103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB4067

 

Introduced 5/4/2023, by Rep. Dan Swanson - Dave Severin - Kevin Schmidt - David Friess, Travis Weaver, et al.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21B-45

    Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Allows approved providers of professional development activities to make available professional development opportunities that provide educators with training on reading and literacy instruction.


LRB103 31994 NHT 60804 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4067LRB103 31994 NHT 60804 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
521B-45 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/21B-45)
7    Sec. 21B-45. Professional Educator License renewal.
8    (a) Individuals holding a Professional Educator License
9are required to complete the licensure renewal requirements as
10specified in this Section, unless otherwise provided in this
11Code.
12    Individuals holding a Professional Educator License shall
13meet the renewal requirements set forth in this Section,
14unless otherwise provided in this Code. If an individual holds
15a license endorsed in more than one area that has different
16renewal requirements, that individual shall follow the renewal
17requirements for the position for which he or she spends the
18majority of his or her time working.
19    (b) All Professional Educator Licenses not renewed as
20provided in this Section shall lapse on September 1 of that
21year. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, if
22a license holder's electronic mail address is available, the
23State Board of Education shall send him or her notification

 

 

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1electronically that his or her license will lapse if not
2renewed, to be sent no more than 6 months prior to the license
3lapsing. Lapsed licenses may be immediately reinstated upon
4(i) payment to the State Board of Education by the applicant of
5a $50 penalty or (ii) the demonstration of proficiency by
6completing 9 semester hours of coursework from a regionally
7accredited institution of higher education in the content area
8that most aligns with one or more of the educator's
9endorsement areas. Any and all back fees, including without
10limitation registration fees owed from the time of expiration
11of the license until the date of reinstatement, shall be paid
12and kept in accordance with the provisions in Article 3 of this
13Code concerning an institute fund and the provisions in
14Article 21B of this Code concerning fees and requirements for
15registration. Licenses not registered in accordance with
16Section 21B-40 of this Code shall lapse after a period of 6
17months from the expiration of the last year of registration or
18on January 1 of the fiscal year following initial issuance of
19the license. An unregistered license is invalid after
20September 1 for employment and performance of services in an
21Illinois public or State-operated school or cooperative and in
22a charter school. Any license or endorsement may be
23voluntarily surrendered by the license holder. A voluntarily
24surrendered license shall be treated as a revoked license. An
25Educator License with Stipulations with only a
26paraprofessional endorsement does not lapse.

 

 

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1    (c) From July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014, in order to
2satisfy the requirements for licensure renewal provided for in
3this Section, each professional educator licensee with an
4administrative endorsement who is working in a position
5requiring such endorsement shall complete one Illinois
6Administrators' Academy course, as described in Article 2 of
7this Code, per fiscal year.
8    (c-5) All licenses issued by the State Board of Education
9under this Article that expire on June 30, 2020 and have not
10been renewed by the end of the 2020 renewal period shall be
11extended for one year and shall expire on June 30, 2021.
12    (d) Beginning July 1, 2014, in order to satisfy the
13requirements for licensure renewal provided for in this
14Section, each professional educator licensee may create a
15professional development plan each year. The plan shall
16address one or more of the endorsements that are required of
17his or her educator position if the licensee is employed and
18performing services in an Illinois public or State-operated
19school or cooperative. If the licensee is employed in a
20charter school, the plan shall address that endorsement or
21those endorsements most closely related to his or her educator
22position. Licensees employed and performing services in any
23other Illinois schools may participate in the renewal
24requirements by adhering to the same process.
25    Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the
26licensee's professional development activities shall align

 

 

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1with one or more of the following criteria:
2        (1) activities are of a type that engages engage
3    participants over a sustained period of time allowing for
4    analysis, discovery, and application as they relate to
5    student learning, social or emotional achievement, or
6    well-being;
7        (2) professional development aligns to the licensee's
8    performance;
9        (3) outcomes for the activities must relate to student
10    growth or district improvement;
11        (4) activities align to State-approved standards; and
12        (5) higher education coursework.
13    (e) For each renewal cycle, each professional educator
14licensee shall engage in professional development activities.
15Prior to renewal, the licensee shall enter electronically into
16the Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) the name,
17date, and location of the activity, the number of professional
18development hours, and the provider's name. The following
19provisions shall apply concerning professional development
20activities:
21        (1) Each licensee shall complete a total of 120 hours
22    of professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in
23    order to renew the license, except as otherwise provided
24    in this Section.
25        (2) Beginning with his or her first full 5-year cycle,
26    any licensee with an administrative endorsement who is not

