Public Act 93-0081
HB0210 Enrolled LRB093 03786 NHT 03821 b
AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing
Section 21-14 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/21-14) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-14)
Sec. 21-14. Registration and renewal of certificates.
(a) A limited four-year certificate or a certificate
issued after July 1, 1955, shall be renewable at its
expiration or within 60 days thereafter by the county
superintendent of schools having supervision and control over
the school where the teacher is teaching upon certified
evidence of meeting the requirements for renewal as required
by this Act and prescribed by the State Board of Education in
consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. An
elementary supervisory certificate shall not be renewed at
the end of the first four-year period covered by the
certificate unless the holder thereof has filed certified
evidence with the State Teacher Certification Board that he
has a master's degree or that he has earned 8 semester hours
of credit in the field of educational administration and
supervision in a recognized institution of higher learning.
The holder shall continue to earn 8 semester hours of credit
each four-year period until such time as he has earned a
master's degree.
All certificates not renewed or registered as herein
provided shall lapse after a period of 5 years from the
expiration of the last year of registration. Such
certificates may be reinstated for a one year period upon
payment of all accumulated registration fees. Such
reinstated certificates shall only be renewed: (1) by earning
5 semester hours of credit in a recognized institution of
higher learning in the field of professional education or in
courses related to the holder's contractual teaching duties;
or (2) by presenting evidence of holding a valid regular
certificate of some other type. Any certificate may be
voluntarily surrendered by the certificate holder. A
voluntarily surrendered certificate shall be treated as a
revoked certificate.
(b) When those teaching certificates issued before
February 15, 2000 are renewed for the first time after
February 15, 2000, all such teaching certificates shall be
exchanged for Standard Teaching Certificates as provided in
subsection (c) of Section 21-2. All Initial and Standard
Teaching Certificates, including those issued to persons who
previously held teaching certificates issued before February
15, 2000, shall be renewable under the conditions set forth
in this subsection (b).
Initial Teaching Certificates are nonrenewable and are
valid for 4 years of teaching. Standard Teaching Certificates
are renewable every 5 years as provided in subsection (c) of
Section 21-2 and subsection (c) of this Section. For
purposes of this Section, "teaching" is defined as employment
and performance of services in an Illinois public or
State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
of control, in a certificated teaching position, or a charter
school operating in compliance with the Charter Schools Law.
(c) In compliance with subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of
this Code, which provides that a Standard Teaching
Certificate may be renewed by the State Teacher Certification
Board based upon proof of continuing professional
development, the State Board of Education and the State
Teacher Certification Board shall jointly:
(1) establish a procedure for renewing Standard
Teaching Certificates, which shall include but not be
limited to annual timelines for the renewal process and
the components set forth in subsections (d) through (k)
of this Section;
(2) establish the standards for certificate
renewal;
(3) approve the providers of continuing
professional development activities;
(4) determine the maximum credit for each category
of continuing professional development activities, based
upon recommendations submitted by a continuing
professional development activity task force, which shall
consist of 6 staff members from the State Board of
Education, appointed by the State Superintendent of
Education, and 6 teacher representatives, 3 of whom are
selected by the Illinois Education Association and 3 of
whom are selected by the Illinois Federation of Teachers;
(5) designate the type and amount of documentation
required to show that continuing professional development
activities have been completed; and
(6) provide, on a timely basis to all Illinois
teachers, certificate holders, regional superintendents
of schools, school districts, and others with an interest
in continuing professional development, information about
the standards and requirements established pursuant to
this subsection (c).
(d) Any Standard Teaching Certificate held by an
individual employed and performing services in an Illinois
public or State-operated elementary school, secondary school,
or cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or
board of control in a certificated teaching position or a
charter school in compliance with the Charter Schools Law
must be maintained Valid and Active through certificate
renewal activities specified in the certificate renewal
procedure established pursuant to subsection (c) of this
Section, provided that a holder of a Valid and Active
certificate who is only employed on either a part-time basis
or day-to-day basis as a substitute teacher shall pay only
the required registration fee to renew his or her certificate
and maintain it as Valid and Active. All other Standard
Teaching Certificates held may be maintained as Valid and
Exempt through the registration process provided for in the
certificate renewal procedure established pursuant to
subsection (c) of this Section. A Valid and Exempt
certificate must be immediately activated, through procedures
developed jointly by the State Board of Education and the
State Teacher Certification Board, upon the certificate
holder becoming employed and performing services in an
Illinois public or State-operated elementary school,
secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement with a
governing body or board of control in a certificated teaching
position or a charter school operating in compliance with the
Charter Schools Law. A holder of a Valid and Exempt
certificate may activate his or her certificate through
procedures provided for in the certificate renewal procedure
established pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section.
