State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

   [ Search ]   [ PDF text ]   [ Legislation ]   
[ Home ]   [ Back ]   [ Bottom ]


[ Engrossed ][ House Amendment 001 ][ House Amendment 002 ]


92_HB1026

 
                                               LRB9207609NTsb

 1        AN   ACT   concerning  transitional  bilingual  education
 2    teaching certificates.

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

 5        Section  5.   The  School  Code  is  amended  by changing
 6    Sections 14C-8 and 21-2 as follows:

 7        (105 ILCS 5/14C-8) (from Ch. 122, par. 14C-8)
 8        Sec. 14C-8.  Teacher  certification  -  Qualifications  -
 9    Issuance  of  certificates.   No person shall be eligible for
10    employment by a school district as a teacher of  transitional
11    bilingual  education  without  either  (a)  holding  a  valid
12    teaching  certificate  issued  pursuant to Article 21 of this
13    Code  and  meeting  such  additional  language   and   course
14    requirements  as  prescribed by the State Board of Education,
15    in consultation with the State Teacher  Certification  Board,
16    or  (b)  meeting  the requirements set forth in this Section.
17    The State Board of Education, in consultation with the  State
18    Teacher  Certification  Board, shall issue certificates valid
19    for  teaching  in  all  grades  of  the  common   school   in
20    transitional  bilingual  education programs to any person who
21    presents it with satisfactory evidence that he  possesses  an
22    adequate  speaking  and  reading  ability in a language other
23    than English in which  transitional  bilingual  education  is
24    offered  and  communicative  skills in English, and possessed
25    within 5  years  previous  to  his  or  her  applying  for  a
26    certificate  under  this Section a valid teaching certificate
27    issued by a foreign country, or by a State or  possession  or
28    territory of the United States, or other evidence of teaching
29    preparation  as  may  be  determined  to be sufficient by the
30    State Board of Education,  in  consultation  with  the  State
31    Teacher  Certification  Board,  or  holds  a  degree  from an
 
                            -2-                LRB9207609NTsb
 1    institution of higher learning in a foreign country which the
 2    State Board of Education,  in  consultation  with  the  State
 3    Certification  Board,  determines  to  be the equivalent of a
 4    bachelor's degree from a  recognized  institution  of  higher
 5    learning  in  the  United  States;  provided  that any person
 6    seeking a  certificate  under  this  Section  must  meet  the
 7    following additional requirements:
 8        (1)  Such persons must be in good health;
 9        (2)  Such persons must be of sound moral character;
10        (3)  Such  persons  must be legally present in the United
11    States and possess legal authorization for employment;
12        (4)  Such persons must not be  employed  to  replace  any
13    presently   employed  teacher  who  otherwise  would  not  be
14    replaced for any reason.
15        Certificates issued issuable  pursuant  to  this  Section
16    shall  be  called transitional bilingual certificates.  These
17    certificates are valid for 2 years and  may  not  be  renewed
18    more  than  3  times  for a period of 2 years each, after the
19    2nd, 4th, and 6th year of teaching.  A transitional bilingual
20    certificate may not be renewed unless the holder successfully
21    completes a  minimum  of  9  semester  hours  of  college  or
22    university   coursework  in  an  approved  education  program
23    leading to eligibility for an Initial  or  Standard  Teaching
24    Certificate,  issued  pursuant  to Section 21-2 of this Code,
25    during  each  2-year  validity  period  of  the  transitional
26    bilingual certificate.  All applications  for  renewal  of  a
27    transitional  bilingual  certificate shall be directed to the
28    State Board of Education and shall contain documentation that
29    the  certificate  holder  has  successfully   completed   the
30    required   coursework.  issuable  only  during  the  5  years
31    immediately following the effective  date  of  this  Act  and
32    thereafter  for  additional  periods  of one year only upon a
33    determination by the State Board of Education that  a  school
34    district  lacks  the  number  of teachers necessary to comply
 
