Bill Text: IL HB6128 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the educator licensure provisions of the School Code. Allows persons who have completed a comparable preparation program in another state to earn a Professional Educator License. Requires that certain required testing under the Code for applicants for a Professional Educator License who are holders of an Educator License with Stipulation includes an evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness, approved by the State Superintendent of Education in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, and requires that testing to be completed by the end of the second year of employment as a teacher of record. Requires applicants for an Educator License with Stipulations to satisfy the requirements for a Professional Educator License.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-04-22 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HB6128 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2015-HB6128-Introduced.html

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99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2015 and 2016 HB6128 Introduced , by Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/21B-20
Amends the educator licensure provisions of the School Code. Allows persons to have completed a comparable preparation program in another state to earn a Professional Educator License. Provides that required testing under certain provisions of the Code includes an evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness approved by the State Superintendent of Education in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board completed by the end of the second year of employment as a teacher of record for Professional Educator License applicants who are holders of an Educator License with Stipulations. Requires applicants for an Educator License with Stipulations to satisfy the requirements for a Professional Educator License.
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A BILL FOR
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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 changing Section
21B-20 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/21B-20)
Sec. 21B-20. Types of licenses. Before July 1, 2013, the
State Board of Education shall implement a system of educator
licensure, whereby individuals employed in school districts
who are required to be licensed must have one of the following
licenses: (i) a professional educator license; (ii) a
professional educator license with stipulations; or (iii) a
substitute teaching license. References in law regarding
individuals certified or certificated or required to be
certified or certificated under Article 21 of this Code shall
also include individuals licensed or required to be licensed
under this Article. The first year of all licenses ends on June
30 following one full year of the license being issued.
The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such
rules as may be necessary to govern the requirements for
licenses and endorsements under this Section.
(1) Professional Educator License. Persons who (i)

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have successfully completed an approved educator
preparation program and are recommended for licensure by
the Illinois institution offering the educator preparation
program or comparable preparation program in another
state, (ii) have successfully completed the required
testing under Section 21B-30 of this Code, including an
evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness, as set
forth in Section 25.720 of Title 23 of the Illinois
Administrative Code and approved by the State
Superintendent of Education in consultation with the State
Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, completed by the
end of the second year of employment as a teacher of record
for applicants who are holders of an Educator License with
Stipulations, (iii) have successfully completed coursework
on the psychology of, the identification of, and the
methods of instruction for the exceptional child,
including without limitation children with learning
disabilities, (iv) have successfully completed coursework
in methods of reading and reading in the content area, and
(v) have met all other criteria established by rule of the
State Board of Education shall be issued a Professional
Educator License. All Professional Educator Licenses are
valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the
license being issued. The Professional Educator License
shall be endorsed with specific areas and grade levels in
which the individual is eligible to practice.

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Individuals can receive subsequent endorsements on the
Professional Educator License. Subsequent endorsements
shall require a minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework
in the endorsement area, unless otherwise specified by
rule, and passage of the applicable content area test.
(2) Educator License with Stipulations. An Educator
License with Stipulations shall be issued to persons who
have satisfied the requirements for a Professional
Educator License under paragraph (1) of this Section but
with an endorsement that limits the license holder to one
particular position or does not require completion of an
approved educator program or both.
An individual with an Educator License with
Stipulations must not be employed by a school district or
any other entity to replace any presently employed teacher
who otherwise would not be replaced for any reason.
An Educator License with Stipulations may be issued
with the following endorsements:
(A) Provisional educator. A provisional educator
endorsement in a specific content area or areas on an
Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an
applicant who holds an educator license with a minimum
of 15 semester hours in content coursework from another
state, U.S. territory, or foreign country and who, at
the time of applying for an Illinois license, does not
meet the minimum requirements under Section 21B-35 of

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this Code, but does, at a minimum, meet the following
requirements:
(i) Holds the equivalent of a minimum of a
bachelor's degree, unless a master's degree is
required for the endorsement, from a regionally
accredited college or university or, for
individuals educated in a country other than the
United States, the equivalent of a minimum of a
bachelor's degree issued in the United States,
unless a master's degree is required for the
endorsement.
(ii) Has passed or passes a test of basic
skills and content area test, as required by
Section 21B-30 of this Code, prior to or within one
year after issuance of the provisional educator
endorsement on the Educator License with
Stipulations. If an individual who holds an
Educator License with Stipulations endorsed for
provisional educator has not passed a test of basic
skills and applicable content area test or tests
within one year after issuance of the endorsement,
the endorsement shall expire on June 30 following
one full year of the endorsement being issued. If
such an individual has passed the test of basic
skills and applicable content area test or tests
either prior to issuance of the endorsement or

