SB2676 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY 






 

 		











93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
SB2676


 
Introduced 2/4/2004, by Miguel del Valle
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 		















105 ILCS 5/21-2  from Ch. 122, par. 21-2








    Amends the Teacher
Certification Article of the School Code.  With regard to the requirements
that a person must complete in order to receive a Standard Certificate,
makes changes concerning the induction and mentoring program
requirement and the continuing professional development units
requirement.  Effective immediately.



















LRB093 20383 NHT 46154 b




















 


 


A BILL FOR









 














SB2676

LRB093 20383 NHT 46154 b









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
Section 
5
21-2 as follows:


 



6
    (105 ILCS 5/21-2)
  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-2)



7
    Sec. 21-2. Grades of certificates. 

8
    (a) All certificates issued under this Article shall be 
9
State certificates
valid, except as limited in Section 21-1, in 
10
every school district coming
under the provisions of this Act 
11
and shall be limited in time and designated
as follows: 
12
Provisional vocational certificate, temporary provisional

13
vocational certificate, early childhood certificate, 
14
elementary school
certificate, special certificate, secondary 
15
certificate, school service
personnel certificate, 
16
administrative certificate, provisional
certificate, and 
17
substitute certificate.  The requirement of student teaching

18
under close and competent supervision for obtaining a teaching 
19
certificate
may be waived by the State Teacher Certification 
20
Board upon presentation to
the Board by the teacher of evidence 
21
of 5 years successful teaching
experience on a valid 
22
certificate and graduation from
a recognized institution of 
23
higher learning with a bachelor's degree.

24
    (b) Initial Teaching Certificate.
Persons who (1) have 
25
completed an approved teacher preparation program,
(2) are 
26
recommended by an
approved teacher preparation program, (3) 
27
have successfully completed the
Initial Teaching Certification 
28
examinations required by the State Board of
Education, and (4) 
29
have met all other criteria established by the State Board
of 
30
Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification 
31
Board, shall
be issued an Initial Teaching Certificate valid 
32
for 4 years of teaching, as
defined in Section 21-14 of this 
 


 









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1
Code.  Initial Teaching Certificates shall be
issued for 
2
categories corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary, 
3
Secondary,
and Special K-12, with special certification 
4
designations for Special
Education, Bilingual Education, 
5
fundamental learning areas (including Language
Arts, Reading, 
6
Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Physical Development and

7
Health, Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas

8
designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation 
9
with the State
Teacher Certification Board.

10
    (c) Standard Certificate.

11
    (1) Persons who (i)
have completed 4 years of teaching, as 
12
defined in Section 21-14 of this Code,
with an Initial 
13
Certificate or an Initial Alternative Teaching Certificate and

14
have met all other criteria established by the State Board of 
15
Education in
consultation with the State Teacher Certification 
16
Board, (ii) have
completed 4
years of teaching on a valid 
17
equivalent certificate in another State or
territory of the 
18
United States, or have completed 4 years of teaching in a

19
nonpublic Illinois elementary or secondary school with an 
20
Initial Certificate
or an Initial Alternative Teaching 
21
Certificate, and have met all other criteria
established by the 
22
State Board of Education, in consultation with the State

23
Teacher Certification Board, or (iii) were issued teaching

24
certificates prior to
February 15, 2000 and are renewing those 
25
certificates after February 15, 2000,
shall be issued a 
26
Standard Certificate valid for 5 years, which may be renewed

27
thereafter every 5 years by the State Teacher Certification 
28
Board based on
proof of continuing education or professional 
29
development.  Beginning July 1,
2003, persons who have completed 
30
4 years of teaching, as described in clauses
(i) and (ii) of 
31
this paragraph (1), have successfully completed the

32
requirements of paragraphs (2) through (4) of this subsection 
33
(c),
and have met all other criteria
established by the State 
34
Board of Education, in consultation with the State
Teacher 
35
Certification Board, shall be issued Standard Certificates.  
36
Standard
Certificates shall be issued for categories 
 


 









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1
corresponding to Early Childhood,
Elementary, Secondary, and 
2
Special K-12, with special certification
designations for 
3
Special Education, Bilingual Education,
fundamental learning 
4
areas (including Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics,
Science, 
5
Social Science, Physical Development and Health, Fine Arts, and

6
Foreign Language), and other areas designated by the State 
7
Board of
Education, in consultation with the State
Teacher 
8
Certification Board.