                            -3-                LRB9207609NTsb
 1    with the mandatory requirements of Sections 14C-2.1 and 14C-3
 2    of this Article for  the  establishment  and  maintenance  of
 3    programs   of   transitional  bilingual  education  and  said
 4    certificates issued by the Certification Board shall be valid
 5    for a period of 6 years following their date of issuance  and
 6    shall not be renewed, except that one renewal for a period of
 7    two years may be granted if necessary to permit the holder of
 8    a certificate issued under this Section to acquire a teaching
 9    certificate  pursuant  to  Article  21  of  this  Code.  Such
10    certificates and the persons to whom they are issued shall be
11    exempt from the provisions of Article 21 of this Code  except
12    that  Sections  21-12,  21-13,  21-16,  21-17,  21-19, 21-21,
13    21-22, 21-23 and 21-24 shall continue to be applicable to all
14    such certificates and certificate holders.
15        Each holder of a transitional bilingual certificate  must
16    develop  a plan for satisfying the renewal requirements every
17    2  years,  if  necessary,  and  must  maintain   records   of
18    completion  of  required  coursework  to  document his or her
19    progress.  Each school district that employs a  holder  of  a
20    transitional   bilingual  certificate  must  (i)  review  the
21    certificate  holder's  plan,  (ii)  monitor  the  certificate
22    holder's  progress  made  annually,  and  (iii)  retain   the
23    documentation provided by the certificate holder.  The school
24    district  must  certify  to the State Board of Education that
25    the  certificate  holder  has  successfully   completed   the
26    required coursework.  If exceptional circumstances exist, the
27    State  Superintendent  of  Education  may grant an additional
28    period of time to fulfill the renewal  requirements  for  one
29    2-year  period,  as  long  as  the  maximum  amount of time a
30    certificate is held is 8 years.  Eligibility and  application
31    for  the  additional  period  of  time shall be determined in
32    accordance with rules  established  by  the  State  Board  of
33    Education,   in   consultation   with   the   State   Teacher
34    Certification  Board.   Each  school  district that employs a
 
                            -4-                LRB9207609NTsb
 1    holder of a transitional bilingual certificate  must  provide
 2    mentoring  by an experienced teacher during the first 2 years
 3    that the holder's certificate is valid.
 4        An individual who completes 4  years  of  teaching  after
 5    receiving  a  transitional  bilingual  certificate issued and
 6    renewed pursuant to this Section  qualifies  for  a  Standard
 7    Teaching  Certificate, provided that the individual satisfies
 8    the requirements for a Standard Certificate established under
 9    subsection (c)  of  Section  21-2  of  this  Code,  including
10    successful  completion  of  the Standard Teaching Certificate
11    Examination beginning July 1, 2003.   An  individual  who  so
12    qualifies for a Standard Teaching Certificate without receipt
13    of an Initial Teaching Certificate must successfully complete
14    the  Initial  Teaching  Certification examination established
15    under subsection  (b)  of  Section  21-2  of  this  Code.   A
16    transitional  bilingual  certificate may not be renewed after
17    the 4th  year  of  teaching  unless  the  certificate  holder
18    satisfactorily  passes  the  test of basic skills established
19    under Section 21-1a of this Code  before  application  for  a
20    second  renewal.  After the effective date of this amendatory
21    Act of 1984, an additional renewal for  a  period  to  expire
22    August 31, 1985, may be granted. The State Board of Education
23    shall report to the General Assembly on or before January 31,
24    1985 its recommendations for the qualification of teachers of
25    bilingual  education and for the qualification of teachers of
26    English as a  second  language.  Said  qualification  program
27    shall take effect no later than August 31, 1985.
28        Beginning  July  1,  2001,  the  State Board of Education
29    shall implement a test  or  tests  to  assess  the  speaking,
30    reading,  writing,  and  grammar  skills  of applicants for a
31    certificate issued under this Section in the English language
32    and in the language of the transitional  bilingual  education
33    program  requested  by  the  applicant  and  shall  establish
34    appropriate  fees  for  these  tests.   The  State  Board  of
 