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within one year after issuance of the endorsement,
the endorsement is valid until June 30 immediately
following 2 years of the license being issued,
during which time any and all coursework
deficiencies must be met and any and all additional
testing deficiencies must be met.
In addition, a provisional educator endorsement for
principals or superintendents may be issued if the
individual meets the requirements set forth in
subdivisions (1) and (3) of subsection (b-5) of Section
21B-35 of this Code. Applicants who have not been
entitled by an Illinois-approved educator preparation
program at an Illinois institution of higher education
shall not receive a provisional educator endorsement
if the person completed an alternative licensure
program in another state, unless the program has been
determined to be equivalent to Illinois program
requirements.
Notwithstanding any other requirements of this
Section, a service member or spouse of a service member
may obtain a Professional Educator License with
Stipulations, and a provisional educator endorsement
in a specific content area or areas, if he or she holds
a valid teaching certificate or license in good
standing from another state, meets the qualifications
of educators outlined in Section 21B-15 of this Code,

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and has not engaged in any misconduct that would
prohibit an individual from obtaining a license
pursuant to Illinois law, including without limitation
any administrative rules of the State Board of
Education.
In this Section, "service member" means any person
who, at the time of application under this Section, is
an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces
or any reserve component of the United States Armed
Forces or the National Guard of any state,
commonwealth, or territory of the United States or the
District of Columbia.
A provisional educator endorsement is valid until
June 30 immediately following 2 years of the license
being issued, provided that any remaining testing and
coursework deficiencies are met as set forth in this
Section. Failure to satisfy all stated deficiencies
shall mean the individual, including any service
member or spouse who has obtained a Professional
Educator License with Stipulations and a provisional
educator endorsement in a specific content area or
areas, is ineligible to receive a Professional
Educator License at that time. An Educator License with
Stipulations endorsed for provisional educator shall
not be renewed for individuals who hold an Educator
License with Stipulations and who have held a position

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in a public school or non-public school recognized by
the State Board of Education.
(B) Alternative provisional educator. An
alternative provisional educator endorsement on an
Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an
applicant who, at the time of applying for the
endorsement, has done all of the following:
(i) Graduated from a regionally accredited
college or university with a minimum of a
bachelor's degree.
(ii) Successfully completed the first phase of
the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for
Teachers, as described in Section 21B-50 of this
Code.
(iii) Passed a test of basic skills and content
area test, as required under Section 21B-30 of this
Code.
The alternative provisional educator endorsement
is valid for 2 years of teaching and may be renewed for
a third year by an individual meeting the requirements
set forth in Section 21B-50 of this Code.
(C) Alternative provisional superintendent. An
alternative provisional superintendent endorsement on
an Educator License with Stipulations entitles the
holder to serve only as a superintendent or assistant
superintendent in a school district's central office.

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This endorsement may only be issued to an applicant
who, at the time of applying for the endorsement, has
done all of the following:
(i) Graduated from a regionally accredited
college or university with a minimum of a master's
degree in a management field other than education.
(ii) Been employed for a period of at least 5
years in a management level position in a field
other than education.
(iii) Successfully completed the first phase
of an alternative route to superintendent
endorsement program, as provided in Section 21B-55
of this Code.
(iv) Passed a test of basic skills and content
area tests required under Section 21B-30 of this
Code.
The endorsement may be registered for 2 fiscal
years in order to complete one full year of serving as
a superintendent or assistant superintendent.
(D) Resident teacher endorsement. A resident
teacher endorsement on an Educator License with
Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who, at the
time of applying for the endorsement, has done all of
the following:
(i) Graduated from a regionally accredited
institution of higher education with a minimum of a

