HB4865 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 18509 NHT 44595 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB4865

Introduced , by Rep. Michael K. Smith

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/21-2

from Ch. 122, par. 21-2

Amends the School Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning teacher certification.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 21-2 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/21-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-2)

Sec. 21-2. Grades of certificates.

(a) All certificates issued under this Article shall be State certificates valid, except as limited in Section 21-1, in every school district coming under the the provisions of this Act and shall be limited in time and designated as follows: Provisional vocational certificate, temporary provisional vocational certificate, early childhood certificate, elementary school certificate, special certificate, secondary certificate, school service personnel certificate, administrative certificate, provisional certificate, and substitute certificate. The requirement of student teaching under close and competent supervision for obtaining a teaching certificate may be waived by the State Teacher Certification Board upon presentation to the Board by the teacher of evidence of 5 years successful teaching experience on a valid certificate and graduation from a recognized institution of higher learning with a bachelor's degree.

(b) Initial Teaching Certificate. Persons who (1) have completed an approved teacher preparation program, (2) are recommended by an approved teacher preparation program, (3) have successfully completed the Initial Teaching Certification examinations required by the State Board of Education, and (4) have met all other criteria established by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, shall be issued an Initial Teaching Certificate valid for 4 years of teaching, as defined in Section 21-14 of this Code. Initial Teaching Certificates shall be issued for categories corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and Special K-12, with special certification designations for Special Education, Bilingual Education, fundamental learning areas (including Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Physical Development and Health, Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, an Initial Teaching Certificate shall be automatically extended for one year for all persons who (i) have been issued an Initial Teaching Certificate that expires on June 30, 2004 and (ii) have not met, prior to July 1, 2004, the Standard Certificate requirements under paragraph (c) of this Section. An application and fee shall not be required for this extension.

(b-5) A person who holds an out-of-state certificate and who is otherwise eligible for a comparable Illinois certificate may be issued an Initial Certificate if that person has not completed 4 years of teaching. Upon completion of 4 years of teaching, the person is eligible for a Standard Certificate. Beginning July 1, 2004, an out-of-state candidate who has already earned a second-tier certificate in another state is not subject to any Standard Certificate eligibility requirements stated in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Section other than completion of the 4 years of teaching. An out-of-state candidate who has completed less than 4 years of teaching and does not hold a second-tier certificate from another state must meet the requirements stated in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Section, proportionately reduced by the amount of time remaining to complete the 4 years of teaching.

(c) Standard Certificate.

(1) Persons who (i) have completed 4 years of teaching, as defined in Section 21-14 of this Code, with an Initial Certificate or an Initial Alternative Teaching Certificate and have met all other criteria established by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, (ii) have completed 4 years of teaching on a valid equivalent certificate in another State or territory of the United States, or have completed 4 years of teaching in a nonpublic Illinois elementary or secondary school with an Initial Certificate or an Initial Alternative Teaching Certificate, and have met all other criteria established by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, or (iii) were issued teaching certificates prior to February 15, 2000 and are renewing those certificates after February 15, 2000, shall be issued a Standard Certificate valid for 5 years, which may be renewed thereafter every 5 years by the State Teacher Certification Board based on proof of continuing education or professional development. Beginning July 1, 2003, persons who have completed 4 years of teaching, as described in clauses (i) and (ii) of this paragraph (1), have successfully completed the requirements of paragraphs (2) through (4) of this subsection (c), and have met all other criteria established by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, shall be issued Standard Certificates. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, beginning July 1, 2004, persons who hold valid out-of-state certificates and have completed 4 years of teaching on a valid equivalent certificate in another State or territory of the United States shall be issued comparable Standard Certificates. Beginning July 1, 2004, persons who hold valid out-of-state certificates as described in subsection (b-5) of this Section are subject to the requirements of paragraphs (2) through (4) of this subsection (c), as required in subsection (b-5) of this Section, in order to receive a Standard Certificate. Standard Certificates shall be issued for categories corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and Special K-12, with special certification designations for Special Education, Bilingual Education, fundamental learning areas (including Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Physical Development and Health, Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(2) This paragraph (2) applies only to those persons required to successfully complete the requirements of this paragraph under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). In order to receive a Standard Teaching Certificate, a person must satisfy one of the following requirements:

