093_HB0210
LRB093 03786 NHT 03821 b
1 AN ACT concerning education.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing
5 Section 21-14 as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/21-14) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-14)
7 Sec. 21-14. Registration and renewal of certificates.
8 (a) A limited four-year certificate or a certificate
9 issued after July 1, 1955, shall be renewable at its
10 expiration or within 60 days thereafter by the county
11 superintendent of schools having supervision and control over
12 the school where the teacher is teaching upon certified
13 evidence of meeting the requirements for renewal as required
14 by this Act and prescribed by the State Board of Education in
15 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. An
16 elementary supervisory certificate shall not be renewed at
17 the end of the first four-year period covered by the
18 certificate unless the holder thereof has filed certified
19 evidence with the State Teacher Certification Board that he
20 has a master's degree or that he has earned 8 semester hours
21 of credit in the field of educational administration and
22 supervision in a recognized institution of higher learning.
23 The holder shall continue to earn 8 semester hours of credit
24 each four-year period until such time as he has earned a
25 master's degree.
26 All certificates not renewed or registered as herein
27 provided shall lapse after a period of 5 years from the
28 expiration of the last year of registration. Such
29 certificates may be reinstated for a one year period upon
30 payment of all accumulated registration fees. Such
31 reinstated certificates shall only be renewed: (1) by earning
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1 5 semester hours of credit in a recognized institution of
2 higher learning in the field of professional education or in
3 courses related to the holder's contractual teaching duties;
4 or (2) by presenting evidence of holding a valid regular
5 certificate of some other type. Any certificate may be
6 voluntarily surrendered by the certificate holder. A
7 voluntarily surrendered certificate shall be treated as a
8 revoked certificate.
9 (b) When those teaching certificates issued before
10 February 15, 2000 are renewed for the first time after
11 February 15, 2000, all such teaching certificates shall be
12 exchanged for Standard Teaching Certificates as provided in
13 subsection (c) of Section 21-2. All Initial and Standard
14 Teaching Certificates, including those issued to persons who
15 previously held teaching certificates issued before February
16 15, 2000, shall be renewable under the conditions set forth
17 in this subsection (b).
18 Initial Teaching Certificates are nonrenewable and are
19 valid for 4 years of teaching. Standard Teaching Certificates
20 are renewable every 5 years as provided in subsection (c) of
21 Section 21-2 and subsection (c) of this Section. For
22 purposes of this Section, "teaching" is defined as employment
23 and performance of services in an Illinois public or
24 State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
25 cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
26 of control, in a certificated teaching position, or a charter
27 school operating in compliance with the Charter Schools Law.
28 (c) In compliance with subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of
29 this Code, which provides that a Standard Teaching
30 Certificate may be renewed by the State Teacher Certification
31 Board based upon proof of continuing professional
32 development, the State Board of Education and the State
33 Teacher Certification Board shall jointly:
34 (1) establish a procedure for renewing Standard
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1 Teaching Certificates, which shall include but not be
2 limited to annual timelines for the renewal process and
3 the components set forth in subsections (d) through (k)
4 of this Section;
5 (2) establish the standards for certificate
6 renewal;
7 (3) approve the providers of continuing
8 professional development activities;
9 (4) determine the maximum credit for each category
10 of continuing professional development activities, based
11 upon recommendations submitted by a continuing
12 professional development activity task force, which shall
13 consist of 6 staff members from the State Board of
14 Education, appointed by the State Superintendent of
15 Education, and 6 teacher representatives, 3 of whom are
16 selected by the Illinois Education Association and 3 of
17 whom are selected by the Illinois Federation of Teachers;
18 (5) designate the type and amount of documentation
19 required to show that continuing professional development
20 activities have been completed; and
21 (6) provide, on a timely basis to all Illinois
22 teachers, certificate holders, regional superintendents
23 of schools, school districts, and others with an interest
24 in continuing professional development, information about
25 the standards and requirements established pursuant to
26 this subsection (c).
