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91_HB1670enr
HB1670 Enrolled LRB9103489NTsb
1 AN ACT to amend the School Code.
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 Section 21-5b 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 situated in a school district that is located in a city
15 having a population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants. The
16 program shall be limited to not more than 260 new
17 participants during each year that the program is in effect.
18 In establishing an alternative certification program under
19 this Section, the State Board of Education shall designate
20 the City of Chicago as the area in the State where the
21 program shall be made available. In addition, The State
22 Board of Education, in cooperation with a partnership formed
23 with a university that offers 4-year baccalaureate and
24 masters degree programs and that is a recognized institution
25 as defined in Section 21-21 and one or more not-for-profit
26 organizations in the State which support excellence in
27 teaching, shall within 30 days after submission by the
28 partnership approve a course of study developed by the
29 partnership that persons in the program must successfully
30 complete in order to satisfy one criterion for issuance of an
31 alternative certificate under this Section. The Alternative
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1 Teacher Certification program course of study must include
2 the current content and skills contained in the university's
3 current courses for State certification which have been
4 approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation
5 with the State Teacher Certification Board, as the
6 requirement for State teacher certification.
7 The alternative certification program established under
8 this Section shall be known as the Alternative Teacher
9 Certification program. The Alternative Teacher Certification
10 Program shall be offered by the submitting partnership and
11 may be offered in conjunction with one or more not-for-profit
12 organizations in the State which support excellence in
13 teaching. The program shall be comprised of the following 3
14 phases: (a) the first phase is the course of study offered on
15 an intensive basis in education theory, instructional
16 methods, and practice teaching; (b) the second phase is the
17 person's assignment to a full-time teaching position for one
18 school year; and (c) the third phase is a comprehensive
19 assessment of the person's teaching performance by school
20 officials and the partnership participants and a
21 recommendation by the partner institution of higher education
22 to the State Board of Education that the person be issued a
23 standard alternative teaching certificate. Successful
24 completion of the Alternative Teacher Certification program
25 shall be deemed to satisfy any other practice or student
26 teaching and subject matter requirements established by law.
27 A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for
28 one year of teaching in the common schools and not renewable,
29 shall be issued under this Section 21-5b to persons who at
30 the time of applying for the provisional alternative teaching
31 certificate under this Section:
32 (1) have graduated from an accredited college or
33 university with a bachelor's degree;
34 (2) have successfully completed the first phase of
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1 the Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided
2 in this Section; and
3 (3) have passed the tests of basic skills and
4 subject matter knowledge required by Section 21-1a; and
5 (4) have been employed for a period of at least 5
6 years in an area requiring application of the
7 individual's education; however, this requirement does
8 not apply with respect to a provisional alternative
9 teaching certificate for teaching in schools situated in
10 a school district that is located in a city having a
11 population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants.
12 A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate
13 under this Section shall be treated as a regularly certified
14 teacher for purposes of compensation, benefits, and other
15 terms and conditions of employment afforded teachers in the
16 school who are members of a bargaining unit represented by an
17 exclusive bargaining representative, if any.
18 Until February 15, 2000, a standard alternative teaching
19 certificate, valid for 4 years for teaching in the schools
20 situated in a school district that is located in a city
21 having a population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants and
22 renewable as provided in Section 21-14, shall be issued under
23 this Section 21-5b to persons who first complete the
24 requirements for the provisional alternative teaching
25 certificate and who at the time of applying for a standard
26 alternative teaching certificate under this Section have
27 successfully completed the second and third phases of the
28 Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided in this
29 Section. Alternatively, beginning February 15, 2000, at the
30 end of the 4-year validity period, persons who were issued a
31 standard alternative teaching certificate shall be eligible,
32 on the same basis as holders of an Initial Teaching
33 Certificate issued under subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of
34 this Code, to apply for a Standard Teaching Certificate,
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1 provided they meet the requirements of subsection (c) of
2 Section 21-2 of this Code and further provided that a person
3 who does not apply for and receive a Standard Teaching
4 Certificate shall be able to teach only in schools situated
5 in a school district that is located in a city having a
6 population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants.
7 Beginning February 15, 2000, persons who have completed
8 the requirements for a standard alternative teaching
9 certificate under this Section shall be issued an Initial
10 Alternative Teaching Certificate valid for 4 years of
11 teaching and not renewable. At the end of the 4-year
12 validity period, these persons shall be eligible, on the same
13 basis as holders of an Initial Teaching Certificate issued
14 under subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of this Code, to apply
15 for a Standard Teaching Certificate, provided they meet the
16 requirements of subsection (c) of Section 21-2.
