Public Act 097-0701
 
HB4993 EnrolledLRB097 15741 NHT 60885 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 
21-7.1 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21-7.1)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-7.1)
    (Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2013)
    Sec. 21-7.1. Administrative certificate. 
    (a) After July 1, 1999, an administrative
certificate valid 
for 5
years of supervising and administering in the public 
common schools (unless
changed under subsection (a-5) of this 
Section) may be
issued to persons who have graduated from a 
regionally accredited institution
of higher learning with a 
master's degree or its equivalent and who have been recommended 
by a
recognized institution of higher learning, a 
not-for-profit entity, or a combination thereof, as having 
completed a program of
preparation for one or more of these 
endorsements. Such programs of
academic and professional 
preparation required for endorsement shall be
administered by 
an institution or not-for-profit entity approved to offer such 
programs by the State Board of Education, in consultation with 
the State Teacher Certification Board, and shall be operated in 
accordance with this Article and the standards set forth by
the 
State Superintendent of Education in consultation with the 
State
Teacher Certification Board. Any program offered in whole 
or in part by a not-for-profit entity must also be approved by 
the Board of Higher Education. 
    (a-5) Beginning July 1, 2003, if an administrative 
certificate holder
holds a Standard Teaching Certificate, the 
validity period of the
administrative certificate shall be 
changed, if necessary, so that the
validity period of the 
administrative certificate coincides with the validity
period 
of the Standard Teaching Certificate. Beginning July 1, 2003, 
if
an administrative certificate holder holds a Master Teaching 
Certificate,
the validity period of the administrative 
certificate shall be changed so
that the validity period of the 
administrative certificate coincides with the
validity period 
of the Master Teaching Certificate.
    (b) No administrative certificate shall be issued for the 
first time
after June 30, 1987 and no endorsement provided for 
by this Section shall
be made or affixed to an administrative 
certificate for the first time
after June 30, 1987 unless the 
person to whom such administrative
certificate is to be issued 
or to whose administrative certificate such
endorsement is to 
be affixed has been required to demonstrate as a part of
a 
program of academic or professional preparation for such 
certification or
endorsement: (i) an understanding of the 
knowledge called for in
establishing productive parent-school 
relationships and of the procedures
fostering the involvement 
which such relationships demand; and (ii) an
understanding of 
the knowledge required for establishing a high quality
school 
climate and promoting good classroom organization and 
management,
including rules of conduct and instructional 
procedures appropriate to
accomplishing the tasks of 
schooling; and (iii) a demonstration of the
knowledge and 
skills called for in providing instructional leadership.  The

standards for demonstrating an understanding of such knowledge 
shall be set
forth by the State Board of Education in 
consultation with the
State Teacher Certification Board, and 
shall be administered by the
recognized institutions of higher 
learning as part of the programs of
academic and professional 
preparation required for certification and
endorsement under 
this Section.  As used in this subsection: "establishing

productive parent-school relationships" means the ability to 
maintain
effective communication between parents and school 
personnel, to encourage
parental involvement in schooling, and 
to motivate school personnel to
engage parents in encouraging 
student achievement, including the
development of programs and 
policies which serve to accomplish this
purpose; and 
"establishing a high quality school climate" means the ability

to promote academic achievement, to maintain discipline, to 
recognize
substance abuse problems among students and utilize 
appropriate law
enforcement and other community resources to 
address these problems, to support
teachers and students in 
their education endeavors, to establish learning
objectives 
and to provide instructional leadership, including the

development of policies and programs which serve to accomplish 
this
purpose; and "providing instructional leadership" means 
the ability to
effectively evaluate school personnel, to 
possess general communication and
interpersonal skills, and to 
establish and maintain appropriate classroom
learning 
environments.  The provisions of this subsection shall not apply 
to
or affect the initial issuance or making on or before June 
30, 1987 of any
administrative certificate or endorsement 
provided for under this Section,
nor shall such provisions 
apply to or affect the renewal after June 30, 1987
of any such 
certificate or endorsement initially issued or made on or 
before
June 30, 1987.
    (c) Administrative certificates shall be renewed every 5 
years
with
the first renewal being 5 years following the 
initial receipt of
an
administrative certificate, unless the 
validity period for the administrative
certificate has been

changed under subsection (a-5) of this Section, in which case 
the
certificate shall be renewed at the same time that the 
Standard or Master
Teaching Certificate is renewed.
    (c-5) (Blank).
    (c-10) Except as otherwise provided in subsection
(c-15) of 
this Section, persons holding administrative
certificates must 
follow the certificate renewal procedure set forth in this

subsection (c-10), provided that those persons holding 
administrative
certificates on June 30, 2003 who are renewing 
those certificates on or
after July 1, 2003 shall be issued new 
administrative certificates valid for
5 years (unless changed 
under subsection (a-5) of this Section), which
may be renewed 
thereafter as set forth in this subsection (c-10).
    A person holding an administrative certificate and

employed in a position requiring administrative certification,

including a regional superintendent of schools, must satisfy 
the continuing
professional development requirements of this 
Section to renew his or her
administrative certificate. The 
continuing professional development must include without