27 (d) Any Standard Teaching Certificate held by an
28 individual employed and performing services in an Illinois
29 public or State-operated elementary school, secondary school,
30 or cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or
31 board of control in a certificated teaching position or a
32 charter school in compliance with the Charter Schools Law
33 must be maintained Valid and Active through certificate
34 renewal activities specified in the certificate renewal
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1 procedure established pursuant to subsection (c) of this
2 Section, provided that a holder of a Valid and Active
3 certificate who is only employed on either a part-time basis
4 or day-to-day basis as a substitute teacher shall pay only
5 the required registration fee to renew his or her certificate
6 and maintain it as Valid and Active. All other Standard
7 Teaching Certificates held may be maintained as Valid and
8 Exempt through the registration process provided for in the
9 certificate renewal procedure established pursuant to
10 subsection (c) of this Section. A Valid and Exempt
11 certificate must be immediately activated, through procedures
12 developed jointly by the State Board of Education and the
13 State Teacher Certification Board, upon the certificate
14 holder becoming employed and performing services in an
15 Illinois public or State-operated elementary school,
16 secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement with a
17 governing body or board of control in a certificated teaching
18 position or a charter school operating in compliance with the
19 Charter Schools Law. A holder of a Valid and Exempt
20 certificate may activate his or her certificate through
21 procedures provided for in the certificate renewal procedure
22 established pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section.
23 (e)(1) A Standard Teaching Certificate that has been
24 maintained as Valid and Active for the 5 years of the
25 certificate's validity shall be renewed as Valid and Active
26 upon the certificate holder: (i) completing an advanced
27 degree from an approved institution in an education-related
28 field; (ii) completing at least 8 semester hours of
29 coursework as described in subdivision (B) of paragraph (3)
30 of this subsection (e); (iii) earning at least 24 continuing
31 education units as described in subdivision (C) of paragraph
32 (3) of this subsection (e); (iv) completing the National
33 Board for Professional Teaching Standards process as
34 described in subdivision (D) of paragraph (3) of this
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1 subsection (e); or (v) earning 120 continuing professional
2 development units ("CPDU") as described in subdivision (E) of
3 paragraph (3) of this subsection (e). The maximum continuing
4 professional development units for each continuing
5 professional development activity identified in subdivisions
6 (F) through (J) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (e) shall
7 be jointly determined by the State Board of Education and the
8 State Teacher Certification Board. If, however, the
9 certificate holder has maintained the certificate as Valid
10 and Exempt for a portion of the 5-year period of validity,
11 the number of continuing professional development units
12 needed to renew the certificate as Valid and Active shall be
13 proportionately reduced by the amount of time the certificate
14 was Valid and Exempt. Furthermore, if a certificate holder is
15 employed and performs teaching services on a part-time basis
16 for all or a portion of the certificate's 5-year period of
17 validity, the number of continuing professional development
18 units needed to renew the certificate as Valid and Active
19 shall be reduced by 50% for the amount of time the
20 certificate holder has been employed and performed teaching
21 services on a part-time basis. Part-time shall be defined as
22 less than 50% of the school day or school term.
23 Notwithstanding any other requirements to the contrary,
24 if a Standard Teaching Certificate has been maintained as
25 Valid and Active for the 5 years of the certificate's
26 validity and the certificate holder has earned 120 continuing
27 professional development units before July 1, 2002, the
28 certificate shall be renewed as Valid and Active regardless
29 of the fact that the holder has not completed any other
30 additional credits.
31 (2) Each Valid and Active Standard Teaching Certificate
32 holder shall develop a certificate renewal plan for
33 satisfying the continuing professional development
34 requirement provided for in subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of
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1 this Code. Certificate holders with multiple certificates
2 shall develop a certificate renewal plan that addresses only
3 that certificate or those certificates that are required of
4 his or her certificated teaching position, if the certificate
5 holder is employed and performing services in an Illinois
6 public or State-operated elementary school, secondary school,
7 or cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or
8 board of control, or that certificate or those certificates
9 most closely related to his or her teaching position, if the
10 certificate holder is employed in a charter school. Except
11 as otherwise provided in this subsection (e), a certificate
12 renewal plan shall include a minimum of 3 individual
13 improvement goals developed by the certificate holder and
14 shall reflect purposes (A), (B), and (C) and may reflect
15 purpose (D) of the following continuing professional
16 development purposes:
17 (A) Advance both the certificate holder's knowledge
18 and skills as a teacher consistent with the Illinois
19 Professional Teaching Standards and the Illinois Content
20 Area Standards in the certificate holder's areas of
21 certification, endorsement, or teaching assignment in
22 order to keep the certificate holder current in those
23 areas.
