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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections | ||||||
5 | 21B-30 and 21B-50 as follows:
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6 | (105 ILCS 5/21B-30)
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7 | Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing. | ||||||
8 | (a) (Blank). | ||||||
9 | (b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the | ||||||
10 | State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design | ||||||
11 | and implement a system of examinations, which shall be | ||||||
12 | required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These | ||||||
13 | examinations and indicators must be based on national and | ||||||
14 | State professional teaching standards, as determined by the | ||||||
15 | State Board of Education, in consultation with the State | ||||||
16 | Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of | ||||||
17 | Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to | ||||||
18 | implement and administer this Section. | ||||||
19 | (c) (Blank). | ||||||
20 | (c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a | ||||||
21 | paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an | ||||||
22 | applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a | ||||||
23 | paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the |
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1 | endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other | ||||||
2 | requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section | ||||||
3 | 21B-20 other than the higher education requirements. | ||||||
4 | (d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be | ||||||
5 | required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area | ||||||
6 | of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There | ||||||
7 | shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall | ||||||
8 | be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record | ||||||
9 | until he or she has passed the applicable content area test. | ||||||
10 | (e) (Blank). | ||||||
11 | (f) Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act | ||||||
12 | of the 103rd General Assembly through August 31, 2025, no | ||||||
13 | candidate completing a teacher preparation program in this | ||||||
14 | State or candidate subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code is | ||||||
15 | required to pass a teacher performance assessment. Except as | ||||||
16 | otherwise provided in this Article, beginning on September 1, | ||||||
17 | 2015 until the effective date of this amendatory Act of the | ||||||
18 | 103rd General Assembly and beginning again on September 1, | ||||||
19 | 2025 , all candidates completing teacher preparation programs | ||||||
20 | in this State and all candidates subject to Section 21B-35 of | ||||||
21 | this Code are required to pass a teacher performance | ||||||
22 | assessment approved by the State Board of Education, in | ||||||
23 | consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure | ||||||
24 | Board. A candidate may not be required to submit test | ||||||
25 | materials by video submission. Subject to appropriation, an | ||||||
26 | individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is |
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1 | employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district | ||||||
2 | designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after | ||||||
3 | application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a | ||||||
4 | refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher | ||||||
5 | performance assessment under this subsection. | ||||||
6 | (f-5) The Teacher Performance Assessment Task Force is | ||||||
7 | created to evaluate potential performance-based and objective | ||||||
8 | teacher performance assessment systems for implementation | ||||||
9 | across all educator preparation programs in this State, with | ||||||
10 | the intention of ensuring consistency across programs and | ||||||
11 | supporting a thoughtful and well-rounded licensure system. | ||||||
12 | Members appointed to the Task Force must reflect the racial, | ||||||
13 | ethnic, and geographic diversity of this State. The Task Force | ||||||
14 | shall consist of all of the following members: | ||||||
15 | (1) One member of the Senate, appointed by the | ||||||
16 | President of the Senate. | ||||||
17 | (2) One member of the Senate, appointed by the | ||||||
18 | Minority Leader of the Senate. | ||||||
19 | (3) One member of the House of Representatives, | ||||||
20 | appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. | ||||||
21 | (4) One member of the House of Representatives, | ||||||
22 | appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of | ||||||
23 | Representatives. | ||||||
24 | (5) One member who represents a statewide professional | ||||||
25 | teachers' organization, appointed by the State | ||||||
26 | Superintendent of Education. |
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1 | (6) One member who represents a different statewide | ||||||
2 | professional
teachers' organization, appointed by the | ||||||
3 | State Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
4 | (7) One member from a statewide organization | ||||||
5 | representing school principals, appointed by the State | ||||||
6 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
7 | (8) One member from a statewide organization | ||||||
8 | representing regional superintendents of schools, | ||||||
9 | appointed by the State Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
10 | (9) One member from a statewide organization | ||||||
11 | representing school administrators, appointed by the State | ||||||
12 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
13 | (10) One member representing a school district | ||||||
14 | organized under Article 34 of this Code, appointed by the | ||||||
15 | State Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
16 | (11) One member of an association representing rural | ||||||
17 | and small schools, appointed by the State Superintendent | ||||||
18 | of Education. | ||||||
19 | (12) One member representing a suburban school | ||||||
20 | district, appointed by the State Superintendent of | ||||||
21 | Education. | ||||||
22 | (13) One member from a statewide organization | ||||||
23 | representing school districts in the southern suburbs of | ||||||
24 | the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent | ||||||
25 | of Education. | ||||||
