Bill Text: IL HB5321 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Provides that, beginning with continuing education coursework completed on or after July 1, 2026, a school district, special education cooperative, or other public educational employer may provide salary advancement to licensed classroom teachers for the completion of continuing education coursework if the continuing education coursework: (1) is graduate-level, degree-eligible credit offered through a regionally accredited institution of higher education and documented on an official academic transcript; and (2) includes an instructor of record. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act requires a school district, special education cooperative, or other public educational employer to create a salary schedule or salary advancement pathway if one does not otherwise exist. Provides that nothing in the amendatory Act precludes the parties to a collectively bargained agreement from negotiating salary advancement or other compensation-related advancements under the collectively bargained agreement for other negotiated actions or activities by a licensed classroom teacher not set forth in the amendatory Act. Provides that implementation of the amendatory Act shall be determined by each school district, special education cooperative, or other public educational employer. Effective immediately.

Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)

Status: (Enrolled) 2026-06-01 - Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. [HB5321 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB5321-Enrolled.html

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HB5321 Enrolled LRB104 20507 LNS 33980 b
AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Section
24-8.2 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/24-8.2 new)
Sec. 24-8.2. Continuing education coursework used for
salary increases.
(a) In this Section:
"Continuing education coursework" means any
graduate-level, degree-eligible credit course taught by an
instructor of record and completed by a licensed classroom
teacher for the purpose of salary advancement or other
compensation-related advancement under a collective bargaining
agreement, school district employment contract, school board
policy, or salary schedule. "Continuing education coursework"
includes professional development sequences that are taken or
completed and are approved by the State Board of Education or
an industry-recognized credential, including a credential for
career and technical educators.
"Graduate-level, degree-eligible credit" means academic
credit documented on an official academic transcript through a
regionally accredited institution of higher education that may

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be applied toward a master's degree, education specialist
degree, or doctoral degree.
"Instructor of record" means an individual assigned the
responsibility for academic oversight of a continuing
education course, including instruction, evaluation and
feedback of participant work, and the assignment of grades,
who:
(1) is a credentialed educator holding a master's
degree or higher and is academically qualified to teach
the continuing education course, with demonstrated
experience in the content area or areas of the continuing
education course;
(2) provides substantive instructional support to a
participating licensed classroom teacher throughout the
period of continuing education course enrollment; and
(3) evaluates participant work and provides
individualized, written feedback aligned to continuing
education course objectives.
"Licensed classroom teacher" means an individual holding a
valid and current Professional Educator License under Section
21B-20. "Licensed classroom teacher" does not include any
individual who is an administrator or is not covered by a
collective bargaining agreement pertaining to teachers.
(b) This Section applies only to licensed classroom
teachers who have the ability, under the terms of a collective
bargaining agreement, employment contract, school board

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policy, or salary schedule, to achieve salary advancement
through continuing education coursework.
(c) Beginning with continuing education coursework
completed on or after July 1, 2026, a school district, special
education cooperative, or other public educational employer
may provide salary advancement to licensed classroom teachers
for the completion of continuing education coursework. The
school district, special education cooperative, or other
public educational employer may recognize continuing education
coursework for purposes of salary advancement only if the
continuing education coursework:
(1) is graduate-level, degree-eligible credit offered
through a regionally accredited institution of higher
education and documented on an official academic
transcript; and
(2) includes an instructor of record.
(d) Nothing in this Section requires a school district,
special education cooperative, or other public educational
employer to create a salary schedule or salary advancement
pathway if one does not otherwise exist.
(e) Nothing in this Section precludes the parties to a
collectively bargained agreement from negotiating salary
advancement or other compensation-related advancements under
the collectively bargained agreement for other negotiated
actions or activities by a licensed classroom teacher not set
forth in this Section.

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(f) Implementation of this Section, including standards
for documentation, transcript verification, institutional
accreditation, salary advancement, and compliance monitoring,
shall be determined by each school district, special education
cooperative, or other public educational employer.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.