093_HB0195

 
                                     LRB093 03782 NHT 03817 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 changing
 5    Sections 21-5b and 21-5c as follows:

 6        (105 ILCS 5/21-5b)
 7        Sec. 21-5b.  Alternative certification.  The State  Board
 8    of   Education,   in  consultation  with  the  State  Teacher
 9    Certification  Board,  shall  establish  and   implement   an
10    alternative  certification  program  under  which persons who
11    meet  the  requirements  of  and  successfully  complete  the
12    program established  by  this  Section  shall  be  issued  an
13    alternative teaching certificate for teaching in the schools.
14    The  program  shall  be  limited  to  not  more  than 260 new
15    participants during each year that the program is in  effect.
16    The   State   Board  of  Education,  in  cooperation  with  a
17    partnership formed  with  a  university  that  offers  4-year
18    baccalaureate  and  masters  degree  programs  and  that is a
19    recognized institution as defined in Section 21-21 and one or
20    more not-for-profit organizations in the State which  support
21    excellence in teaching, shall within 30 days after submission
22    by the partnership approve a course of study developed by the
23    partnership  that  persons  in  the program must successfully
24    complete in order to satisfy one criterion for issuance of an
25    alternative certificate under this Section.  The  Alternative
26    Teacher  Certification  program  course of study must include
27    the current content and skills contained in the  university's
28    current  courses  for  State  certification  which  have been
29    approved by the State Board  of  Education,  in  consultation
30    with   the   State   Teacher   Certification  Board,  as  the
31    requirement for State teacher certification.
 
                            -2-      LRB093 03782 NHT 03817 b
 1        The alternative certification program  established  under
 2    this  Section  shall  be  known  as  the  Alternative Teacher
 3    Certification program.  The Alternative Teacher Certification
 4    Program shall be offered by the  submitting  partnership  and
 5    may be offered in conjunction with one or more not-for-profit
 6    organizations  in  the  State  which  support  excellence  in
 7    teaching.   The program shall be comprised of the following 3
 8    phases: (a) the first phase is the course of study offered on
 9    an  intensive  basis  in  education   theory,   instructional
10    methods,  and  practice teaching; (b) the second phase is the
11    person's assignment to a full-time teaching position for  one
12    school  year;  and  (c)  the  third  phase is a comprehensive
13    assessment of the person's  teaching  performance  by  school
14    officials    and   the   partnership   participants   and   a
15    recommendation by the partner institution of higher education
16    to the State Board of Education that the person be  issued  a
17    standard  alternative teaching certificate. If a person holds
18    a substitute certificate, the number of hours that he or  she
19    has  taught  as a substitute teacher shall be counted towards
20    the number of hours of  practice  teaching  required  in  the
21    first  phase  of  the  program.  Successful completion of the
22    Alternative Teacher Certification program shall be deemed  to
23    satisfy  any  other  practice or student teaching and subject
24    matter requirements established by law.
25        A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for
26    one year of teaching in the common schools and not renewable,
27    shall be issued under this Section 21-5b to  persons  who  at
28    the time of applying for the provisional alternative teaching
29    certificate under this Section:
30             (1)  have  graduated  from  an accredited college or
31        university with a bachelor's degree;
32             (2)  have successfully completed the first phase  of
33        the Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided
34        in this Section;
 
                            -3-      LRB093 03782 NHT 03817 b
 1             (3)  have  passed  the  tests  of  basic  skills and
 2        subject matter knowledge required by Section 21-1a; and
 3             (4)  have been employed for a period of at  least  5
 4        years   in   an   area   requiring   application  of  the
 5        individual's education; however,  this  requirement  does
 6        not  apply  with  respect  to  a  provisional alternative
 7        teaching certificate for teaching in schools situated  in
 8        a  school  district  that  is  located in a city having a
 9        population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants.
10        A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate
11    under this Section shall be treated as a regularly  certified
12    teacher  for  purposes  of  compensation, benefits, and other
13    terms and conditions of employment afforded teachers  in  the
14    school who are members of a bargaining unit represented by an
15    exclusive bargaining representative, if any.
16        Until  February 15, 2000, a standard alternative teaching
17    certificate, valid for 4 years for teaching  in  the  schools
18    and  renewable  as provided in Section 21-14, shall be issued
19    under this Section 21-5b to persons who  first  complete  the
20    requirements   for   the   provisional  alternative  teaching
21    certificate and who at the time of applying  for  a  standard
22    alternative  teaching  certificate  under  this  Section have
23    successfully completed the second and  third  phases  of  the
24    Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided in this
25    Section.  Alternatively,  beginning February 15, 2000, at the
26    end of the 4-year validity period,  persons who were issued a
27    standard alternative teaching certificate shall be  eligible,
28    on    the  same  basis  as  holders  of  an  Initial Teaching
29    Certificate issued under subsection (b) of  Section  21-2  of
30    this  Code,  to  apply  for  a Standard Teaching Certificate,
31    provided they  meet the requirements  of  subsection  (c)  of
32    Section  21-2 of this Code and further provided that a person
33    who does not  apply  for  and  receive  a  Standard  Teaching
34    Certificate  shall  be able to teach only in schools situated
 