24 (B) Develop the certificate holder's knowledge and
25 skills in areas determined to be critical for all
26 Illinois teachers, as defined by the State Board of
27 Education, known as "State priorities".
28 (C) Address the knowledge, skills, and goals of the
29 certificate holder's local school improvement plan, if
30 the teacher is employed in an Illinois public or
31 State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
32 cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or
33 board of control.
34 (D) Expand the certificate holder's knowledge and
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1 skills in an additional teaching field or toward the
2 acquisition of another teaching certificate, endorsement,
3 or relevant education degree.
4 A certificate renewal plan must include a description of how
5 these goals are to be achieved and an explanation of selected
6 continuing professional development activities to be
7 completed, each of which must meet one or more of the
8 continuing professional development purposes specified in
9 this paragraph (2). The plan shall identify potential
10 activities and include projected timelines for those
11 activities that will assure completion of the plan before the
12 expiration of the 5-year validity of the Standard Teaching
13 Certificate. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection
14 (e), at least 50% of continuing professional development
15 units must relate to purposes (A) and (B) set forth in this
16 paragraph (2): the advancement of a certificate holder's
17 knowledge and skills as a teacher consistent with the
18 Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and the Illinois
19 Content Area Standards in the certificate holder's areas of
20 certification, endorsement, or teaching assignment in order
21 to keep the certificate holder current in those areas and the
22 development of a certificate holder's knowledge and skills in
23 the State priorities that exist at the time the certificate
24 renewal plan is developed.
25 A speech-language pathologist or audiologist who is
26 licensed under the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and
27 Audiology Practice Act and who has met the continuing
28 education requirements of that Act and the rules promulgated
29 under that Act shall be deemed to have satisfied the
30 continuing professional development requirements established
31 by the State Board of Education and the Teacher Certification
32 Board to renew a Standard Certificate.
33 (3) Continuing professional development activities
34 included in a certificate renewal plan may include, but are
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1 not limited to, the following activities:
2 (A) completion of an advanced degree from an
3 approved institution in an education-related field;
4 (B) at least 8 semester hours of coursework in an
5 approved education-related program, of which at least 2
6 semester hours relate to the continuing professional
7 development purpose set forth in purpose (A) of paragraph
8 (2) of this subsection (e), provided that such a plan
9 need not include any other continuing professional
10 development activities nor reflect or contain activities
11 related to the other continuing professional development
12 purposes set forth in paragraph (2) of this subsection
13 (e);
14 (C) continuing education units that satisfy the
15 continuing professional development purposes set forth in
16 paragraph (2) of this subsection (e), with each
17 continuing education unit equal to 5 clock hours,
18 provided that a plan that includes at least 24 continuing
19 education units (or 120 clock/contact hours) need not
20 include any other continuing professional development
21 activities;
22 (D) completion of the National Board of
23 Professional Teaching Standards ("NBPTS") process,
24 provided that a plan that includes completion of the
25 NBPTS process need not include any other continuing
26 professional development activities nor reflect or
27 contain activities related to the continuing professional
28 development purposes set forth in paragraph (2) of
29 subsection (e) of this Section;
30 (E) completion of 120 continuing professional
31 development units that satisfy the continuing
32 professional development purposes set forth in paragraph
33 (2) of this subsection (e) and may include without
34 limitation the activities identified in subdivisions (F)
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1 through (J) of this paragraph (3);
2 (F) collaboration and partnership activities
3 related to improving the teacher's knowledge and skills
4 as a teacher, including the following:
5 (i) participating on collaborative planning
6 and professional improvement teams and committees;
7 (ii) peer review and coaching;
8 (iii) mentoring in a formal mentoring program,
9 including service as a consulting teacher
10 participating in a remediation process formulated
11 under Section 24A-5 of this Code;
12 (iv) participating in site-based management or
13 decision making teams, relevant committees, boards,
14 or task forces directly related to school
15 improvement plans;
16 (v) coordinating community resources in
17 schools, if the project is a specific goal of the
18 school improvement plan;
19 (vi) facilitating parent education programs
