97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB4993

 

Introduced , by Rep. Tom Cross

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21-7.1  from Ch. 122, par. 21-7.1

    Amends the School Code. With respect to administrative certificates, provides that a candidate (i) who has enrolled and began coursework prior to August 1, 2011 in an Illinois program approved by the State Board of Education for the preparation of administrators and (ii) who successfully completes that program prior to January 1, 2013 may apply for the general administrative endorsement until January 1, 2013 without his or her 2 years of full-time teaching or school service personnel experience having been accrued while the individual held a valid early childhood, elementary, secondary, special K through 12, special pre-school through age 21, or school service personnel certificate. Effective immediately.


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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
521-7.1 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/21-7.1)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-7.1)
7    (Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2013)
8    Sec. 21-7.1. Administrative certificate.
9    (a) After July 1, 1999, an administrative certificate valid
10for 5 years of supervising and administering in the public
11common schools (unless changed under subsection (a-5) of this
12Section) may be issued to persons who have graduated from a
13regionally accredited institution of higher learning with a
14master's degree or its equivalent and who have been recommended
15by a recognized institution of higher learning, a
16not-for-profit entity, or a combination thereof, as having
17completed a program of preparation for one or more of these
18endorsements. Such programs of academic and professional
19preparation required for endorsement shall be administered by
20an institution or not-for-profit entity approved to offer such
21programs by the State Board of Education, in consultation with
22the State Teacher Certification Board, and shall be operated in
23accordance with this Article and the standards set forth by the

 

 

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1State Superintendent of Education in consultation with the
2State Teacher Certification Board. Any program offered in whole
3or in part by a not-for-profit entity must also be approved by
4the Board of Higher Education.
5    (a-5) Beginning July 1, 2003, if an administrative
6certificate holder holds a Standard Teaching Certificate, the
7validity period of the administrative certificate shall be
8changed, if necessary, so that the validity period of the
9administrative certificate coincides with the validity period
10of the Standard Teaching Certificate. Beginning July 1, 2003,
11if an administrative certificate holder holds a Master Teaching
12Certificate, the validity period of the administrative
13certificate shall be changed so that the validity period of the
14administrative certificate coincides with the validity period
15of the Master Teaching Certificate.
16    (b) No administrative certificate shall be issued for the
17first time after June 30, 1987 and no endorsement provided for
18by this Section shall be made or affixed to an administrative
19certificate for the first time after June 30, 1987 unless the
20person to whom such administrative certificate is to be issued
21or to whose administrative certificate such endorsement is to
22be affixed has been required to demonstrate as a part of a
23program of academic or professional preparation for such
24certification or endorsement: (i) an understanding of the
25knowledge called for in establishing productive parent-school
26relationships and of the procedures fostering the involvement

 

 

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1which such relationships demand; and (ii) an understanding of
2the knowledge required for establishing a high quality school
3climate and promoting good classroom organization and
4management, including rules of conduct and instructional
5procedures appropriate to accomplishing the tasks of
6schooling; and (iii) a demonstration of the knowledge and
7skills called for in providing instructional leadership. The
8standards for demonstrating an understanding of such knowledge
9shall be set forth by the State Board of Education in
10consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, and
11shall be administered by the recognized institutions of higher
12learning as part of the programs of academic and professional
13preparation required for certification and endorsement under
14this Section. As used in this subsection: "establishing
15productive parent-school relationships" means the ability to
16maintain effective communication between parents and school
17personnel, to encourage parental involvement in schooling, and
18to motivate school personnel to engage parents in encouraging
19student achievement, including the development of programs and
20policies which serve to accomplish this purpose; and
21"establishing a high quality school climate" means the ability
22to promote academic achievement, to maintain discipline, to
23recognize substance abuse problems among students and utilize
24appropriate law enforcement and other community resources to
25address these problems, to support teachers and students in
26their education endeavors, to establish learning objectives

 

 

