Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford
Filed: 3/6/2009
 
 

 




 

 		












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AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2220




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    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2220 by replacing 
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everything after the enacting clause with the following:

 
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    "Section 5. The School Code is amended  by changing Sections 
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21-1a and 21-10 as follows:
 



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    (105 ILCS 5/21-1a)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-1a)



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    Sec. 21-1a. Tests required for certification and teacher 
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preparation. 

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    (a) After July 1, 1988, in addition to all other 
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requirements, early
childhood, elementary, special, high 
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school, school service personnel, or,
except as provided in 
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Section 34-6, administrative certificates shall be
issued to 
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persons who have satisfactorily passed a test of basic skills, 
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an assessment of professional teaching, and a test of subject 
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matter knowledge, provided that a person who passed another 
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state's test of basic skills as a condition of certification or 
 


 






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of admission to a teacher preparation program shall not be 
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required to pass this State's test of basic skills and
subject 
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matter knowledge.
A person who holds a valid and comparable 
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out-of-state certificate, however, is not required to take a 
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test of basic skills and is not required to take a test of 
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subject matter knowledge, provided that the person has 
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successfully passed a test of subject matter knowledge in 
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another state or territory of the United States that is 
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directly related in content to the specific subject area of 
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certification. The tests of basic skills and subject matter

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knowledge shall be the tests which from time to time are 
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designated by the
State Board of Education in consultation with 
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the State Teacher
Certification Board and may be tests prepared 
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by an educational testing
organization or tests designed by the 
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State Board of Education in
consultation with the State Teacher 
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Certification Board.  The areas to be
covered by the test of 
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basic skills shall include the basic skills of
reading, 
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writing, grammar and mathematics.  The test of subject matter

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knowledge shall assess content knowledge in the specific 
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subject field. The
tests shall be designed to be racially 
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neutral to assure that no
person in taking the tests is thereby 
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discriminated against on the basis of
race, color, national 
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origin or other factors unrelated to the person's
ability to 
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perform as a certificated employee.  The score required to pass

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the tests of basic skills and subject matter knowledge shall be 
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fixed by
the State Board of Education in consultation with the 
 


 






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State Teacher
Certification Board.  The tests shall be held not 
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fewer than 3 times a year
at such time and place as may be 
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designated by the State Board of Education
in consultation with 
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the State Teacher Certification Board.

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    (b) Except as provided in Section 34-6, the provisions of 
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subsection
(a) of this Section shall apply equally in any 
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school district subject to
Article 34, provided that the State 
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Board of Education shall determine
which certificates issued 
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under Sections 34-8.1 and 34-83 prior to July 1,
1988 are 
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comparable to any early childhood certificate, elementary 
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school
certificate, special certificate, high school 
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certificate, school service
personnel certificate or 
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administrative certificate issued under this
Article as of July 
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1, 1988.

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    (c) A person who holds an early childhood, elementary, 
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special, high
school or school service personnel certificate 
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issued under this Article on
or at any time before July 1, 
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1988, including a person who has been
issued any such 
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certificate pursuant to Section 21-11.1 or in exchange for
a 
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comparable certificate theretofore issued under Section 34-8.1 
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or Section
34-83, shall not be required to take or pass the 
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tests in order to
thereafter have such certificate renewed.

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    (d) The State Board of Education in consultation with the 
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State Teacher
Certification Board shall conduct a pilot 
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administration of the tests by
administering the test to 
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students completing teacher education programs in
the 1986-87 
 


 






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school year for the purpose of determining the effect and

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impact of testing candidates for certification.

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    Beginning with the 2002-2003 academic year, a student may 
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not enroll
in a teacher preparation program at a recognized 
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teacher training
institution until he or she has passed the 
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basic skills test.

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    Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 
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the 94th General Assembly, prior to completing an approved 
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teacher preparation program, a preservice education candidate 
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must satisfactorily pass the test of subject matter knowledge 
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in the discipline in which he or she will be certified to 
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teach.  The teacher preparation program may require passage of 
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the test of subject matter knowledge at any time during the 
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program, including prior to student teaching.