 

 

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1    working in a position requiring such endorsement is not
2    required to complete Illinois Administrators' Academy
3    courses, as described in Article 2 of this Code. Such
4    licensees must complete one Illinois Administrators'
5    Academy course within one year after returning to a
6    position that requires the administrative endorsement.
7        (3) Any licensee with an administrative endorsement
8    who is working in a position requiring such endorsement or
9    an individual with a Teacher Leader endorsement serving in
10    an administrative capacity at least 50% of the day shall
11    complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course, as
12    described in Article 2 of this Code, each fiscal year in
13    addition to 100 hours of professional development per
14    5-year renewal cycle in accordance with this Code.
15    However, for the 2021-2022 school year only, a licensee
16    under this paragraph (3) is not required to complete an
17    Illinois Administrators' Academy course.
18        (4) Any licensee holding a current National Board for
19    Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) master teacher
20    designation shall complete a total of 60 hours of
21    professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in order
22    to renew the license.
23        (5) Licensees working in a position that does not
24    require educator licensure or working in a position for
25    less than 50% for any particular year are considered to be
26    exempt and shall be required to pay only the registration

 

 

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1    fee in order to renew and maintain the validity of the
2    license.
3        (6) Licensees who are retired and qualify for benefits
4    from a State of Illinois retirement system shall be listed
5    as retired, and the license shall be maintained in retired
6    status. For any renewal cycle in which a licensee retires
7    during the renewal cycle, the licensee must complete
8    professional development activities on a prorated basis
9    depending on the number of years during the renewal cycle
10    the educator held an active license. If a licensee retires
11    during a renewal cycle, the license status must be updated
12    using ELIS indicating that the licensee wishes to maintain
13    the license in retired status and the licensee must show
14    proof of completion of professional development activities
15    on a prorated basis for all years of that renewal cycle for
16    which the license was active. An individual with a license
17    in retired status shall not be required to complete
18    professional development activities until returning to a
19    position that requires educator licensure. Upon returning
20    to work in a position that requires the Professional
21    Educator License, the license status shall immediately be
22    updated using ELIS and the licensee shall complete renewal
23    requirements for that year. A retired teacher, even if
24    returning to a position that requires educator licensure,
25    shall not be required to pay registration fees. A license
26    in retired status cannot lapse. Beginning on January 6,

 

 

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1    2017 (the effective date of Public Act 99-920) through
2    December 31, 2017, any licensee who has retired and whose
3    license has lapsed for failure to renew as provided in
4    this Section may reinstate that license and maintain it in
5    retired status upon providing proof to the State Board of
6    Education using ELIS that the licensee is retired and is
7    not working in a position that requires a Professional
8    Educator License.
9        (7) For any renewal cycle in which professional
10    development hours were required, but not fulfilled, the
11    licensee shall complete any missed hours to total the
12    minimum professional development hours required in this
13    Section prior to September 1 of that year. Professional
14    development hours used to fulfill the minimum required
15    hours for a renewal cycle may be used for only one renewal
16    cycle. For any fiscal year or renewal cycle in which an
17    Illinois Administrators' Academy course was required but
18    not completed, the licensee shall complete any missed
19    Illinois Administrators' Academy courses prior to
20    September 1 of that year. The licensee may complete all
21    deficient hours and Illinois Administrators' Academy
22    courses while continuing to work in a position that
23    requires that license until September 1 of that year.
24        (8) Any licensee who has not fulfilled the
25    professional development renewal requirements set forth in
26    this Section at the end of any 5-year renewal cycle is

 

 