20 for a school, school district, or regional office of
21 education directly related to student achievement or
22 school improvement plans;
23 (vii) participating in business, school, or
24 community partnerships directly related to student
25 achievement or school improvement plans; or
26 (viii) supervising a student teacher or
27 teacher education candidate in clinical supervision,
28 provided that the supervision may only be counted
29 once during the course of 5 years;
30 (G) college or university coursework related to
31 improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher
32 as follows:
33 (i) completing undergraduate or graduate
34 credit earned from a regionally accredited
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1 institution in coursework relevant to the
2 certificate area being renewed, including coursework
3 that incorporates induction activities and
4 development of a portfolio of both student and
5 teacher work that provides experience in reflective
6 practices, provided the coursework meets Illinois
7 Professional Teaching Standards or Illinois Content
8 Area Standards and supports the essential
9 characteristics of quality professional development;
10 or
11 (ii) teaching college or university courses in
12 areas relevant to the certificate area being
13 renewed, provided that the teaching may only be
14 counted once during the course of 5 years;
15 (H) conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars,
16 and symposiums related to improving the teacher's
17 knowledge and skills as a teacher, including the
18 following:
19 (i) completing non-university credit directly
20 related to student achievement, school improvement
21 plans, or State priorities;
22 (ii) participating in or presenting at
23 workshops, seminars, conferences, institutes, and
24 symposiums;
25 (iii) training as external reviewers for
26 Quality Assurance; or
27 (iv) training as reviewers of university
28 teacher preparation programs;
29 (I) other educational experiences related to
30 improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a
31 teacher, including the following:
32 (i) participating in action research and
33 inquiry projects;
34 (ii) observing programs or teaching in
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1 schools, related businesses, or industry that is
2 systematic, purposeful, and relevant to certificate
3 renewal;
4 (iii) traveling related to ones teaching
5 assignment, directly related to student achievement
6 or school improvement plans and approved at least 30
7 days prior to the travel experience, provided that
8 the traveling shall not include time spent commuting
9 to destinations where the learning experience will
10 occur;
11 (iv) participating in study groups related to
12 student achievement or school improvement plans;
13 (v) serving on a statewide education-related
14 committee, including but not limited to the State
15 Teacher Certification Board, State Board of
16 Education strategic agenda teams, or the State
17 Advisory Council on Education of Children with
18 Disabilities;
19 (vi) participating in work/learn programs or
20 internships; or
21 (vii) developing a portfolio of student and
22 teacher work;
23 (J) professional leadership experiences related to
24 improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a
25 teacher, including the following:
26 (i) participating in curriculum development or
27 assessment activities at the school, school
28 district, regional office of education, State, or
29 national level;
30 (ii) participating in team or department
31 leadership in a school or school district;
32 (iii) participating on external or internal
33 school or school district review teams;
34 (iv) publishing educational articles, columns,
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1 or books relevant to the certificate area being
2 renewed; or
3 (v) participating in non-strike related
4 professional association or labor organization
5 service or activities related to professional
6 development.
7 (4) A certificate renewal plan must initially be
8 approved by the certificate holder's local professional
9 development committee, as provided for in subsection (f) of
10 this Section. If the local professional development
11 committee does not approve the certificate renewal plan, the
12 certificate holder may appeal that determination to the
13 regional professional development review committee, as
14 provided for in paragraph (2) of subsection (g) of this
15 Section. If the regional professional development review
16 committee disagrees with the local professional development
17 committee's determination, the certificate renewal plan shall
18 be deemed approved and the certificate holder may begin
19 satisfying the continuing professional development activities
20 set forth in the plan. If the regional professional
21 development review committee agrees with the local
22 professional development committee's determination, the
23 certificate renewal plan shall be deemed disapproved and
24 shall be returned to the certificate holder to develop a
25 revised certificate renewal plan. In all cases, the regional
26 professional development review committee shall immediately
27 notify both the local professional development committee and
28 the certificate holder of its determination.