(e)(1) A Standard Teaching Certificate that has been
maintained as Valid and Active for the 5 years of the
certificate's validity shall be renewed as Valid and Active
upon the certificate holder: (i) completing an advanced
degree from an approved institution in an education-related
field; (ii) completing at least 8 semester hours of
coursework as described in subdivision (B) of paragraph (3)
of this subsection (e); (iii) earning at least 24 continuing
education units as described in subdivision (C) of paragraph
(3) of this subsection (e); (iv) completing the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards process as
described in subdivision (D) of paragraph (3) of this
subsection (e); or (v) earning 120 continuing professional
development units ("CPDU") as described in subdivision (E) of
paragraph (3) of this subsection (e). The maximum continuing
professional development units for each continuing
professional development activity identified in subdivisions
(F) through (J) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (e) shall
be jointly determined by the State Board of Education and the
State Teacher Certification Board. If, however, the
certificate holder has maintained the certificate as Valid
and Exempt for a portion of the 5-year period of validity,
the number of continuing professional development units
needed to renew the certificate as Valid and Active shall be
proportionately reduced by the amount of time the certificate
was Valid and Exempt. Furthermore, if a certificate holder is
employed and performs teaching services on a part-time basis
for all or a portion of the certificate's 5-year period of
validity, the number of continuing professional development
units needed to renew the certificate as Valid and Active
shall be reduced by 50% for the amount of time the
certificate holder has been employed and performed teaching
services on a part-time basis. Part-time shall be defined as
less than 50% of the school day or school term.
Notwithstanding any other requirements to the contrary,
if a Standard Teaching Certificate has been maintained as
Valid and Active for the 5 years of the certificate's
validity and the certificate holder has completed his or her
certificate renewal plan before July 1, 2002, the certificate
shall be renewed as Valid and Active.
(2) Each Valid and Active Standard Teaching Certificate
holder shall develop a certificate renewal plan for
satisfying the continuing professional development
requirement provided for in subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of
this Code. Certificate holders with multiple certificates
shall develop a certificate renewal plan that addresses only
that certificate or those certificates that are required of
his or her certificated teaching position, if the certificate
holder is employed and performing services in an Illinois
public or State-operated elementary school, secondary school,
or cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or
board of control, or that certificate or those certificates
most closely related to his or her teaching position, if the
certificate holder is employed in a charter school. Except
as otherwise provided in this subsection (e), a certificate
renewal plan shall include a minimum of 3 individual
improvement goals developed by the certificate holder and
shall reflect purposes (A), (B), and (C) and may reflect
purpose (D) of the following continuing professional
development purposes:
(A) Advance both the certificate holder's knowledge
and skills as a teacher consistent with the Illinois
Professional Teaching Standards and the Illinois Content
Area Standards in the certificate holder's areas of
certification, endorsement, or teaching assignment in
order to keep the certificate holder current in those
areas.
(B) Develop the certificate holder's knowledge and
skills in areas determined to be critical for all
Illinois teachers, as defined by the State Board of
Education, known as "State priorities".
(C) Address the knowledge, skills, and goals of the
certificate holder's local school improvement plan, if
the teacher is employed in an Illinois public or
State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or
board of control.
(D) Expand the certificate holder's knowledge and
skills in an additional teaching field or toward the
acquisition of another teaching certificate, endorsement,
or relevant education degree.
