Public Act 103-0402
 
SB2243 EnrolledLRB103 25644 RJT 51993 b


  
    AN ACT concerning education.
  
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
represented in the General Assembly:
  






 
 
    Section 1. Findings. The General Assembly makes all of the 
following findings:
        (1) Literacy is not only critical for individuals' 
    ability to earn income, secure housing, participate in 
    their health care, support their children's education, 
    pursue happiness, and navigate the world but also 
    collectively foundational to our community and democracy. 
  
        (2) The World Literacy Foundation found that low 
    literacy is a major contributor to inequality and 
    increases the likelihood of poor physical and mental 
    health, workplace accidents, misuse of medication, 
    participation in crime, and welfare dependency, all of 
    which have substantial additional social and economic 
    costs. 
  
        (3) Fifty percent of Illinois' third graders met, 
    exceeded, or approached learning standards in English 
    language arts according to the Illinois Assessment of 
    Readiness with the other half of students not meeting or 
    partially meeting standards; this represents a 10 
    percentage-point swing from the 2019 prepandemic rates 
    when 60% of students met, exceeded, or approached learning 
    standards. 
  
        (4) Thirty-three percent of Illinois' fourth graders 
    achieved proficient or advanced reading scores on the 2022 
    National Assessment of Educational Progress with another 
    29% meeting basic reading proficiency and the remaining 
    38% scoring below basic reading proficiency.
  
        (5) Research from the Annie E. Casey Institute found 
    that students who are not proficient readers in third 
    grade are 4 times more likely not to finish high school; if 
    those students are from low-income families, they are more 
    than 6 times more likely not to finish high school. 
  
        (6) Research consistently finds that a diverse, 
    well-trained, and expanding pool of teachers, in 
    conjunction with curricula responsive to the strengths and 
    needs of diverse student populations, improves educational 
    outcomes for all students. 
  
        (7) An appropriate curriculum considers the learning 
    needs of students with their developmental needs and 
    increases in complexity with every new stage of childhood. 
  
        (8) Oral language development is a prerequisite for 
    reading and writing that is nurtured from birth through 
    talking, reading, story-telling, singing, nursery rhymes, 
    and other language exposure and, as younger children 
    develop, through intentional dialogue with rich 
    vocabulary, home visiting programs, access to books, 
    high-quality child care and preschool, and lived 
    experiences that strengthen students' opportunity to build 
    oracy skills, vocabulary, and background knowledge, 
    leading to higher-level cognitive thinking. 
  
        (9) Reading builds new neural pathways in the brain as 
    people, usually children, learn to connect the sounds in 
    language to letters on a page to the meaning of the text; 
    however, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to 
    literacy, as learners will require differentiated 
    strategies or methods and dosages within different areas 
    of literacy instruction to meet their individual needs. 
  
        (10) Reading, writing, and oracy have a reciprocal 
    relationship, as each strengthens the other, and students 
    benefit when their instruction is closely intertwined. 
  
        (11) English learners benefit from a comprehensive 
    literacy approach that recognizes the value of 
    multilingualism by enveloping all areas of literacy 
    instruction with a deep focus on oral language development 
    and encouraging students to make connections between 
    English and their home language.
  
        (12) Teachers deserve the tools to be knowledgeable 
    about the cultural practices and language system of the 
    children they serve, including those children who speak 
    language variations of English, such as African-American 
    English (AAE); AAE  has a linguistic structure that is a 
    systematic and rule-governed variation of General American 
    English. 
  
        (13) Research shows that direct, systematic, 
    cumulative, and explicit reading instruction that is 
    focused on  the foundational reading skills of phonemic 
    awareness, phonics or decoding, spelling or encoding, 
    vocabulary development that includes morphology, oral 
    language development, reading fluency, and reading 
    comprehension that includes syntax and building background 
    or content knowledge, is highly effective in teaching 
    young children to read. 
  
        (14) High literacy achievement across all demographic 
    groups is an essential indicator of educational equity 
    within this State; strengthening early literacy 
    instruction and support for students in Illinois will pay 
    dividends in the future by empowering students, providing 
    them with the skills they will need to graduate, find 
    fulfilling careers, and be productive members of their 
    communities and of our democracy.
  