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bachelor's degree.
(ii) Enrolled in an approved Illinois educator
preparation program.
(iii) Passed a test of basic skills and content
area test, as required under Section 21B-30 of this
Code.
The resident teacher endorsement on an Educator
License with Stipulations is valid for 4 years of
teaching and shall not be renewed.
A resident teacher may teach only under the
direction of a licensed teacher, who shall act as the
resident mentor teacher, and may not teach in place of
a licensed teacher. A resident teacher endorsement on
an Educator License with Stipulations shall no longer
be valid after June 30, 2017.
(E) Career and technical educator. A career and
technical educator endorsement on an Educator License
with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has
a minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework from a
regionally accredited institution of higher education
and has a minimum of 2,000 hours of experience outside
of education in each area to be taught.
The career and technical educator endorsement on
an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until
June 30 immediately following 5 years of the
endorsement being issued and may be renewed. For

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individuals who were issued the career and technical
educator endorsement on an Educator License with
Stipulations on or after January 1, 2015, the license
may be renewed if the individual passes a test of basic
skills, as required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.
(F) Part-time provisional career and technical
educator or provisional career and technical educator.
A part-time provisional career and technical educator
endorsement or a provisional career and technical
educator endorsement on an Educator License with
Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has a
minimum of 8,000 hours of work experience in the skill
for which the applicant is seeking the endorsement. It
is the responsibility of each employing school board
and regional office of education to provide
verification, in writing, to the State Superintendent
of Education at the time the application is submitted
that no qualified teacher holding a Professional
Educator License or an Educator License with
Stipulations with a career and technical educator
endorsement is available and that actual circumstances
require such issuance.
The provisional career and technical educator
endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of
the endorsement being issued and may be renewed only

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one time for 5 years. For individuals who were issued
the provisional career and technical educator
endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
on or after January 1, 2015, the license may be renewed
one time if the individual passes a test of basic
skills, as required under Section 21B-30 of this Code,
and has completed a minimum of 20 semester hours from a
regionally accredited institution.
A part-time provisional career and technical
educator endorsement on an Educator License with
Stipulations may be issued for teaching no more than 2
courses of study for grades 6 through 12. The part-time
provisional career and technical educator endorsement
on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until
June 30 immediately following 5 years of the
endorsement being issued and may be renewed for 5 years
if the individual makes application for renewal.
(G) Transitional bilingual educator. A
transitional bilingual educator endorsement on an
Educator License with Stipulations may be issued for
the purpose of providing instruction in accordance
with Article 14C of this Code to an applicant who
provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all
of the following requirements:
(i) Possesses adequate speaking, reading, and
writing ability in the language other than English

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in which transitional bilingual education is
offered.
(ii) Has the ability to successfully
communicate in English.
(iii) Either possessed, within 5 years
previous to his or her applying for a transitional
bilingual educator endorsement, a valid and
comparable teaching certificate or comparable
authorization issued by a foreign country or holds
a degree from an institution of higher learning in
a foreign country that the State Educator
Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be
the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a
regionally accredited institution of higher
learning in the United States.
A transitional bilingual educator endorsement
shall be valid for prekindergarten through grade 12, is
valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of
the endorsement being issued, and shall not be renewed.
Persons holding a transitional bilingual educator
endorsement shall not be employed to replace any
presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be
replaced for any reason.
(H) Language endorsement. In an effort to
alleviate the shortage of teachers speaking a language
other than English in the public schools, an individual

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who holds an Educator License with Stipulations may
also apply for a language endorsement, provided that
the applicant provides satisfactory evidence that he
or she meets all of the following requirements:
(i) Holds a transitional bilingual
endorsement.
(ii) Has demonstrated proficiency in the
language for which the endorsement is to be issued
by passing the applicable language content test
required by the State Board of Education.
(iii) Holds a bachelor's degree or higher from
a regionally accredited institution of higher
education or, for individuals educated in a
country other than the United States, holds a
degree from an institution of higher learning in a
foreign country that the State Educator
Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be
the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a
regionally accredited institution of higher
learning in the United States.
(iv) Has passed a test of basic skills, as
required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.
A language endorsement on an Educator License with
Stipulations is valid for prekindergarten through
grade 12 for the same validity period as the
individual's transitional bilingual educator