29 (5) A certificate holder who wishes to modify the
30 continuing professional development activities or goals in
31 his or her certificate renewal plan must submit the proposed
32 modifications to his or her local professional development
33 committee for approval prior to engaging in the proposed
34 activities. If the local professional development committee
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1 does not approve the proposed modification, the certificate
2 holder may appeal that determination to the regional
3 professional development review committee, as set forth in
4 paragraph (4) of this subsection (e).
5 (6) When a certificate holder changes assignments or
6 school districts during the course of completing a
7 certificate renewal plan, the professional development and
8 continuing education credit earned pursuant to the plan shall
9 transfer to the new assignment or school district and count
10 toward the total requirements. This certificate renewal plan
11 must be reviewed by the appropriate local professional
12 development committee and may be modified to reflect the
13 certificate holder's new work assignment or the school
14 improvement plan of the new school district or school
15 building.
16 (f) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code,
17 each school district, charter school, and cooperative or
18 joint agreement with a governing body or board of control
19 that employs certificated staff, shall establish and
20 implement, in conjunction with its exclusive representative,
21 if any, one or more local professional development
22 committees, as set forth in this subsection (f), which shall
23 perform the following functions:
24 (1) review and approve certificate renewal plans
25 and any modifications made to these plans, including
26 transferred plans;
27 (2) maintain a file of approved certificate renewal
28 plans;
29 (3) monitor certificate holders' progress in
30 completing approved certificate renewal plans, provided
31 that a local professional development committee shall not
32 be required to maintain materials submitted by
33 certificate holders to demonstrate their progress in
34 completing their certificate renewal plans after the
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1 committee has reviewed the materials and the credits have
2 been awarded;
3 (4) assist in the development of professional
4 development plans based upon needs identified in
5 certificate renewal plans;
6 (5) determine whether certificate holders have met
7 the requirements of their certificate renewal plans and
8 notify certificate holders of its determination;
9 (6) provide a certificate holder with the
10 opportunity to address the committee when it has
11 determined that the certificate holder has not met the
12 requirements of his or her certificate renewal plan;
13 (7) issue and forward recommendations for renewal
14 or nonrenewal of certificate holders' Standard Teaching
15 Certificates to the appropriate regional superintendent
16 of schools, based upon whether certificate holders have
17 met the requirements of their approved certificate
18 renewal plans, with 30-day written notice of its
19 recommendation provided to the certificate holder prior
20 to forwarding the recommendation to the regional
21 superintendent of schools, provided that if the local
22 professional development committee's recommendation is
23 for certificate nonrenewal, the written notice provided
24 to the certificate holder shall include a return receipt;
25 and
26 (8) reconsider its recommendation of certificate
27 nonrenewal, upon request of the certificate holder within
28 30 days of receipt of written notification that the local
29 professional development committee will make such a
30 recommendation, and forward to the regional
31 superintendent of schools its recommendation within 30
32 days of receipt of the certificate holder's request.
33 Each local professional development committee shall
34 consist of at least 3 classroom teachers; one superintendent
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1 or chief administrator of the school district, charter
2 school, or cooperative or joint agreement or his or her
3 designee; and one at-large member who shall be either (i) a
4 parent, (ii) a member of the business community, (iii) a
5 community member, or (iv) an administrator, with preference
6 given to an individual chosen from among those persons listed
7 in items (i), (ii), and (iii) in order to secure
8 representation of an interest not already represented on the
9 committee. Except in a school district in a city having a
10 population exceeding 500,000, a local professional
11 development committee shall be responsible for no more than
12 200 certificate renewal plans annually unless otherwise
13 mutually agreed upon by the school district, charter school,
14 or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or
15 joint agreement and its exclusive representative, if any. If
16 mutually agreed upon by the school district, charter school,
17 or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or
18 joint agreement and its exclusive representative, if any,
19 additional members may be added to a local professional
20 development committee, provided that a majority of members
21 are classroom teachers. Except in a school district in a
22 city having a population exceeding 500,000, if additional
23 members are added to a local professional development
24 committee, the maximum number of certificate renewal plans
25 for which the committee shall annually be responsible may be
26 increased by 50 plans for each additional member, unless
27 otherwise mutually agreed upon by the school district,
28 charter school, or governing body or board of control of a
29 cooperative or joint agreement and its exclusive
30 representative, if any. The school district, charter school,
31 or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or
32 joint agreement and its exclusive representative, if any,
33 shall determine the term of service of the members of a local
34 professional development committee. All individuals selected
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1 to serve on local professional development committees must be
2 known to demonstrate the best practices in teaching or their
3 respective field of practice.