A certificate renewal plan must include a description of how
these goals are to be achieved and an explanation of selected
continuing professional development activities to be
completed, each of which must meet one or more of the
continuing professional development purposes specified in
this paragraph (2). The plan shall identify potential
activities and include projected timelines for those
activities that will assure completion of the plan before the
expiration of the 5-year validity of the Standard Teaching
Certificate. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection
(e), at least 50% of continuing professional development
units must relate to purposes (A) and (B) set forth in this
paragraph (2): the advancement of a certificate holder's
knowledge and skills as a teacher consistent with the
Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and the Illinois
Content Area Standards in the certificate holder's areas of
certification, endorsement, or teaching assignment in order
to keep the certificate holder current in those areas and the
development of a certificate holder's knowledge and skills in
the State priorities that exist at the time the certificate
renewal plan is developed.
A speech-language pathologist or audiologist who is
licensed under the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and
Audiology Practice Act and who has met the continuing
education requirements of that Act and the rules promulgated
under that Act shall be deemed to have satisfied the
continuing professional development requirements established
by the State Board of Education and the Teacher Certification
Board to renew a Standard Certificate.
(3) Continuing professional development activities
included in a certificate renewal plan may include, but are
not limited to, the following activities:
(A) completion of an advanced degree from an
approved institution in an education-related field;
(B) at least 8 semester hours of coursework in an
approved education-related program, of which at least 2
semester hours relate to the continuing professional
development purpose set forth in purpose (A) of paragraph
(2) of this subsection (e), provided that such a plan
need not include any other continuing professional
development activities nor reflect or contain activities
related to the other continuing professional development
purposes set forth in paragraph (2) of this subsection
(e);
(C) continuing education units that satisfy the
continuing professional development purposes set forth in
paragraph (2) of this subsection (e), with each
continuing education unit equal to 5 clock hours,
provided that a plan that includes at least 24 continuing
education units (or 120 clock/contact hours) need not
include any other continuing professional development
activities;
(D) completion of the National Board of
Professional Teaching Standards ("NBPTS") process,
provided that a plan that includes completion of the
NBPTS process need not include any other continuing
professional development activities nor reflect or
contain activities related to the continuing professional
development purposes set forth in paragraph (2) of
subsection (e) of this Section;
(E) completion of 120 continuing professional
development units that satisfy the continuing
professional development purposes set forth in paragraph
(2) of this subsection (e) and may include without
limitation the activities identified in subdivisions (F)
through (J) of this paragraph (3);
(F) collaboration and partnership activities
related to improving the teacher's knowledge and skills
as a teacher, including the following:
(i) participating on collaborative planning
and professional improvement teams and committees;
(ii) peer review and coaching;
(iii) mentoring in a formal mentoring program,
including service as a consulting teacher
participating in a remediation process formulated
under Section 24A-5 of this Code;
(iv) participating in site-based management or
decision making teams, relevant committees, boards,
or task forces directly related to school
improvement plans;
(v) coordinating community resources in
schools, if the project is a specific goal of the
school improvement plan;
(vi) facilitating parent education programs
for a school, school district, or regional office of
education directly related to student achievement or
school improvement plans;
(vii) participating in business, school, or
community partnerships directly related to student
achievement or school improvement plans; or
(viii) supervising a student teacher or
teacher education candidate in clinical supervision,
provided that the supervision may only be counted
once during the course of 5 years;
(G) college or university coursework related to
improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher
as follows:
(i) completing undergraduate or graduate
credit earned from a regionally accredited
institution in coursework relevant to the
certificate area being renewed, including coursework
that incorporates induction activities and
development of a portfolio of both student and
teacher work that provides experience in reflective
practices, provided the coursework meets Illinois
Professional Teaching Standards or Illinois Content
Area Standards and supports the essential
characteristics of quality professional development;
or
(ii) teaching college or university courses in
areas relevant to the certificate area being
renewed, provided that the teaching may only be
counted once during the course of 5 years;
(H) conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars,
and symposiums related to improving the teacher's
knowledge and skills as a teacher, including the
following:
(i) completing non-university credit directly
related to student achievement, school improvement
plans, or State priorities;
(ii) participating in or presenting at
workshops, seminars, conferences, institutes, and
symposiums;
(iii) training as external reviewers for
Quality Assurance; or
(iv) training as reviewers of university
teacher preparation programs;
(I) other educational experiences related to
improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a
teacher, including the following:
(i) participating in action research and
inquiry projects;
(ii) observing programs or teaching in
schools, related businesses, or industry that is
systematic, purposeful, and relevant to certificate
renewal;
(iii) traveling related to ones teaching
assignment, directly related to student achievement
or school improvement plans and approved at least 30
days prior to the travel experience, provided that
the traveling shall not include time spent commuting
to destinations where the learning experience will
occur;
(iv) participating in study groups related to
student achievement or school improvement plans;
(v) serving on a statewide education-related
committee, including but not limited to the State
Teacher Certification Board, State Board of
Education strategic agenda teams, or the State
Advisory Council on Education of Children with
Disabilities;
(vi) participating in work/learn programs or
internships; or
(vii) developing a portfolio of student and
teacher work;
(J) professional leadership experiences related to
improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a
teacher, including the following:
(i) participating in curriculum development or
assessment activities at the school, school
district, regional office of education, State, or
national level;
(ii) participating in team or department
leadership in a school or school district;
(iii) participating on external or internal
school or school district review teams;
(iv) publishing educational articles, columns,
or books relevant to the certificate area being
renewed; or
(v) participating in non-strike related
professional association or labor organization
service or activities related to professional
development.