                            -4-      LRB093 03782 NHT 03817 b
 1    in a school district that is  located  in  a  city  having  a
 2    population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants.
 3        Beginning  February  15, 2000, persons who have completed
 4    the  requirements  for  a   standard   alternative   teaching
 5    certificate  under  this  Section  shall be issued an Initial
 6    Alternative  Teaching  Certificate  valid  for  4  years   of
 7    teaching  and  not  renewable.   At  the  end  of  the 4-year
 8    validity period, these persons shall be eligible, on the same
 9    basis as  holders of an Initial Teaching  Certificate  issued
10    under  subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of  this Code, to apply
11    for a Standard Teaching Certificate, provided they  meet  the
12    requirements of subsection (c) of Section 21-2.
13        This   alternative   certification   program   shall   be
14    implemented   so   that  the  first  provisional  alternative
15    teaching certificates issued under this Section are effective
16    upon the commencement of the 1997-1998 academic year and  the
17    first standard alternative teaching certificates issued under
18    this  Section  are  effective  upon  the  commencement of the
19    1998-1999 academic year.
20        The State Board of Education,  in  cooperation  with  the
21    partnership     establishing    the    Alternative    Teacher
22    Certification program, shall adopt rules and regulations that
23    are consistent with this Section and that the State Board  of
24    Education  deems  necessary  to  establish  and implement the
25    program.
26    (Source: P.A. 91-609, eff. 1-1-00.)

27        (105 ILCS 5/21-5c)
28        Sec. 21-5c.  Alternative route to teacher  certification.
29    The  State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
30    Teacher Certification Board, shall establish and implement an
31    alternative route  to  teacher  certification  program  under
32    which  persons  who meet the requirements of and successfully
33    complete the program established by  this  Section  shall  be
 
                            -5-      LRB093 03782 NHT 03817 b
 1    issued  an  initial  teaching  certificate  for  teaching  in
 2    schools  in  this  State.  The State Board of Education shall
 3    approve a course of study that persons in  the  program  must
 4    successfully  complete  in order to satisfy one criterion for
 5    issuance  of  a  certificate   under   this   Section.    The
 6    Alternative  Route to Teacher Certification program course of
 7    study must include the current content and  skills  contained
 8    in  a  university's  current  courses for State certification
 9    which have been approved by the State Board of Education,  in
10    consultation  with  the State Teacher Certification Board, as
11    the requirement for State teacher certification.
12        The program established under this Section shall be known
13    as the Alternative Route to  Teacher  Certification  program.
14    The  program  may  be offered in conjunction with one or more
15    not-for-profit organizations in the State.  The program shall
16    be comprised of the following 3 phases: (a) a course of study
17    offered  on  an  intensive   basis   in   education   theory,
18    instructional   methods,   and  practice  teaching;  (b)  the
19    person's assignment to a full-time teaching position for  one
20    school year, including the designation of a mentor teacher to
21    advise  and  assist the person with that teaching assignment;
22    and (c) a comprehensive assessment of the  person's  teaching
23    performance  by school officials and program participants and
24    a recommendation by the institution of  higher  education  to
25    the  State  Board  of  Education that the person be issued an
26    initial teaching certificate. If a person holds a  substitute
27    certificate, the number of hours that he or she has taught as
28    a  substitute  teacher shall be counted towards the number of
29    hours of practice teaching required in the first phase of the
30    program.  Successful completion of the Alternative  Route  to
31    Teacher  Certification program shall be deemed to satisfy any
32    other  practice  or  student  teaching  and  subject   matter
33    requirements established by law.
34        A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for
 
                            -6-      LRB093 03782 NHT 03817 b
 1    one year of teaching in the common schools and not renewable,
 2    shall  be  issued  under this Section 21-5c to persons who at
 3    the time of applying for the provisional alternative teaching
 4    certificate under this Section:
 5             (1)  have graduated from an  accredited  college  or
 6        university with a bachelor's degree;
 7             (2)  have  been  employed for a period of at least 5
 8        years  in  an   area   requiring   application   of   the
 9        individual's education;
10             (3)  have  successfully completed the first phase of
11        the Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided
12        in this Section; and
13             (4)  have passed  the  tests  of  basic  skills  and
14        subject matter knowledge required by Section 21-1a.
15        An  initial  teaching  certificate, valid for teaching in
16    the common schools, shall be issued  under  Section  21-3  or
17    21-5  to  persons who first complete the requirements for the
18    provisional alternative teaching certificate and who  at  the
19    time  of  applying  for  an initial teaching certificate have
20    successfully completed the second and  third  phases  of  the
21    Alternative   Route   to  Teacher  Certification  program  as
22    provided in this Section.
23        A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate
24    or an initial teaching certificate earned under this  Section
25    shall  be  treated  as  a  regularly  certified  teacher  for
26    purposes  of  compensation,  benefits,  and  other  terms and
27    conditions of employment afforded teachers in the school  who
28    are  members of a bargaining unit represented by an exclusive
29    bargaining representative, if any.
30        The  State  Board  of  Education  may  adopt  rules   and
31    regulations  that  are  consistent with this Section and that
32    the State Board deems necessary to  establish  and  implement
33    the program.
34    (Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98.)
 
                            -7-      LRB093 03782 NHT 03817 b
 1        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
 2    becoming law.