Bill Text: IL HB5321 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Engrossed
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
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-Engrossed.html
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-Engrossed.html
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| 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 adding Section | ||||||
| 5 | 24-8.2 as follows: | ||||||
| 6 | (105 ILCS 5/24-8.2 new) | ||||||
| 7 | Sec. 24-8.2. Continuing education coursework used for | ||||||
| 8 | salary increases. | ||||||
| 9 | (a) In this Section: | ||||||
| 10 | "Continuing education coursework" means any graduate-level | ||||||
| 11 | course completed by a licensed classroom teacher or | ||||||
| 12 | administrator for the purpose of salary advancement or other | ||||||
| 13 | compensation-related advancement under a collective bargaining | ||||||
| 14 | agreement, district employment contract, school board policy, | ||||||
| 15 | or salary schedule. "Continuing education coursework" includes | ||||||
| 16 | coursework taken for purposes of obtaining subsequent | ||||||
| 17 | endorsements, as long as the coursework meets all of the | ||||||
| 18 | requirements set forth in subsection (c), including that the | ||||||
| 19 | classroom teacher or administrator earns a letter grade, the | ||||||
| 20 | coursework includes an instructor of record meeting the | ||||||
| 21 | requirements of this Section, and the coursework awards | ||||||
| 22 | graduate-level, degree-eligible credit. | ||||||
| 23 | "Graduate-level, degree-eligible credit" means academic | ||||||
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| 1 | credit documented on an official academic transcript through a | ||||||
| 2 | regionally accredited institution of higher education that may | ||||||
| 3 | be applied toward a master's degree, education specialist | ||||||
| 4 | degree, or doctoral degree. | ||||||
| 5 | "Instructor of record" means an individual assigned | ||||||
| 6 | responsibility for academic oversight of a course, including | ||||||
| 7 | instruction, evaluation and feedback of participant work, and | ||||||
| 8 | the assignment of grades. | ||||||
| 9 | "Licensed classroom teacher" means an individual holding a | ||||||
| 10 | valid and current Professional Educator License pursuant to | ||||||
| 11 | Section 21B-20 of this Code. | ||||||
| 12 | (b) This Section applies only to classroom teachers and | ||||||
| 13 | administrators who have the ability to achieve salary | ||||||
| 14 | advancement through graduate-level continuing education under | ||||||
| 15 | the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, employment | ||||||
| 16 | contract, school board policy, or salary schedule. | ||||||
| 17 | (c) Beginning with continuing education coursework | ||||||
| 18 | completed on or after July 1, 2026, a school district, special | ||||||
| 19 | education cooperative, or other public educational employer | ||||||
| 20 | that provides for salary advancement for classroom teachers | ||||||
| 21 | and administrators based on the completion of graduate-level, | ||||||
| 22 | continuing education credit may recognize continuing education | ||||||
| 23 | coursework for purposes of salary advancement only if the | ||||||
| 24 | continuing education coursework meets all of the following | ||||||
| 25 | requirements: | ||||||
| 26 | (1) The continuing education coursework is | ||||||
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| 1 | graduate-level, degree-eligible credit offered through a | ||||||
| 2 | regionally accredited institution of higher education and | ||||||
| 3 | documented on an official academic transcript. | ||||||
| 4 | (2) The continuing education coursework results in a | ||||||
| 5 | letter grade issued by the institution of higher | ||||||
| 6 | education. Coursework graded solely on a pass or fail, | ||||||
| 7 | satisfactory or unsatisfactory, or completion basis is not | ||||||
| 8 | eligible. | ||||||
| 9 | (3) The continuing education coursework includes an | ||||||
| 10 | instructor of record who: | ||||||
| 11 | (A) is a credentialed educator holding a master's | ||||||
| 12 | degree or higher and is academically qualified to | ||||||
| 13 | teach the continuing education course, with | ||||||
| 14 | demonstrated experience in the content area or areas | ||||||
| 15 | of the continuing education course; | ||||||
| 16 | (B) provides substantive instructional support to | ||||||
| 17 | the participating classroom teacher or administrator | ||||||
| 18 | throughout the period of continuing education course | ||||||
| 19 | enrollment; and | ||||||
| 20 | (C) evaluates participant work and provides | ||||||
| 21 | individualized, written feedback aligned to continuing | ||||||
| 22 | education course objectives. | ||||||
| 23 | (d) Nothing in this Section impairs the ability of the | ||||||
| 24 | parties to a collective bargaining agreement to negotiate | ||||||
| 25 | salary schedules or compensation structures, as long as any | ||||||
| 26 | continuing education coursework recognized for salary | ||||||
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| 1 | advancement complies with the requirements of this Section | ||||||
| 2 | beginning with collective bargaining agreements entered into, | ||||||
| 3 | modified, extended, or renewed on or after the effective date | ||||||
| 4 | of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly. | ||||||
| 5 | Nothing in this Section requires a school district, | ||||||
| 6 | special education cooperative, or other public educational | ||||||
| 7 | employer to create a salary schedule or salary advancement | ||||||
| 8 | pathway where one does not otherwise exist. | ||||||
| 9 | (e) Implementation of this Section, including standards | ||||||
| 10 | for documentation, transcript verification, institutional | ||||||
| 11 | accreditation, salary advancement, and compliance monitoring, | ||||||
| 12 | shall be determined by each school district, special education | ||||||
| 13 | cooperative, or other public educational employer. | ||||||
| 14 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 15 | becoming law. | ||||||
