Public Act 098-0688
 
HB4767 EnrolledLRB098 18672 NHT 53815 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 
21-5c as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21-5c)
    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2017)
    (Text of Section before amendment by P.A. 98-603)
    Sec. 21-5c. Alternative route to teacher certification. 
The State Board
of Education, in consultation with the State 
Teacher Certification Board, shall
establish and implement one 
or more alternative route to teacher certification programs

under which persons who meet the requirements of and 
successfully complete the programs
 established by this Section 
shall be issued an initial teaching
certificate for teaching in 
schools in this State.
The State Board of Education may
approve 
a course of study
that persons in such programs must 
successfully complete in order to
satisfy one criterion for 
issuance of a certificate under this Section.  The
Alternative 
Route to Teacher Certification programs course of study must 
include
 content and skills which have been approved by the 
State Board of
Education, in consultation with the State 
Teacher Certification Board, as meeting the
requirement for 
State teacher certification.
    Programs established under this Section shall be
known as 
Alternative Route to Teacher Certification programs.  The 
programs
may be offered by a university that offers 4-year 
baccalaureate and masters degree programs and that is a 
recognized institution as defined in Section 21B-105 of this 
Code, by one or more not-for-profit
organizations in the State, 
or a combination thereof.  The programs shall be comprised of 
the following 3
phases: (a) a
course of study offered on an 
intensive basis in education theory,
instructional methods, 
and
practice teaching; (b) the person's assignment to a 
full-time
teaching position for one school year, including the 
designation of a
mentor teacher to advise and assist the person 
with that
teaching assignment; and (c) a comprehensive 
assessment of the person's
teaching performance by school 
officials and program participants
and a recommendation by the 
program sponsor to the
State Board of Education that the person 
be issued an initial
teaching certificate.  Successful 
completion of Alternative Route to
Teacher
Certification 
programs shall be deemed to satisfy any other
practice or 
student teaching and subject matter requirements established 
by
law.
    A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for 
one year of
teaching
in the common schools and not renewable, 
shall be issued under this Section
21-5c to persons who at the 
time of applying for the provisional alternative
teaching 
certificate under this Section:
        (1) have graduated from an accredited college or 
    university with a
bachelor's degree;
        (2) have been employed for a period of at least 5 years 
    in an area
requiring application of the individual's 
    education;
        (3) have successfully completed the first phase of the 
    Alternative Teacher
Certification program as provided in 
    this Section; and
        (4) have passed the tests of basic skills and subject 
    matter knowledge
required by Section 21-1a.
    An initial teaching certificate, valid for teaching
in the 
common schools,
shall be
issued under Section 21-3 or 21-5 to 
persons who first complete the
requirements
for the provisional 
alternative teaching certificate
and who at the time of 
applying for an initial teaching certificate
have successfully 
completed the second and third phases of
the Alternative Route 
to Teacher Certification program as provided in this
Section.
    A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate 
or an initial
teaching certificate earned under this Section

shall be treated as a regularly certified teacher for purposes 
of compensation,
benefits, and other terms and conditions of 
employment afforded teachers in the
school who are members of a 
bargaining unit represented by an exclusive
bargaining 
representative, if any.
    The State Board of Education may adopt rules
and 
regulations that are consistent with this Section and that the 
State Board
deems necessary to establish and implement the 
program.
    No one  may be admitted to an alternative certification 
program under this Section after September 1, 2014 2013, and 
those alternative certification candidates who are admitted on 
or before September 1, 2014 2013 must complete their coursework 
the program before January 1, 2016 2015, except that candidates 
admitted to an alternative certification program at Governors 
State University and participants in the Teacher Quality 
Partnership Grant program must be admitted on or before March 
31, 2014, complete their coursework on or before August 31, 
2015, and be entitled to certification on or before September 
30, 2016 31, 2015. An The alternative certification program at 
Governors State University shall provide the State Board of 
Education with the names of the candidates who will be eligible 
for certification under this exception.
    This Section is repealed on January 1, 2017 2016.
(Source: P.A. 97-607, eff. 8-26-11; 97-702, eff. 6-25-12; 
98-38, eff. 6-28-13.)
 