(A) Completion of a program of induction and mentoring for new teachers that is based upon a specific plan approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. Nothing in this Section, however, prohibits an induction or mentoring program from operating prior to approval. Holders of Initial Certificates issued before September 1, 2007 must complete, at a minimum, an approved one-year induction and mentoring program. Holders of Initial Certificates issued on or after September 1, 2007 must complete an approved 2-year induction and mentoring program. The plan must describe the role of mentor teachers, the criteria and process for their selection, and how all the following components are to be provided:

(i) Assignment of a formally trained mentor teacher to each new teacher for a specified period of time, which shall be established by the employing school or school district, provided that a mentor teacher may not directly or indirectly participate in the evaluation of a new teacher pursuant to Article 24A of this Code or the evaluation procedure of the school.

(ii) Formal mentoring for each new teacher.

(iii) Support for each new teacher in relation to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, the content-area standards applicable to the new teacher's area of certification, and any applicable local school improvement and professional development plans.

(iv) Professional development specifically designed to foster the growth of each new teacher's knowledge and skills.

(v) Formative assessment that is based on the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and designed to provide feedback to the new teacher and opportunities for reflection on his or her performance, which must not be used directly or indirectly in any evaluation of a new teacher pursuant to Article 24A of this Code or the evaluation procedure of the school and which must include the activities specified in clauses (B)(i), (B)(ii), and (B)(iii) of this paragraph (2).

(vi) Assignment of responsibility for coordination of the induction and mentoring program within each school district participating in the program.

(B) Successful completion of 4 semester hours of graduate-level coursework on the assessment of one's own performance in relation to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. The coursework must be approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board; must be offered either by an institution of higher education, by such an institution in partnership with a teachers' association or union or with a regional office of education, or by another entity authorized to issue college credit; and must include demonstration of performance through all of the following activities for each of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards:

(i) Observation, by the course instructor or another experienced teacher, of the new teacher's classroom practice (the observation may be recorded for later viewing) for the purpose of identifying and describing how the new teacher made content meaningful for students; how the teacher motivated individuals and the group and created an environment conducive to positive social interactions, active learning, and self-motivation; what instructional strategies the teacher used to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance; how the teacher communicated using written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication techniques; and how the teacher maintained standards of professional conduct and provided leadership to improve students' learning.

(ii) Review and analysis, by the course instructor or another experienced teacher, of written documentation (i.e., lesson plans, assignments, assessment instruments, and samples of students' work) prepared by the new teacher for at least 2 lessons. The documentation must provide evidence of classroom performance related to Illinois Professional Teaching Standards 1 through 9, with an emphasis on how the teacher used his or her understanding of students, assessment data, and subject matter to decide on learning goals; how the teacher designed or selected activities and instructional materials and aligned instruction to the relevant Illinois Learning Standards; how the teacher adapted or modified curriculum to meet individual students' needs; and how the teacher sequenced instruction and designed or selected student assessment strategies.

(iii) Demonstration of professional expertise on the part of the new teacher in reflecting on his or her practice, which was observed under clause (B)(i) of this paragraph (2) and documented under clause (B)(ii) of this paragraph (2), in terms of teaching strengths, weaknesses, and implications for improvement according to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards.

(C) Successful completion of a minimum of 4 semester hours of graduate-level coursework addressing preparation to meet the requirements for certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The coursework must be approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, and must be offered either by an institution of higher education, by such an institution in partnership with a teachers' association or union or with a regional office of education, or by another entity authorized to issue college credit. The course must address the 5 NBPTS Core Propositions and relevant standards through such means as the following:

(i) Observation, by the course instructor or another experienced teacher, of the new teacher's classroom practice (the observation may be recorded for later viewing) for the purpose of identifying and describing how the new teacher made content meaningful for students; how the teacher motivated individuals and the group and created an environment conducive to positive social interactions, active learning, and self-motivation; what instructional strategies the teacher used to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance; how the teacher communicated using written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication techniques; and how the teacher maintained standards of professional conduct and provided leadership to improve students' learning.

