| ||||
Public Act 103-0402 | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
AN ACT concerning education.
| ||||
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| ||||
represented in the General Assembly:
| ||||
Section 1. Findings. The General Assembly makes all of the | ||||
following findings: | ||||
(1) Literacy is not only critical for individuals' | ||||
ability to earn income, secure housing, participate in | ||||
their health care, support their children's education, | ||||
pursue happiness, and navigate the world but also | ||||
collectively foundational to our community and democracy.
| ||||
(2) The World Literacy Foundation found that low | ||||
literacy is a major contributor to inequality and | ||||
increases the likelihood of poor physical and mental | ||||
health, workplace accidents, misuse of medication, | ||||
participation in crime, and welfare dependency, all of | ||||
which have substantial additional social and economic | ||||
costs.
| ||||
(3) Fifty percent of Illinois' third graders met, | ||||
exceeded, or approached learning standards in English | ||||
language arts according to the Illinois Assessment of | ||||
Readiness with the other half of students not meeting or | ||||
partially meeting standards; this represents a 10 | ||||
percentage-point swing from the 2019 prepandemic rates | ||||
when 60% of students met, exceeded, or approached learning |
standards.
| ||
(4) Thirty-three percent of Illinois' fourth graders | ||
achieved proficient or advanced reading scores on the 2022 | ||
National Assessment of Educational Progress with another | ||
29% meeting basic reading proficiency and the remaining | ||
38% scoring below basic reading proficiency.
| ||
(5) Research from the Annie E. Casey Institute found | ||
that students who are not proficient readers in third | ||
grade are 4 times more likely not to finish high school; if | ||
those students are from low-income families, they are more | ||
than 6 times more likely not to finish high school.
| ||
(6) Research consistently finds that a diverse, | ||
well-trained, and expanding pool of teachers, in | ||
conjunction with curricula responsive to the strengths and | ||
needs of diverse student populations, improves educational | ||
outcomes for all students.
| ||
(7) An appropriate curriculum considers the learning | ||
needs of students with their developmental needs and | ||
increases in complexity with every new stage of childhood.
| ||
(8) Oral language development is a prerequisite for | ||
reading and writing that is nurtured from birth through | ||
talking, reading, story-telling, singing, nursery rhymes, | ||
and other language exposure and, as younger children | ||
develop, through intentional dialogue with rich | ||
vocabulary, home visiting programs, access to books, | ||
high-quality child care and preschool, and lived |
experiences that strengthen students' opportunity to build | ||
oracy skills, vocabulary, and background knowledge, | ||
leading to higher-level cognitive thinking.
| ||
(9) Reading builds new neural pathways in the brain as | ||
people, usually children, learn to connect the sounds in | ||
language to letters on a page to the meaning of the text; | ||
however, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to | ||
literacy, as learners will require differentiated | ||
strategies or methods and dosages within different areas | ||
of literacy instruction to meet their individual needs.
| ||
(10) Reading, writing, and oracy have a reciprocal | ||
relationship, as each strengthens the other, and students | ||
benefit when their instruction is closely intertwined.
| ||
(11) English learners benefit from a comprehensive | ||
literacy approach that recognizes the value of | ||
multilingualism by enveloping all areas of literacy | ||
instruction with a deep focus on oral language development | ||
and encouraging students to make connections between | ||
English and their home language.
| ||
(12) Teachers deserve the tools to be knowledgeable | ||
about the cultural practices and language system of the | ||
children they serve, including those children who speak | ||
language variations of English, such as African-American | ||
English (AAE); AAE has a linguistic structure that is a | ||
systematic and rule-governed variation of General American | ||
English.
|
(13) Research shows that direct, systematic, | ||
cumulative, and explicit reading instruction that is | ||
focused on the foundational reading skills of phonemic | ||
awareness, phonics or decoding, spelling or encoding, | ||
vocabulary development that includes morphology, oral | ||
language development, reading fluency, and reading | ||
comprehension that includes syntax and building background | ||
or content knowledge, is highly effective in teaching | ||
young children to read.
| ||
(14) High literacy achievement across all demographic | ||
groups is an essential indicator of educational equity | ||
within this State; strengthening early literacy | ||
instruction and support for students in Illinois will pay | ||
dividends in the future by empowering students, providing | ||
them with the skills they will need to graduate, find | ||
fulfilling careers, and be productive members of their | ||
communities and of our democracy.