        (15) Ensuring that every child has access to 
    high-quality, research-aligned, developmentally 
    appropriate reading instruction implemented using a 
    comprehensive approach is a foundational component of this 
    State's public education system and a responsibility 
    shared among federal, State, and local education agencies.
 
    Section 90. The School Code is amended by adding Section 
2-3.196 and  by changing Sections 21B-30 and 21B-35 and as 
follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new)
    Sec. 2-3.196. State Board of Education literacy 
assistance.
    (a) The State Board of Education shall adopt and make 
available all of the following to each publicly funded school 
district by July 1, 2024:
        (1) A rubric by which districts may evaluate curricula 
    and select and implement evidence-based, culturally 
    inclusive core reading instruction programs aligned with 
    the comprehensive literacy plan for the State described in 
    subsection (c).
        (2) A template to support districts when developing 
    comprehensive, district-wide literacy plans that include 
    support for special student populations, including, at a 
    minimum, students with disabilities, multilingual 
    students,  and bidialectal students.
        (3) Guidance on evidence-based practices for effective 
    structures for training and deploying literacy coaches to 
    support teachers and close opportunity gaps among student 
    demographic groups.
    (b) On or before January 1, 2025, the State Board of 
Education shall develop and make available training 
opportunities for educators in teaching reading that are 
aligned with the comprehensive literacy plan described in 
subsection (c) and consistent with State learning standards. 
This support may include:
        (1) the development of a microcredential or a series 
    of microcredentials in literacy  instruction aligned with 
    the comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection 
    (c) to be affixed to educator licenses upon successful 
    demonstration of the skill or  completion of the required 
    coursework or  assessment, or both, or online training 
    modules on literacy instruction, aligned with the 
    comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection (c) 
    and consistent with State learning standards, accepted for 
    continuing professional development units; and
        (2) the creation and dissemination of a tool that 
    school districts, educators, and the public may use to 
    evaluate professional development and training programs 
    related to literacy instruction.
    (c) In consultation with education stakeholders, the State 
Board of Education shall develop and adopt a comprehensive 
literacy plan for the State on or before January 31, 2024. The 
comprehensive literacy plan shall consider, without 
limitation, evidence-based research and culturally and 
linguistically sustaining pedagogical approaches to meet the 
needs of all students and shall, at a minimum, do all of the 
following:
        (1)  Consider core instructional literacy practices and 
    practices related to the unique needs of and support for 
    specific student populations, including, at a minimum, 
    students with disabilities, multilingual students, and 
    bidialectal students, and the resources and support, 
    including professional learning for teachers, needed to 
    effectively implement the literacy instruction. 
        (2)   Provide guidance related to screening tools, the 
    administration of such screening tools, and the 
    interpretation of the resulting data to identify students 
    at risk of reading difficulties in grades kindergarten 
    through 2. This guidance shall outline instances in which 
    dyslexia screenings and other universal screeners are 
    appropriate for use with English learners.
        (3) Provide guidance related to early literacy 
    intervention for students in grades kindergarten through 2  
    for schools to implement with students at risk of reading 
    difficulties, as well as literacy intervention for 
    students in grades 3 through 12 demonstrating reading 
    difficulties.
        (4) Consider the impact of second language acquisition 
    and bilingual education on reading instruction in the 
    student's native language and English. 
        (5) Define key terminology, such as "evidence-based". 
        (6) Contextualize the interaction between elements of 
    the plan and existing laws and regulations that have 
    overlapping components, such as a multi-tiered system of 
    support. 
        (7) Focus on a comprehensive range of elements of 
    literacy, including phonological awareness; decoding 
    (phonics); encoding (spelling); vocabulary development, 
    including morphology, oracy, and reading fluency; and 
    reading comprehension, including syntax and background and 
    content knowledge. 
 