limitation the following continuing professional development

purposes:
        (1) To improve the administrator's knowledge of

    instructional practices and administrative procedures in

    accordance with the Illinois Professional School Leader

    Standards.
        (2) To maintain the basic level of competence required

    for initial certification.
        (3) To improve the administrator's mastery of skills

    and knowledge regarding the improvement of teaching

    performance in clinical settings and assessment of the 
    levels
of student performance in the schools.
    The continuing professional development must
include the 
following in order for the certificate to be renewed:
        (A) Participation in continuing professional

    development activities, which must total a minimum of 100

    hours of continuing professional development. The 
    participation must consist of a minimum
of 5 activities per 
    validity period of the certificate, and the certificate 
    holder must maintain documentation of completion of each 
    activity.
        (B) Participation every year in an Illinois

    Administrators' Academy course, which participation must

    total a minimum of 30 continuing professional development

    hours during the period of the certificate's validity and 
    which
must include completion of applicable required

    coursework, including completion of a communication, 
    dissemination, or application component, as defined by the 
    State Board of
Education.
    The certificate holder must complete a verification form 
developed by the State Board of Education and certify that 100 
hours of continuing professional development activities and 5 
Administrators' Academy courses have been completed. The 
regional superintendent of schools shall review and
validate 
the verification form for a certificate holder. Based on

compliance with all of the requirements for renewal, the 
regional
superintendent of schools shall forward a 
recommendation for
renewal or non-renewal to the State 
Superintendent of Education
and shall notify the certificate 
holder of the recommendation. The
State Superintendent of 
Education shall review the
recommendation to renew or non-renew 
and shall notify, in writing,
the certificate holder of a 
decision denying renewal of his or her
certificate. Any 
decision regarding non-renewal of an
administrative 
certificate may be appealed to the State Teacher
Certification 
Board.
    The State Board of Education, in consultation with the 
State
Teacher Certification Board, shall adopt rules to 
implement this
subsection (c-10).
    The regional superintendent of schools shall monitor the 
process
for renewal of administrative certificates established 
in this subsection
(c-10).
    (c-15) This subsection (c-15) applies to the first period 
of an
administrative certificate's validity during which the 
holder becomes
subject to the requirements of subsection (c-10) 
of this Section if the
certificate has less than 5 years' 
validity or has less than 5 years' validity
remaining when the 
certificate holder becomes subject to the
requirements of 
subsection (c-10) of this Section. With respect to this
period, 
the 100 hours of continuing professional development and 5

activities per validity period specified in clause (A) of

subsection (c-10) of this Section shall instead be deemed to 
mean 20
hours of continuing professional development and one 
activity per year of
the certificate's validity or remaining 
validity and the 30 continuing
professional development hours 
specified in clause (B) of
subsection (c-10) of this Section 
shall instead be deemed to mean
completion of at least one 
course per year of the certificate's validity or
remaining 
validity. Certificate holders who evaluate certified staff 
must complete a 2-day teacher evaluation course, in addition to 
the 30 continuing professional development hours.
    (c-20) The State
Board of Education, in consultation with 
the State Teacher Certification Board,
shall develop 
procedures for implementing this Section and shall administer 
the
renewal of administrative certificates. Failure to submit 
satisfactory evidence
of continuing professional education 
which contributes to promoting the goals
of this Section shall 
result in a loss of administrative certification.
    (d) Any limited or life supervisory certificate issued 
prior to July 1, 1968
shall continue to be valid for all 
administrative and supervisory positions
in the public schools 
for which it is valid as of that date as long as its
holder 
meets the requirements for registration or renewal as set forth 
in
the statutes or until revoked according to law.
    (e) The administrative or supervisory positions for which 
the certificate
shall be valid shall be determined by one or 
more of the following endorsements: general
supervisory, 
general administrative, principal, chief school business 
official, and superintendent.
    Subject to the provisions of Section 21-1a, endorsements 
shall be
made under conditions set forth in this Section.  The 
State Board of
Education shall, in consultation with the State 
Teacher Certification
Board, adopt rules pursuant to the 
Illinois Administrative Procedure Act,
establishing 
requirements for obtaining administrative certificates where

the minimum administrative or supervisory requirements surpass 
those set
forth in this Section.
    The State Teacher Certification Board shall file with the 
State Board of
Education a written recommendation when 
considering additional
administrative or supervisory 
requirements.  All additional requirements
shall be based upon 
the requisite knowledge necessary to perform those
tasks 
required by the certificate.  The State Board of Education shall 
in
consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, 
establish
standards within its rules which shall include the 
academic and
professional requirements necessary for 
certification.  These standards
shall at a minimum contain, but 
not be limited to, those used by the State
Board of Education 
in determining whether additional knowledge will be
required.  
Additionally, the State Board of Education shall in 
consultation
with the State Teacher Certification Board, 
establish provisions within its
rules whereby any member of the 
educational community or the public may
file a formal written 
recommendation or inquiry regarding requirements.
        (1) Until July 1, 2003, the general supervisory 
    endorsement shall be
affixed to the
administrative 
    certificate of any holder who has at least 16 semester 
    hours
of graduate credit in professional education 
    including 8 semester hours of
graduate credit in curriculum 
    and research and who has at least 2 years of
full-time 
    teaching experience or school service personnel experience 
    in
public schools, schools under the supervision of the 
    Department of Corrections,
schools under the 
    administration of the Department of
Rehabilitation 
    Services, or nonpublic schools meeting the standards

    established by the State Superintendent of Education or 
    comparable out-of-state
recognition standards approved by 
    the State Superintendent of Education.
        Such endorsement shall be required for supervisors, 
    curriculum directors
and for such similar and related 
    positions as determined by the State
Superintendent of 
    Education in consultation with the State Teacher