| ||
(15) Ensuring that every child has access to | ||
high-quality, research-aligned, developmentally | ||
appropriate reading instruction implemented using a | ||
comprehensive approach is a foundational component of this | ||
State's public education system and a responsibility | ||
shared among federal, State, and local education agencies. | ||
Section 90. The School Code is amended by adding Section | ||
2-3.196 and by changing Sections 21B-30 and 21B-35 and as |
follows: | ||
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new) | ||
Sec. 2-3.196. State Board of Education literacy | ||
assistance. | ||
(a) The State Board of Education shall adopt and make | ||
available all of the following to each publicly funded school | ||
district by July 1, 2024: | ||
(1) A rubric by which districts may evaluate curricula | ||
and select and implement evidence-based, culturally | ||
inclusive core reading instruction programs aligned with | ||
the comprehensive literacy plan for the State described in | ||
subsection (c). | ||
(2) A template to support districts when developing | ||
comprehensive, district-wide literacy plans that include | ||
support for special student populations, including, at a | ||
minimum, students with disabilities, multilingual | ||
students, and bidialectal students. | ||
(3) Guidance on evidence-based practices for effective | ||
structures for training and deploying literacy coaches to | ||
support teachers and close opportunity gaps among student | ||
demographic groups. | ||
(b) On or before January 1, 2025, the State Board of | ||
Education shall develop and make available training | ||
opportunities for educators in teaching reading that are | ||
aligned with the comprehensive literacy plan described in |
subsection (c) and consistent with State learning standards. | ||
This support may include: | ||
(1) the development of a microcredential or a series | ||
of microcredentials in literacy instruction aligned with | ||
the comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection | ||
(c) to be affixed to educator licenses upon successful | ||
demonstration of the skill or completion of the required | ||
coursework or assessment, or both, or online training | ||
modules on literacy instruction, aligned with the | ||
comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection (c) | ||
and consistent with State learning standards, accepted for | ||
continuing professional development units; and | ||
(2) the creation and dissemination of a tool that | ||
school districts, educators, and the public may use to | ||
evaluate professional development and training programs | ||
related to literacy instruction. | ||
(c) In consultation with education stakeholders, the State | ||
Board of Education shall develop and adopt a comprehensive | ||
literacy plan for the State on or before January 31, 2024. The | ||
comprehensive literacy plan shall consider, without | ||
limitation, evidence-based research and culturally and | ||
linguistically sustaining pedagogical approaches to meet the | ||
needs of all students and shall, at a minimum, do all of the | ||
following: | ||
(1) Consider core instructional literacy practices and | ||
practices related to the unique needs of and support for |
specific student populations, including, at a minimum, | ||
students with disabilities, multilingual students, and | ||
bidialectal students, and the resources and support, | ||
including professional learning for teachers, needed to | ||
effectively implement the literacy instruction. | ||
(2) Provide guidance related to screening tools, the | ||
administration of such screening tools, and the | ||
interpretation of the resulting data to identify students | ||
at risk of reading difficulties in grades kindergarten | ||
through 2. This guidance shall outline instances in which | ||
dyslexia screenings and other universal screeners are | ||
appropriate for use with English learners. | ||
(3) Provide guidance related to early literacy | ||
intervention for students in grades kindergarten through 2 | ||
for schools to implement with students at risk of reading | ||
difficulties, as well as literacy intervention for | ||
students in grades 3 through 12 demonstrating reading | ||
difficulties. | ||
(4) Consider the impact of second language acquisition | ||
and bilingual education on reading instruction in the | ||
student's native language and English. | ||
(5) Define key terminology, such as "evidence-based". | ||
(6) Contextualize the interaction between elements of | ||
the plan and existing laws and regulations that have | ||
overlapping components, such as a multi-tiered system of | ||
support. |
(7) Focus on a comprehensive range of elements of | ||
literacy, including phonological awareness; decoding | ||
(phonics); encoding (spelling); vocabulary development, | ||
including morphology, oracy, and reading fluency; and | ||
reading comprehension, including syntax and background and | ||
content knowledge.