4 The exclusive representative, if any, shall select the
5 classroom teacher members of the local professional
6 development committee. If no exclusive representative
7 exists, then the classroom teacher members of a local
8 professional development committee shall be selected by the
9 classroom teachers that come within the local professional
10 development committee's authority. The school district,
11 charter school, or governing body or board of control of a
12 cooperative or joint agreement shall select the 2
13 non-classroom teacher members (the superintendent or chief
14 administrator of the school district, charter school, or
15 cooperative or joint agreement or his or her designee and the
16 at-large member) of a local professional development
17 committee. Vacancies in positions on a local professional
18 development committee shall be filled in the same manner as
19 the original selections. The members of a local professional
20 development committee shall select a chairperson. Local
21 professional development committee meetings shall be
22 scheduled so as not to interfere with committee members'
23 regularly scheduled teaching duties, except when otherwise
24 permitted by the policies of or agreed to or approved by the
25 school district, charter school, or governing body or board
26 of control of a cooperative or joint agreement, or its
27 designee.
28 The board of education or governing board shall convene
29 the first meeting of the local professional development
30 committee. All actions taken by the local professional
31 development committee shall require that a majority of
32 committee members be present, and no committee action may be
33 taken unless 50% or more of those present are teacher
34 members.
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1 The State Board of Education and the State Teacher
2 Certification Board shall jointly provide local professional
3 development committee members with a training manual, and the
4 members shall certify that they have received and read the
5 manual.
6 Notwithstanding any other provisions of this subsection
7 (f), for a teacher employed and performing services in a
8 nonpublic or State-operated elementary or secondary school,
9 all references to a local professional development committee
10 shall mean the regional superintendent of schools of the
11 regional office of education for the geographic area where
12 the teaching is done.
13 (g)(1) Each regional superintendent of schools shall
14 review and concur or nonconcur with each recommendation for
15 renewal or nonrenewal of a Standard Teaching Certificate he
16 or she receives from a local professional development
17 committee or, if a certificate holder appeals the
18 recommendation to the regional professional development
19 review committee, the recommendation for renewal or
20 nonrenewal he or she receives from a regional professional
21 development review committee and, within 14 days of receipt
22 of the recommendation, shall provide the State Teacher
23 Certification Board with verification of the following, if
24 applicable:
25 (A) a certificate renewal plan was filed and
26 approved by the appropriate local professional
27 development committee;
28 (B) the professional development and continuing
29 education activities set forth in the approved
30 certificate renewal plan have been satisfactorily
31 completed;
32 (C) the local professional development committee
33 has recommended the renewal of the certificate holder's
34 Standard Teaching Certificate and forwarded the
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1 recommendation, along with all supporting documentation
2 as jointly required by the State Board of Education and
3 the State Teacher Certification Board, to the regional
4 superintendent of schools;
5 (D) the certificate holder has appealed his or her
6 local professional development committee's recommendation
7 of nonrenewal to the regional professional development
8 review committee and the result of that appeal;
9 (E) the regional superintendent of schools has
10 concurred or nonconcurred with the local professional
11 development committee's or regional professional
12 development review committee's recommendation to renew or
13 nonrenew the certificate holder's Standard Teaching
14 Certificate and made a recommendation to that effect; and
15 (F) the established registration fee for the
16 Standard Teaching Certificate has been paid.
17 At the same time the regional superintendent of schools
18 provides the State Teacher Certification Board with the
19 notice required by this subsection (g), he or she shall also
20 notify the certificate holder in writing that this notice has
21 been provided to the State Teacher Certification Board,
22 provided that if the notice provided by the regional
23 superintendent of schools to the State Teacher Certification
24 Board includes a recommendation of certificate nonrenewal,
25 the written notice provided to the certificate holder shall
26 be by certified mail, return receipt requested.