(4) A certificate renewal plan must initially be
approved by the certificate holder's local professional
development committee, as provided for in subsection (f) of
this Section. If the local professional development
committee does not approve the certificate renewal plan, the
certificate holder may appeal that determination to the
regional professional development review committee, as
provided for in paragraph (2) of subsection (g) of this
Section. If the regional professional development review
committee disagrees with the local professional development
committee's determination, the certificate renewal plan shall
be deemed approved and the certificate holder may begin
satisfying the continuing professional development activities
set forth in the plan. If the regional professional
development review committee agrees with the local
professional development committee's determination, the
certificate renewal plan shall be deemed disapproved and
shall be returned to the certificate holder to develop a
revised certificate renewal plan. In all cases, the regional
professional development review committee shall immediately
notify both the local professional development committee and
the certificate holder of its determination.
(5) A certificate holder who wishes to modify the
continuing professional development activities or goals in
his or her certificate renewal plan must submit the proposed
modifications to his or her local professional development
committee for approval prior to engaging in the proposed
activities. If the local professional development committee
does not approve the proposed modification, the certificate
holder may appeal that determination to the regional
professional development review committee, as set forth in
paragraph (4) of this subsection (e).
(6) When a certificate holder changes assignments or
school districts during the course of completing a
certificate renewal plan, the professional development and
continuing education credit earned pursuant to the plan shall
transfer to the new assignment or school district and count
toward the total requirements. This certificate renewal plan
must be reviewed by the appropriate local professional
development committee and may be modified to reflect the
certificate holder's new work assignment or the school
improvement plan of the new school district or school
building.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code,
each school district, charter school, and cooperative or
joint agreement with a governing body or board of control
that employs certificated staff, shall establish and
implement, in conjunction with its exclusive representative,
if any, one or more local professional development
committees, as set forth in this subsection (f), which shall
perform the following functions:
(1) review and approve certificate renewal plans
and any modifications made to these plans, including
transferred plans;
(2) maintain a file of approved certificate renewal
plans;
(3) monitor certificate holders' progress in
completing approved certificate renewal plans, provided
that a local professional development committee shall not
be required to maintain materials submitted by
certificate holders to demonstrate their progress in
completing their certificate renewal plans after the
committee has reviewed the materials and the credits have
been awarded;
(4) assist in the development of professional
development plans based upon needs identified in
certificate renewal plans;
(5) determine whether certificate holders have met
the requirements of their certificate renewal plans and
notify certificate holders of its determination;
(6) provide a certificate holder with the
opportunity to address the committee when it has
determined that the certificate holder has not met the
requirements of his or her certificate renewal plan;
(7) issue and forward recommendations for renewal
or nonrenewal of certificate holders' Standard Teaching
Certificates to the appropriate regional superintendent
of schools, based upon whether certificate holders have
met the requirements of their approved certificate
renewal plans, with 30-day written notice of its
recommendation provided to the certificate holder prior
to forwarding the recommendation to the regional
superintendent of schools, provided that if the local
professional development committee's recommendation is
for certificate nonrenewal, the written notice provided
to the certificate holder shall include a return receipt;
and
(8) reconsider its recommendation of certificate
nonrenewal, upon request of the certificate holder within
30 days of receipt of written notification that the local
professional development committee will make such a
recommendation, and forward to the regional
superintendent of schools its recommendation within 30
days of receipt of the certificate holder's request.