                            -5-                LRB9207609NTsb
 1    Education,  in  consultation  with  the  Certification Board,
 2    shall promulgate  rules  to  implement  the  required  tests,
 3    including  specific provisions to govern test selection, test
 4    validation, determination of a passing score,  administration
 5    of  the test or tests, frequency of administration, applicant
 6    fees, identification requirements for test takers,  frequency
 7    of  applicants  taking the tests, the years for which a score
 8    is  valid,   waiving   tests   for   individuals   who   have
 9    satisfactorily  passed  other  tests, and the consequences of
10    dishonest conduct in the application for  or  taking  of  the
11    tests.
12        If  the  qualifications of an applicant for a certificate
13    valid  for  teaching  in  transitional  bilingual   education
14    programs  in all grades of the common schools do not meet the
15    requirements   established   for   the   issuance   of   that
16    certificate, the Certification Board nevertheless shall issue
17    the  applicant  a  substitute  teacher's  certificate   under
18    Section  21-9  whenever  it  appears  from  the  face  of the
19    application submitted  for  certification  as  a  teacher  of
20    transitional  bilingual  education and the evidence presented
21    in support thereof that the applicant's  qualifications  meet
22    the   requirements   established   for   the  issuance  of  a
23    certificate under Section 21-9; provided, that if it does not
24    appear from the  face  of  such  application  and  supporting
25    evidence  that  the  applicant is qualified for issuance of a
26    certificate under Section 21-9 the Certification Board  shall
27    evaluate  the  application with reference to the requirements
28    for issuance of certificates under  Section  21-9  and  shall
29    inform  the  applicant, at the time it denies the application
30    submitted for certification  as  a  teacher  of  transitional
31    bilingual  education,  of the additional qualifications which
32    the applicant must possess in order to meet the  requirements
33    established  for  issuance  of  (i)  a  certificate valid for
34    teaching in transitional bilingual education programs in  all
 
                            -6-                LRB9207609NTsb
 1    grades  of the common schools and (ii) a substitute teacher's
 2    certificate under Section 21-9.
 3    (Source: P.A. 91-370, eff. 7-30-99.)

 4        (105 ILCS 5/21-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-2)
 5        Sec. 21-2.  Grades of certificates.
 6        (a)  Until February 15,  2000,  all  certificates  issued
 7    under  this Article shall be State certificates valid, except
 8    as limited in Section 21-1, in every school  district  coming
 9    under the provisions of this Act and shall be limited in time
10    and    designated    as   follows:   Provisional   vocational
11    certificate, temporary  provisional  vocational  certificate,
12    early  childhood  certificate, elementary school certificate,
13    special certificate, high school certificate, school  service
14    personnel     certificate,     administrative    certificate,
15    provisional certificate,  and  substitute  certificate.   The
16    requirement  of  student  teaching  under close and competent
17    supervision for  obtaining  a  teaching  certificate  may  be
18    waived   by   the  State  Teacher  Certification  Board  upon
19    presentation to the Board by the teacher  of  evidence  of  5
20    years  successful  teaching experience on a valid certificate
21    and  graduation  from  a  recognized  institution  of  higher
22    learning with a bachelor's degree  with  not  less  than  120
23    semester  hours  and  a  minimum  of  16  semester  hours  in
24    professional education.
25        (b)  Initial  Teaching  Certificate.   Beginning February
26    15, 2000, persons who (1) have completed an approved  teacher
27    preparation  program,  (2)  are  recommended  by  an approved
28    teacher preparation program, (3) have successfully  completed
29    the  Initial  Teaching Certification examinations required by
30    the State Board of Education, and  (4)  have  met  all  other
31    criteria  established  by  the  State  Board  of Education in
32    consultation with  the  State  Teacher  Certification  Board,
33    shall  be  issued an Initial Teaching Certificate valid for 4
 