| ||
(105 ILCS 5/21B-30)
| ||
Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing. | ||
(a) (Blank). | ||
(b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the | ||
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design | ||
and implement a system of examinations, which shall be | ||
required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These | ||
examinations and indicators must be based on national and | ||
State professional teaching standards, as determined by the | ||
State Board of Education, in consultation with the State | ||
Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of | ||
Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to | ||
implement and administer this Section. | ||
(c) (Blank). | ||
(c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a | ||
paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an | ||
applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a | ||
paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the | ||
endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other |
requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section | ||
21B-20 other than the higher education requirements. | ||
(d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be | ||
required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area | ||
of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There | ||
shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall | ||
be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record | ||
until he or she has passed the applicable content area test. | ||
(d-5) The State Board shall consult with any applicable | ||
vendors within 90 days after the effective date of this | ||
amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly to develop a plan | ||
to transition the test of content area knowledge in the | ||
endorsement area of elementary education, grades one through | ||
6, by July 1, 2026 to a content area test that contains testing | ||
elements that cover bilingualism, biliteracy, oral language | ||
development, foundational literacy skills, and developmentally | ||
appropriate higher-order comprehension and on which a valid | ||
and reliable language and literacy subscore can be determined. | ||
The State Board shall base its rules concerning the passing | ||
subscore on the language and literacy portion of the test on | ||
the recommended cut-score determined in the formal | ||
standard-setting process. Candidates need not achieve a | ||
particular subscore in the area of language and literacy. The | ||
State Board shall aggregate and publish the number of | ||
candidates in each preparation program who take the test and | ||
the number who pass the language and literacy portion. |
(e) (Blank). | ||
(f) Except as otherwise provided in this Article, | ||
beginning on September 1, 2015, all candidates completing | ||
teacher preparation programs in this State and all candidates | ||
subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code are required to pass a | ||
teacher performance assessment approved by the State Board of | ||
Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation | ||
and Licensure Board. A candidate may not be required to submit | ||
test materials by video submission. Subject to appropriation, | ||
an individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is | ||
employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district | ||
designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after | ||
application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a | ||
refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher | ||
performance assessment under this subsection. | ||
(g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher | ||
performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to | ||
time are designated by the State Board of Education, in | ||
consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure | ||
Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing | ||
organization or tests designed by the State Board of | ||
Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation | ||
and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall | ||
assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The | ||
tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no | ||
person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis |
of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to | ||
the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The | ||
score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State | ||
Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator | ||
Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be | ||
administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and | ||
place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in | ||
consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure | ||
Board. | ||
The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess | ||
the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of | ||
applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under | ||
subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this | ||
Code in the English language and in the language of the | ||
transitional bilingual education program requested by the | ||
applicant. | ||
(h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the | ||
provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school | ||
district subject to Article 34 of this Code. | ||
(i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the | ||
testing requirements under this Section shall include , without | ||
limitation , provisions governing test selection, test | ||
validation , and determination of a passing score, | ||
administration of the tests, frequency of administration, | ||
applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the | ||
years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special |
accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop | ||
such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to | ||
year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; | ||
101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 102-301, eff. 8-26-21.) | ||
(105 ILCS 5/21B-35) | ||
Sec. 21B-35. Minimum requirements for educators trained in | ||
other states or countries. | ||
(a) Any applicant who has not been entitled by an | ||
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois | ||
institution of higher education applying for a Professional | ||
Educator License endorsed in a teaching field or school | ||
support personnel area must meet the following requirements: | ||
(1) the applicant must: | ||
(A) hold a comparable and valid educator license | ||
or certificate, as defined by rule, with similar grade | ||
level and content area credentials from another state, | ||
with the State Board of Education having the authority | ||
to determine what constitutes similar grade level and | ||
content area credentials from another state; | ||
(B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally | ||
accredited institution of higher education; and | ||
(C) (blank); or | ||
(2) the applicant must: | ||
(A) have completed a state-approved program for |
the licensure area sought, including coursework | ||
concerning (i) methods of instruction of the | ||
exceptional child, (ii) methods of reading that align | ||
with all applicable standards set forth in Part 23 of | ||
Title 23 of the Illinois
Administrative Code and | ||
reading in the content area, and (iii) instructional | ||
strategies for English learners; | ||
(B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally | ||
accredited institution of higher education; | ||
(C) have successfully met all Illinois examination | ||
requirements, except that: | ||
(i) (blank); | ||
(ii) an applicant who has successfully | ||
completed a test of content, as defined by rules, | ||