Each local professional development committee shall
consist of at least 3 classroom teachers; one superintendent
or chief administrator of the school district, charter
school, or cooperative or joint agreement or his or her
designee; and one at-large member who shall be either (i) a
parent, (ii) a member of the business community, (iii) a
community member, or (iv) an administrator, with preference
given to an individual chosen from among those persons listed
in items (i), (ii), and (iii) in order to secure
representation of an interest not already represented on the
committee. Except in a school district in a city having a
population exceeding 500,000, a local professional
development committee shall be responsible for no more than
200 certificate renewal plans annually unless otherwise
mutually agreed upon by the school district, charter school,
or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or
joint agreement and its exclusive representative, if any. If
mutually agreed upon by the school district, charter school,
or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or
joint agreement and its exclusive representative, if any,
additional members may be added to a local professional
development committee, provided that a majority of members
are classroom teachers. Except in a school district in a
city having a population exceeding 500,000, if additional
members are added to a local professional development
committee, the maximum number of certificate renewal plans
for which the committee shall annually be responsible may be
increased by 50 plans for each additional member, unless
otherwise mutually agreed upon by the school district,
charter school, or governing body or board of control of a
cooperative or joint agreement and its exclusive
representative, if any. The school district, charter school,
or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or
joint agreement and its exclusive representative, if any,
shall determine the term of service of the members of a local
professional development committee. All individuals selected
to serve on local professional development committees must be
known to demonstrate the best practices in teaching or their
respective field of practice.
The exclusive representative, if any, shall select the
classroom teacher members of the local professional
development committee. If no exclusive representative
exists, then the classroom teacher members of a local
professional development committee shall be selected by the
classroom teachers that come within the local professional
development committee's authority. The school district,
charter school, or governing body or board of control of a
cooperative or joint agreement shall select the 2
non-classroom teacher members (the superintendent or chief
administrator of the school district, charter school, or
cooperative or joint agreement or his or her designee and the
at-large member) of a local professional development
committee. Vacancies in positions on a local professional
development committee shall be filled in the same manner as
the original selections. The members of a local professional
development committee shall select a chairperson. Local
professional development committee meetings shall be
scheduled so as not to interfere with committee members'
regularly scheduled teaching duties, except when otherwise
permitted by the policies of or agreed to or approved by the
school district, charter school, or governing body or board
of control of a cooperative or joint agreement, or its
designee.
The board of education or governing board shall convene
the first meeting of the local professional development
committee. All actions taken by the local professional
development committee shall require that a majority of
committee members be present, and no committee action may be
taken unless 50% or more of those present are teacher
members.
The State Board of Education and the State Teacher
Certification Board shall jointly provide local professional
development committee members with a training manual, and the
members shall certify that they have received and read the
manual.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this subsection
(f), for a teacher employed and performing services in a
nonpublic or State-operated elementary or secondary school,
all references to a local professional development committee
shall mean the regional superintendent of schools of the
regional office of education for the geographic area where
the teaching is done.
(g)(1) Each regional superintendent of schools shall
review and concur or nonconcur with each recommendation for
renewal or nonrenewal of a Standard Teaching Certificate he
or she receives from a local professional development
committee or, if a certificate holder appeals the
recommendation to the regional professional development
review committee, the recommendation for renewal or
nonrenewal he or she receives from a regional professional
development review committee and, within 14 days of receipt
of the recommendation, shall provide the State Teacher
Certification Board with verification of the following, if
applicable:
(A) a certificate renewal plan was filed and
approved by the appropriate local professional
development committee;
(B) the professional development and continuing
education activities set forth in the approved
certificate renewal plan have been satisfactorily
completed;
(C) the local professional development committee
has recommended the renewal of the certificate holder's
Standard Teaching Certificate and forwarded the
recommendation, along with all supporting documentation
as jointly required by the State Board of Education and
the State Teacher Certification Board, to the regional
superintendent of schools;
(D) the certificate holder has appealed his or her
local professional development committee's recommendation
of nonrenewal to the regional professional development
review committee and the result of that appeal;
(E) the regional superintendent of schools has
concurred or nonconcurred with the local professional
development committee's or regional professional
development review committee's recommendation to renew or
nonrenew the certificate holder's Standard Teaching
Certificate and made a recommendation to that effect; and
(F) the established registration fee for the
Standard Teaching Certificate has been paid.