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    (e) The rules and regulations developed to implement the 
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required test
of basic skills and subject matter knowledge 
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shall include the requirements
of subsections (a), (b), and (c) 
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and shall include specific regulations to
govern test 
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selection; test validation and determination of a passing

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score; administration of the tests; frequency of 
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administration; applicant
fees; frequency of applicants' 
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taking the tests; the years for which a
score is valid; and, 
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waiving certain additional tests for additional
certificates 
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to individuals who have satisfactorily passed the test of
basic 
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skills and subject matter knowledge as required in subsection 
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(a).
The State Board of Education shall provide, by rule, 
 


 






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specific policies that
assure uniformity in the difficulty 
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level of each form of the basic skills
test and each subject 
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matter knowledge test from test-to-test and
year-to-year.  The 
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State Board of Education shall also set a passing
score for the 
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tests.

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    (f) The State Teacher Certification Board may issue a 
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nonrenewable
temporary certificate between July 1, 1988 and 
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August 31, 1988 to
individuals who have taken the tests of 
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basic skills and subject matter
knowledge prescribed by this 
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Section but have not received such test scores
by August 31, 
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1988.  Such temporary certificates shall expire on
December 31, 
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1988.

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    (g) Beginning February 15, 2000, the State Board of

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Education, in
consultation with the State Teacher 
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Certification Board,
shall implement and administer a new 
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system of certification for teachers in
the State of Illinois.  
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The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
State 
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Teacher Certification Board, shall design
and implement a 
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system of examinations and various other criteria which
shall 
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be required prior to the issuance of Initial Teaching 
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Certificates and
Standard Teaching Certificates.  These 
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examinations and indicators shall be
based on national and 
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State professional teaching standards,
as determined by
the 
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State Board of Education, in consultation with the State 
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Teacher
Certification Board. The State
Board of Education may 
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adopt any and all regulations necessary to implement and

 


 






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administer
this Section.

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    (h) The State Board of Education shall report to the 
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Illinois
General Assembly and the Governor with 
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recommendations for further changes and
improvements to the 
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teacher certification system no later than July 1,
1999
and on 
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an annual basis until July 1, 2001.

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(Source: P.A. 93-679, eff. 6-30-04; 94-208, eff. 7-14-05.)

 



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    (105 ILCS 5/21-10)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-10)



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    Sec. 21-10. Provisional certificate. 

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    (A) Until July 1, 1972, the
State Teacher Certification 
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Board may issue a provisional certificate
valid for teaching in 
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elementary, high school or special subject fields
subject to 
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the following conditions:

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    A provisional certificate may be issued to a person who 
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presents
certified evidence of having earned a bachelor's 
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degree from a
recognized institution of higher learning.  The 
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academic and
professional courses offered as a basis of the 
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provisional certificate
shall be courses approved by the State 
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Board of Education in
consultation with the State Teacher 
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Certification Board.

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    A certificate earned under this plan may be renewed at the 
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end of
each two-year period upon evidence filed with the State 
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Teacher
Certification Board that the holder has earned 8 
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semester hours of
credit within the period; provided the 
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requirements for the certificate
of the same type issued for 
 


 






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the teaching position for which the teacher
is employed shall 
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be met by the end of the second renewal period.  A
second 
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provisional certificate shall not be issued.  The credits so

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earned must be approved by the State Board of Education in

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consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board and 
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must meet
the general pattern for a similar type of certificate 
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issued on the
basis of credit.  No more than 4 semester hours 
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shall be chosen from
elective subjects.

