Bill Text: IL SB0498 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code with respect to the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers. Removes the phase of the Program requiring a second year of residency; makes related changes. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-16 - Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB0498 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-SB0498-Introduced.html

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102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2021 and 2022 SB0498 Introduced 2/23/2021, by Sen. Jason A. Barickman SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/21B-20
105 ILCS 5/21B-50
Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code with respect to the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers. Removes the phase of the Program requiring a second year of residency; makes related changes. Effective immediately.
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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
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 Sections
21B-20 and 21B-50 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/21B-20)
Sec. 21B-20. Types of licenses. 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) an
educator license with stipulations; (iii) a substitute
teaching license; or (iv) until June 30, 2023, a short-term
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.

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(1) Professional Educator License. Persons who (i)
have successfully completed an approved educator
preparation program and are recommended for licensure by
the Illinois institution offering the educator preparation
program, (ii) have successfully completed the required
testing under Section 21B-30 of this Code, (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. For an early childhood education
endorsement, an individual may satisfy the student
teaching requirement of his or her early childhood teacher
preparation program through placement in a setting with
children from birth through grade 2, and the individual
may be paid and receive credit while student teaching. The
student teaching experience must meet the requirements of
and be approved by the individual's early childhood

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teacher preparation program.
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 and passage of the applicable
content area test, unless otherwise specified by rule.
(2) Educator License with Stipulations. An Educator
License with Stipulations shall be issued 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) (Blank).
(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.

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(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 content area test, as required
under Section 21B-30 of this Code.
The alternative provisional educator endorsement is
valid for one year 2 years of teaching and may be renewed
for a second 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.
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

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endorsement program, as provided in Section 21B-55
of this Code.
(iv) Passed a content area test required under
Section 21B-30 of this Code.
The endorsement is valid for 2 fiscal years in
order to complete one full year of serving as a
superintendent or assistant superintendent.
(D) (Blank).
(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
or an accredited trade and technical institution 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.
An individual who holds a valid career and
technical educator endorsement on an Educator License
with Stipulations but does not hold a bachelor's
degree may substitute teach in career and technical
education classrooms.
(F) Part-time provisional career and technical

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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 for
5 years.
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

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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.
An individual who holds a provisional or part-time
provisional career and technical educator endorsement
on an Educator License with Stipulations but does not
hold a bachelor's degree may substitute teach in
career and technical education classrooms.
(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
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

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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 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

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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) (Blank).
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
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

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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
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 5
years and shall not be renewed.
(J) Paraprofessional educator. A paraprofessional

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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
paraprofessional competency test under subsection
(c-5) of Section 21B-30. 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
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

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applicable State tests, including an 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,
accounting, or public administration 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 an 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
official under Section 21B-45 of this Code and such
rules as may be adopted by the State Board of
Education.
The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules
necessary to implement Public Act 100-288.

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(L) Provisional in-state educator. A provisional
in-state educator endorsement on an Educator License
with Stipulations may be issued to a candidate who has
completed an Illinois-approved educator preparation
program at an Illinois institution of higher education
and who has not successfully completed an
evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness but
who meets all of the following requirements:
(i) Holds at least a bachelor's degree.
(ii) Has completed an approved educator
preparation program at an Illinois institution.
(iii) Has passed an applicable content area
test, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.
(iv) Has attempted an evidence-based
assessment of teacher effectiveness and received a
minimum score on that assessment, as established
by the State Board of Education in consultation
with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
Board.
A provisional in-state educator endorsement on an
Educator License with Stipulations is valid for one
full fiscal year after the date of issuance and may not
be renewed.
(M) (Blank).
(N) Specialized services. A specialized services
endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations

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may be issued as defined and specified by rule.
(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.
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,
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
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

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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.
A school district may not require an individual who
holds a valid Professional Educator License or Educator
License with Stipulations to seek or hold a Substitute
Teaching License to teach as a substitute teacher.
(4) Short-Term Substitute Teaching License. Beginning
on July 1, 2018 and until June 30, 2023, the State Board of
Education may issue a Short-Term Substitute Teaching
License. A Short-Term Substitute Teaching License may be

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issued to a qualified applicant for substitute teaching in
all grades of the public schools, prekindergarten through
grade 12. Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are not
eligible for endorsements. Applicants for a Short-Term
Substitute Teaching License must hold an associate's
degree or have completed at least 60 credit hours from a
regionally accredited institution of higher education.
Short-Term 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, then that individual is not eligible to obtain a
Short-Term Substitute Teaching License.
The provisions of Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this
Code apply to short-term substitute teachers.
An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching
License may teach no more than 5 consecutive days per
licensed teacher who is under contract. For teacher
absences lasting 6 or more days per licensed teacher who
is under contract, a school district may not hire an
individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching
License. An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute
Teaching License must complete the training program under
Section 10-20.67 or 34-18.60 of this Code to be eligible
to teach at a public school. This paragraph (4) is
inoperative on and after July 1, 2023.

