SB3900sam001 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

Filed: 2/7/2022

10200SB3900sam001 LRB102 24388 NLB 35735 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 3900

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 3900 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Right to Read Act.

Section 5. Legislative findings.

(a) The General Assembly makes all of he following findings:

(1) The 2019 Illinois Assessment of Readiness found that, among 3rd grade students, just 37% met or exceeded learning standards in English language arts.

(2) The 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress similarly showed that just 35% of fourth grade students in Illinois are proficient or advanced in English language arts.

(3) Research from the Annie E. Casey Institute found that students who are not proficient readers in 3rd grade are 4 times more likely not to finish high school, while students from low-income families who are non-proficient readers in 3rd grade are more than 6 times more likely not to finish high school.

(4) The Literacy Project Foundation estimates that 60% of all prison inmates are illiterate and 85% of juvenile offenders struggle with reading.

(5) Twenty-one states require elementary teacher candidates to pass a licensure test that is well-grounded in the science of reading and fully measures knowledge in reading foundations for all elementary candidates yet Illinois does not measure the competencies of the science of reading in the current licensure exam.

(6) Reading comprehension is the ability to extract and construct literal and inferred meaning from linguistic discourse represented in printed text; the "Simple View of Reading" states that reading comprehension is the product of language comprehension (the ability to extract and construct literal and inferred meaning from linguistic discourse represented in speech) and word recognition (the ability to decode words through a foundation of phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness).

(7) A structured literacy instructional approach supports all learners, including those with linguistic differences, such as English learners and speakers of English language variations, for whom both English literacy and English oral language proficiency are critical priorities.

(8) Teachers must 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), which has a linguistic structure that is a systematic and rule-governed variation of General American English (GAE). Differences among common language variations must be understood by those teaching bidialectal children to read, write, and spell in order to provide them with culturally relevant and effective instruction. In particular, teachers need to understand the differences between GAE and English language variations in phonology, syntax, and morphology and how they impact the acquisition of literacy skills. Furthermore, language variations of English must be recognized and respected in order to support students in bridging the 2 variations for development of strong literacy skills.

(9) English learners benefit from a structured literacy approach that recognizes the value of multilingualism by explicitly focusing on English phonemes that are not found in the student's home language; integrating explicit instruction in vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and pragmatics into phonics and phonemic awareness instruction; and encouraging students to make connections between English and their home language.

(10) Reading and writing have a reciprocal relationship; each strengthens the other, and students benefit when their instruction is closely intertwined.

(11) Research shows that direct, systematic, cumulative, sequential, and explicit reading instruction that is focused on the foundational reading skills of phonemic awareness, phonics (decoding), spelling (encoding), vocabulary development, including morphology, oral language development, reading fluency, and reading comprehension, including syntax and building background (content) knowledge, is highly effective in teaching young children to read.

(12) Ensuring that every child has access to high-quality, evidence-based reading instruction implemented using a structured literacy approach is a foundational component of Illinois' public education system and a responsibility shared among federal, State, and local education agencies.

(13) Strengthening early literacy instruction and supports for students in Illinois will pay dividends in the future, empowering students by providing the skills they will need to graduate, find fulfilling careers, and be productive members of their communities and of our democracy.

Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Board" means the State Board of Education.

"Cueing" means an instructional strategy in which students are encouraged to infer what words say by looking at picture clues or guessing or predicting words from repeated text patterns or context, rather than encouraging them to decode text as the primary method for recognizing a word while reading.

"Evidence-based practice" refers to methodologies that have been shown, through externally-validated research, to effectuate positive educational results in a predictable manner on a particular population. Evidence-based practices meet a higher standard of evidence than research-based practices.

"Explicit" refers to a specific, direct, intentional, and highly-structured manner of presentation in which topics are broken down into small parts and taught individually, involving direct demonstration, guidance, and practice.

"MTSS" means a multi-tiered system of support, which is an educational intervention system, focused on continuous-improvement using data-based problem solving and decision-making at all levels of the educational system.

"Phonemic awareness" means the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words.

"Phonics" means a method that demonstrates relationships between letters or groups of letters of the alphabet (graphemes) and sounds of spoken language (phonemes).

"Phonological awareness" means the ability to identify and manipulate the spoken word parts, including syllables and individual sounds.

"Reading comprehension" means the ability to decode words in printed text and accurately understand and interpret their meaning, making connections and drawing conclusions from what they read.