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1    ineligible to register his or her license and may submit
2    an appeal to the State Superintendent of Education for
3    reinstatement of the license.
4        (9) If professional development opportunities were
5    unavailable to a licensee, proof that opportunities were
6    unavailable and request for an extension of time beyond
7    August 31 to complete the renewal requirements may be
8    submitted from April 1 through June 30 of that year to the
9    State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. If an
10    extension is approved, the license shall remain valid
11    during the extension period.
12        (10) Individuals who hold exempt licenses prior to
13    December 27, 2013 (the effective date of Public Act
14    98-610) shall commence the annual renewal process with the
15    first scheduled registration due after December 27, 2013
16    (the effective date of Public Act 98-610).
17        (11) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
18    subsection (e), if a licensee earns more than the required
19    number of professional development hours during a renewal
20    cycle, then the licensee may carry over any hours earned
21    from April 1 through June 30 of the last year of the
22    renewal cycle. Any hours carried over in this manner must
23    be applied to the next renewal cycle. Illinois
24    Administrators' Academy courses or hours earned in those
25    courses may not be carried over.
26    (e-5) The number of professional development hours

 

 

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1required under subsection (e) is reduced by 20% for any
2renewal cycle that includes the 2021-2022 school year.
3    (f) At the time of renewal, each licensee shall respond to
4the required questions under penalty of perjury.
5    (f-5) The State Board of Education shall conduct random
6audits of licensees to verify a licensee's fulfillment of the
7professional development hours required under this Section.
8Upon completion of a random audit, if it is determined by the
9State Board of Education that the licensee did not complete
10the required number of professional development hours or did
11not provide sufficient proof of completion, the licensee shall
12be notified that his or her license has lapsed. A license that
13has lapsed under this subsection may be reinstated as provided
14in subsection (b).
15    (g) The following entities shall be designated as approved
16to provide professional development activities for the renewal
17of Professional Educator Licenses:
18        (1) The State Board of Education.
19        (2) Regional offices of education and intermediate
20    service centers.
21        (3) Illinois professional associations representing
22    the following groups that are approved by the State
23    Superintendent of Education:
24            (A) school administrators;
25            (B) principals;
26            (C) school business officials;

 

 

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1            (D) teachers, including special education
2        teachers;
3            (E) school boards;
4            (F) school districts;
5            (G) parents; and
6            (H) school service personnel.
7        (4) Regionally accredited institutions of higher
8    education that offer Illinois-approved educator
9    preparation programs and public community colleges subject
10    to the Public Community College Act.
11        (5) Illinois public school districts, charter schools
12    authorized under Article 27A of this Code, and joint
13    educational programs authorized under Article 10 of this
14    Code for the purposes of providing career and technical
15    education or special education services.
16        (6) A not-for-profit organization that, as of December
17    31, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-1147), has
18    had or has a grant from or a contract with the State Board
19    of Education to provide professional development services
20    in the area of English Learning to Illinois school
21    districts, teachers, or administrators.
22        (7) State agencies, State boards, and State
23    commissions.
24        (8) Museums as defined in Section 10 of the Museum
25    Disposition of Property Act.
26    (h) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this

 

 

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1Section shall make available professional development
2opportunities that satisfy at least one of the following:
3        (1) increase the knowledge and skills of school and
4    district leaders who guide continuous professional
5    development;
6        (2) improve the learning of students;
7        (3) organize adults into learning communities whose
8    goals are aligned with those of the school and district;
9        (4) deepen educator's content knowledge;
10        (5) provide educators with research-based
11    instructional strategies to assist students in meeting
12    rigorous academic standards;
13        (6) prepare educators to appropriately use various
14    types of classroom assessments;
15        (7) use learning strategies appropriate to the
16    intended goals;
17        (8) provide educators with the knowledge and skills to
18    collaborate;
19        (9) prepare educators to apply research to decision
20    making;
21        (10) provide educators with training on inclusive
22    practices in the classroom that examines instructional and
23    behavioral strategies that improve academic and
24    social-emotional outcomes for all students, with or
25    without disabilities, in a general education setting; or
26        (11) beginning on July 1, 2022, provide educators with

 

 

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1    training on the physical and mental health needs of
2    students, student safety, educator ethics, professional
3    conduct, and other topics that address the well-being of
4    students and improve the academic and social-emotional
5    outcomes of students; or .
6        (12) provide educators with training on reading and
7    literacy instruction.
8    (i) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this
9Section shall do the following:
10        (1) align professional development activities to the
11    State-approved national standards for professional
12    learning;
13        (2) meet the professional development criteria for
14    Illinois licensure renewal;
15        (3) produce a rationale for the activity that explains
16    how it aligns to State standards and identify the
17    assessment for determining the expected impact on student
18    learning or school improvement;
19        (4) maintain original documentation for completion of
20    activities;
21        (5) provide license holders with evidence of
22    completion of activities;
23        (6) request an Illinois Educator Identification Number
24    (IEIN) for each educator during each professional
25    development activity; and
26        (7) beginning on July 1, 2019, register annually with