26 | (14) One member from a statewide organization |
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1 | representing large unit school districts, appointed by the | ||||||
2 | State Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
3 | (15) One member from a statewide organization | ||||||
4 | representing school districts in the collar counties of | ||||||
5 | the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent | ||||||
6 | of Education. | ||||||
7 | (16) Three members, each representing a different | ||||||
8 | public university in this State and each a current member | ||||||
9 | of the faculty of an approved educator preparation | ||||||
10 | program, appointed by the State Superintendent of | ||||||
11 | Education. | ||||||
12 | (17) Three members, each representing a different | ||||||
13 | 4-year nonpublic university or college in this State and | ||||||
14 | each a current member of the faculty of an approved | ||||||
15 | educator preparation program, appointed by the State | ||||||
16 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
17 | (18) One member of the Board of Higher Education, | ||||||
18 | appointed by the State Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
19 | (19) One member representing a statewide policy | ||||||
20 | organization advocating on behalf of multilingual students | ||||||
21 | and families, appointed by the State Superintendent of | ||||||
22 | Education. | ||||||
23 | (20) One member representing a statewide organization | ||||||
24 | focused on research-based education policy to support a | ||||||
25 | school system that prepares all students for college, a | ||||||
26 | career, and democratic citizenship, appointed by the State |
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1 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
2 | (21) Two members representing an early childhood | ||||||
3 | advocacy organization, appointed by the State | ||||||
4 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
5 | (22) One member representing a statewide organization | ||||||
6 | that partners with educator preparation programs and | ||||||
7 | school districts to support the growth and development of | ||||||
8 | preservice teachers, appointed by the State Superintendent | ||||||
9 | of Education. | ||||||
10 | (23) One member representing a statewide organization | ||||||
11 | that advocates for educational equity and racial justice | ||||||
12 | in schools, appointed by the State Superintendent of | ||||||
13 | Education. | ||||||
14 | (24) One member representing a statewide organization | ||||||
15 | that represents school boards, appointed by the State | ||||||
16 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
17 | (25) One member who has, within the last 5 years, | ||||||
18 | served as a cooperating teacher, appointed by the State | ||||||
19 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
20 | Members of the Task Force shall serve without | ||||||
21 | compensation. The Task Force shall first meet at the call of | ||||||
22 | the State Superintendent of Education, and each subsequent | ||||||
23 | meeting shall be called by the chairperson of the Task Force, | ||||||
24 | who shall be designated by the State Superintendent of | ||||||
25 | Education. The State Board of Education shall provide | ||||||
26 | administrative and other support to the Task Force. |
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1 | On or before August 1, 2024, the Task Force shall report on | ||||||
2 | its work, including recommendations on a teacher performance | ||||||
3 | assessment system in this State, to the State Board of | ||||||
4 | Education and the General Assembly. The Task Force is | ||||||
5 | dissolved upon submission of this report. | ||||||
6 | (g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher | ||||||
7 | performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to | ||||||
8 | time are designated by the State Board of Education, in | ||||||
9 | consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure | ||||||
10 | Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing | ||||||
11 | organization or tests designed by the State Board of | ||||||
12 | Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation | ||||||
13 | and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall | ||||||
14 | assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The | ||||||
15 | tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no | ||||||
16 | person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis | ||||||
17 | of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to | ||||||
18 | the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The | ||||||
19 | score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State | ||||||
20 | Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator | ||||||
21 | Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be | ||||||
22 | administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and | ||||||
23 | place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in | ||||||
24 | consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure | ||||||
25 | Board. | ||||||
26 | The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess |
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1 | the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of | ||||||
2 | applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under | ||||||
3 | subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this | ||||||
4 | Code in the English language and in the language of the | ||||||
5 | transitional bilingual education program requested by the | ||||||
6 | applicant. | ||||||
7 | (h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the | ||||||
8 | provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school | ||||||
9 | district subject to Article 34 of this Code. | ||||||
10 | (i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the | ||||||
11 | testing requirements under this Section shall include without | ||||||
12 | limitation provisions governing test selection, test | ||||||
13 | validation and determination of a passing score, | ||||||
14 | administration of the tests, frequency of administration, | ||||||
15 | applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the | ||||||
16 | years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special | ||||||
17 | accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop | ||||||
18 | such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to | ||||||
19 | year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.