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1and to provide instructional leadership, including the
2development of policies and programs which serve to accomplish
3this purpose; and "providing instructional leadership" means
4the ability to effectively evaluate school personnel, to
5possess general communication and interpersonal skills, and to
6establish and maintain appropriate classroom learning
7environments. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply
8to or affect the initial issuance or making on or before June
930, 1987 of any administrative certificate or endorsement
10provided for under this Section, nor shall such provisions
11apply to or affect the renewal after June 30, 1987 of any such
12certificate or endorsement initially issued or made on or
13before June 30, 1987.
14    (c) Administrative certificates shall be renewed every 5
15years with the first renewal being 5 years following the
16initial receipt of an administrative certificate, unless the
17validity period for the administrative certificate has been
18changed under subsection (a-5) of this Section, in which case
19the certificate shall be renewed at the same time that the
20Standard or Master Teaching Certificate is renewed.
21    (c-5) (Blank).
22    (c-10) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c-15) of
23this Section, persons holding administrative certificates must
24follow the certificate renewal procedure set forth in this
25subsection (c-10), provided that those persons holding
26administrative certificates on June 30, 2003 who are renewing

 

 

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1those certificates on or after July 1, 2003 shall be issued new
2administrative certificates valid for 5 years (unless changed
3under subsection (a-5) of this Section), which may be renewed
4thereafter as set forth in this subsection (c-10).
5    A person holding an administrative certificate and
6employed in a position requiring administrative certification,
7including a regional superintendent of schools, must satisfy
8the continuing professional development requirements of this
9Section to renew his or her administrative certificate. The
10continuing professional development must include without
11limitation the following continuing professional development
12purposes:
13        (1) To improve the administrator's knowledge of
14    instructional practices and administrative procedures in
15    accordance with the Illinois Professional School Leader
16    Standards.
17        (2) To maintain the basic level of competence required
18    for initial certification.
19        (3) To improve the administrator's mastery of skills
20    and knowledge regarding the improvement of teaching
21    performance in clinical settings and assessment of the
22    levels of student performance in the schools.
23    The continuing professional development must include the
24following in order for the certificate to be renewed:
25        (A) Participation in continuing professional
26    development activities, which must total a minimum of 100

 

 

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1    hours of continuing professional development. The
2    participation must consist of a minimum of 5 activities per
3    validity period of the certificate, and the certificate
4    holder must maintain documentation of completion of each
5    activity.
6        (B) Participation every year in an Illinois
7    Administrators' Academy course, which participation must
8    total a minimum of 30 continuing professional development
9    hours during the period of the certificate's validity and
10    which must include completion of applicable required
11    coursework, including completion of a communication,
12    dissemination, or application component, as defined by the
13    State Board of Education.
14    The certificate holder must complete a verification form
15developed by the State Board of Education and certify that 100
16hours of continuing professional development activities and 5
17Administrators' Academy courses have been completed. The
18regional superintendent of schools shall review and validate
19the verification form for a certificate holder. Based on
20compliance with all of the requirements for renewal, the
21regional superintendent of schools shall forward a
22recommendation for renewal or non-renewal to the State
23Superintendent of Education and shall notify the certificate
24holder of the recommendation. The State Superintendent of
25Education shall review the recommendation to renew or non-renew
26and shall notify, in writing, the certificate holder of a

 

 

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1decision denying renewal of his or her certificate. Any
2decision regarding non-renewal of an administrative
3certificate may be appealed to the State Teacher Certification
4Board.
5    The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
6State Teacher Certification Board, shall adopt rules to
7implement this subsection (c-10).
8    The regional superintendent of schools shall monitor the
9process for renewal of administrative certificates established
10in this subsection (c-10).
11    (c-15) This subsection (c-15) applies to the first period
12of an administrative certificate's validity during which the
13holder becomes subject to the requirements of subsection (c-10)
14of this Section if the certificate has less than 5 years'
15validity or has less than 5 years' validity remaining when the
16certificate holder becomes subject to the requirements of
17subsection (c-10) of this Section. With respect to this period,
18the 100 hours of continuing professional development and 5
19activities per validity period specified in clause (A) of
20subsection (c-10) of this Section shall instead be deemed to
21mean 20 hours of continuing professional development and one
22activity per year of the certificate's validity or remaining
23validity and the 30 continuing professional development hours
24specified in clause (B) of subsection (c-10) of this Section
25shall instead be deemed to mean completion of at least one
26course per year of the certificate's validity or remaining