                            -7-                LRB9207609NTsb
 1    years of teaching, as defined in Section 21-14 of this  Code.
 2    Initial  Teaching Certificates shall be issued for categories
 3    corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary,  and
 4    Special  K-12,  with  special  certification designations for
 5    Special Education, Bilingual Education, fundamental  learning
 6    areas   (including   Language   Arts,  Reading,  Mathematics,
 7    Science, Social Science,  Physical  Development  and  Health,
 8    Fine  Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas designated
 9    by the State Board of Education,  in  consultation  with  the
10    State Teacher Certification Board.
11        (c)  Standard  Certificate.  Beginning February 15, 2000,
12    persons who (1)  have  completed  4  years  of  teaching,  as
13    defined  in  Section  21-14  of  this  Code,  with an Initial
14    Certificate or an Initial  Alternative  Teaching  Certificate
15    and  have  met  all  other  criteria established by the State
16    Board of Education in consultation  with  the  State  Teacher
17    Certification  Board,  (2) have completed 4 years of teaching
18    on  a  valid  equivalent  certificate  in  another  State  or
19    territory of the United States, have  completed  4  years  of
20    teaching  on  a  valid certificate issued pursuant to Section
21    14C-8 of this Code, or have completed 4 years of teaching  in
22    a  nonpublic  Illinois elementary or secondary school with an
23    Initial  Certificate  or  an  Initial  Alternative   Teaching
24    Certificate,  and  have met all other criteria established by
25    the State Board of Education, in consultation with the  State
26    Teacher  Certification  Board,  or  (3)  were issued teaching
27    certificates prior to February  15,  2000  and  are  renewing
28    those certificates after February 15, 2000, shall be issued a
29    Standard  Certificate valid for 5 years, which may be renewed
30    thereafter every 5 years by the State  Teacher  Certification
31    Board  based on proof of continuing education or professional
32    development.  Beginning  July  1,  2003,  persons  who   have
33    completed  4  years  of teaching, as described in clauses (1)
34    and (2) of this subsection (c), have  successfully  completed
 
                            -8-                LRB9207609NTsb
 1    the  Standard Teaching Certificate Examinations, and have met
 2    all  other  criteria  established  by  the  State  Board   of
 3    Education,   in   consultation   with   the   State   Teacher
 4    Certification  Board,  shall be issued Standard Certificates.
 5    Standard  Certificates  shall  be   issued   for   categories
 6    corresponding  to Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and
 7    Special K-12, with  special  certification  designations  for
 8    Special  Education, Bilingual Education, fundamental learning
 9    areas  (including  Language   Arts,   Reading,   Mathematics,
10    Science,  Social  Science,  Physical  Development and Health,
11    Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas  designated
12    by  the  State  Board  of Education, in consultation with the
13    State Teacher Certification Board.
14        (d)  Master Certificate.  Beginning  February  15,  2000,
15    persons   who   have  successfully  achieved  National  Board
16    certification through the  National  Board  for  Professional
17    Teaching  Standards  shall  be  issued  a Master Certificate,
18    valid for 10 years and renewable thereafter  every  10  years
19    through  compliance  with requirements set forth by the State
20    Board of Education, in consultation with  the  State  Teacher
21    Certification Board. However, each teacher who holds a Master
22    Certificate shall be eligible for a teaching position in this
23    State  in  the  areas  for  which  he  or  she holds a Master
24    Certificate without satisfying any other requirements of this
25    Code, except for those requirements  pertaining  to  criminal
26    background  checks.  A teacher who holds a Master Certificate
27    shall  be  deemed  to  meet   State   certification   renewal
28    requirements in the area or areas for which he or she holds a
29    Master  Certificate  for  the  10-year  term of the teacher's
30    Master Certificate.
31    (Source: P.A. 90-548,  eff.  1-1-98;  90-653,  eff.  7-29-98;
32    90-811,  eff.  1-26-99;  91-102,  eff.  7-12-99; 91-606, eff.
33    8-16-99; 91-609, eff. 1-1-00; revised 10-7-99.)
 
                            -9-                LRB9207609NTsb
 1        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
 2    becoming law.

[ Top ]