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| Public Act 101-0085
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| HB0355 Enrolled | LRB101 05824 AXK 50840 b |
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section |
21B-45 as follows:
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(105 ILCS 5/21B-45) |
Sec. 21B-45. Professional Educator License renewal. |
(a) Individuals holding a Professional Educator License |
are required to complete the licensure renewal requirements as |
specified in this Section, unless otherwise provided in this |
Code. |
Individuals holding a Professional Educator License shall |
meet the renewal requirements set forth in this Section, unless |
otherwise provided in this Code. If an individual holds a |
license endorsed in more than one area that has different |
renewal requirements, that individual shall follow the renewal |
requirements for the position for which he or she spends the |
majority of his or her time working. |
(b) All Professional Educator Licenses not renewed as |
provided in this Section shall lapse on September 1 of that |
year. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, if |
a license holder's electronic mail address is available, the |
State Board of Education shall send him or her notification |
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electronically that his or her license will lapse if not |
renewed, to be sent no more than 6 months prior to the license |
lapsing. Lapsed licenses may be immediately reinstated upon (i) |
payment by the applicant of a $500 penalty to the State Board |
of Education or (ii) the demonstration of proficiency by |
completing 9 semester hours of coursework from a regionally |
accredited institution of higher education in the content area |
that most aligns with one or more of the educator's endorsement |
areas. Any and all back fees, including without limitation |
registration fees owed from the time of expiration of the |
license until the date of reinstatement, shall be paid and kept |
in accordance with the provisions in Article 3 of this Code |
concerning an institute fund and the provisions in Article 21B |
of this Code concerning fees and requirements for registration. |
Licenses not registered in accordance with Section 21B-40 of |
this Code shall lapse after a period of 6 months from the |
expiration of the last year of registration or on January 1 of |
the fiscal year following initial issuance of the license. An |
unregistered license is invalid after September 1 for |
employment and performance of services in an Illinois public or |
State-operated school or cooperative and in a charter school. |
Any license or endorsement may be voluntarily surrendered by |
the license holder. A voluntarily surrendered license, except a |
substitute teaching license issued under Section 21B-20 of this |
Code, shall be treated as a revoked license. An Educator |
License with Stipulations with only a paraprofessional |
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endorsement does not lapse.
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(c) From July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014, in order to |
satisfy the requirements for licensure renewal provided for in |
this Section, each professional educator licensee with an |
administrative endorsement who is working in a position |
requiring such endorsement shall complete one Illinois |
Administrators' Academy course, as described in Article 2 of |
this Code, per fiscal year. |
(d) Beginning July 1, 2014, in order to satisfy the |
requirements for licensure renewal provided for in this |
Section, each professional educator licensee may create a |
professional development plan each year. The plan shall address |
one or more of the endorsements that are required of his or her |
educator position if the licensee is employed and performing |
services in an Illinois public or State-operated school or |
cooperative. If the licensee is employed in a charter school, |
the plan shall address that endorsement or those endorsements |
most closely related to his or her educator position. Licensees |
employed and performing services in any other Illinois schools |
may participate in the renewal requirements by adhering to the |
same process. |
Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the |
licensee's professional development activities shall align |
with one or more of the following criteria: |
(1) activities are of a type that engage participants |
over a sustained period of time allowing for analysis, |
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discovery, and application as they relate to student |
learning, social or emotional achievement, or well-being; |
(2) professional development aligns to the licensee's |
performance; |
(3) outcomes for the activities must relate to student |
growth or district improvement; |
(4) activities align to State-approved standards;
and |
(5) higher education coursework. |
(e) For each renewal cycle, each professional educator |
licensee shall engage in professional development activities. |
Prior to renewal, the licensee shall enter electronically into |
the Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) the name, |
date, and location of the activity, the number of professional |
development hours, and the provider's name. The following |
provisions shall apply concerning professional development |
activities: |
(1) Each licensee shall complete a total of 120 hours |
of professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in |
order to renew the license, except as otherwise provided in |
this Section. |
(2) Beginning with his or her first full 5-year cycle, |
any licensee with an administrative endorsement who is not |
working in a position requiring such endorsement is not |
required to complete Illinois Administrators' Academy |
courses, as described in Article 2 of this Code. Such |
licensees must complete one Illinois Administrators' |
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Academy course within one year after returning to a |
position that requires the administrative endorsement. |
(3) Any licensee with an administrative endorsement |
who is working in a position requiring such endorsement or |
an individual with a Teacher Leader endorsement serving in |
an administrative capacity at least 50% of the day shall |
complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course, as |
described in Article 2 of this Code, each fiscal year in |
addition to 100 hours of professional development per |
5-year renewal cycle in accordance with this Code. |
(4) Any licensee holding a current National Board for |
Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) master teacher |
designation shall complete a total of 60 hours of |
professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in order |
to renew the license. |
(5) Licensees working in a position that does not |
require educator licensure or working in a position for |
less than 50% for any particular year are considered to be |
exempt and shall be required to pay only the registration |
fee in order to renew and maintain the validity of the |
license. |
(6) Licensees who are retired and qualify for benefits |
from a State of Illinois retirement system shall notify the |
State Board of Education using ELIS, and the license shall |
be maintained in retired status. For any renewal cycle in |
which a licensee retires during the renewal cycle, the |
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licensee must complete professional development activities |
on a prorated basis depending on the number of years during |
the renewal cycle the educator held an active license. If a |
licensee retires during a renewal cycle, the licensee must |
notify the State Board of Education using ELIS that the |
licensee wishes to maintain the license in retired status |
and must show proof of completion of professional |
development activities on a prorated basis for all years of |
that renewal cycle for which the license was active. An |
individual with a license in retired status shall not be |
required to complete professional development activities |
or pay registration fees until returning to a position that |
requires educator licensure. Upon returning to work in a |
position that requires the Professional Educator License, |
the licensee shall immediately pay a registration fee and |
complete renewal requirements for that year. A license in |
retired status cannot lapse. Beginning on January 6, 2017 |
(the effective date of Public Act 99-920) through December |
31, 2017, any licensee who has retired and whose license |
has lapsed for failure to renew as provided in this Section |
may reinstate that license and maintain it in retired |
status upon providing proof to the State Board of Education |
using ELIS that the licensee is retired and is not working |
in a position that requires a Professional Educator |
License. |
(7) For any renewal cycle in which professional |
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development hours were required, but not fulfilled, the |
licensee shall complete any missed hours to total the |
minimum professional development hours required in this |
Section prior to September 1 of that year. Professional |
development hours used to fulfill the minimum required |
hours for a renewal cycle may be used for only one renewal |
cycle. For any fiscal year or renewal cycle in which an |
Illinois Administrators' Academy course was required but |
not completed, the licensee shall complete any missed |
Illinois Administrators' Academy courses prior to |
September 1 of that year. The licensee may complete all |
deficient hours and Illinois Administrators' Academy |
courses while continuing to work in a position that |
requires that license until September 1 of that year. |
(8) Any licensee who has not fulfilled the professional |
development renewal requirements set forth in this Section |
at the end of any 5-year renewal cycle is ineligible to |
register his or her license and may submit an appeal to the |
State Superintendent of Education for reinstatement of the |
license. |
(9) If professional development opportunities were |
unavailable to a licensee, proof that opportunities were |
unavailable and request for an extension of time beyond |
August 31 to complete the renewal requirements may be |
submitted from April 1 through June 30 of that year to the |
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. If an |
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extension is approved, the license shall remain valid |
during the extension period. |
(10) Individuals who hold exempt licenses prior to |
December 27, 2013 (the effective date of Public Act 98-610) |
shall commence the annual renewal process with the first |
scheduled registration due after December 27, 2013 (the |
effective date of Public Act 98-610). |
(11) Notwithstanding any other provision of this |
subsection (e), if a licensee earns more than the required |
number of professional development hours during a renewal |
cycle, then the licensee may carry over any hours earned |
from April 1 through June 30 of the last year of the |
renewal cycle. Any hours carried over in this manner must |
be applied to the next renewal cycle. Illinois |
Administrators' Academy courses or hours earned in those |
courses may not be carried over. |
(f) At the time of renewal, each licensee shall respond to |
the required questions under penalty of perjury. |
(g) The following entities shall be designated as approved |
to provide professional development activities for the renewal |
of Professional Educator Licenses: |
(1) The State Board of Education. |
(2) Regional offices of education and intermediate |
service centers. |
(3) Illinois professional associations representing |
the following groups that are approved by the State |
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Superintendent of Education: |
(A) school administrators; |
(B) principals; |
(C) school business officials; |
(D) teachers, including special education |
teachers; |
(E) school boards; |
(F) school districts; |
(G) parents; and |
(H) school service personnel. |
(4) Regionally accredited institutions of higher |
education that offer Illinois-approved educator |
preparation programs and public community colleges subject |
to the Public Community College Act. |
(5) Illinois public school districts, charter schools |
authorized under Article 27A of this Code, and joint |
educational programs authorized under Article 10 of this |
Code for the purposes of providing career and technical |
education or special education services. |
(6) A not-for-profit organization that, as of December |
31, 2014 (the effective date of Public Act 98-1147), has |
had or has a grant from or a contract with the State Board |
of Education to provide professional development services |
in the area of English Learning to Illinois school |
districts, teachers, or administrators. |
(7) State agencies, State boards, and State |
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commissions. |
(8) Museums as defined in Section 10 of the Museum |
Disposition of Property Act. |
(h) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this Section |
shall make available professional development opportunities |
that satisfy at least one of the following: |
(1) increase the knowledge and skills of school and |
district leaders who guide continuous professional |
development; |
(2) improve the learning of students; |
(3) organize adults into learning communities whose |