 

 

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1validity. Certificate holders who evaluate certified staff
2must complete a 2-day teacher evaluation course, in addition to
3the 30 continuing professional development hours.
4    (c-20) The State Board of Education, in consultation with
5the State Teacher Certification Board, shall develop
6procedures for implementing this Section and shall administer
7the renewal of administrative certificates. Failure to submit
8satisfactory evidence of continuing professional education
9which contributes to promoting the goals of this Section shall
10result in a loss of administrative certification.
11    (d) Any limited or life supervisory certificate issued
12prior to July 1, 1968 shall continue to be valid for all
13administrative and supervisory positions in the public schools
14for which it is valid as of that date as long as its holder
15meets the requirements for registration or renewal as set forth
16in the statutes or until revoked according to law.
17    (e) The administrative or supervisory positions for which
18the certificate shall be valid shall be determined by one or
19more of the following endorsements: general supervisory,
20general administrative, principal, chief school business
21official, and superintendent.
22    Subject to the provisions of Section 21-1a, endorsements
23shall be made under conditions set forth in this Section. The
24State Board of Education shall, in consultation with the State
25Teacher Certification Board, adopt rules pursuant to the
26Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, establishing

 

 

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1requirements for obtaining administrative certificates where
2the minimum administrative or supervisory requirements surpass
3those set forth in this Section.
4    The State Teacher Certification Board shall file with the
5State Board of Education a written recommendation when
6considering additional administrative or supervisory
7requirements. All additional requirements shall be based upon
8the requisite knowledge necessary to perform those tasks
9required by the certificate. The State Board of Education shall
10in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board,
11establish standards within its rules which shall include the
12academic and professional requirements necessary for
13certification. These standards shall at a minimum contain, but
14not be limited to, those used by the State Board of Education
15in determining whether additional knowledge will be required.
16Additionally, the State Board of Education shall in
17consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board,
18establish provisions within its rules whereby any member of the
19educational community or the public may file a formal written
20recommendation or inquiry regarding requirements.
21        (1) Until July 1, 2003, the general supervisory
22    endorsement shall be affixed to the administrative
23    certificate of any holder who has at least 16 semester
24    hours of graduate credit in professional education
25    including 8 semester hours of graduate credit in curriculum
26    and research and who has at least 2 years of full-time

 

 

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1    teaching experience or school service personnel experience
2    in public schools, schools under the supervision of the
3    Department of Corrections, schools under the
4    administration of the Department of Rehabilitation
5    Services, or nonpublic schools meeting the standards
6    established by the State Superintendent of Education or
7    comparable out-of-state recognition standards approved by
8    the State Superintendent of Education.
9        Such endorsement shall be required for supervisors,
10    curriculum directors and for such similar and related
11    positions as determined by the State Superintendent of
12    Education in consultation with the State Teacher
13    Certification Board.
14        (2) Until August 31, 2014, the general administrative
15    endorsement shall be affixed to the administrative
16    certificate of any holder who has at least 20 semester
17    hours of graduate credit in educational administration and
18    supervision and who has at least 2 years of full-time
19    teaching experience or school service personnel experience
20    in public schools, schools under the supervision of the
21    Department of Corrections, schools under the
22    administration of the Department of Rehabilitation
23    Services, or nonpublic schools meeting the standards
24    established by the State Superintendent of Education or
25    comparable out-of-state recognition standards approved by
26    the State Superintendent of Education. However,

 

 