at the time of initial licensure in another state | ||
is not required to complete a test of content; and | ||
(iii) an applicant for a teaching endorsement | ||
who has successfully completed an evidence-based | ||
assessment of teacher effectiveness, as defined by | ||
rules, at the time of initial licensure in another | ||
state is not required to complete an | ||
evidence-based assessment of teacher | ||
effectiveness; and | ||
(D) for an applicant for a teaching endorsement, | ||
have completed student teaching or an equivalent | ||
experience or, for an applicant for a school service |
personnel endorsement, have completed an internship or | ||
an equivalent experience. | ||
(b) In order to receive a Professional Educator License | ||
endorsed in a teaching field or school support personnel area, | ||
applicants trained in another country must meet all of the | ||
following requirements: | ||
(1) Have completed a comparable education program in | ||
another country. | ||
(2) Have had transcripts evaluated by an evaluation | ||
service approved by the State Superintendent of Education. | ||
(3) Have a degree comparable to a degree from a | ||
regionally accredited institution of higher education. | ||
(4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards | ||
concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional | ||
child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all | ||
applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of | ||
the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the | ||
content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for | ||
English learners. | ||
(5) (Blank). | ||
(6) (Blank). | ||
(7) Have successfully met all State licensure | ||
examination requirements. Applicants who have successfully | ||
completed a test of content, as defined by rules, at the | ||
time of initial licensure in another country shall not be | ||
required to complete a test of content. Applicants for a |
teaching endorsement who have successfully completed an | ||
evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness, as | ||
defined by rules, at the time of initial licensure in | ||
another country shall not be required to complete an | ||
evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness. | ||
(8) Have completed student teaching or an equivalent | ||
experience. | ||
(9) (Blank). | ||
(b-5) All applicants who have not been entitled by an | ||
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois | ||
institution of higher education and applicants trained in | ||
another country applying for a Professional Educator License | ||
endorsed for principal or superintendent must hold a master's | ||
degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher | ||
education and hold a comparable and valid educator license or | ||
certificate with similar grade level and subject matter | ||
credentials, with the State Board of Education having the | ||
authority to determine what constitutes similar grade level | ||
and subject matter credentials from another state, or must | ||
meet all of the following requirements: | ||
(1) Have completed an educator preparation program | ||
approved by another state or comparable educator program | ||
in another country leading to the receipt of a license or | ||
certificate for the Illinois endorsement sought. | ||
(2) Have successfully met all State licensure | ||
examination requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of |
this Code. Applicants who have successfully completed a | ||
test of content, as defined by rules, at the time of | ||
initial licensure in another state or country shall not be | ||
required to complete a test of content. | ||
(2.5) Have completed an internship, as defined by | ||
rule. | ||
(3) (Blank). | ||
(4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards | ||
concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional | ||
child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all | ||
applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of | ||
the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the | ||
content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for | ||
English learners. | ||
(4.5) (Blank). | ||
(5) Have completed a master's degree. | ||
(6) Have successfully completed teaching, school | ||
support, or administrative experience as defined by rule. | ||
(b-7) All applicants who have not been entitled by an | ||
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois | ||
institution of higher education applying for a Professional | ||
Educator License endorsed for Director of Special Education | ||
must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited | ||
institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and | ||
valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level | ||
and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of |
Education having the authority to determine what constitutes | ||
similar grade level and subject matter credentials from | ||
another state, or must meet all of the following requirements: | ||
(1) Have completed a master's degree. | ||
(2) Have 2 years of full-time experience providing | ||
special education services. | ||
(3) Have successfully completed all examination | ||
requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code. | ||
Applicants who have successfully completed a test of | ||
content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial | ||
licensure in another state or country shall not be | ||
required to complete a test of content. | ||
(4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards | ||
concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional | ||
child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all | ||
applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of | ||
the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the | ||
content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for | ||
English learners. | ||
(b-10) All applicants who have not been entitled by an | ||
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois | ||
institution of higher education applying for a Professional | ||
Educator License endorsed for chief school business official | ||
must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited | ||
institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and | ||
valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level |
and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of | ||
Education having the authority to determine what constitutes | ||
similar grade level and subject matter credentials from | ||
another state, or must meet all of the following requirements: | ||
(1) Have completed a master's degree in school | ||
business management, finance, or accounting. | ||
(2) Have successfully completed an internship in | ||
school business management or have 2 years of experience | ||
as a school business administrator. | ||
(3) Have successfully met all State examination | ||
requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code. | ||
Applicants who have successfully completed a test of | ||
content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial | ||
licensure in another state or country shall not be | ||
required to complete a test of content. | ||
(4) Have completed modules aligned to standards | ||
concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional | ||
child, methods of reading and reading in the content area, | ||
and instructional strategies for English learners. | ||
(c) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the | ||
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such | ||
rules as may be necessary to implement this Section.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20; | ||
102-539, eff. 8-20-21.)
| ||
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law. |