goals are aligned with those of the school and district; |
(4) deepen educator's content knowledge; |
(5) provide educators with research-based |
instructional strategies to assist students in meeting |
rigorous academic standards; |
(6) prepare educators to appropriately use various |
types of classroom assessments; |
(7) use learning strategies appropriate to the |
intended goals; |
(8) provide educators with the knowledge and skills to |
collaborate; or |
(9) prepare educators to apply research to |
decision-making; or . |
(10) provide educators with training on inclusive |
practices in the classroom that examines instructional and |
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behavioral strategies that improve academic and |
social-emotional outcomes for all students, with or |
without disabilities, in a general education setting. |
(i) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this Section |
shall do the following: |
(1) align professional development activities to the |
State-approved national standards for professional |
learning; |
(2) meet the professional development criteria for |
Illinois licensure renewal; |
(3) produce a rationale for the activity that explains |
how it aligns to State standards and identify the |
assessment for determining the expected impact on student |
learning or school improvement; |
(4) maintain original documentation for completion of |
activities; |
(5) provide license holders with evidence of |
completion of activities; and |
(6) request an Illinois Educator Identification Number |
(IEIN) for each educator during each professional |
development activity. |
(j) The State Board of Education shall conduct annual |
audits of a subset of approved providers, except for school |
districts, which shall be audited by regional offices of |
education and intermediate service centers. The State Board of |
Education shall ensure that each approved provider, except for |
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a school district, is audited at least once every 5 years. The |
State Board of Education may conduct more frequent audits of |
providers if evidence suggests the requirements of this Section |
or administrative rules are not being met. The State Board of |
Education shall complete random audits of licensees. |
(1) (Blank). |
(2) Approved providers shall comply with the |
requirements in subsections (h) and (i) of this Section by |
annually submitting data to the State Board of Education |
demonstrating how the professional development activities |
impacted one or more of the following: |
(A) educator and student growth in regards to |
content knowledge or skills, or both; |
(B) educator and student social and emotional |
growth; or |
(C) alignment to district or school improvement |
plans. |
(3) The State Superintendent of Education shall review |
the annual data collected by the State Board of Education, |
regional offices of education, and intermediate service |
centers in audits to determine if the approved provider has |
met the criteria and should continue to be an approved |
provider or if further action should be taken as provided |
in rules. |
(k) Registration fees shall be paid for the next renewal |
cycle between April 1 and June 30 in the last year of each |
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5-year renewal cycle using ELIS. If all required professional |
development hours for the renewal cycle have been completed and |
entered by the licensee, the licensee shall pay the |
registration fees for the next cycle using a form of credit or |
debit card. |
(l) Any professional educator licensee endorsed for school |
support personnel who is employed and performing services in |
Illinois public schools and who holds an active and current |
professional license issued by the Department of Financial and |
Professional Regulation or a national certification board, as |
approved by the State Board of Education, related to the |
endorsement areas on the Professional Educator License shall be |
deemed to have satisfied the continuing professional |
development requirements provided for in this Section. Such |
individuals shall be required to pay only registration fees to |
renew the Professional Educator License. An individual who does |
not hold a license issued by the Department of Financial and |
Professional Regulation shall complete professional |
development requirements for the renewal of a Professional |
Educator License provided for in this Section. |
(m) Appeals to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure |
Board
must be made within 30 days after receipt of notice from |
the State Superintendent of Education that a license will not |
be renewed based upon failure to complete the requirements of |
this Section. A licensee may appeal that decision to the State |
Educator Preparation and Licensure Board in a manner prescribed |
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by rule. |
(1) Each appeal shall state the reasons why the State |
Superintendent's decision should be reversed and shall be |
sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the |
State Board of Education. |
(2) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board |
shall review each appeal regarding renewal of a license |
within 90 days after receiving the appeal in order to |
determine whether the licensee has met the requirements of |
this Section. The State Educator Preparation and Licensure |
Board may hold an appeal hearing or may make its |
determination based upon the record of review, which shall |
consist of the following: |
(A) the regional superintendent of education's |
rationale for recommending nonrenewal of the license, |
if applicable; |
(B) any evidence submitted to the State |
Superintendent along with the individual's electronic |
statement of assurance for renewal; and |
(C) the State Superintendent's rationale for |
nonrenewal of the license. |
(3) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board |
shall notify the licensee of its decision regarding license |
renewal by certified mail, return receipt requested, no |
later than 30 days after reaching a decision. Upon receipt |
of notification of renewal, the licensee, using ELIS, shall |
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pay the applicable registration fee for the next cycle |
using a form of credit or debit card. |
(n) The State Board of Education may adopt rules as may be |
necessary to implement this Section. |
(Source: P.A. 99-58, eff. 7-16-15; 99-130, eff. 7-24-15; |
99-591, eff. 1-1-17; 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 99-920, eff. 1-6-17; |
100-13, eff. 7-1-17; 100-339, eff. 8-25-17; 100-596, eff. |
7-1-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18.)
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