"Reading fluency" means the ability to read with appropriate speed, automaticity, accuracy, and expression.

"Research-based practice" refers to methodologies suspected to affect a desired change. "Research-based practices" represent a lower standard of evidence when compared to evidence-based practices.

"Structured literacy" is an approach to reading instruction where teachers carefully structure important literacy skills, concepts, and the sequence of instruction, to facilitate children's literacy learning and progress. "Structured literacy" is characterized by the provision of systematic, explicit instruction that integrates listening, speaking, reading, and writing and emphasizes the structure of language across the speech sound system (phonology), the writing system (orthography), the structure of sentences (syntax), the meaningful parts of words (morphology), the relationships among words (semantics), and the organization of spoken and written discourse.

"Systematic" means an approach to content delivery that builds sequentially upon prior learning in a strategic manner, that is, building from simple to complex.

Section 15. Local education provider procedures, plan, and training.

(a) The Board shall offer support to each public school district to select evidence-based core reading instruction programs and implement them using structured literacy instruction. The curricula shall include phonemic awareness, a systematic approach to phonics, explicit spelling instruction, vocabulary development, including morphology, oral language development, reading fluency, and reading comprehension, including syntax and building background (content) knowledge. Word recognition strategies shall rely on orthographic and phonological processes rather than cueing. The core reading instruction must include connected text, such as texts intended to reinforce words with the phonetic patterns previously taught in sequence. This support shall include:

(1) creation of a specific set of criteria that core curricula must meet, as well as a list of evidence-based literacy core curricula based on the given criteria, with dissemination of the list to school districts by February 1, 2023; and

(2) establishment of a pilot program to award Early Literacy Grants to districts that commit to comprehensive reform of core literacy curriculum and support for teachers implementing instruction of the new material by September 1, 2025. At a minimum, grantees of the program must commit to:

(A) comprehensive professional development or training ensuring that each teacher employed to teach kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 3 and each administrator in an elementary school successfully completes or has successfully completed evidence-based training in teaching reading; and

(B) adoption and implementation of core and supplemental reading curricula at each grade level from kindergarten through grade 2 that is designed around teaching the foundational reading skills.

(b) The Board shall offer support to each early childhood, elementary, and special education teacher, reading specialist, literacy coach, higher education faculty member, and administrator to complete evidence-based training in teaching reading. Such training shall focus on systematic and explicit instruction in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, orthography, vocabulary development, including morphology, oral language development, reading fluency, and reading comprehension, including syntax and building background (content) knowledge, and include rigorous evaluations of learning throughout and at the end of the course. This support may include:

(1) development of a microcredential in the Science of Reading to be affixed to professional educator licenses upon completion of the required coursework, assessment, or both;

(2) creation of a tool that school districts and the public may use to evaluate professional development and training programs related to structured literacy and dissemination of the tool to school districts and regional offices of education;

(3) evaluation of current, pending, and future professional development and training providers approved as learning partners with IL-EMPOWER to ensure that training aligns with evidence-based literacy instruction practices;

(4) completion of a review of current professional development and training mandates required by federal or state law or administrative rules and recommendations of requirements that could be streamlined, eliminated, or modified to accommodate more time for professional development and training in literacy; and

(5) in partnership with one or more high-quality providers of evidence-based professional development or training in the content and principles of effective language and literacy instruction, development of online training modules on evidence-based literacy instruction available statewide to districts and educators free of charge through December 31, 2026 and accepted for continuing professional development units.

(c) The Board shall annually compile and post on its website information on the steps it has undertaken to support school districts to deliver high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction, including a list of any Early Literacy Grant recipients, documentation of how the recipient allocated the funding to support improved literacy, and what evidence-based literacy curricula the recipient is utilizing.

Section 20. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 21B-20, 21B-30, and 21B-35 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/21B-20)

Sec. 21B-20. Types of licenses. The State Board of Education shall implement a system of educator licensure, whereby individuals employed in school districts who are required to be licensed must have one of the following licenses: (i) a professional educator license; (ii) an educator license with stipulations; (iii) a substitute teaching license; or (iv) until June 30, 2023, a short-term substitute teaching license. References in law regarding individuals certified or certificated or required to be certified or certificated under Article 21 of this Code shall also include individuals licensed or required to be licensed under this Article. The first year of all licenses ends on June 30 following one full year of the license being issued.

The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such rules as may be necessary to govern the requirements for licenses and endorsements under this Section.

