HB0513 EngrossedLRB098 03331 NHT 33346 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
521-5b as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/21-5b)
7    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2015)
8    Sec. 21-5b. Alternative certification. The State Board of
9Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
10Certification Board, shall establish and implement an
11alternative certification program under which persons who meet
12the requirements of and successfully complete the program
13established by this Section shall be issued an alternative
14teaching certificate for teaching in the schools. The program
15shall be limited to not more than 260 new participants during
16each year that the program is in effect. The State Board of
17Education, in cooperation with one or more not-for-profit
18organizations in the State that support excellence in teaching,
19which may be in partnership with a university that offers
204-year baccalaureate and masters degree programs and that is a
21recognized institution as defined in Section 21B-105 of this
22Code, may within 30 days after submission by the program
23sponsor approve a course of study developed by the program

 

 

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1sponsor that persons in the program must successfully complete
2in order to satisfy one criterion for issuance of an
3alternative certificate under this Section. The Alternative
4Teacher Certification program course of study must include
5content and skills which have been approved by the State Board
6of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
7Certification Board, as meeting the requirement for State
8teacher certification.
9    The alternative certification program established under
10this Section shall be known as the Alternative Teacher
11Certification program. The Alternative Teacher Certification
12Program shall be offered by the submitting partnership, and
13such partnership may be offered by one or more not-for-profit
14organizations in the State which support excellence in
15teaching. The program shall be comprised of the following 3
16phases: (a) the first phase is the course of study offered on
17an intensive basis in education theory, instructional methods,
18and practice teaching; (b) the second phase is the person's
19assignment to a full-time teaching position for one school
20year; and (c) the third phase is a comprehensive assessment of
21the person's teaching performance by school officials and the
22partnership participants and a recommendation by the program
23sponsor to the State Board of Education that the person be
24issued a standard alternative teaching certificate. Successful
25completion of the Alternative Teacher Certification program
26shall be deemed to satisfy any other practice or student

 

 

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1teaching and subject matter requirements established by law.
2    A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for
3one year of teaching in the common schools and not renewable,
4shall be issued under this Section 21-5b to persons who at the
5time of applying for the provisional alternative teaching
6certificate under this Section:
7        (1) have graduated from an accredited college or
8    university with a bachelor's degree;
9        (2) have successfully completed the first phase of the
10    Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided in
11    this Section;
12        (3) have passed the tests of basic skills and subject
13    matter knowledge required by Section 21-1a; and
14        (4) (i) have been employed for a period of at least 5
15    years in an area requiring application of the individual's
16    education or (ii) have attained at least a cumulative grade
17    average of a "B" if the individual is assigned either to a
18    school district that has not met the annual measurable
19    objective for highly qualified teachers required by the
20    Illinois Revised Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) Plan or to
21    a school district whose data filed with the State Board of
22    Education indicates that the district's poor and minority
23    students are taught by teachers who are not highly
24    qualified at a higher rate than other students; however,
25    this item (4) does not apply with respect to a provisional
26    alternative teaching certificate for teaching in schools

 

 

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1    situated in a school district that is located in a city
2    having a population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants.
3    Assignment may be made under clause (ii) of this item (4)
4    only if the district superintendent and the exclusive
5    bargaining representative of the district's teachers, if
6    any, jointly agree to permit the assignment.
7    A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate
8under this Section shall be treated as a regularly certified
9teacher for purposes of compensation, benefits, and other terms
10and conditions of employment afforded teachers in the school
11who are members of a bargaining unit represented by an
12exclusive bargaining representative, if any.
13    Until February 15, 2000, a standard alternative teaching
14certificate, valid for 4 years for teaching in the schools and
15renewable as provided in Section 21-14, shall be issued under
16this Section 21-5b to persons who first complete the
17requirements for the provisional alternative teaching
18certificate and who at the time of applying for a standard
19alternative teaching certificate under this Section have
20successfully completed the second and third phases of the
21Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided in this
22Section. Alternatively, beginning February 15, 2000, at the end
23of the 4-year validity period, persons who were issued a
24standard alternative teaching certificate shall be eligible,
25on the same basis as holders of an Initial Teaching Certificate
26issued under subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of this Code, to

 

 

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1apply for a Standard Teaching Certificate, provided they meet
2the requirements of subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code
3and further provided that a person who does not apply for and
4receive a Standard Teaching Certificate shall be able to teach
5only in schools situated in a school district that is located
6in a city having a population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants.
7    Beginning February 15, 2000, persons who have completed the
8requirements for a standard alternative teaching certificate
9under this Section shall be issued an Initial Alternative
10Teaching Certificate valid for 4 years of teaching and not
11renewable. At the end of the 4-year validity period, these
12persons shall be eligible, on the same basis as holders of an
13Initial Teaching Certificate issued under subsection (b) of
14Section 21-2 of this Code, to apply for a Standard Teaching
15Certificate, provided they meet the requirements of subsection
16(c) of Section 21-2.
17    Such alternative certification program shall be
18implemented so that the first provisional alternative teaching
19certificates issued under this Section are effective upon the
20commencement of the 1997-1998 academic year and the first
21standard alternative teaching certificates issued under this
22Section are effective upon the commencement of the 1998-1999
23academic year.
24    The State Board of Education, in cooperation with the
25partnership or partnerships establishing such Alternative
26Teacher Certification programs, shall adopt rules and

 

 

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1regulations that are consistent with this Section and that the
2State Board of Education deems necessary to establish and
3implement the program.
4    No one may be admitted to an alternative certification
5program under this Section after September 1, 2013, and those
6candidates who are admitted on or before September 1, 2013 must
7complete the program before January 1, 2016 2015.
8    This Section is repealed on January 1, 2016 2015.
9(Source: P.A. 96-862, eff. 1-15-10; 97-607, eff. 8-26-11;
1097-702, eff. 6-25-12.)
 
11    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
12becoming law.