9
    (2) This paragraph (2) applies only to those persons 
10
required to
successfully complete the requirements of this 
11
paragraph under paragraph (1)
of this subsection (c).  In order 
12
to receive a Standard Teaching Certificate,
a person must 
13
satisfy one of the following requirements, which the person 
14
must
identify, in writing, as the requirement that the person 
15
has chosen to satisfy
to the responsible local professional 
16
development committee established
pursuant to subsection (f) 
17
of Section 21-14 of this Code:


18
        (A) Completion of a program of induction and mentoring 
19
    for new teachers
that is
based upon a specific plan filed 
20
    with
approved by the State Board of
Education and , in

21
    consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. 
22
    The plan must
describe the role of mentor teachers, the 
23
    criteria and process for their
selection, and how all the 
24
    following components are to be provided:


25
            (i) Assignment of a formally trained mentor 
26
        teacher to each new
teacher
for a specified period of 
27
        time, which shall be established by the employing

28
        school or school district but shall be at least one
2

29
        school year
years in duration,
provided that a mentor 
30
        teacher may not directly or indirectly participate in

31
        the evaluation of a new teacher pursuant to Article 24A 
32
        of this Code or the
evaluation procedure of the school.


33
            (ii) Formal mentoring for each new teacher.


34
            (iii) Support for each new teacher in relation to 
35
        the Illinois
Professional Teaching Standards, the 
36
        content-area standards applicable to
the new teacher's 
 


 









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1
        area of certification, and any applicable local school

2
        improvement and professional development plans.


3
            (iv) Professional development specifically 
4
        designed to foster the
growth of each new teacher's 
5
        knowledge and skills.


6
            (v) Formative assessment that is based on the 
7
        Illinois Professional
Teaching Standards and designed 
8
        to provide feedback to the new teacher and

9
        opportunities for reflection on his or her 
10
        performance, which must not
be used directly or 
11
        indirectly in any evaluation of a new teacher
pursuant 
12
        to Article 24A of this Code or the evaluation procedure 
13
        of the
school and which must include the activities 
14
        specified
in clauses (B)(i), (B)(ii), and (B)(iii) of 
15
        this paragraph (2).


16
            (vi) Assignment of responsibility for coordination 
17
        of the induction
and mentoring program within each 
18
        school district participating in the program.


19
        (B) Successful completion of 4 semester hours of 
20
    graduate-level
coursework on the assessment of one's own 
21
    performance in relation to the
Illinois Professional 
22
    Teaching Standards.  The coursework must be approved
by the 
23
    State Board of Education, in consultation with the State 
24
    Teacher
Certification Board; must be offered either by an 
25
    institution of higher
education, by such an institution in 
26
    partnership with a teachers' association
or union or with a 
27
    regional office of education, or by another entity

28
    authorized to issue college credit; and must include 
29
    demonstration of
performance through all of the following 
30
    activities for each of the Illinois
Professional Teaching 
31
    Standards:


32
            (i) Observation, by the course instructor or 
33
        another experienced
teacher, of the new teacher's 
34
        classroom practice (the observation may be
recorded 
35
        for later viewing) for the purpose of identifying and 
36
        describing how
the new teacher made content meaningful 
 


 









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1
        for students; how the teacher motivated
individuals 
2
        and the group and created an environment conducive to 
3
        positive
social interactions, active learning, and 
4
        self-motivation; what instructional
strategies the 
5
        teacher used to encourage students' development of 
6
        critical
thinking, problem solving, and performance; 
7
        how the teacher communicated using
written, verbal, 
8
        nonverbal, and visual communication techniques; and 
9
        how the
teacher maintained standards of professional 
10
        conduct and provided leadership to
improve students' 
11
        learning.


12
            (ii) Review and analysis, by the course instructor 
13
        or another
experienced
teacher, of written 
14
        documentation (i.e., lesson plans, assignments, 
15
        assessment
instruments, and samples of students' work) 
16
        prepared by the new teacher for
at least 2 lessons. The 
17
        documentation must provide evidence of classroom

18
        performance related to Illinois Professional Teaching 
19
        Standards 1 through 9,
with an emphasis on how the 
20
        teacher used his or her understanding of students,

21
        assessment data, and subject matter to decide on 
22
        learning goals; how the
teacher designed or selected 
23
        activities and instructional materials and
aligned 
24
        instruction to the relevant Illinois Learning 
25
        Standards; how the
teacher adapted or modified 
26
        curriculum to meet individual students' needs;
and how 
27
        the teacher sequenced instruction and designed or 
28
        selected student
assessment strategies.


