95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB2007


 
Introduced 2/26/2007, by Rep. Michael K. Smith
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 		













See Index










    Amends the Teacher Certification Article of the School Code.  Repeals provisions concerning the Alternative Teacher Certification Program and the Alternative Route to Teacher Certification Program.  Provides instead that the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, shall establish and implement an Alternative Route to Teacher Certification program under which persons who meet the requirements of and successfully complete the program shall be issued an initial teaching certificate for teaching in the schools.  Includes provisions concerning who may offer the program, the program course of study, the phases of the program, the issuance of a provisional alternative teaching certificate and an initial teaching certificate, and an annual report to the State Board. Repeals provisions concerning resident teacher certificates and the Illinois Teacher Corps.  Provides instead that the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, shall establish and implement a Resident Teacher Certification program under which persons who meet the requirements of and successfully complete the program and serve as a resident teacher for 4 years shall be issued a standard teaching certificate for teaching in the schools.  Includes provisions concerning who may offer the program, the phases of the program, the issuance of a resident teacher certificate and an initial and standard teaching certificate, completion of an internship in lieu of professional experience, preparation for the teaching profession, master's degree completion, the hiring of program candidates, school district support to candidates, and an annual report to the State Board. Effective July 1, 2007.
















LRB095 09479 NHT 29677 b

















FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
















 


 


A BILL FOR









 











HB2007

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    AN ACT concerning education. 

 
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    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
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represented in the General Assembly:


 
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    Section 5. The School Code is amended  by adding Sections 
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21-5f and 21-11.5 as follows:
 
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    (105 ILCS 5/21-5f  new)
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    Sec. 21-5f. Alternative route to teacher certification.
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    (a)  The State Board of Education, in consultation with the 
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State Teacher Certification Board, shall establish and 
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implement an Alternative Route to Teacher Certification 
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program under which persons who meet the requirements of and 
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successfully complete the program established by this Section 
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shall be issued an initial teaching certificate for teaching in 
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the schools.
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    (b)  The program may be offered by a recognized institution 
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that offers 4-year baccalaureate and master's degree programs, 
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as defined in Section 21-21 of this Code.  A partnership may be 
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formed with one or more school districts and one or more 
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not-for-profit organizations in this State that support 
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excellence in teaching.  The program course of study must 
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include the content and skills contained in the recognized 
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institution's current program for State certification that has 
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been approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation 
 


 






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with the State Teacher Certification Board.
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    (c)  The program must be comprised of the following 3 
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phases:
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        (1) the first phase is the course of study offered on 
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    an intensive basis in educational theory, instructional 
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    methods, and practice teaching;
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        (2) the second phase is the person's assignment to a 
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    full-time teaching position for one school year, including 
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    the designation of a trained mentor teacher to advise and 
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    assist the person with that teaching assignment; and
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        (3) the third phase is a comprehensive assessment of 
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    the person's teaching performance by school officials and 
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    program participants, including passage of the assessment 
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    of professional teaching test, and a recommendation by the 
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    institution of higher education to the State Board of 
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    Education that the person be issued an initial teaching 
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    certificate.
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    Successful completion of the Alternative Route to Teacher 
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Certification program shall be deemed to satisfy any other 
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practice or student teaching and subject matter requirements 
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established by law.
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    (d)  An initial teaching certificate, valid for teaching in 
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the common schools, shall be issued under Section 21-2 of this 
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Code to persons who first complete the requirements for the 
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provisional alternative teaching certificate and who at the 
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time of applying for an initial teaching certificate have 
 


 






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successfully completed the second and third phases of the 
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Alternative Route to Teacher Certification program, as 
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provided in subsection (c) of this Section.
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    (e)  A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid 
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for one year of teaching in the common schools and not 
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renewable, shall be issued under this Section to persons who at 
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the time of applying for the provisional alternative teaching 
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certificate under this Section have done the following:
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        (1) have graduated from an accredited college or 
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    university with a bachelor's degree;
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        (2) have successfully completed the first phase of the 
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    Alternative Route to Teacher Certification program, as 
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    provided in subsection (c) of this Section; and
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        (3) have passed the tests of basic skills and subject 
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    matter knowledge required by Section 21-1a of this Code.
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    A person possessing a provisional alternative teaching 
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certificate under this Section shall be treated as a regularly 
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certified teacher for purposes of compensation, benefits, and 
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other terms and conditions of employment afforded teachers in 
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the school who are members of a bargaining unit represented by 
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an exclusive bargaining representative, if any.
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    (f)  The Alternative Route to Teacher Certification program 
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shall be implemented so that the first provisional alternative 
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teaching certificates issued under this Section are effective 
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upon the commencement of the 2007-2008 school year and the 
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first initial teaching certificates issued under this Section 
 


 






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are effective upon the commencement of the 2008-2009 school 
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year.  The institution of higher education shall submit an 
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annual report to the State Board of Education on the status of 
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the Alternative Route to Teacher Certification program, 
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including data on program candidates and program completers for 
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5 years following completion of the program and recommendation 
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for the initial teaching certificate.
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    (g)  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules that are 
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consistent with this Section and that the State Board of 
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Education deems necessary to establish and implement the 
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Alternative Route to Teacher Certification program.
 