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20 | (Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; | ||||||
21 | 101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 102-301, eff. 8-26-21.) | ||||||
22 | (105 ILCS 5/21B-50) | ||||||
23 | Sec. 21B-50. Alternative Educator Licensure Program. | ||||||
24 | (a) There is established an alternative educator licensure | ||||||
25 | program, to be known as the Alternative Educator Licensure |
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1 | Program for Teachers. | ||||||
2 | (b) The Alternative Educator Licensure Program for | ||||||
3 | Teachers may be offered by a recognized institution approved | ||||||
4 | to offer educator preparation programs by the State Board of | ||||||
5 | Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation | ||||||
6 | and Licensure Board. | ||||||
7 | The program shall be comprised of 4 phases: | ||||||
8 | (1) A course of study that at a minimum includes | ||||||
9 | instructional planning; instructional strategies, | ||||||
10 | including special education, reading, and English language | ||||||
11 | learning; classroom management; and the assessment of | ||||||
12 | students and use of data to drive instruction. | ||||||
13 | (2) A year of residency, which is a candidate's | ||||||
14 | assignment to a full-time teaching position or as a | ||||||
15 | co-teacher for one full school year. An individual must | ||||||
16 | hold an Educator License with Stipulations with an | ||||||
17 | alternative provisional educator endorsement in order to | ||||||
18 | enter the residency and must complete additional program | ||||||
19 | requirements that address required State and national | ||||||
20 | standards, pass the State Board's teacher performance | ||||||
21 | assessment , if required under Section 21B-30, no later | ||||||
22 | than the end of the first semester of the second year of | ||||||
23 | residency, as required under phase (3) of this subsection | ||||||
24 | (b), and be recommended by the principal or qualified | ||||||
25 | equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection | ||||||
26 | (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator to |
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1 | continue with the second year of the residency. | ||||||
2 | (3) A second year of residency, which shall include | ||||||
3 | the candidate's assignment to a full-time teaching | ||||||
4 | position for one school year. The candidate must be | ||||||
5 | assigned an experienced teacher to act as a mentor and | ||||||
6 | coach the candidate through the second year of residency. | ||||||
7 | (4) A comprehensive assessment of the candidate's | ||||||
8 | teaching effectiveness, as evaluated by the principal or | ||||||
9 | qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under | ||||||
10 | subsection (d) of this Section, and the program | ||||||
11 | coordinator, at the end of the second year of residency. | ||||||
12 | If there is disagreement between the 2 evaluators about | ||||||
13 | the candidate's teaching effectiveness, the candidate may | ||||||
14 | complete one additional year of residency teaching under a | ||||||
15 | professional development plan developed by the principal | ||||||
16 | or qualified equivalent and the preparation program. At | ||||||
17 | the completion of the third year, a candidate must have | ||||||
18 | positive evaluations and a recommendation for full | ||||||
19 | licensure from both the principal or qualified equivalent | ||||||
20 | and the program coordinator or no Professional Educator | ||||||
21 | License shall be issued. | ||||||
22 | Successful completion of the program shall be deemed to | ||||||
23 | satisfy any other practice or student teaching and content | ||||||
24 | matter requirements established by law. | ||||||
25 | (c) An alternative provisional educator endorsement on an | ||||||
26 | Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 2 years of |
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1 | teaching in the public schools, including without limitation a | ||||||
2 | preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this | ||||||
3 | Code or charter school, or in a State-recognized nonpublic | ||||||
4 | school in which the chief administrator is required to have | ||||||
5 | the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in | ||||||
6 | this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required | ||||||
7 | to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public | ||||||
8 | school in this State, but may be renewed for a third year if | ||||||
9 | needed to complete the Alternative Educator Licensure Program | ||||||