29
            (iii) Demonstration of professional expertise on 
30
        the part of the new
teacher in reflecting on his or her 
31
        practice, which was observed under clause
(B)(i) of 
32
        this paragraph (2) and documented under clause (B)(ii) 
33
        of this
paragraph (2), in terms of teaching strengths, 
34
        weaknesses, and implications
for improvement according 
35
        to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards.


36
        (C) Successful completion of a minimum of 4 semester 
 


 









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1
    hours of
graduate-level coursework addressing preparation 
2
    to meet the requirements
for certification by the National 
3
    Board for Professional Teaching Standards
(NBPTS).  The 
4
    coursework must be approved by the State Board of 
5
    Education, in
consultation with the State Teacher 
6
    Certification Board, and must be offered
either by an 
7
    institution of higher education, by such an institution in

8
    partnership with a teachers' association or union or with a 
9
    regional office
of education, or by another entity 
10
    authorized to issue college credit.  The
course must address 
11
    the 5 NBPTS Core Propositions and relevant standards

12
    through such means as the following:


13
            (i) Observation, by the course instructor or 
14
        another experienced
teacher, of the new teacher's 
15
        classroom practice (the observation may be
recorded 
16
        for later viewing) for the purpose of identifying and 
17
        describing how
the new teacher made content meaningful 
18
        for students; how the teacher motivated
individuals 
19
        and the group and created an environment conducive to 
20
        positive
social interactions, active learning, and 
21
        self-motivation; what instructional
strategies the 
22
        teacher used to encourage students' development of 
23
        critical
thinking, problem solving, and
performance; 
24
        how the teacher communicated using written, verbal, 
25
        nonverbal, and
visual communication techniques; and 
26
        how the teacher maintained standards of
professional 
27
        conduct and provided leadership to improve students' 
28
        learning.


29
            (ii) Review and analysis, by the course instructor 
30
        or another
experienced
teacher, of written 
31
        documentation (i.e., lesson plans, assignments, 
32
        assessment
instruments, and samples of students' work) 
33
        prepared by the new teacher for
at least 2 lessons. The 
34
        documentation must provide evidence of classroom

35
        performance, including how the teacher used his or her 
36
        understanding of
students, assessment data, and 
 


 









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1
        subject matter to decide on learning goals;
how the 
2
        teacher designed or selected activities and 
3
        instructional materials
and aligned instruction to the 
4
        relevant Illinois Learning Standards; how
the teacher 
5
        adapted or modified curriculum to meet individual 
6
        students' needs;
and how the teacher sequenced 
7
        instruction and designed or selected student

8
        assessment strategies.


9
            (iii) Demonstration of professional expertise on 
10
        the part of the new
teacher in reflecting on his or her 
11
        practice, which was observed under clause
(C)(i) of 
12
        this paragraph (2) and documented under clause (C)(ii) 
13
        of this
paragraph (2), in terms of teaching strengths, 
14
        weaknesses, and implications
for improvement.


15
        (D) Receipt of an advanced degree from an accredited 
16
    institution of
higher education in an education-related 
17
    field, provided that at least 8
semester hours of the 
18
    coursework completed count toward a degree, certificate,

19
    or endorsement in a teaching field.


20
        (E) Accumulation of 60 continuing professional 
21
    development units
(CPDUs), earned by completing selected 
22
    activities that comply with
paragraph
paragraphs
(3) and

23
    (4) of this subsection (c).  However, for an individual who 
24
    holds an
Initial Teaching Certificate on the effective date 
25
    of this amendatory Act of
the 92nd General Assembly, the 
26
    number of CPDUs shall be reduced to reflect the
teaching 
27
    time remaining on the Initial Teaching Certificate.


28
        (F) Completion of a nationally normed, 
29
    performance-based assessment, if
made available by the 
30
    State Board of Education in consultation with the State

31
    Teacher Certification Board, provided that the cost to the 
32
    person shall not
exceed the cost of the coursework 
33
    described in clause (B) of this paragraph
(2).