(ii) Review and analysis, by the course instructor or another experienced teacher, of written documentation (i.e., lesson plans, assignments, assessment instruments, and samples of students' work) prepared by the new teacher for at least 2 lessons. The documentation must provide evidence of classroom performance, including how the teacher used his or her understanding of students, assessment data, and subject matter to decide on learning goals; how the teacher designed or selected activities and instructional materials and aligned instruction to the relevant Illinois Learning Standards; how the teacher adapted or modified curriculum to meet individual students' needs; and how the teacher sequenced instruction and designed or selected student assessment strategies.

(iii) Demonstration of professional expertise on the part of the new teacher in reflecting on his or her practice, which was observed under clause (C)(i) of this paragraph (2) and documented under clause (C)(ii) of this paragraph (2), in terms of teaching strengths, weaknesses, and implications for improvement.

(C-5) Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 12 semester hours of graduate credit towards an advanced degree in an education-related field from an accredited institution of higher education.

(D) Receipt of an advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in an education-related field that is earned by a person either while he or she holds an Initial Teaching Certificate or prior to his or her receipt of that certificate.

(E) Accumulation of 60 continuing professional development units (CPDUs), earned by completing selected activities that comply with paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection (c). However, for an individual who holds an Initial Teaching Certificate on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, the number of CPDUs shall be reduced to reflect the teaching time remaining on the Initial Teaching Certificate.

(F) Completion of a nationally normed, performance-based assessment, if made available by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, provided that the cost to the person shall not exceed the cost of the coursework described in clause (B) of this paragraph (2).

(G) Completion of requirements for meeting the Illinois criteria for becoming "highly qualified" (for purposes of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Public Law 107-110) in an additional teaching area.

(H) Receipt of a minimum 12-hour, post-baccalaureate, education-related professional development certificate issued by an Illinois institution of higher education and developed in accordance with rules adopted by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(I) Completion of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) process.

(J) Receipt of a subsequent Illinois certificate or endorsement pursuant to Article 21 of this Code.

(3) This paragraph (3) applies only to those persons required to successfully complete the requirements of this paragraph under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). Persons who seek to satisfy the requirements of clause (E) of paragraph (2) of this subsection (c) through accumulation of CPDUs may earn credit through completion of coursework, workshops, seminars, conferences, and other similar training events that are pre-approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, for the purpose of reflection on teaching practices in order to address all of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards necessary to obtain a Standard Teaching Certificate. These activities must meet all of the following requirements:

(A) Each activity must be designed to advance a person's knowledge and skills in relation to one or more of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards or in relation to the content-area standards applicable to the teacher's field of certification.

(B) Taken together, the activities completed must address each of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards as provided in clauses (B)(i), (B)(ii), and (B)(iii) of paragraph (2) of this subsection (c).

(C) Each activity must be provided by an entity approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, for this purpose.

(D) Each activity, integral to its successful completion, must require participants to demonstrate the degree to which they have acquired new knowledge or skills, such as through performance, through preparation of a written product, through assembling samples of students' or teachers' work, or by some other means that is appropriate to the subject matter of the activity.

(E) One CPDU shall be available for each hour of direct participation by a holder of an Initial Teaching Certificate in a qualifying activity. An activity may be attributed to more than one of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, but credit for any activity shall be counted only once.

(4) This paragraph (4) applies only to those persons required to successfully complete the requirements of this paragraph under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). Persons who seek to satisfy the requirements of clause (E) of paragraph (2) of this subsection (c) through accumulation of CPDUs may earn credit from the following, provided that each activity is designed to advance a person's knowledge and skills in relation to one or more of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards or in relation to the content-area standards applicable to the person's field or fields of certification:

(A) Collaboration and partnership activities related to improving a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including all of the following:

(i) Peer review and coaching.

(ii) Mentoring in a formal mentoring program, including service as a consulting teacher participating in a remediation process formulated under Section 24A-5 of this Code.

(iii) Facilitating parent education programs directly related to student achievement for a school, school district, or regional office of education.

(iv) Participating in business, school, or community partnerships directly related to student achievement.

(B) Teaching college or university courses in areas relevant to a teacher's field of certification, provided that the teaching may only be counted once during the course of 4 years.

(C) Conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars, and symposiums related to improving a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including all of the following:

(i) Completing non-university credit directly related to student achievement, the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, or content-area standards.