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endorsement on the Educator License with Stipulations
and shall not be renewed.
(I) Visiting international educator. A visiting
international educator endorsement on an Educator
License with Stipulations may be issued to an
individual who is being recruited by a particular
school district that conducts formal recruitment
programs outside of the United States to secure the
services of qualified teachers and who meets all of the
following requirements:
(i) Holds the equivalent of a minimum of a
bachelor's degree issued in the United States.
(ii) Has been prepared as a teacher at the
grade level for which he or she will be employed.
(iii) Has adequate content knowledge in the
subject to be taught.
(iv) Has an adequate command of the English
language.
A holder of a visiting international educator
endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
shall be permitted to teach in bilingual education
programs in the language that was the medium of
instruction in his or her teacher preparation program,
provided that he or she passes the English Language
Proficiency Examination or another test of writing
skills in English identified by the State Board of

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Education, in consultation with the State Educator
Preparation and Licensure Board.
A visiting international educator endorsement on
an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 3
years and shall not be renewed.
(J) Paraprofessional educator. A paraprofessional
educator endorsement on an Educator License with
Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who holds a
high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and
either holds an associate's degree or a minimum of 60
semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited
institution of higher education or has passed a test of
basic skills required under Section 21B-30 of this
Code. The paraprofessional educator endorsement is
valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of
the endorsement being issued and may be renewed through
application and payment of the appropriate fee, as
required under Section 21B-40 of this Code. An
individual who holds only a paraprofessional educator
endorsement is not subject to additional requirements
in order to renew the endorsement.
(K) Chief school business official. A chief school
business official endorsement on an Educator License
with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who
qualifies by having a master's degree or higher, 2
years of full-time administrative experience in school

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business management or 2 years of university-approved
practical experience, and a minimum of 24 semester
hours of graduate credit in a program approved by the
State Board of Education for the preparation of school
business administrators and by passage of the
applicable State tests, including a test of basic
skills and applicable content area test.
The chief school business official endorsement may
also be affixed to the Educator License with
Stipulations of any holder who qualifies by having a
master's degree in business administration, finance,
or accounting and who completes an additional 6
semester hours of internship in school business
management from a regionally accredited institution of
higher education and passes the applicable State
tests, including a test of basic skills and applicable
content area test. This endorsement shall be required
for any individual employed as a chief school business
official.
The chief school business official endorsement on
an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until
June 30 immediately following 5 years of the
endorsement being issued and may be renewed if the
license holder completes renewal requirements as
required for individuals who hold a Professional
Educator License endorsed for chief school business

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official under Section 21B-45 of this Code and such
rules as may be adopted by the State Board of
Education.
(3) Substitute Teaching License. A Substitute Teaching
License may be issued to qualified applicants for
substitute teaching in all grades of the public schools,
prekindergarten through grade 12. Substitute Teaching
Licenses are not eligible for endorsements. Applicants for
a Substitute Teaching License must hold a bachelor's degree
or higher from a regionally accredited institution of
higher education.
Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for 5 years and
may be renewed if the individual has passed a test of basic
skills, as authorized under Section 21B-30 of this Code. An
individual who has passed a test of basic skills for the
first licensure renewal is not required to retake the test
again for further renewals.
Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for substitute
teaching in every county of this State. If an individual
has had his or her Professional Educator License or
Educator License with Stipulations suspended or revoked or
has not met the renewal requirements for licensure, then
that individual is not eligible to obtain a Substitute
Teaching License.
A substitute teacher may only teach in the place of a
licensed teacher who is under contract with the employing

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board. If, however, there is no licensed teacher under
contract because of an emergency situation, then a district
may employ a substitute teacher for no longer than 30
calendar days per each vacant position in the district if
the district notifies the appropriate regional office of
education within 5 business days after the employment of
the substitute teacher in the emergency situation. An
emergency situation is one in which an unforeseen vacancy
has occurred and (i) a teacher is unable to fulfill his or
her contractual duties or (ii) teacher capacity needs of
the district exceed previous indications, and the district
is actively engaged in advertising to hire a fully licensed
teacher for the vacant position.
There is no limit on the number of days that a
substitute teacher may teach in a single school district,
provided that no substitute teacher may teach for longer
than 90 school days for any one licensed teacher under
contract in the same school year. A substitute teacher who
holds a Professional Educator License or Educator License
with Stipulations shall not teach for more than 120 school
days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the
same school year. The limitations in this paragraph (3) on
the number of days a substitute teacher may be employed do
not apply to any school district operating under Article 34
of this Code.
(Source: P.A. 98-28, eff. 7-1-13; 98-751, eff. 1-1-15; 99-35,

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eff. 1-1-16; 99-58, eff. 7-16-15; 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; revised
10-14-15.)