Bill Text: IL SB0496 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education to establish grade level endorsements to be added to the Professional Educator License in the categories of: (i) Elementary (grades K through 9); and (ii) Secondary (grades 6 through 12). Provides for the adoption of rules regarding requirements for obtaining grade level endorsements. Makes conforming changes. Effective immediately.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-16 - Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB0496 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-SB0496-Introduced.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | 21B-25 as follows:
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6 | (105 ILCS 5/21B-25) | |||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 21B-25. Endorsement on licenses. All licenses issued | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | under paragraph (1) of Section 21B-20 of this Code shall be | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | specifically endorsed by the State Board of Education for each | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | content area, school support area, and administrative area for | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | which the holder of the license is qualified. Recognized | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | institutions approved to offer educator preparation programs | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | shall be trained to add endorsements to licenses issued to | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | applicants who meet all of the requirements for the | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | endorsement or endorsements, including passing any required | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | tests. The State Superintendent of Education shall randomly | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | audit institutions to ensure that all rules and standards are | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | being followed for entitlement or when endorsements are being | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | recommended. | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | (1) The State Board of Education, in consultation with | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | establish, by rule, the grade level and subject area | |||||||||||||||||||
23 | endorsements to be added to the Professional Educator |
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1 | License. These rules shall outline the requirements for | ||||||
2 | obtaining each endorsement. | ||||||
3 | (1.5) The State Board of Education shall establish | ||||||
4 | grade level endorsements to be added to the Professional | ||||||
5 | Educator License in the following categories: (i) | ||||||
6 | Elementary (grades K through 9); and (ii) Secondary | ||||||
7 | (grades 6 through 12). The State Board of Education shall | ||||||
8 | adopt rules regarding requirements for obtaining the | ||||||
9 | endorsements specified under this paragraph. | ||||||
10 | (2) In addition to any and all grade level and content | ||||||
11 | area endorsements developed by rule , the State Board of | ||||||
12 | Education, in consultation with the State Educator | ||||||
13 | Preparation and Licensure Board, shall develop the | ||||||
14 | requirements for the following endorsements: | ||||||
15 | (A) (Blank). | ||||||
16 | (B) Principal endorsement. A principal endorsement | ||||||
17 | shall be affixed to a Professional Educator License of | ||||||
18 | any holder who qualifies by having all of the | ||||||
19 | following: | ||||||
20 | (i) Successful completion of a principal | ||||||
21 | preparation program approved in accordance with | ||||||
22 | Section 21B-60 of this Code and any applicable | ||||||
23 | rules. | ||||||
24 | (ii) At least 4 total years of teaching or 4 | ||||||
25 | total years of working in the capacity of school | ||||||
26 | support personnel in an Illinois public school or |
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1 | nonpublic school recognized by the State Board of | ||||||
2 | Education, in a school under the supervision of | ||||||
3 | the Department of Corrections, or in an | ||||||
4 | out-of-state public school or out-of-state | ||||||
5 | nonpublic school meeting out-of-state recognition | ||||||
6 | standards comparable to those approved by the | ||||||
7 | State Superintendent of Education; however, the | ||||||
8 | State Board of Education, in consultation with the | ||||||
9 | State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, | ||||||
10 | shall allow, by rules, for fewer than 4 years of | ||||||
11 | experience based on meeting standards set forth in | ||||||
12 | such rules, including without limitation a review | ||||||
13 | of performance evaluations or other evidence of | ||||||
14 | demonstrated qualifications. | ||||||
15 | (iii) A master's degree or higher from a | ||||||
16 | regionally accredited college or university. | ||||||
17 | (C) Chief school business official endorsement. A | ||||||
18 | chief school business official endorsement shall be | ||||||
19 | affixed to the Professional Educator License of any | ||||||
20 | holder who qualifies by having a master's degree or | ||||||
21 | higher, 2 years of full-time administrative experience | ||||||
22 | in school business management or 2 years of | ||||||
23 | university-approved practical experience, and a | ||||||
24 | minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate credit in a | ||||||
25 | program approved by the State Board of Education for | ||||||
26 | the preparation of school business administrators and |
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1 | by passage of the applicable State tests. The chief | ||||||
2 | school business official endorsement may also be | ||||||
3 | affixed to the Professional Educator License of any | ||||||
4 | holder who qualifies by having a master's degree in | ||||||
5 | business administration, finance, accounting, or | ||||||
6 | public administration and who completes an additional | ||||||
7 | 6 semester hours of internship in school business | ||||||
8 | management from a regionally accredited institution of | ||||||
9 | higher education and passes the applicable State | ||||||
10 | tests. This endorsement shall be required for any | ||||||
11 | individual employed as a chief school business | ||||||
12 | official. | ||||||
13 | (D) Superintendent endorsement. A superintendent | ||||||
14 | endorsement shall be affixed to the Professional | ||||||
15 | Educator License of any holder who has completed a | ||||||
16 | program approved by the State Board of Education for | ||||||
17 | the preparation of superintendents of schools, has had | ||||||
18 | at least 2 years of experience employed full-time in a | ||||||
19 | general administrative position or as a full-time | ||||||