17 This alternative certification program shall be
18 implemented so that the first provisional alternative
19 teaching certificates issued under this Section are effective
20 upon the commencement of the 1997-1998 academic year and the
21 first standard alternative teaching certificates issued under
22 this Section are effective upon the commencement of the
23 1998-1999 academic year.
24 The State Board of Education, in cooperation with the
25 partnership establishing the Alternative Teacher
26 Certification program, shall adopt rules and regulations that
27 are consistent with this Section and that the State Board of
28 Education deems necessary to establish and implement the
29 program.
30 (Source: P.A. 89-708, eff. 2-14-97.)
31 Section 10. If and only if Senate Bill 556 of the 91st
32 General Assembly becomes law, the School Code is amended by
33 changing Section 21-2 as follows:
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1 (105 ILCS 5/21-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-2)
2 Sec. 21-2. Grades of certificates.
3 (a) Until February 15, 2000, all certificates issued
4 under this Article shall be State certificates valid, except
5 as limited in Section 21-1, in every school district coming
6 under the provisions of this Act and shall be limited in time
7 and designated as follows: Provisional vocational
8 certificate, temporary provisional vocational certificate,
9 early childhood certificate, elementary school certificate,
10 special certificate, high school certificate, school service
11 personnel certificate, administrative certificate,
12 provisional certificate, and substitute certificate. The
13 requirement of student teaching under close and competent
14 supervision for obtaining a teaching certificate may be
15 waived by the State Teacher Certification Board upon
16 presentation to the Board by the teacher of evidence of 5
17 years successful teaching experience on a valid certificate
18 and graduation from a recognized institution of higher
19 learning with a bachelor's degree with not less than 120
20 semester hours and a minimum of 16 semester hours in
21 professional education.
22 (b) Initial Teaching Certificate. Beginning February
23 15, 2000, persons who (1) have completed an approved teacher
24 preparation program, (2) are recommended by an approved
25 teacher preparation program, (3) have successfully completed
26 the Initial Teaching Certification examinations required by
27 the State Board of Education, and (4) have met all other
28 criteria established by the State Board of Education in
29 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board,
30 shall be issued an Initial Teaching Certificate valid for 4
31 years of teaching, as defined in Section 21-14 of this Code.
32 Initial Teaching Certificates shall be issued for categories
33 corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and
34 Special K-12, with special certification designations for
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1 Special Education, Bilingual Education, fundamental learning
2 areas (including Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics,
3 Science, Social Science, Physical Development and Health,
4 Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas designated
5 by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the
6 State Teacher Certification Board.
7 (c) Standard Certificate. Beginning February 15, 2000,
8 persons who (1) have completed 4 years of teaching, as
9 defined in Section 21-14 of this Code, with an Initial
10 Certificate or an Initial Alternative Teaching Certificate
11 and have met all other criteria established by the State
12 Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
13 Certification Board, (2) have completed 4 years of teaching
14 on a valid equivalent certificate in another State or
15 territory of the United States, or have completed 4 years of
16 teaching in a nonpublic Illinois elementary or secondary
17 school with an Initial Certificate or an Initial Alternative
18 Teaching Certificate, and have met all other criteria
19 established by the State Board of Education, in consultation
20 with the State Teacher Certification Board, or (3) were
21 issued teaching certificates prior to February 15, 2000 and
22 are renewing those certificates after February 15, 2000,
23 shall be issued a Standard Certificate valid for 5 years,
24 which may be renewed thereafter every 5 years by the State
25 Teacher Certification Board based on proof of continuing
26 education or professional development. Beginning July 1,
27 2003, persons who have completed 4 years of teaching, as
28 described in clauses (1) and (2) of this subsection (c), have
29 successfully completed the Standard Teaching Certificate
30 Examinations, and have met all other criteria established by
31 the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
32 Teacher Certification Board, shall be issued Standard
33 Certificates. Standard Certificates shall be issued for
34 categories corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary,
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1 Secondary, and Special K-12, with special certification
2 designations for Special Education, Bilingual Education,
3 fundamental learning areas (including Language Arts, Reading,
4 Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Physical Development
5 and Health, Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas
6 designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation
7 with the State Teacher Certification Board.
8 (d) Master Certificate. Beginning February 15, 2000,
9 persons who have successfully achieved National Board
10 certification through the National Board for Professional
11 Teaching Standards shall be issued a Master Certificate,
12 valid for 10 years and renewable thereafter every 10 years
13 through compliance with requirements set forth by the State
14 Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
15 Certification Board.
16 (Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98; 90-653, eff. 7-29-98;
17 90-811, eff. 1-26-99; 91SB0556enrolled.)
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