 

 

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1    the State Board of Education prior to offering any
2    professional development opportunities in the current
3    fiscal year.
4    (j) The State Board of Education shall conduct annual
5audits of a subset of approved providers, except for school
6districts, which shall be audited by regional offices of
7education and intermediate service centers. The State Board of
8Education shall ensure that each approved provider, except for
9a school district, is audited at least once every 5 years. The
10State Board of Education may conduct more frequent audits of
11providers if evidence suggests the requirements of this
12Section or administrative rules are not being met.
13        (1) (Blank).
14        (2) Approved providers shall comply with the
15    requirements in subsections (h) and (i) of this Section by
16    annually submitting data to the State Board of Education
17    demonstrating how the professional development activities
18    impacted one or more of the following:
19            (A) educator and student growth in regards to
20        content knowledge or skills, or both;
21            (B) educator and student social and emotional
22        growth; or
23            (C) alignment to district or school improvement
24        plans.
25        (3) The State Superintendent of Education shall review
26    the annual data collected by the State Board of Education,

 

 

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1    regional offices of education, and intermediate service
2    centers in audits to determine if the approved provider
3    has met the criteria and should continue to be an approved
4    provider or if further action should be taken as provided
5    in rules.
6    (k) Registration fees shall be paid for the next renewal
7cycle between April 1 and June 30 in the last year of each
85-year renewal cycle using ELIS. If all required professional
9development hours for the renewal cycle have been completed
10and entered by the licensee, the licensee shall pay the
11registration fees for the next cycle using a form of credit or
12debit card.
13    (l) Any professional educator licensee endorsed for school
14support personnel who is employed and performing services in
15Illinois public schools and who holds an active and current
16professional license issued by the Department of Financial and
17Professional Regulation or a national certification board, as
18approved by the State Board of Education, related to the
19endorsement areas on the Professional Educator License shall
20be deemed to have satisfied the continuing professional
21development requirements provided for in this Section. Such
22individuals shall be required to pay only registration fees to
23renew the Professional Educator License. An individual who
24does not hold a license issued by the Department of Financial
25and Professional Regulation shall complete professional
26development requirements for the renewal of a Professional

 

 

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1Educator License provided for in this Section.
2    (m) Appeals to the State Educator Preparation and
3Licensure Board must be made within 30 days after receipt of
4notice from the State Superintendent of Education that a
5license will not be renewed based upon failure to complete the
6requirements of this Section. A licensee may appeal that
7decision to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board
8in a manner prescribed by rule.
9        (1) Each appeal shall state the reasons why the State
10    Superintendent's decision should be reversed and shall be
11    sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the
12    State Board of Education.
13        (2) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board
14    shall review each appeal regarding renewal of a license
15    within 90 days after receiving the appeal in order to
16    determine whether the licensee has met the requirements of
17    this Section. The State Educator Preparation and Licensure
18    Board may hold an appeal hearing or may make its
19    determination based upon the record of review, which shall
20    consist of the following:
21            (A) the regional superintendent of education's
22        rationale for recommending nonrenewal of the license,
23        if applicable;
24            (B) any evidence submitted to the State
25        Superintendent along with the individual's electronic
26        statement of assurance for renewal; and

 

 

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1            (C) the State Superintendent's rationale for
2        nonrenewal of the license.
3        (3) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board
4    shall notify the licensee of its decision regarding
5    license renewal by certified mail, return receipt
6    requested, no later than 30 days after reaching a
7    decision. Upon receipt of notification of renewal, the
8    licensee, using ELIS, shall pay the applicable
9    registration fee for the next cycle using a form of credit
10    or debit card.
11    (n) The State Board of Education may adopt rules as may be
12necessary to implement this Section.
13(Source: P.A. 101-85, eff. 1-1-20; 101-531, eff. 8-23-19;
14101-643, eff. 6-18-20; 102-676, eff. 12-3-21; 102-710, eff.
154-27-22; 102-730, eff. 5-6-22; 102-852, eff. 5-13-22; revised
168-25-22.)