At the same time the regional superintendent of schools
provides the State Teacher Certification Board with the
notice required by this subsection (g), he or she shall also
notify the certificate holder in writing that this notice has
been provided to the State Teacher Certification Board,
provided that if the notice provided by the regional
superintendent of schools to the State Teacher Certification
Board includes a recommendation of certificate nonrenewal,
the written notice provided to the certificate holder shall
be by certified mail, return receipt requested.
(2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to
appeal his or her local professional development committee's
recommendation of nonrenewal to the regional professional
development review committee, within 14 days of receipt of
notice that the recommendation has been sent to the regional
superintendent of schools. Each regional superintendent of
schools shall establish a regional professional development
review committee or committees for the purpose of advising
the regional superintendent of schools, upon request, and
handling certificate holder appeals. This committee shall
consist of at least 4 classroom teachers, one
non-administrative certificated educational employee, 2
administrators, and one at-large member who shall be either
(i) a parent, (ii) a member of the business community, (iii)
a community member, or (iv) an administrator, with preference
given to an individual chosen from among those persons listed
in items (i), (ii), and (iii) in order to secure
representation of an interest not already represented on the
committee. The teacher and non-administrative certificated
educational employee members of the review committee shall be
selected by their exclusive representative, if any, and the
administrators and at-large member shall be selected by the
regional superintendent of schools. A regional
superintendent of schools may add additional members to the
committee, provided that the same proportion of teachers to
administrators and at-large members on the committee is
maintained. Any additional teacher and non-administrative
certificated educational employee members shall be selected
by their exclusive representative, if any. Vacancies in
positions on a regional professional development review
committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original
selections. Committee members shall serve staggered 3-year
terms. All individuals selected to serve on regional
professional development review committees must be known to
demonstrate the best practices in teaching or their
respective field of practice.
The exclusive representative responsible for choosing the
individuals that serve on a regional professional development
review committee shall notify each school district, charter
school, or governing body or board of control of a
cooperative or joint agreement employing the individuals
chosen to serve and provide their names to the appropriate
regional superintendent of schools. Regional professional
development review committee meetings shall be scheduled so
as not to interfere with the committee members' regularly
scheduled teaching duties, except when otherwise permitted by
the policies of or agreed to or approved by the school
district, charter school, or governing body or board of
control of a cooperative or joint agreement, or its designee,
provided that the school district, charter school, or
governing body or board of control shall not unreasonably
withhold permission for a committee member to attend regional
professional development review committee meetings.
In a city having a population exceeding 500,000 that does
not have a regional office of education, one or more separate
regional professional development review committees shall be
established as mutually agreed upon by the board of education
of the school district organized under Article 34 of this
Code and the exclusive representative. The composition of
each committee shall be the same as for a regional
professional development review committee, except that
members of the committee shall be jointly appointed by the
board of education and the exclusive representative. All
other provisions of this Section concerning regional
professional development review committees shall apply to
these committees.
The regional professional development review committee
may require information in addition to that received from a
certificate holder's local professional development committee
or request that the certificate holder appear before it,
shall either concur or nonconcur with a local professional
development committee's recommendation of nonrenewal, and
shall forward to the regional superintendent of schools its
recommendation of renewal or nonrenewal. All actions taken
by the regional professional development review committee
shall require a quorum and be by a simple majority of those
present and voting. A record of all votes shall be
maintained. The committee shall have 45 days from receipt of
a certificate holder's appeal to make its recommendation to
the regional superintendent of schools.
The State Board of Education and the State Teacher
Certification Board shall jointly provide regional
professional development review committee members with a
training manual, and the members shall be required to attend
one training seminar sponsored jointly by the State Board of
Education and the State Teacher Certification Board.