(1) Professional Educator License. Persons who (i) have successfully completed an approved educator preparation program and are recommended for licensure by the Illinois institution offering the educator preparation program, (ii) have successfully completed the required testing under Section 21B-30 of this Code, (iii) have successfully completed coursework on the psychology of, the identification of, and the methods of instruction for the exceptional child, including without limitation children with learning disabilities, (iv) have successfully completed coursework in evidence-based methods of reading that include explicit and repeated focus on phonemic awareness, a systematic approach to phonics (decoding), spelling instruction (encoding), vocabulary development, including morphology, reading fluency, oral language development, and reading comprehension, including syntax and background (content) knowledge, and reading in the content area, and (v) have met all other criteria established by rule of the State Board of Education shall be issued a Professional Educator License. All Professional Educator Licenses are valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the license being issued. The Professional Educator License shall be endorsed with specific areas and grade levels in which the individual is eligible to practice. For an early childhood education endorsement, an individual may satisfy the student teaching requirement of his or her early childhood teacher preparation program through placement in a setting with children from birth through grade 2, and the individual may be paid and receive credit while student teaching. The student teaching experience must meet the requirements of and be approved by the individual's early childhood teacher preparation program.

Individuals can receive subsequent endorsements on the Professional Educator License. Subsequent endorsements shall require a minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework in the endorsement area and passage of the applicable content area test, unless otherwise specified by rule.

(2) Educator License with Stipulations. An Educator License with Stipulations shall be issued an endorsement that limits the license holder to one particular position or does not require completion of an approved educator program or both.

An individual with an Educator License with Stipulations must not be employed by a school district or any other entity to replace any presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be replaced for any reason.

An Educator License with Stipulations may be issued with the following endorsements:

(A) (Blank).

(B) Alternative provisional educator. An alternative provisional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who, at the time of applying for the endorsement, has done all of the following:

(i) Graduated from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum of a bachelor's degree.

(ii) Successfully completed the first phase of the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers, as described in Section 21B-50 of this Code.

(iii) Passed a content area test, as required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.

The alternative provisional educator endorsement is valid for 2 years of teaching and may be renewed for a third year by an individual meeting the requirements set forth in Section 21B-50 of this Code.

(C) Alternative provisional superintendent. An alternative provisional superintendent endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations entitles the holder to serve only as a superintendent or assistant superintendent in a school district's central office. This endorsement may only be issued to an applicant who, at the time of applying for the endorsement, has done all of the following:

(i) Graduated from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum of a master's degree in a management field other than education.

(ii) Been employed for a period of at least 5 years in a management level position in a field other than education.

(iii) Successfully completed the first phase of an alternative route to superintendent endorsement program, as provided in Section 21B-55 of this Code.

(iv) Passed a content area test required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.

The endorsement is valid for 2 fiscal years in order to complete one full year of serving as a superintendent or assistant superintendent.

(D) (Blank).

(E) Career and technical educator. A career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has a minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or an accredited trade and technical institution and has a minimum of 2,000 hours of experience outside of education in each area to be taught.

The career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed.

An individual who holds a valid career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations but does not hold a bachelor's degree may substitute teach in career and technical education classrooms.

(F) Part-time provisional career and technical educator or provisional career and technical educator. A part-time provisional career and technical educator endorsement or a provisional career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has a minimum of 8,000 hours of work experience in the skill for which the applicant is seeking the endorsement. It is the responsibility of each employing school board and regional office of education to provide verification, in writing, to the State Superintendent of Education at the time the application is submitted that no qualified teacher holding a Professional Educator License or an Educator License with Stipulations with a career and technical educator endorsement is available and that actual circumstances require such issuance.

The provisional career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed for 5 years.

A part-time provisional career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued for teaching no more than 2 courses of study for grades 6 through 12. The part-time provisional career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed for 5 years if the individual makes application for renewal.

An individual who holds a provisional or part-time provisional career and technical educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations but does not hold a bachelor's degree may substitute teach in career and technical education classrooms.

(G) Transitional bilingual educator. A transitional bilingual educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued for the purpose of providing instruction in accordance with Article 14C of this Code to an applicant who provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all of the following requirements:

(i) Possesses adequate speaking, reading, and writing ability in the language other than English in which transitional bilingual education is offered.

(ii) Has the ability to successfully communicate in English.

(iii) Either possessed, within 5 years previous to his or her applying for a transitional bilingual educator endorsement, a valid and comparable teaching certificate or comparable authorization issued by a foreign country or holds a degree from an institution of higher learning in a foreign country that the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the United States.