34
    (3) (Blank).
This paragraph (3) applies only to those 
35
persons required
to
successfully complete the requirements of 
36
this paragraph under paragraph (1)
of this subsection (c).  At 
 


 









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1
least one-half the CPDUs a person must accrue in
order to 
2
qualify for a Standard Teaching Certificate must be earned 
3
through
completion of coursework, workshops, seminars, 
4
conferences, and other similar
training events that are 
5
pre-approved by the State Board of Education, in
consultation 
6
with the State Teacher Certification Board, for the purpose of

7
reflection on teaching practices in order to address all of the 
8
Illinois
Professional Teaching Standards necessary to obtain a 
9
Standard Teaching
Certificate.  These activities must meet all 
10
of the following requirements:

11
        (A) Each activity must be designed to advance a 
12
    person's knowledge and
skills in relation to one or more of 
13
    the Illinois Professional Teaching
Standards or in 
14
    relation to the content-area standards applicable to the

15
    teacher's field of certification.

16
        (B) Taken together, the activities completed must 
17
    address each of the
Illinois Professional Teaching 
18
    Standards as provided in clauses (B)(i),
(B)(ii), and 
19
    (B)(iii) of paragraph (2) of this subsection (c).

20
        (C) Each activity must be provided by an entity 
21
    approved by the State
Board of Education, in consultation 
22
    with the State Teacher Certification Board,
for this 
23
    purpose.

24
        (D) Each activity, integral to its successful 
25
    completion, must require
participants to demonstrate the 
26
    degree to which they have acquired new
knowledge or skills, 
27
    such as through performance, through preparation of a

28
    written product, through assembling samples of students' 
29
    or teachers' work, or
by some other means that is 
30
    appropriate to the subject matter of the activity.

31
        (E) One CPDU shall be available for each hour of direct 
32
    participation
by a holder of an Initial Teaching 
33
    Certificate in a qualifying activity.
An activity may be 
34
    attributed to more than one of the Illinois Professional

35
    Teaching Standards, but credit for any activity shall be 
36
    counted only once.

 


 









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1
    (4) This paragraph (4) applies only to those persons 
2
required to
successfully complete the requirements of this 
3
paragraph under paragraph (1) of
this subsection (c).  The 
4
balance of the CPDUs a person must accrue in
order to
qualify 
5
for a Standard Teaching Certificate, in combination with those 
6
earned
pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection (c), may be 
7
chosen from among
the
following, provided that
each  activity is 
8
designed  to  advance a person's
knowledge and skills in relation 
9
to one  or  more  of  the  Illinois
Professional  Teaching  Standards 
10
or in relation to the content-area
standards applicable to the 
11
teacher's field of certification
an activity listed in clause 
12
(C) of this paragraph (4)
shall be creditable only if its 
13
provider is approved for this purpose by the
State Board of 
14
Education, in consultation with the State Teacher 
15
Certification
Board:


16
        (A) Collaboration and partnership activities related 
17
    to improving a
person's knowledge and skills as a teacher, 
18
    including all of the following:


19
            (i) Peer review and coaching.


20
            (ii) Mentoring in a formal mentoring program, 
21
        including service as a
consulting teacher 
22
        participating in a remediation process formulated 
23
        under
Section 24A-5 of this Code.


24
            (iii) Facilitating parent education programs 
25
        directly related to
student achievement for a school, 
26
        school district, or regional office of
education.


27
            (iv) Participating in business, school, or 
28
        community partnerships
directly related to student 
29
        achievement.


30
        (B) Teaching college or university courses in areas 
31
    relevant to a
teacher's field of certification, provided 
32
    that the teaching may only be
counted once during the 
33
    course of 4 years.


34
        (C) Conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars, and 
35
    symposiums related
to improving a person's knowledge and 
36
    skills as a teacher, including all of the
following:


 


 









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1
            (i) Completing non-university credit directly 
2
        related to student
achievement, the Illinois 
3
        Professional Teaching Standards, or content-area

4
        standards.


5
            (ii) Participating in or presenting at workshops, 
6
        seminars,
conferences, institutes, and symposiums.


7
            (iii) Training as external reviewers for the State 
8
        Board of Education.


9
            (iv) Training as reviewers of university teacher 
10
        preparation programs.


