k)         A faculty member approved by the Superintendent to teach a specific subject(s) at the school prior to the date of adoption of this Part who has verification of qualification on file with the Superintendent shall continue to be approved to teach that subject(s) at the school.

l)          The school shall employ new faculty according to the following minimum standards:  

1)         Instructors employed as faculty in degree-granting programs shall have a minimum of a baccalaureate degree from a State-approved college or university with a major in the subject area in which they teach, except that, in those areas of study where the principal means of learning is work experience and/or related training that results in less than a baccalaureate degree, instructors employed as faculty must meet at least one of the following criteria:

A)        Two years of work experience and a two-year associate's degree in the specific subject area to be taught; or

B)        Four years of work experience in the specific subject area to be taught and a baccalaureate degree in an unrelated field; or

C)        One year of work experience and a two-year associate's degree in the specific subject area to be taught and one year of college credit in an unrelated field; or

D)        Six years of work experience in the specific subject area to be taught; or

E)         Six years of military service which consisted of training and work experience in the specific subject area to be taught.

2)         If the job objective for which the course of instruction is offered requires a valid license or certificate, the instructor shall hold such a license or certificate.

(Source:  Amended at 22 Ill. Reg. 7584, effective April 17, 1998)