    (105 ILCS 5/21B-30)

 
  
    Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing.
    (a)  (Blank).
    (b)  The State Board of Education, in consultation with the 
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design 
and implement a system of examinations, which shall be 
required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These 
examinations and indicators must be based on national and 
State professional teaching standards, as determined by the 
State Board of Education, in consultation with the State 
Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of 
Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to 
implement and administer this Section.
    (c) (Blank).
    (c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a 
paraprofessional competency test.  This test would allow an 
applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a 
paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the 
endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other 
requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section 
21B-20 other than the higher education requirements. 
    (d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be 
required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area 
of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There 
shall be no exception to this requirement.  No candidate shall 
be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record 
until he or she has passed the applicable content area test.
    (d-5)   The State Board shall consult with any applicable 
vendors within 90 days after the effective date of this 
amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly to develop a plan 
to transition the test of content area knowledge in the 
endorsement area of elementary education,  grades one through 
6, by July 1, 2026 to a content area test that contains testing 
elements that cover bilingualism, biliteracy, oral language 
development, foundational literacy skills, and developmentally 
appropriate higher-order comprehension and on which a valid 
and reliable language and literacy subscore can be determined. 
The State Board shall base its rules concerning the passing 
subscore on the language and literacy portion of the test on 
the recommended cut-score determined in the formal 
standard-setting process. Candidates need not achieve a 
particular subscore in the area of language and literacy. The 
State Board shall aggregate and publish the number of 
candidates in each preparation program who take the test and 
the number who pass the language and literacy portion.
    (e) (Blank).
    (f) Except as otherwise provided in this Article, 
beginning on September 1, 2015, all candidates completing 
teacher preparation programs in this State and all candidates 
subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code are required to pass a 
teacher performance assessment approved by the State Board of 
Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation 
and Licensure Board. A candidate may not be required to submit 
test materials by video submission. Subject to appropriation, 
an individual who holds a Professional Educator License and  is 
employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district 
designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after  
application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a 
refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher 
performance assessment under this subsection. 
    (g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher 
performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to 
time are designated by the State Board of Education, in 
consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure 
Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing 
organization or tests designed by the State Board of 
Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation 
and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall 
assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The 
tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no 
person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis 
of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to 
the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The 
score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State 
Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator 
Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be 
administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and 
place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in 
consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure 
Board. 
    The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess 
the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of 
applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under 
subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this 
Code in the English language and in the language of the 
transitional bilingual education program requested by the 
applicant. 
    (h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the 
provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school 
district subject to Article 34 of this Code.
    (i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the 
testing requirements under this Section shall include, without 
limitation, provisions governing test selection, test 
validation, and determination of a passing score, 
administration of the tests, frequency of administration, 
applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the 
years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special 
accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop 
such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to 
year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment. 