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1    notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Code or
2    the Illinois Administrative Code, a candidate (i) who has
3    enrolled and began coursework prior to August 1, 2011 in an
4    Illinois program approved by the State Board of Education
5    for the preparation of administrators and (ii) who
6    successfully completes that program prior to January 1,
7    2013 may apply for the general administrative endorsement
8    until January 1, 2013 without his or her 2 years of
9    full-time teaching or school service personnel experience
10    having been accrued while the individual held a valid early
11    childhood, elementary, secondary, special K through 12,
12    special pre-school through age 21, or school service
13    personnel certificate.
14        Such endorsement or a principal endorsement shall be
15    required for principal, assistant principal, assistant or
16    associate superintendent, and junior college dean and for
17    related or similar positions as determined by the State
18    Superintendent of Education in consultation with the State
19    Teacher Certification Board.
20        (2.5) The principal endorsement shall be affixed to the
21    administrative certificate of any holder who qualifies by:
22            (A) successfully completing a principal
23        preparation program approved in accordance with
24        Section 21-7.6 of this Code and any applicable rules;
25            (B) having 4 years of teaching experience;
26        however, the State Board of Education shall allow, by

 

 

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1        rules, for fewer than 4 years of experience based on
2        meeting standards set forth in such rules, including
3        without limitation a review of performance evaluations
4        or other evidence of demonstrated qualifications; and
5            (C) having a master's degree.
6        (3) The chief school business official endorsement
7    shall be affixed to the administrative certificate of any
8    holder who qualifies by having a Master's degree, 2 years
9    of administrative experience in school business management
10    or 2 years of university-approved practical experience,
11    and a minimum of 20 semester hours of graduate credit in a
12    program established by the State Superintendent of
13    Education in consultation with the State Teacher
14    Certification Board for the preparation of school business
15    administrators. Such endorsement shall also be affixed to
16    the administrative certificate of any holder who qualifies
17    by having a Master's Degree in Public Administration,
18    Business Administration, Finance, or Accounting and 6
19    semester hours of internship in school business management
20    from a regionally accredited institution of higher
21    education.
22        After June 30, 1977, such endorsement shall be required
23    for any individual first employed as a chief school
24    business official.
25        (4) The superintendent endorsement shall be affixed to
26    the administrative certificate of any holder who has

 

 

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1    completed 30 semester hours of graduate credit beyond the
2    master's degree in a program for the preparation of
3    superintendents of schools including 16 semester hours of
4    graduate credit in professional education and who has at
5    least 2 years experience as an administrator or supervisor
6    in the public schools or the State Board of Education or
7    education service regions or in nonpublic schools meeting
8    the standards established by the State Superintendent of
9    Education or comparable out-of-state recognition standards
10    approved by the State Superintendent of Education and holds
11    general supervisory or general administrative endorsement,
12    or who has had 2 years of experience as a supervisor, chief
13    school business official, or administrator while holding
14    an all-grade supervisory certificate or a certificate
15    comparable in validity and educational and experience
16    requirements.
17        After June 30, 1968, such endorsement shall be required
18    for a superintendent of schools, except as provided in the
19    second paragraph of this Section and in Section 34-6.
20        Any person appointed to the position of superintendent
21    between the effective date of this Act and June 30, 1993 in
22    a school district organized pursuant to Article 32 with an
23    enrollment of at least 20,000 pupils shall be exempt from
24    the provisions of this paragraph (4) until June 30, 1996.
25    (f) All official interpretations or acts of issuing or
26denying administrative certificates or endorsements by the

 

 

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1State Teacher's Certification Board, State Board of Education
2or the State Superintendent of Education, from the passage of
3P.A. 81-1208 on November 8, 1979 through September 24, 1981 are
4hereby declared valid and legal acts in all respects and
5further that the purported repeal of the provisions of this
6Section by P.A. 81-1208 and P.A. 81-1509 is declared null and
7void.
8    (g) This Section is repealed on June 30, 2013.
9(Source: P.A. 96-56, eff. 1-1-10; 96-903, eff. 7-1-10; 96-982,
10eff. 1-1-11; 96-1423, eff. 8-3-10; 97-255, eff. 8-4-11; 97-333,
11eff. 8-12-11; 97-607, eff. 8-26-11; revised 9-28-11.)
 
12    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
13becoming law.