    (Text of Section after amendment by P.A. 98-603)
    Sec. 21-5c. Alternative route to teacher certification. 
The State Board
of Education, in consultation with the State 
Teacher Certification Board, shall
establish and implement one 
or more alternative route to teacher certification programs

under which persons who meet the requirements of and 
successfully complete the programs
 established by this Section 
shall be issued an initial teaching
certificate for teaching in 
schools in this State.
The State Board of Education may
approve 
a course of study
that persons in such programs must 
successfully complete in order to
satisfy one criterion for 
issuance of a certificate under this Section.  The
Alternative 
Route to Teacher Certification programs course of study must 
include
 content and skills which have been approved by the 
State Board of
Education, in consultation with the State 
Teacher Certification Board, as meeting the
requirement for 
State teacher certification.
    Programs established under this Section shall be
known as 
Alternative Route to Teacher Certification programs.  The 
programs
may be offered by a university that offers 4-year 
baccalaureate and masters degree programs and that is a 
recognized institution as defined in Section 21B-105 of this 
Code, by one or more not-for-profit
organizations in the State, 
or a combination thereof.  The programs shall be comprised of 
the following 3
phases: (a) a
course of study offered on an 
intensive basis in education theory,
instructional methods, 
and
practice teaching; (b) the person's assignment to a 
full-time
teaching position for one school year, including the 
designation of a
mentor teacher to advise and assist the person 
with that
teaching assignment; and (c) a comprehensive 
assessment of the person's
teaching performance by school 
officials and program participants
and a recommendation by the 
program sponsor to the
State Board of Education that the person 
be issued an initial
teaching certificate.  Successful 
completion of Alternative Route to
Teacher
Certification 
programs shall be deemed to satisfy any other
practice or 
student teaching and subject matter requirements established 
by
law.
    A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for 
one year of
teaching
in the common schools and not renewable, 
shall be issued under this Section
21-5c to persons who at the 
time of applying for the provisional alternative
teaching 
certificate under this Section:
        (1) have graduated from an accredited college or 
    university with a
bachelor's degree;
        (2) have been employed for a period of at least 5 years 
    in an area
requiring application of the individual's 
    education;
        (3) have successfully completed the first phase of the 
    Alternative Teacher
Certification program as provided in 
    this Section; and
        (4) have passed the tests of basic skills and subject 
    matter knowledge
required by Section 21-1a.
    An initial teaching certificate, valid for teaching
in the 
common schools,
shall be
issued under Section 21-3 or 21-5 to 
persons who first complete the
requirements
for the provisional 
alternative teaching certificate
and who at the time of 
applying for an initial teaching certificate
have successfully 
completed the second and third phases of
the Alternative Route 
to Teacher Certification program as provided in this
Section.
    A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate 
or an initial
teaching certificate earned under this Section

shall be treated as a regularly certified teacher for purposes 
of compensation,
benefits, and other terms and conditions of 
employment afforded teachers in the
school who are members of a 
bargaining unit represented by an exclusive
bargaining 
representative, if any.
    The State Board of Education may adopt rules
and 
regulations that are consistent with this Section and that the 
State Board
deems necessary to establish and implement the 
program.
    No one  may be admitted to an alternative certification 
program under this Section after September 1, 2014, and those 
alternative certification candidates who are admitted on or 
before September 1 June 30, 2014 must complete their coursework 
before January 1, 2016 and be entitled to certification on or 
before September 30, 2016. An alternative certification 
program shall provide the State Board of Education with the 
names of the candidates who will be eligible for certification.
    This Section is repealed on January 1, 2017.
(Source: P.A. 97-607, eff. 8-26-11; 97-702, eff. 6-25-12; 
98-38, eff. 6-28-13; 98-603, eff. 6-1-14.)
 
    Section 95. No acceleration or delay. Where this Act makes 
changes in a statute that is represented in this Act by text 
that is not yet or no longer in effect (for example, a Section 
represented by multiple versions), the use of that text does 
not accelerate or delay the taking effect of (i) the changes 
made by this Act or (ii) provisions derived from any other 
Public Act.
 
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.