(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 
101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 102-301, eff. 8-26-21.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21B-35)
    Sec. 21B-35. Minimum requirements for educators trained in 
other states or countries.
    (a) Any applicant who has not been entitled by an 
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois 
institution of higher education applying for a Professional 
Educator License endorsed in a teaching field or school 
support personnel area must meet the following requirements:
        (1)  the applicant must:
            (A) hold a comparable and valid educator license 
        or certificate, as defined by rule, with similar grade 
        level and content area credentials from another state, 
        with the State Board of Education having the authority 
        to determine what constitutes similar grade level and 
        content area credentials from another state;
            (B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally 
        accredited institution of higher education; and
            (C) (blank); or 
        (2) the applicant must:
            (A) have completed a state-approved program for 
        the licensure area sought, including coursework 
        concerning (i) methods of instruction of the 
        exceptional child, (ii) methods of reading that align 
        with all applicable standards set forth in Part 23 of 
        Title 23 of the Illinois
Administrative Code and 
        reading in the content area, and (iii) instructional 
        strategies for English learners;
            (B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally 
        accredited institution of higher education;
            (C) have successfully met all Illinois examination 
        requirements, except that:
                (i) (blank);
                (ii) an applicant who has successfully 
            completed a test of content, as defined by rules, 
            at the time of initial licensure in another state 
            is not required to complete a test of content; and
                (iii) an applicant for a teaching endorsement 
            who has successfully completed an evidence-based 
            assessment of teacher effectiveness, as defined by 
            rules, at the time of initial licensure in another 
            state is not required to complete an 
            evidence-based assessment of teacher 
            effectiveness; and
            (D) for an applicant for a teaching endorsement, 
        have completed student teaching or an equivalent 
        experience or, for an applicant for a school service 
        personnel endorsement, have completed an internship or 
        an equivalent experience.
    (b)  In order to receive a Professional Educator License 
endorsed in a teaching field or school support personnel area, 
applicants trained in another country must meet all of the 
following requirements:
        (1) Have completed a comparable education program in 
    another country.
        (2) Have had transcripts evaluated by an evaluation 
    service approved by the State Superintendent of Education.
        (3) Have a degree comparable to a degree from a 
    regionally accredited institution of higher education.
        (4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards 
    concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional 
    child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all 
    applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of 
    the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the 
    content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for 
    English learners.
        (5) (Blank).
        (6) (Blank).
        (7) Have successfully met all State licensure 
    examination requirements. Applicants who have successfully 
    completed a test of content, as defined by rules, at the 
    time of initial licensure in another country shall not be 
    required to complete a test of content.  Applicants for a 
    teaching endorsement who have successfully completed an 
    evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness, as 
    defined by rules, at the time of initial licensure in 
    another country shall not be required to complete an 
    evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness. 
        (8) Have completed student teaching or an equivalent 
    experience.
        (9) (Blank). 
    (b-5) All applicants who have not been entitled by an 
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois 
institution of higher education and applicants trained in 
another country applying for a Professional Educator License 
endorsed for principal or superintendent must hold a master's 
degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher 
education and hold a comparable and valid educator license or 
certificate with similar grade level and subject matter 
credentials, with the State Board of Education having the 
authority to determine what constitutes similar grade level 
and subject matter credentials from another state, or must 
meet all of the following requirements:
        (1) Have completed an educator preparation program 
    approved by another state or comparable educator program 
    in another country leading to the receipt of a license or 
    certificate for the Illinois endorsement sought.
        (2) Have successfully met all State licensure 
    examination requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of 
    this Code. Applicants who have successfully completed a 
    test of content, as defined by rules, at the time of 
    initial licensure in another state or country shall not be 
    required to complete a test of content.
        (2.5) Have completed an internship, as defined by 
    rule. 
        (3) (Blank).
        (4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards 
    concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional 
    child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all 
    applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of 
    the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the 
    content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for 
    English learners.
        (4.5) (Blank). 
        (5) Have completed a master's degree.
        (6) Have successfully completed teaching, school 
    support, or administrative experience as defined by rule. 
    (b-7) All applicants who have not been entitled by an 
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois 
institution of higher education applying for a Professional 
Educator License endorsed for Director of Special Education 
must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited 
institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and 
valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level 
and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of 
Education having the authority to determine what constitutes 
similar grade level and subject matter credentials from 
another state, or must meet all of the following requirements:
        (1)      Have completed a master's degree.
        (2)      Have 2 years of full-time experience providing 
    special education services.
        (3)      Have successfully completed all examination 
    requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.  
    Applicants who have successfully completed a test of 
    content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial 
    licensure in another state or country shall not be 
    required to complete a test of content.
        (4)      Have completed coursework aligned to standards 
    concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional 
    child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all 
    applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of 
    the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the 
    content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for 
    English learners.
    (b-10) All applicants who have not been entitled by an 
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois 
institution of higher education applying for a Professional 
Educator License endorsed for chief school business official 
must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited 
institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and 
valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level 
and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of 
Education having the authority to determine what constitutes 
similar grade level and subject matter credentials from 
another state, or must meet all of the following requirements:
        (1) Have completed a master's degree in school 
    business management, finance, or accounting.
        (2) Have successfully completed an internship in 
    school business management or have 2 years of experience 
    as a school business administrator.
        (3) Have successfully met all State examination 
    requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code. 
    Applicants who have successfully completed a test of 
    content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial 
    licensure in another state or country shall not be 
    required to complete a test of content.
        (4) Have completed modules aligned to standards 
    concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional 
    child, methods of reading and reading in the content area, 
    and instructional strategies for English learners.
    (c)  The State Board of Education, in consultation with the 
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such 
rules as may be necessary to implement this Section.

(Source: P.A. 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20; 
102-539, eff. 8-20-21.)
  
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.