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    (105 ILCS 5/21-11.5  new)
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    Sec. 21-11.5. Resident teacher certification.
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    (a)  The State Board of Education, in consultation with the 
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State Teacher Certification Board, shall establish and 
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implement a Resident Teacher Certification program under which 
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persons who meet the requirements of and successfully complete 
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the program established by this Section and serve as a resident 
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teacher for 4 years shall be issued a standard teaching 
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certificate for teaching in the schools.
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    (b)  The program may be offered by a recognized institution 
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that offers 4-year baccalaureate and master's degree-approved 
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teacher preparation programs and in partnership with one or 
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more school districts.  The program must be comprised of 2 
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phases as follows:
 


 






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        (1) the first phase is an intensive course of study 
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    that is aligned with the higher education-approved program 
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    of study and includes educational theory, instructional 
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    methods, and practice teaching and a compressive 
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    performance assessment; and
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        (2) the second phase is completion of 4 years of 
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    successful teaching under the direction of a certified 
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    teacher who serves as the resident teacher's mentor and 
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    completion of a master's degree in education.
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    (c)  A standard teaching certificate, valid for teaching in 
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the common schools, shall be issued under Section 21-2 of this 
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Code to persons who complete the requirements for the resident 
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teacher certificate, pass all appropriate tests, earn a 
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master's degree in education, and have completed 4 years of 
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successful teaching.  An initial teaching certificate, valid 
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for teaching in the common schools, shall be issued under 
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Section 21-2 of this Code to persons who complete the 
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requirements for the resident teacher certificate, pass all 
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appropriate tests, and earn a master's degree in education.
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    (d)  A resident teacher certificate, valid for 4 years of 
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teaching in the common schools and not renewable, shall be 
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issued under this Section to persons who, at the time of 
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applying for the resident teacher certificate under this 
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Section, have done the following:
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        (1) graduated from a regionally accredited institution 
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    of higher education with a bachelor's degree and at least a 
 


 






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    3.0 out of a 4.0 grade point average or its equivalent;
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        (2) completed a minimum of 5 years of professional 
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    experience in the area the person wishes to teach;
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        (3) successfully completed the first phase of the 
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    Resident Teacher Certification program, as provided in 
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    subsection (b) of this Section;
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        (4) passed the basic skills test and applicable 
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    content-area test required by Section 21-1a of this Code; 
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    and
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        (5) enrolled in an approved Master's in Education 
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    degree program.
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    If an individual does not possess 5 years of professional 
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experience, the individual may qualify for admission to the 
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Resident Teacher Certification program by completing a 
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one-year internship teacher preparation program with a school 
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district.  The one-year internship must be developed 
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collaboratively by the school district and the higher education 
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institution and be approved by the State Board of Education, in 
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consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.
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    The higher education institution shall work 
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collaboratively with school districts to academically prepare 
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candidates for the teaching profession.  The master's degree in 
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education must be completed in 3 summers and 2 academic years 
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and lead to an initial teaching certificate.
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    (e)  Partnering school districts may hire program 
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candidates who hold a resident teacher certificate.  A resident 
 


 






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teacher may teach only under the direction of a certified 
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teacher who serves as the resident teacher's mentor.  School 
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districts must provide a minimum of the following supports to 
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the candidates:
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        (1) salary, benefits, and other terms and conditions of 
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    employment afforded teachers in the school and as 
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    negotiated through teacher contracts;
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        (2) a certified and trained mentor teacher who will 
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    provide guidance to one or more candidates under the 
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    program developed collaboratively by the school district 
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    and the higher education institution;
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        (3) a minimum of quarterly evaluations by a designated 
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    school administrator;
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        (4) written and signed documentation outlining the 
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    school district's support system at the time the program 
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    proposal is submitted to the State Board of Education for 
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    approval.
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    (f)  The higher education institution shall submit an annual 
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report to the State Board of Education on the status of the 
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Resident Teacher Certification program, including data on 
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program candidates and program completers for 5 years following 
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completion of the program and recommendation for the initial or 
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standard teaching certificate.
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    (g)  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules that are 
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consistent with this Section and that the State Board of 
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Education deems necessary to establish and implement the 
 


 






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Resident Teacher Certification program.
 

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    (105 ILCS 5/21-5b rep.)


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    (105 ILCS 5/21-5c rep.)


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    (105 ILCS 5/21-11.3 rep.)


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    (105 ILCS 5/21-11.4 rep.)

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    Section 10. The School Code is amended  by repealing 
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Sections 21-5b, 21-5c, 21-11.3, and 21-11.4.
 

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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 
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2007.












 


 






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									INDEX
								
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									Statutes amended in order of appearance
								



3
    105 ILCS 5/21-5f new







4
    105 ILCS 5/21-11.5 new





5
    105 ILCS 5/21-5b rep.




6
    105 ILCS 5/21-5c rep.




7
    105 ILCS 5/21-11.3 rep.




8
    105 ILCS 5/21-11.4 rep.