20 | principal, director of special education, or chief | ||||||
21 | school business official in the public schools or in a | ||||||
22 | State-recognized nonpublic school in which the chief | ||||||
23 | administrator is required to have the licensure | ||||||
24 | necessary to be a principal in a public school in this | ||||||
25 | State and where a majority of the teachers are | ||||||
26 | required to have the licensure necessary to be |
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1 | instructors in a public school in this State, and has | ||||||
2 | passed the required State tests; or of any holder who | ||||||
3 | has completed a program that is not an | ||||||
4 | Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an | ||||||
5 | Illinois institution of higher education and that has | ||||||
6 | recognition standards comparable to those approved by | ||||||
7 | the State Superintendent of Education and holds the | ||||||
8 | general administrative, principal, or chief school | ||||||
9 | business official endorsement and who has had 2 years | ||||||
10 | of experience as a principal, director of special | ||||||
11 | education, or chief school business official while | ||||||
12 | holding a valid educator license or certificate | ||||||
13 | comparable in validity and educational and experience | ||||||
14 | requirements and has passed the appropriate State | ||||||
15 | tests, as provided in Section 21B-30 of this Code. The | ||||||
16 | superintendent endorsement shall allow individuals to | ||||||
17 | serve only as a superintendent or assistant | ||||||
18 | superintendent. | ||||||
19 | (E) Teacher leader endorsement. It shall be the | ||||||
20 | policy of this State to improve the quality of | ||||||
21 | instructional leaders by providing a career pathway | ||||||
22 | for teachers interested in serving in leadership | ||||||
23 | roles, but not as principals. The State Board of | ||||||
24 | Education, in consultation with the State Educator | ||||||
25 | Preparation and Licensure Board, may issue a teacher | ||||||
26 | leader endorsement under this subdivision (E). Persons |
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1 | who meet and successfully complete the requirements of | ||||||
2 | the endorsement shall be issued a teacher leader | ||||||
3 | endorsement on the Professional Educator License for | ||||||
4 | serving in schools in this State. Teacher leaders may | ||||||
5 | qualify to serve in such positions as department | ||||||
6 | chairs, coaches, mentors, curriculum and instruction | ||||||
7 | leaders, or other leadership positions as defined by | ||||||
8 | the district. The endorsement shall be available to | ||||||
9 | those teachers who (i) hold a Professional Educator | ||||||
10 | License, (ii) hold a master's degree or higher from a | ||||||
11 | regionally accredited institution, (iii) have | ||||||
12 | completed a program of study that has been approved by | ||||||
13 | the State Board of Education, in consultation with the | ||||||
14 | State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, and | ||||||
15 | (iv) have successfully demonstrated competencies as | ||||||
16 | defined by rule. | ||||||
17 | A teacher who meets the requirements set forth in | ||||||
18 | this Section and holds a teacher leader endorsement | ||||||
19 | may evaluate teachers pursuant to Section 24A-5 of | ||||||
20 | this Code, provided that the individual has completed | ||||||
21 | the evaluation component required by Section 24A-3 of | ||||||
22 | this Code and a teacher leader is allowed to evaluate | ||||||
23 | personnel under the respective school district's | ||||||
24 | collective bargaining agreement. | ||||||
25 | The State Board of Education, in consultation with | ||||||
26 | the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, |
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1 | may adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish | ||||||
2 | and implement the teacher leader endorsement program | ||||||
3 | and to specify the positions for which this | ||||||
4 | endorsement shall be required. | ||||||
5 | (F) Special education endorsement. A special | ||||||
6 | education endorsement in one or more areas shall be | ||||||
7 | affixed to a Professional Educator License for any | ||||||
8 | individual that meets those requirements established | ||||||
9 | by the State Board of Education in rules. Special | ||||||
10 | education endorsement areas shall include without | ||||||
11 | limitation the following: | ||||||
12 | (i) Learning Behavior Specialist I; | ||||||
13 | (ii) Learning Behavior Specialist II; | ||||||
14 | (iii) Speech Language Pathologist; | ||||||
15 | (iv) Blind or Visually Impaired; | ||||||
16 | (v) Deaf-Hard of Hearing; | ||||||
17 | (vi) Early Childhood Special Education; and | ||||||
18 | (vii) Director of Special Education. | ||||||
19 | Notwithstanding anything in this Code to the contrary, | ||||||
20 | the State Board of Education, in consultation with the | ||||||
21 | State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may | ||||||
22 | add additional areas of special education by rule. | ||||||
23 | (G) School support personnel endorsement. School | ||||||
24 | support personnel endorsement areas shall include, but | ||||||
25 | are not limited to, school counselor, marriage and | ||||||
26 | family therapist, school psychologist, school speech |
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1 | and language pathologist, school nurse, and school | ||||||
2 | social worker. This endorsement is for individuals who | ||||||
3 | are not teachers or administrators, but still require | ||||||
4 | licensure to work in an instructional support position | ||||||
5 | in a public or State-operated elementary school, | ||||||
6 | secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement | ||||||
7 | with a governing body or board of control or a charter | ||||||
8 | school operating in compliance with the Charter | ||||||
9 | Schools Law. The school support personnel endorsement | ||||||
10 | shall be affixed to the Professional Educator License | ||||||
11 | and shall meet all of the requirements established in | ||||||
12 | any rules adopted to implement this subdivision (G). | ||||||
13 | The holder of such an endorsement is entitled to all of | ||||||
14 | the rights and privileges granted holders of any other | ||||||
15 | Professional Educator License, including teacher | ||||||
16 | benefits, compensation, and working conditions.
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17 | (Source: P.A. 100-13, eff. 7-1-17; 100-267, eff. 8-22-17; | ||||||
18 | 100-288, eff. 8-24-17; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-780, eff. | ||||||
19 | 1-1-19; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, | ||||||
20 | eff. 8-7-19.)
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21 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
22 | becoming law.
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