27 (2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to
28 appeal his or her local professional development committee's
29 recommendation of nonrenewal to the regional professional
30 development review committee, within 14 days of receipt of
31 notice that the recommendation has been sent to the regional
32 superintendent of schools. Each regional superintendent of
33 schools shall establish a regional professional development
34 review committee or committees for the purpose of advising
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1 the regional superintendent of schools, upon request, and
2 handling certificate holder appeals. This committee shall
3 consist of at least 4 classroom teachers, one
4 non-administrative certificated educational employee, 2
5 administrators, and one at-large member who shall be either
6 (i) a parent, (ii) a member of the business community, (iii)
7 a community member, or (iv) an administrator, with preference
8 given to an individual chosen from among those persons listed
9 in items (i), (ii), and (iii) in order to secure
10 representation of an interest not already represented on the
11 committee. The teacher and non-administrative certificated
12 educational employee members of the review committee shall be
13 selected by their exclusive representative, if any, and the
14 administrators and at-large member shall be selected by the
15 regional superintendent of schools. A regional
16 superintendent of schools may add additional members to the
17 committee, provided that the same proportion of teachers to
18 administrators and at-large members on the committee is
19 maintained. Any additional teacher and non-administrative
20 certificated educational employee members shall be selected
21 by their exclusive representative, if any. Vacancies in
22 positions on a regional professional development review
23 committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original
24 selections. Committee members shall serve staggered 3-year
25 terms. All individuals selected to serve on regional
26 professional development review committees must be known to
27 demonstrate the best practices in teaching or their
28 respective field of practice.
29 The exclusive representative responsible for choosing the
30 individuals that serve on a regional professional development
31 review committee shall notify each school district, charter
32 school, or governing body or board of control of a
33 cooperative or joint agreement employing the individuals
34 chosen to serve and provide their names to the appropriate
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1 regional superintendent of schools. Regional professional
2 development review committee meetings shall be scheduled so
3 as not to interfere with the committee members' regularly
4 scheduled teaching duties, except when otherwise permitted by
5 the policies of or agreed to or approved by the school
6 district, charter school, or governing body or board of
7 control of a cooperative or joint agreement, or its designee,
8 provided that the school district, charter school, or
9 governing body or board of control shall not unreasonably
10 withhold permission for a committee member to attend regional
11 professional development review committee meetings.
12 In a city having a population exceeding 500,000 that does
13 not have a regional office of education, one or more separate
14 regional professional development review committees shall be
15 established as mutually agreed upon by the board of education
16 of the school district organized under Article 34 of this
17 Code and the exclusive representative. The composition of
18 each committee shall be the same as for a regional
19 professional development review committee, except that
20 members of the committee shall be jointly appointed by the
21 board of education and the exclusive representative. All
22 other provisions of this Section concerning regional
23 professional development review committees shall apply to
24 these committees.
25 The regional professional development review committee
26 may require information in addition to that received from a
27 certificate holder's local professional development committee
28 or request that the certificate holder appear before it,
29 shall either concur or nonconcur with a local professional
30 development committee's recommendation of nonrenewal, and
31 shall forward to the regional superintendent of schools its
32 recommendation of renewal or nonrenewal. All actions taken
33 by the regional professional development review committee
34 shall require a quorum and be by a simple majority of those
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1 present and voting. A record of all votes shall be
2 maintained. The committee shall have 45 days from receipt of
3 a certificate holder's appeal to make its recommendation to
4 the regional superintendent of schools.
5 The State Board of Education and the State Teacher
6 Certification Board shall jointly provide regional
7 professional development review committee members with a
8 training manual, and the members shall be required to attend
9 one training seminar sponsored jointly by the State Board of
10 Education and the State Teacher Certification Board.
11 (h)(1) The State Teacher Certification Board shall
12 review the regional superintendent of schools'
13 recommendations to renew or nonrenew Standard Teaching
14 Certificates and notify certificate holders in writing
15 whether their certificates have been renewed or nonrenewed
16 within 90 days of receipt of the recommendations, unless a
17 certificate holder has appealed a regional superintendent of
18 schools' recommendation of nonrenewal, as provided in
19 paragraph (2) of this subsection (h). The State Teacher
20 Certification Board shall verify that the certificate holder
21 has met the renewal criteria set forth in paragraph (1) of
22 subsection (g) of this Section.
