093_HB0371

 
                                     LRB093 06894 NHT 07040 b

 1        AN ACT concerning teacher certification.

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

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

 6        (105 ILCS 5/21-5b)
 7        Sec. 21-5b.  Alternative certification.  The State  Board
 8    of   Education,   in  consultation  with  the  State  Teacher
 9    Certification  Board,  shall  establish  and   implement   an
10    alternative  certification  program  under  which persons who
11    meet  the  requirements  of  and  successfully  complete  the
12    program established  by  this  Section  shall  be  issued  an
13    alternative teaching certificate for teaching in the schools.
14    The  program  shall  be  limited  to  not  more  than 260 new
15    participants not to exceed the number of  unfilled  positions
16    as  reported to the State Board of Education during the prior
17    school year each year that the program  is  in  effect.   The
18    State  Board  of Education, in cooperation with a partnership
19    formed with a university that offers 4-year baccalaureate and
20    masters degree programs and that is a recognized  institution
21    as  defined  in  Section 21-21 and one or more not-for-profit
22    organizations  in  the  State  which  support  excellence  in
23    teaching, shall  within  30  days  after  submission  by  the
24    partnership  approve  a  course  of  study  developed  by the
25    partnership that persons in  the  program  must  successfully
26    complete in order to satisfy one criterion for issuance of an
27    alternative  certificate  under this Section. The Alternative
28    Teacher Certification program course of  study  must  include
29    the  current content and skills contained in the university's
30    current courses  for  State  certification  which  have  been
31    approved  by  the  State  Board of Education, in consultation
 
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 1    with  the  State  Teacher   Certification   Board,   as   the
 2    requirement for State teacher certification.
 3        The  alternative  certification program established under
 4    this Section  shall  be  known  as  the  Alternative  Teacher
 5    Certification program.  The Alternative Teacher Certification
 6    Program  shall  be  offered by the submitting partnership and
 7    may be offered in conjunction with one or more not-for-profit
 8    organizations  in  the  State  which  support  excellence  in
 9    teaching.  The program shall be comprised of the following  3
10    phases: (a) the first phase is the course of study offered on
11    an   intensive   basis  in  education  theory,  instructional
12    methods, and practice teaching; (b) the second phase  is  the
13    person's  assignment to a full-time teaching position for one
14    school year; and (c)  the  third  phase  is  a  comprehensive
15    assessment  of  the  person's  teaching performance by school
16    officials   and   the   partnership   participants   and    a
17    recommendation by the partner institution of higher education
18    to  the  State Board of Education that the person be issued a
19    standard  alternative   teaching   certificate.    Successful
20    completion  of  the Alternative Teacher Certification program
21    shall be deemed to satisfy  any  other  practice  or  student
22    teaching and subject matter requirements established by law.
23        A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for
24    one year of teaching in the common schools and not renewable,
25    shall  be  issued  under this Section 21-5b to persons who at
26    the time of applying for the provisional alternative teaching
27    certificate under this Section:
28             (1)  have graduated from an  accredited  college  or
29        university with a bachelor's degree;
30             (2)  have  successfully completed the first phase of
31        the Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided
32        in this Section;
33             (3)  have passed  the  tests  of  basic  skills  and
34        subject matter knowledge required by Section 21-1a; and
 
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 1             (4)  have  been  employed for a period of at least 5
 2        years  in  an   area   requiring   application   of   the
 3        individual's  education;  however,  this requirement does
 4        not apply  with  respect  to  a  provisional  alternative
 5        teaching  certificate for teaching in schools situated in
 6        a school district that is located  in  a  city  having  a
 7        population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants.
 8    A  person  possessing  a  provisional alternative certificate
 9    under this Section shall be treated as a regularly  certified
10    teacher  for  purposes  of  compensation, benefits, and other
11    terms and conditions of employment afforded teachers  in  the
12    school who are members of a bargaining unit represented by an
13    exclusive bargaining representative, if any.
14        Until  February 15, 2000, a standard alternative teaching
15    certificate, valid for 4 years for teaching  in  the  schools
16    and  renewable  as provided in Section 21-14, shall be issued
17    under this Section 21-5b to persons who  first  complete  the
18    requirements   for   the   provisional  alternative  teaching
19    certificate and who at the time of applying  for  a  standard
20    alternative  teaching  certificate  under  this  Section have
21    successfully completed the second and  third  phases  of  the
22    Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided in this
23    Section.  Alternatively,  beginning February 15, 2000, at the
24    end of the 4-year validity period,  persons who were issued a
25    standard alternative teaching certificate shall be  eligible,
26    on    the  same  basis  as  holders  of  an  Initial Teaching
27    Certificate issued under subsection (b) of  Section  21-2  of
28    this  Code,  to  apply  for  a Standard Teaching Certificate,
29    provided they  meet the requirements  of  subsection  (c)  of
30    Section  21-2 of this Code and further provided that a person
31    who does not  apply  for  and  receive  a  Standard  Teaching
32    Certificate  shall  be able to teach only in schools situated
33    in a school district that is  located  in  a  city  having  a
34    population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants.
 
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 1        Beginning  February  15, 2000, persons who have completed
 2    the  requirements  for  a   standard   alternative   teaching
 3    certificate  under  this  Section  shall be issued an Initial
 4    Alternative  Teaching  Certificate  valid  for  4  years   of
 5    teaching  and  not  renewable.   At  the  end  of  the 4-year
 6    validity period, these persons shall be eligible, on the same
 7    basis as  holders of an Initial Teaching  Certificate  issued
 8    under  subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of  this Code, to apply
 9    for a Standard Teaching Certificate, provided they  meet  the
10    requirements of subsection (c) of Section 21-2.
11        This   alternative   certification   program   shall   be
12    implemented   so   that  the  first  provisional  alternative
13    teaching certificates issued under this Section are effective
14    upon the commencement of the 1997-1998 academic year and  the
15    first standard alternative teaching certificates issued under
16    this  Section  are  effective  upon  the  commencement of the
17    1998-1999 academic year.
18        The State Board of Education,  in  cooperation  with  the
19    partnership     establishing    the    Alternative    Teacher
20    Certification program, shall adopt rules and regulations that
21    are consistent with this Section and that the State Board  of
22    Education  deems  necessary  to  establish  and implement the
23    program.
24    (Source: P.A. 91-609, eff. 1-1-00.)

25        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act  takes  effect  on
26    July 1, 2003.