(ii) Participating in or presenting at workshops, seminars, conferences, institutes, and symposiums.

(iii) (Blank).

(iv) Training as reviewers of university teacher preparation programs.

An activity listed in this clause (C) is creditable only if its provider is approved for this purpose by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(D) Other educational experiences related to improving a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including all of the following:

(i) Participating in action research and inquiry projects.

(ii) Observing programs or teaching in schools, related businesses, or industry that is systematic, purposeful, and relevant to a teacher's field of certification.

(iii) Participating in study groups related to student achievement, the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, or content-area standards.

(iv) Participating in work/learn programs or internships.

(v) Developing a portfolio of students' and teacher's work.

(E) Professional leadership experiences related to improving a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including all of the following:

(i) Participating in curriculum development or assessment activities at the school, school district, regional office of education, State, or national level.

(ii) Participating in team or department leadership in a school or school district.

(iii) (Blank).

(iv) Publishing educational articles, columns, or books relevant to a teacher's field of certification.

(v) Participating in non-strike related activities of a professional association or labor organization that are related to professional development.

(5) A person must complete the requirements of this subsection (c) before the expiration of his or her Initial Teaching Certificate and must submit assurance of having done so to the regional superintendent of schools or a local professional development committee authorized by the regional superintendent to submit recommendations to him or her for this purpose.

Within 30 days after receipt, the regional superintendent of schools shall review the assurance of completion submitted by a person and, based upon compliance with all of the requirements for receipt of a Standard Teaching Certificate, shall forward to the State Board of Education a recommendation for issuance of the Standard Certificate or non-issuance. The regional superintendent of schools shall notify the affected person if the recommendation is for non-issuance of the Standard Certificate. A person who is considered not to be eligible for a Standard Certificate and who has received the notice of non-issuance may appeal this determination to the Regional Professional Development Review Committee (RPDRC). The recommendation of the regional superintendent and the RPDRC, along with all supporting materials, must then be forwarded to the State Board of Education for a final determination.

Upon review of a regional superintendent of school's recommendations, the State Board of Education shall issue Standard Teaching Certificates to those who qualify and shall notify a person, in writing, of a decision denying a Standard Teaching Certificate. Any decision denying issuance of a Standard Teaching Certificate to a person may be appealed to the State Teacher Certification Board.

(6) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, may adopt rules to implement this subsection (c) and may periodically evaluate any of the methods of qualifying for a Standard Teaching Certificate described in this subsection (c).

(7) The changes made to paragraphs (1) through (5) of this subsection (c) by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly shall apply to those persons who hold or are eligible to hold an Initial Certificate on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and shall be given effect upon their application for a Standard Certificate.

(8) Beginning July 1, 2004, persons who hold a Standard Certificate and have acquired one master's degree in an education-related field are eligible for certificate renewal upon completion of two-thirds of the continuing education units specified in subdivision (C) of paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of Section 21-14 of this Code or of the continuing professional development units specified in subdivision (E) of paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of Section 21-14 of this Code. Persons who hold a Standard Certificate and have acquired a second master's degree, an education specialist, or a doctorate in an education-related field or hold a Master Certificate are eligible for certificate renewal upon completion of one-third of the continuing education units specified in subdivision (C) of paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of Section 21-14 of this Code or of the continuing professional development units specified in subdivision (E) of paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of Section 21-14 of this Code.

(d) Master Certificate. Persons who have successfully achieved National Board certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards shall be issued a Master Certificate, valid for 10 years and renewable thereafter every 10 years through compliance with requirements set forth by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. However, each teacher who holds a Master Certificate shall be eligible for a teaching position in this State in the areas for which he or she holds a Master Certificate without satisfying any other requirements of this Code, except for those requirements pertaining to criminal background checks. A holder of a Master Certificate in an area of science or social science is eligible to teach in any of the subject areas within those fields, including those taught at the advanced level, as defined by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. A teacher who holds a Master Certificate shall be deemed to meet State certification renewal requirements in the area or areas for which he or she holds a Master Certificate for the 10-year term of the teacher's Master Certificate.

(Source: P.A. 92-16, eff. 6-28-01; 92-796, eff. 8-10-02; 93-679, eff. 6-30-04.)