23 (2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to
24 appeal a regional superintendent of school's recommendation
25 to nonrenew his or her Standard Teaching Certificate to the
26 State Teacher Certification Board, within 14 days of receipt
27 of notice that the decision has been sent to the State
28 Teacher Certification Board, which shall hold an appeal
29 hearing within 60 days of receipt of the appeal. When such
30 an appeal is taken, the certificate holder's Standard
31 Teaching Certificate shall continue to be valid until the
32 appeal is finally determined. The State Teacher
33 Certification Board shall review the regional superintendent
34 of school's recommendation, the regional professional
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1 development review committee's recommendation, if any, and
2 the local professional development committee's recommendation
3 and all relevant documentation to verify whether the
4 certificate holder has met the renewal criteria set forth in
5 paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of this Section. The State
6 Teacher Certification Board may request that the certificate
7 holder appear before it. All actions taken by the State
8 Teacher Certification Board shall require a quorum and be by
9 a simple majority of those present and voting. A record of
10 all votes shall be maintained. The State Teacher
11 Certification Board shall notify the certificate holder in
12 writing, within 7 days of completing the review, whether his
13 or her Standard Teaching Certificate has been renewed or
14 nonrenewed, provided that if the State Teacher Certification
15 Board determines to nonrenew a certificate, the written
16 notice provided to the certificate holder shall be by
17 certified mail, return receipt requested. All certificate
18 renewal or nonrenewal decisions of the State Teacher
19 Certification Board are final and subject to administrative
20 review, as set forth in Section 21-24 of this Code.
21 (i) Holders of Master Teaching Certificates shall meet
22 the same requirements and follow the same procedures as
23 holders of Standard Teaching Certificates, except that their
24 renewal cycle shall be as set forth in subsection (d) of
25 Section 21-2 of this Code.
26 A holder of a teaching certificate endorsed as a
27 speech-language pathologist who has been granted the
28 Certificate of Clinical Competence by the American
29 Speech-Language Hearing Association may renew his or her
30 Standard Teaching Certificate pursuant to the 10-year renewal
31 cycle set forth in subsection (d) of Section 21-2 of this
32 Code.
33 (j) Holders of Valid and Exempt Standard and Master
34 Teaching Certificates who are not employed and performing
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1 services in an Illinois public or State-operated elementary
2 school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement
3 with a governing body or board of control, in a certificated
4 teaching position, may voluntarily activate their
5 certificates by developing and submitting a certificate
6 renewal plan to the regional superintendent of schools of the
7 regional office of education for the geographic area where
8 their teaching is done, who, or whose designee, shall approve
9 the plan and serve as the certificate holder's local
10 professional development committee. These certificate
11 holders shall follow the same renewal criteria and procedures
12 as all other Standard and Master Teaching Certificate
13 holders, except that their continuing professional
14 development plans shall not be required to reflect or address
15 the knowledge, skills, and goals of a local school
16 improvement plan.
17 (k) Each school district, charter school, or cooperative
18 or joint agreement shall be paid an annual amount of not less
19 than $1,000, as determined by a formula based on the number
20 of Standard Teaching and Master Teaching Certificate holders,
21 subject to renewal and established by rule, not to exceed
22 $1,000,000 annually for all school districts, charter
23 schools, and cooperatives or joint agreements, for
24 administrative costs associated with conducting the meetings
25 of the local professional development committee, as
26 determined in consultation with the committee. Each regional
27 office of education shall receive $2,000 annually to pay
28 school districts, charter schools, or cooperatives or joint
29 agreements for costs, as defined by rule, incurred in staff
30 attendance at regional professional development review
31 committee meetings and the training seminar required under
32 paragraph (2) of subsection (g) of this Section.
33 (l) The State Board of Education and the State Teacher
34 Certification Board shall jointly contract with an
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1 independent party to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of
2 the certificate renewal system pursuant to this Section. The
3 first report of this evaluation shall be presented to the
4 General Assembly on January 1, 2005 and on January 1 of every
5 third year thereafter.
6 (Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99; 92-510, eff. 6-1-02;
7 92-796, eff. 8-10-02.)
8 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9 becoming law.