11
    An activity listed in this clause (C) shall be  creditable

12
    only  if its provider is approved for this purpose by the 
13
    State Board of
Education, in consultation with the State 
14
    Teacher Certification Board.


15
        (D) Other educational experiences related to improving 
16
    a person's
knowledge and skills as a teacher, including all 
17
    of the following:


18
            (i) Participating in action research and inquiry 
19
        projects.


20
            (ii) Observing programs or teaching in schools, 
21
        related businesses, or
industry that is systematic, 
22
        purposeful, and relevant to a teacher's field of

23
        certification.


24
            (iii) Participating in study groups related to 
25
        student achievement,
the Illinois Professional 
26
        Teaching Standards, or content-area standards.


27
            (iv) Participating in work/learn programs or 
28
        internships.


29
            (v) Developing a portfolio of students' and 
30
        teacher's work.


31
        (E) Professional leadership experiences related to 
32
    improving a person's
knowledge and skills as a teacher, 
33
    including all of the following:


34
            (i) Participating in curriculum development or 
35
    assessment activities
at the school, school district, 
36
    regional office of education, State, or
national level.


 


 









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1
            (ii) Participating in team or department 
2
        leadership in a school or
school district.


3
            (iii) Participating on external or internal school 
4
        or school district
review teams.


5
            (iv) Publishing educational articles, columns, or 
6
        books relevant to
a teacher's field of certification.


7
            (v) Participating in non-strike related activities 
8
        of a professional
association or labor organization 
9
        that are related to professional development.

10
    (5) A person must complete his or her chosen requirement 
11
under paragraph
(2) of this subsection (c) before the 
12
expiration of his or her Initial
Teaching Certificate and must 
13
submit evidence of having done so to the local
professional 
14
development committee.  Within 30 days after receipt of a 
15
person's
evidence of completion, the local professional 
16
development committee shall
forward the evidence of completion 
17
to the responsible regional superintendent
of schools along 
18
with the local professional development committee's

19
recommendation, based on that evidence, as to whether the 
20
person is eligible to
receive a Standard Teaching Certificate.  
21
The local professional development
committee shall provide a 
22
copy of this recommendation to the affected person.

23
    The regional superintendent of schools shall review the 
24
evidence of
completion submitted by a person and, based upon 
25
compliance with all of the
requirements for receipt of a 
26
Standard Teaching Certificate, shall forward to
the State Board 
27
of Education a recommendation for issuance or non-issuance.
The 
28
regional superintendent of schools shall notify the affected 
29
person
of the recommendation forwarded.

30
    Upon review of a regional superintendent of school's 
31
recommendations, the
State Board of Education shall issue 
32
Standard Teaching Certificates to those
who qualify and shall 
33
notify a person, in writing, of a decision denying a
Standard 
34
Teaching Certificate.  Any decision denying issuance of a 
35
Standard
Teaching Certificate to a person may be appealed to 
36
the State Teacher
Certification Board.

 


 









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1
    (6) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the 
2
State Teacher
Certification Board, may adopt rules to implement 
3
this subsection (c) and may
periodically evaluate any of the 
4
methods of qualifying for a Standard Teaching
Certificate 
5
described in this subsection (c).

6
    (d) Master Certificate.  Persons who have
successfully 
7
achieved National Board certification through the National 
8
Board
for Professional Teaching Standards shall be issued a 
9
Master Certificate, valid
for 10 years and renewable thereafter 
10
every 10 years through compliance with
requirements set forth 
11
by the State Board of Education, in consultation with
the State 
12
Teacher Certification Board.  However, each teacher who holds a

13
Master Certificate shall be eligible for a teaching position in 
14
this State in
the areas for which he or she holds a Master 
15
Certificate without satisfying any
other requirements of this 
16
Code, except for those requirements pertaining to
criminal 
17
background checks.  A teacher who holds a Master Certificate 
18
shall be
deemed to meet State certification renewal 
19
requirements in the area or areas
for which he or she holds a 
20
Master Certificate for the 10-year term of the
teacher's Master 
21
Certificate.

22
(Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99; 91-606, eff. 8-16-99; 
23
91-609, eff.
1-1-00; 92-16, eff. 6-28-01; 92-796, eff. 
24
8-10-02.)



 
25
    Section 99. Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon 
26
becoming law.