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    (B) After July 1, 1972, the State Teacher Certification 
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Board may
issue a provisional certificate valid for teaching in 
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early childhood,
elementary, high school or special subject 
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fields, or for providing service as
school service personnel or 
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for administering schools subject to the following
conditions: 
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A provisional certificate may be issued to a person who meets 
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the
requirements for a regular teaching, school service 
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personnel or administrative
certificate in another State and 
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who
presents certified evidence of having earned a bachelor's 
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degree from a
recognized institution of higher learning.  The 
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academic and
professional courses offered as a basis of the 
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provisional certificate
shall be courses approved by the State 
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Board of Education in
consultation with the State Teacher 
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Certification Board.  A certificate
earned under this plan is 
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valid for a period of 2 years and
shall not be renewed; 
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however, the individual to whom this certificate is
issued 
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shall have passed or shall pass the examinations
set forth by 
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the State Board of Education within 9 months of the date of 
 


 






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issuance
of the provisional certificate. Failure to pass the 
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tests,
required in Section 21-1a, shall result in the 
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cancellation of the
provisional certificate.

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    (C) The State Teacher Certification Board may also issue a

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provisional vocational certificate and a temporary provisional

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vocational certificate.


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        (1) The requirements for a provisional vocational 
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    certificate shall
be determined by the State Board of 
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    Education in
consultation with the State Teacher 
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    Certification Board; provided, the
following
minimum 
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    requirements are met: (a) after July 1, 1972, at least 30

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    semester hours of credit from a recognized institution of 
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    higher
learning; and (b) after July 1, 1974, at least 60 
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    semester hours of
credit from a recognized institution of 
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    higher learning.


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        (2) The requirements for a temporary provisional 
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    vocational
certificate shall be determined by the State 
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    Board of Education in consultation
with the State Teacher 
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    Certification Board;
provided, the following minimum 
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    requirements are met: (a) after July 1,
1973, at least 
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    4,000 hours of work experience in the skill to be
certified 
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    for teaching; and (b) after July 1, 1975, at least 8,000 
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    hours
of work experience in the skill to be certified for 
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    teaching.  Any
certificate issued under the provisions of 
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    this paragraph shall expire
on June 30 following the date 
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    of issue.  Renewals may be granted on a
yearly basis, but 
 


 






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    shall not be granted to any person who does not file
with 
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    the State Teacher Certification Board a transcript showing 
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    at least
3 semester hours of credit earned during the 
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    previous year in a
recognized institution of learning.  No 
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    such certificate shall be issued
except upon certification 
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    by the employing board, subject to the
approval of the 
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    regional superintendent of schools, that no qualified

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    teacher holding a regular certificate or a provisional 
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    vocational
certificate is available and that actual 
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    circumstances and need require
such issuance.

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    The courses or work experience offered as a basis for the 
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issuance of
the provisional vocational certificate or the 
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temporary provisional
vocational certificate shall be approved 
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by the State Board of Education
in consultation with the State 
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Teacher
Certification Board.

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    (D) Until July 1, 1972, the State Teacher Certification 
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Board may
also issue a provisional foreign language certificate 
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valid for 4 years
for teaching the foreign language named 
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therein in all grades of the
common schools and shall be issued 
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to persons who have graduated from a
recognized institution of 
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higher learning with not fewer than 120
semester hours of 
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credit and who have met other requirements as
determined by the 
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State Board of Education in consultation
with the State Teacher 
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Certification Board.  If the holder of a
provisional foreign 
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language certificate is not a citizen of the United
States 
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within 6 years of the date of issuance of the original

 


 






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certificate, such certificate shall be suspended by the 
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regional
superintendent of schools of the region in which the 
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holder is engaged
to teach and shall not be reinstated until 
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the holder is a citizen of
the United States.

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    (E) Notwithstanding anything in this Act to the contrary, 
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the State
Teacher Certification Board shall issue part-time 
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provisional certificates to
eligible individuals who are 
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professionals and craftsmen.

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    The requirements for a part-time provisional teachers 
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certificate shall be
determined by the State Board of Education 
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in consultation with the State
Teacher Certification Board, 
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provided the following minimum
requirements are met:  60 
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semester hours of credit from a recognized
institution of 
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higher learning or 4000
hours of work experience in the skill 
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to be certified for teaching.

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    A part-time provisional certificate may be issued for 
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teaching no more than 2
courses of study for grades 6 through 
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12.

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    A part-time provisional teachers certificate shall be 
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valid for 2 years and
may be renewed at the end of each 2 year 
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period.

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(Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)


 
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    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 
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2009.".