(h)(1) The State Teacher Certification Board shall
review the regional superintendent of schools'
recommendations to renew or nonrenew Standard Teaching
Certificates and notify certificate holders in writing
whether their certificates have been renewed or nonrenewed
within 90 days of receipt of the recommendations, unless a
certificate holder has appealed a regional superintendent of
schools' recommendation of nonrenewal, as provided in
paragraph (2) of this subsection (h). The State Teacher
Certification Board shall verify that the certificate holder
has met the renewal criteria set forth in paragraph (1) of
subsection (g) of this Section.
(2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to
appeal a regional superintendent of school's recommendation
to nonrenew his or her Standard Teaching Certificate to the
State Teacher Certification Board, within 14 days of receipt
of notice that the decision has been sent to the State
Teacher Certification Board, which shall hold an appeal
hearing within 60 days of receipt of the appeal. When such
an appeal is taken, the certificate holder's Standard
Teaching Certificate shall continue to be valid until the
appeal is finally determined. The State Teacher
Certification Board shall review the regional superintendent
of school's recommendation, the regional professional
development review committee's recommendation, if any, and
the local professional development committee's recommendation
and all relevant documentation to verify whether the
certificate holder has met the renewal criteria set forth in
paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of this Section. The State
Teacher Certification Board may request that the certificate
holder appear before it. All actions taken by the State
Teacher Certification Board shall require a quorum and be by
a simple majority of those present and voting. A record of
all votes shall be maintained. The State Teacher
Certification Board shall notify the certificate holder in
writing, within 7 days of completing the review, whether his
or her Standard Teaching Certificate has been renewed or
nonrenewed, provided that if the State Teacher Certification
Board determines to nonrenew a certificate, the written
notice provided to the certificate holder shall be by
certified mail, return receipt requested. All certificate
renewal or nonrenewal decisions of the State Teacher
Certification Board are final and subject to administrative
review, as set forth in Section 21-24 of this Code.
(i) Holders of Master Teaching Certificates shall meet
the same requirements and follow the same procedures as
holders of Standard Teaching Certificates, except that their
renewal cycle shall be as set forth in subsection (d) of
Section 21-2 of this Code.
A holder of a teaching certificate endorsed as a
speech-language pathologist who has been granted the
Certificate of Clinical Competence by the American
Speech-Language Hearing Association may renew his or her
Standard Teaching Certificate pursuant to the 10-year renewal
cycle set forth in subsection (d) of Section 21-2 of this
Code.
(j) Holders of Valid and Exempt Standard and Master
Teaching Certificates who are not employed and performing
services in an Illinois public or State-operated elementary
school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement
with a governing body or board of control, in a certificated
teaching position, may voluntarily activate their
certificates by developing and submitting a certificate
renewal plan to the regional superintendent of schools of the
regional office of education for the geographic area where
their teaching is done, who, or whose designee, shall approve
the plan and serve as the certificate holder's local
professional development committee. These certificate
holders shall follow the same renewal criteria and procedures
as all other Standard and Master Teaching Certificate
holders, except that their continuing professional
development plans shall not be required to reflect or address
the knowledge, skills, and goals of a local school
improvement plan.
(k) Each school district, charter school, or cooperative
or joint agreement shall be paid an annual amount of not less
than $1,000, as determined by a formula based on the number
of Standard Teaching and Master Teaching Certificate holders,
subject to renewal and established by rule, not to exceed
$1,000,000 annually for all school districts, charter
schools, and cooperatives or joint agreements, for
administrative costs associated with conducting the meetings
of the local professional development committee, as
determined in consultation with the committee. Each regional
office of education shall receive $2,000 annually to pay
school districts, charter schools, or cooperatives or joint
agreements for costs, as defined by rule, incurred in staff
attendance at regional professional development review
committee meetings and the training seminar required under
paragraph (2) of subsection (g) of this Section.
(l) The State Board of Education and the State Teacher
Certification Board shall jointly contract with an
independent party to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of
the certificate renewal system pursuant to this Section. The
first report of this evaluation shall be presented to the
General Assembly on January 1, 2005 and on January 1 of every
third year thereafter.
(Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99; 92-510, eff. 6-1-02;
92-796, eff. 8-10-02.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.