A transitional bilingual educator endorsement shall be valid for prekindergarten through grade 12, is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued, and shall not be renewed.

Persons holding a transitional bilingual educator endorsement shall not be employed to replace any presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be replaced for any reason.

(H) Language endorsement. In an effort to alleviate the shortage of teachers speaking a language other than English in the public schools, an individual who holds an Educator License with Stipulations may also apply for a language endorsement, provided that the applicant provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all of the following requirements:

(i) Holds a transitional bilingual endorsement.

(ii) Has demonstrated proficiency in the language for which the endorsement is to be issued by passing the applicable language content test required by the State Board of Education.

(iii) Holds a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or, for individuals educated in a country other than the United States, holds a degree from an institution of higher learning in a foreign country that the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the United States.

(iv) (Blank).

A language endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for prekindergarten through grade 12 for the same validity period as the individual's transitional bilingual educator endorsement on the Educator License with Stipulations and shall not be renewed.

(I) Visiting international educator. A visiting international educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an individual who is being recruited by a particular school district that conducts formal recruitment programs outside of the United States to secure the services of qualified teachers and who meets all of the following requirements:

(i) Holds the equivalent of a minimum of a bachelor's degree issued in the United States.

(ii) Has been prepared as a teacher at the grade level for which he or she will be employed.

(iii) Has adequate content knowledge in the subject to be taught.

(iv) Has an adequate command of the English language.

A holder of a visiting international educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations shall be permitted to teach in bilingual education programs in the language that was the medium of instruction in his or her teacher preparation program, provided that he or she passes the English Language Proficiency Examination or another test of writing skills in English identified by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.

A visiting international educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 5 years and shall not be renewed.

(J) Paraprofessional educator. A paraprofessional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who holds a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and either holds an associate's degree or a minimum of 60 semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or has passed a paraprofessional competency test under subsection (c-5) of Section 21B-30. The paraprofessional educator endorsement is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed through application and payment of the appropriate fee, as required under Section 21B-40 of this Code. An individual who holds only a paraprofessional educator endorsement is not subject to additional requirements in order to renew the endorsement.

(K) Chief school business official. A chief school business official endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who qualifies by having a master's degree or higher, 2 years of full-time administrative experience in school business management or 2 years of university-approved practical experience, and a minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate credit in a program approved by the State Board of Education for the preparation of school business administrators and by passage of the applicable State tests, including an applicable content area test.

The chief school business official endorsement may also be affixed to the Educator License with Stipulations of any holder who qualifies by having a master's degree in business administration, finance, accounting, or public administration and who completes an additional 6 semester hours of internship in school business management from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and passes the applicable State tests, including an applicable content area test. This endorsement shall be required for any individual employed as a chief school business official.

The chief school business official endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed if the license holder completes renewal requirements as required for individuals who hold a Professional Educator License endorsed for chief school business official under Section 21B-45 of this Code and such rules as may be adopted by the State Board of Education.

The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules necessary to implement Public Act 100-288.

(L) Provisional in-state educator. A provisional in-state educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to a candidate who has completed an Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois institution of higher education and who has not successfully completed an evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness but who meets all of the following requirements:

(i) Holds at least a bachelor's degree.

(ii) Has completed an approved educator preparation program at an Illinois institution.

(iii) Has passed an applicable content area test, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.

(iv) Has attempted an evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness and received a minimum score on that assessment, as established by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.

A provisional in-state educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for one full fiscal year after the date of issuance and may not be renewed.

(M) (Blank).

(N) Specialized services. A specialized services endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations may be issued as defined and specified by rule.

(3) Substitute Teaching License. A Substitute Teaching License may be issued to qualified applicants for substitute teaching in all grades of the public schools, prekindergarten through grade 12. Substitute Teaching Licenses are not eligible for endorsements. Applicants for a Substitute Teaching License must hold a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for 5 years.

Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for substitute teaching in every county of this State. If an individual has had his or her Professional Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations suspended or revoked, then that individual is not eligible to obtain a Substitute Teaching License.