10 | for Teachers. The endorsement shall be issued only once to an | ||||||
11 | individual who meets all of the following requirements: | ||||||
12 | (1) Has graduated from a regionally accredited college | ||||||
13 | or university with a bachelor's degree or higher. | ||||||
14 | (2) (Blank). | ||||||
15 | (3) Has completed a major in the content area if | ||||||
16 | seeking a middle or secondary level endorsement or, if | ||||||
17 | seeking an early childhood, elementary, or special | ||||||
18 | education endorsement, has completed a major in the | ||||||
19 | content area of reading, English/language arts, | ||||||
20 | mathematics, or one of the sciences. If the individual | ||||||
21 | does not have a major in a content area for any level of | ||||||
22 | teaching, he or she must submit transcripts to the State | ||||||
23 | Board of Education to be reviewed for equivalency. | ||||||
24 | (4) Has successfully completed phase (1) of subsection | ||||||
25 | (b) of this Section. | ||||||
26 | (5) Has passed a content area test required for the |
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1 | specific endorsement for admission into the program, as | ||||||
2 | required under Section 21B-30 of this Code. | ||||||
3 | A candidate possessing the alternative provisional | ||||||
4 | educator endorsement may receive a salary, benefits, and any | ||||||
5 | other terms of employment offered to teachers in the school | ||||||
6 | who are members of an exclusive bargaining representative, if | ||||||
7 | any, but a school is not required to provide these benefits | ||||||
8 | during the years of residency if the candidate is serving only | ||||||
9 | as a co-teacher. If the candidate is serving as the teacher of | ||||||
10 | record, the candidate must receive a salary, benefits, and any | ||||||
11 | other terms of employment. Residency experiences must not be | ||||||
12 | counted towards tenure. | ||||||
13 | (d) The recognized institution offering the Alternative | ||||||
14 | Educator Licensure Program for Teachers must partner with a | ||||||
15 | school district, including without limitation a preschool | ||||||
16 | educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or | ||||||
17 | charter school, or a State-recognized, nonpublic school in | ||||||
18 | this State in which the chief administrator is required to | ||||||
19 | have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public | ||||||
20 | school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers | ||||||
21 | are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors | ||||||
22 | in a public school in this State. A recognized institution | ||||||
23 | that partners with a public school district administering a | ||||||
24 | preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this | ||||||
25 | Code must require a principal to recommend or evaluate | ||||||
26 | candidates in the program. A recognized institution that |
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1 | partners with an eligible entity administering a preschool | ||||||
2 | educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code and that | ||||||
3 | is not a public school district must require a principal or | ||||||
4 | qualified equivalent of a principal to recommend or evaluate | ||||||
5 | candidates in the program. The program presented for approval | ||||||
6 | by the State Board of Education must demonstrate the supports | ||||||
7 | that are to be provided to assist the provisional teacher | ||||||
8 | during the 2-year residency period. These supports must | ||||||
9 | provide additional contact hours with mentors during the first | ||||||
10 | year of residency. | ||||||
11 | (e) Upon completion of the 4 phases outlined in subsection | ||||||
12 | (b) of this Section and all assessments required under Section | ||||||
13 | 21B-30 of this Code, an individual shall receive a | ||||||
14 | Professional Educator License. | ||||||
15 | (f) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the | ||||||
16 | State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such | ||||||
17 | rules as may be necessary to establish and implement the | ||||||
18 | Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.
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19 | (Source: P.A. 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-822, eff. 1-1-19; | ||||||
20 | 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-570, eff. 8-23-19; 101-643, eff. | ||||||
21 | 6-18-20; 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)
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22 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
23 | becoming law.
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