94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
SB2264

 

Introduced 1/12/2006, by Sen. Dan Cronin

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21-25   from Ch. 122, par. 21-25
105 ILCS 5/21-27

    Amends the School Code. Provides that persons who are certified school psychologists and who have successfully achieved National Board certification through the National School Psychology Certification System shall be issued a Master School Service Personnel 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. Under the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, provides for an annual payment of $3,000 to be paid to each school psychologist who successfully completes the program leading to and who receives a Master Certificate and is employed as a school psychologist by a school district. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning education.
 
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 Sections
5 21-25 and 21-27 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/21-25)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-25)
7     Sec. 21-25. School service personnel certificate.
8     (a) Subject to the provisions of Section 21-1a, a school
9 service personnel certificate shall be issued to those
10 applicants of good character, good health, a citizen of the
11 United States and at least 19 years of age who have a
12 Bachelor's degree with not fewer than 120 semester hours from a
13 regionally accredited institution of higher learning and who
14 meets the requirements established by the State Superintendent
15 of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
16 Certification Board. A school service personnel certificate
17 with a school nurse endorsement may be issued to a person who
18 holds a bachelor of science degree from an institution of
19 higher learning accredited by the North Central Association or
20 other comparable regional accrediting association. Persons
21 seeking any other endorsement on the school service personnel
22 certificate shall be recommended for the endorsement by a
23 recognized teacher education institution as having completed a
24 program of preparation approved by the State Superintendent of
25 Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification
26 Board.
27     (b) Until August 30, 2002, a school service personnel
28 certificate endorsed for school social work may be issued to a
29 student who has completed a school social work program that has
30 not been approved by the State Superintendent of Education,
31 provided that each of the following conditions is met:
32         (1) The program was offered by a recognized, public

 

 

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1     teacher education institution that first enrolled students
2     in its master's degree program in social work in 1998;
3         (2) The student applying for the school service
4     personnel certificate was enrolled in the institution's
5     master's degree program in social work on or after May 11,
6     1998;
7         (3) The State Superintendent verifies that the student
8     has completed coursework that is substantially similar to
9     that required in approved school social work programs,
10     including (i) not fewer than 600 clock hours of a
11     supervised internship in a school setting or (ii) if the
12     student has completed part of a supervised internship in a
13     school setting prior to the effective date of this
14     amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly and receives
15     the prior approval of the State Superintendent, not fewer
16     than 300 additional clock hours of supervised work in a
17     public school setting under the supervision of a certified
18     school social worker who certifies that the supervised work
19     was completed in a satisfactory manner; and
20         (4) The student has passed a test of basic skills and
21     the test of subject matter knowledge required by Section
22     21-1a.
23     This subsection (b) does not apply after August 29, 2002.
24     (c) A school service personnel certificate shall be
25 endorsed with the area of Service as determined by the State
26 Superintendent of Education in consultation with the State
27 Teacher Certification Board.
28     The holder of such certificate shall be entitled to all of
29 the rights and privileges granted holders of a valid teaching
30 certificate, including teacher benefits, compensation and
31 working conditions.
32     When the holder of such certificate has earned a master's
33 degree, including 8 semester hours of graduate professional
34 education from a recognized institution of higher learning, and
35 has at least 2 years of successful school experience while
36 holding such certificate, the certificate may be endorsed for

 

 

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1 supervision.
2     (d) Persons who have successfully achieved National Board
3 certification through the National Board for Professional
4 Teaching Standards shall be issued a Master School Service
5 Personnel Certificate, valid for 10 years and renewable
6 thereafter every 10 years through compliance with requirements
7 set forth by the State Board of Education, in consultation with
8 the State Teacher Certification Board. However, each holder of
9 a Master School Service Personnel Certificate under this
10 subsection (d) shall be eligible for a corresponding position
11 in this State in the areas for which he or she holds a Master
12 Certificate without satisfying any other requirements of this
13 Code, except for those requirements pertaining to criminal
14 background checks.
15     (e) Persons who are certified school psychologists and who
16 have successfully achieved National Board certification
17 through the National School Psychology Certification System
18 shall be issued a Master School Service Personnel Certificate,
19 valid for 10 years and renewable thereafter every 10 years
20 through compliance with requirements set forth by the State
21 Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
22 Certification Board.
23 (Source: P.A. 94-105, eff. 7-1-05.)
 
24     (105 ILCS 5/21-27)
25     Sec. 21-27. The Illinois Teaching Excellence Program. The
26 Illinois Teaching Excellence Program is hereby established to
27 provide categorical funding for monetary incentives and
28 bonuses for teachers, and school counselors, and school
29 psychologists who are employed by school districts and who hold
30 a Master Certificate. The State Board of Education shall
31 allocate and distribute to each school district an amount as
32 annually appropriated by the General Assembly from federal
33 funds for the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program. Unless
34 otherwise provided by appropriation, each school district's
35 annual allocation shall be the sum of the amounts earned for

 

 

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1 the following incentives and bonuses:
2         (1) An annual payment of $3,000 to be paid to (A) each
3     teacher who successfully completes the program leading to
4     and who receives a Master Certificate and is employed as a
5     teacher by a school district, and (B) each school counselor
6     who successfully completes the program leading to and who
7     receives a Master Certificate and is employed as a school
8     counselor by a school district, and (C) each school
9     psychologist who successfully completes the program
10     leading to and who receives a Master Certificate and is
11     employed as a school psychologist by a school district. The
12     school district shall distribute this payment to each
13     eligible teacher, or school counselor, and school
14     psychologist as a single payment or in not more than 3
15     payments.
16         (2) An annual incentive equal to $1,000 shall be paid
17     to each teacher who holds a Master Certificate, who is
18     employed as a teacher by a school district, and who agrees,
19     in writing, to provide 60 hours of mentoring during that
20     year to classroom teachers. This mentoring may include,
21     either singly or in combination, (i) providing high quality
22     professional development for new and experienced teachers,
23     and (ii) assisting National Board for Professional
24     Teaching Standards (NBPTS) candidates through the NBPTS
25     certification process. The school district shall
26     distribute 50% of each annual incentive payment upon
27     completion of 30 hours of the required mentoring and the
28     remaining 50% of the incentive upon completion of the
29     required 60 hours of mentoring. Credit may not be granted
30     by a school district for mentoring or related services
31     provided during a regular school day or during the total
32     number of days of required service for the school year.
33         (3) An annual incentive equal to $3,000 shall be paid
34     to each teacher who holds a Master Certificate, who is
35     employed as a teacher by a school district, and who agrees,
36     in writing, to provide 60 hours of mentoring during that

 

 

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1     year to classroom teachers in schools on academic early
2     warning status or in schools in which 50% or more of the
3     students receive free or reduced price lunches, or both.
4     The school district shall distribute 50% of each annual
5     incentive payment upon completion of 30 hours of the
6     required mentoring and the remaining 50% of the incentive
7     upon completion of the required 60 hours of mentoring.
8     Credit may not be granted by a school district for
9     mentoring or related services provided during a regular
10     school day or during the total number of days of required
11     service for the school year.
12     Each regional superintendent of schools shall provide
13 information about the Master Certificate Program of the
14 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and
15 this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly to each
16 individual seeking to register or renew a certificate under
17 Section 21-14 of this Code.
18 (Source: P.A. 93-470, eff. 8-8-03; 94-105, eff. 7-1-05.)
 
19     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
20 becoming law.