A substitute teacher may only teach in the place of a licensed teacher who is under contract with the employing board. If, however, there is no licensed teacher under contract because of an emergency situation, then a district may employ a substitute teacher for no longer than 30 calendar days per each vacant position in the district if the district notifies the appropriate regional office of education within 5 business days after the employment of the substitute teacher in the emergency situation. An emergency situation is one in which an unforeseen vacancy has occurred and (i) a teacher is unable to fulfill his or her contractual duties or (ii) teacher capacity needs of the district exceed previous indications, and the district is actively engaged in advertising to hire a fully licensed teacher for the vacant position.

There is no limit on the number of days that a substitute teacher may teach in a single school district, provided that no substitute teacher may teach for longer than 90 school days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the same school year. A substitute teacher who holds a Professional Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations shall not teach for more than 120 school days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the same school year. The limitations in this paragraph (3) on the number of days a substitute teacher may be employed do not apply to any school district operating under Article 34 of this Code.

A school district may not require an individual who holds a valid Professional Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations to seek or hold a Substitute Teaching License to teach as a substitute teacher.

(4) Short-Term Substitute Teaching License. Beginning on July 1, 2018 and until June 30, 2023, the State Board of Education may issue a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License. A Short-Term Substitute Teaching License may be issued to a qualified applicant for substitute teaching in all grades of the public schools, prekindergarten through grade 12. Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are not eligible for endorsements. Applicants for a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License must hold an associate's degree or have completed at least 60 credit hours from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for substitute teaching in every county of this State. If an individual has had his or her Professional Educator License or Educator License with Stipulations suspended or revoked, then that individual is not eligible to obtain a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License.

The provisions of Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this Code apply to short-term substitute teachers.

An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License may teach no more than 5 consecutive days per licensed teacher who is under contract. For teacher absences lasting 6 or more days per licensed teacher who is under contract, a school district may not hire an individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License. An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching License must complete the training program under Section 10-20.67 or 34-18.60 of this Code to be eligible to teach at a public school. This paragraph (4) is inoperative on and after July 1, 2023.

(Source: P.A. 100-8, eff. 7-1-17; 100-13, eff. 7-1-17; 100-288, eff. 8-24-17; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-821, eff. 9-3-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20.)

(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. Before October 1, 2023, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall review and, as needed, amend its professional licensure standards to align with the principles of evidence-based literacy instruction, as measured on the reading foundations assessment. 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) All applicants seeking a State license after October 1, 2025, in the areas of early childhood education, early childhood special education, elementary education, English language arts, middle grades language arts, reading specialist, reading teacher, special education, speech language pathologist, and English language learner teacher shall be required to pass a test in reading foundations, which shall include assessment of the applicant's understanding of phonological and phonemic awareness, concepts of print and the alphabetic principle, the role of phonics in promoting reading development, word analysis skills and strategies, vocabulary development, linguistics, morphology, application of reading comprehension skills and strategies, and methods for assessing reading development. The reading foundations test must also assess applicants' knowledge of assessment, differentiation, and intervention with respect to each component of reading for English learners, students with disabilities, and students with advanced skills in some areas of reading.

(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 for all tests except the reading foundations test, 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. The State Board shall base its rules concerning the passing score of the reading foundations test upon the recommended cut-score determined in the formal standard-setting process.

(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, reading foundations, 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) evidence-based methods of reading that include explicit and repeated focus on phonemic awareness, a systematic approach to phonics (decoding), spelling instruction (encoding), vocabulary development, including morphology, reading fluency, oral language development, and reading comprehension, including syntax and background (content) knowledge, 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

(iv) after October 1, 2025, an applicant who has successfully completed a reading foundations test of at least comparable rigor to the Illinois reading foundations test is not required to complete a reading foundations test; 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) evidence-based methods of reading that include explicit and repeated focus on phonemic awareness, a systematic approach to phonics (decoding), spelling instruction (encoding), vocabulary development. including morphology, reading fluency, oral language development, and reading comprehension. including syntax and background (content) knowledge. 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. After October 1, 2025, applicants who have successfully completed a reading foundations test of at least comparable rigor to the Illinois reading foundations test shall not be required to complete a reading foundations test.

(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) evidence-based methods of reading that include explicit and repeated focus on phonemic awareness, a systematic approach to phonics (decoding), spelling instruction (encoding), vocabulary development, including morphology, reading fluency, oral language development, and reading comprehension, including syntax and background (content) knowledge, 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) evidence-based methods of reading that include explicit and repeated focus on phonemic awareness, a systematic approach to phonics (decoding), spelling instruction (encoding), vocabulary development, including morphology, reading fluency, oral language development, and reading comprehension, including syntax and background (content) knowledge, 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.".