    Certification Board.
        (2) Until August 31, 2014, the general administrative 
    endorsement shall be affixed to the
administrative 
    certificate of any holder who has at least 20 semester 
    hours
of graduate credit in educational administration and 
    supervision and who
has at least 2 years of full-time 
    teaching experience or school service
personnel experience 
    in public schools, schools under the supervision of
the 
    Department of Corrections, schools under the 
    administration of
the Department of Rehabilitation 
    Services, or
nonpublic schools meeting the standards

    established by the State Superintendent of Education or 
    comparable
out-of-state recognition standards approved by 
    the State Superintendent
of Education. However, 
    notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Code or 
    the Illinois Administrative Code, 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.
        Such endorsement or a principal endorsement shall be 
    required for principal, assistant principal,
assistant or 
    associate superintendent, and junior college dean and for 
    related
or similar positions as determined by the State 
    Superintendent of Education
in consultation with the State 
    Teacher Certification Board. 
        (2.5)  The principal endorsement shall be affixed to the 
    administrative certificate of any holder who qualifies by:
            (A) successfully completing a principal 
        preparation program approved in accordance with 
        Section 21-7.6 of this Code and any applicable rules;
            (B) having 4 years of teaching experience; 
        however, the State Board of Education shall allow, by 
        rules, for fewer than 4 years of experience based on 
        meeting standards set forth in such rules, including 
        without limitation a review of performance evaluations 
        or other evidence of demonstrated qualifications; and
            (C) having a master's degree. 
        (3) The chief school business official endorsement 
    shall be affixed to
the administrative certificate of any 
    holder who qualifies by having
a Master's degree, 2 years 
    of administrative experience in school business
management 
    or 2 years of university-approved practical experience, 
    and a minimum of 20 semester hours of graduate credit in a 
    program
established by the State Superintendent of 
    Education in consultation with the
State Teacher 
    Certification Board for the preparation of school business

    administrators.  Such endorsement shall also be affixed to 
    the administrative
certificate of any holder who qualifies 
    by having a Master's Degree in Public Administration, 
    Business
Administration, Finance, or Accounting and 6 
    semester hours of internship in school business management 
    from a regionally accredited institution
of higher 
    education.
        After June 30, 1977, such endorsement shall be required 
    for any individual
first employed as a chief school 
    business official.
        (4) The superintendent endorsement shall be affixed to 
    the administrative
certificate of any holder who has 
    completed 30 semester hours of graduate
credit beyond the 
    master's degree in a program for the preparation of

    superintendents of schools including 16 semester hours of 
    graduate credit
in professional education and who has at 
    least 2 years experience as an
administrator or supervisor 
    in the public schools or the State Board of
Education  or 
    education service regions or in nonpublic schools meeting 
    the
standards established by the State Superintendent of 
    Education or
comparable out-of-state recognition standards 
    approved by the State
Superintendent of Education and holds 
    general supervisory or general
administrative endorsement, 
    or who has had 2 years of experience as a
supervisor, chief 
    school business official, or administrator while holding 
    an all-grade supervisory
certificate or a certificate 
    comparable in validity and educational and
experience 
    requirements.
        After June 30, 1968, such endorsement shall be required 
    for a
superintendent of schools, except as provided in the 
    second paragraph of this
Section and in Section 34-6.
        Any person appointed to the position of superintendent 
    between the
effective date of this Act and June 30, 1993 in 
    a school district organized
pursuant to Article 32 with an 
    enrollment of at least 20,000 pupils shall
be exempt from 
    the provisions of this paragraph (4) until
June 30, 1996.
    (f) All official interpretations or acts of issuing or 
denying
administrative certificates or endorsements by the 
State Teacher's
Certification Board, State Board of Education 
or the State Superintendent
of Education, from the passage of 
P.A. 81-1208 on November 8, 1979 through
September 24, 1981 are 
hereby declared valid and legal acts in all respects and

further that the purported repeal of the provisions of this 
Section by P.A.
81-1208 and P.A. 81-1509 is declared null and 
void.
    (g) This Section is repealed on June 30, 2013. 
(Source: P.A. 96-56, eff. 1-1-10; 96-903, eff. 7-1-10; 96-982, 
eff. 1-1-11; 96-1423, eff. 8-3-10; 97-255, eff. 8-4-11; 97-333, 
eff. 8-12-11; 97-607, eff. 8-26-11; revised 9-28-11.)
 
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.