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(Source: P.A. 100-8, eff. 7-1-17; 100-13, eff. 7-1-17;
100-288, eff. 8-24-17; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-821, eff.
9-3-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220,
eff. 8-7-19; 101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20.)
(105 ILCS 5/21B-50)
Sec. 21B-50. Alternative Educator Licensure Program.
(a) There is established an alternative educator licensure
program, to be known as the Alternative Educator Licensure
Program for Teachers.
(b) The Alternative Educator Licensure Program for
Teachers may be offered by a recognized institution approved
to offer educator preparation programs by the State Board of
Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
and Licensure Board.
The program shall be comprised of 3 4 phases as follows:
(1) A course of study that at a minimum includes
instructional planning; instructional strategies,
including special education, reading, and English language
learning; classroom management; and the assessment of
students and use of data to drive instruction.
(2) A year of residency, which is a candidate's
assignment to a full-time teaching position or as a
co-teacher for one full school year. An individual must
hold an Educator License with Stipulations with an
alternative provisional educator endorsement in order to

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enter the residency and must complete additional program
requirements that address required State and national
standards and , pass the State Board's teacher performance
assessment at the end of the residency no later than the
end of the first semester of the second year of residency,
as required under phase (3) of this subsection (b), and be
recommended by the principal or qualified equivalent of a
principal, as required under subsection (d) of this
Section, and the program coordinator to continue with the
second year of the residency.
(3) A second year of residency, which shall include
the candidate's assignment to a full-time teaching
position for one school year. The candidate must be
assigned an experienced teacher to act as a mentor and
coach the candidate through the second year of residency.
(3) (4) A comprehensive assessment of the candidate's
teaching effectiveness, as evaluated by the principal or
qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under
subsection (d) of this Section, and the program
coordinator, at the end of the second year of residency.
If there is disagreement between the 2 evaluators about
the candidate's teaching effectiveness, the candidate may
complete one additional year of residency teaching under a
professional development plan developed by the principal
or qualified equivalent and the preparation program. At
the completion of the second third year, a candidate must

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have positive evaluations and a recommendation for full
licensure from both the principal or qualified equivalent
and the program coordinator or no Professional Educator
License shall be issued.
Successful completion of the program shall be deemed to
satisfy any other practice or student teaching and content
matter requirements established by law.
(c) An alternative provisional educator endorsement on an
Educator License with Stipulations is valid for one year 2
years of teaching in the public schools, including without
limitation a preschool educational program under Section
2-3.71 of this Code or charter school, or in a
State-recognized nonpublic school in which the chief
administrator is required to have the licensure necessary to
be a principal in a public school in this State and in which a
majority of the teachers are required to have the licensure
necessary to be instructors in a public school in this State,
but may be renewed for a second third year if needed to
complete the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for
Teachers. The endorsement shall be issued only once to an
individual who meets all of the following requirements:
(1) Has graduated from a regionally accredited college
or university with a bachelor's degree or higher.
(2) Has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or
greater on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent on another scale.
(3) Has completed a major in the content area if

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seeking a middle or secondary level endorsement or, if
seeking an early childhood, elementary, or special
education endorsement, has completed a major in the
content area of reading, English/language arts,
mathematics, or one of the sciences. If the individual
does not have a major in a content area for any level of
teaching, he or she must submit transcripts to the State
Board of Education to be reviewed for equivalency.
(4) Has successfully completed phase (1) of subsection
(b) of this Section.
(5) Has passed a content area test required for the
specific endorsement for admission into the program, as
required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.
A candidate possessing the alternative provisional
educator endorsement may receive a salary, benefits, and any
other terms of employment offered to teachers in the school
who are members of an exclusive bargaining representative, if
any, but a school is not required to provide these benefits
during the years of residency if the candidate is serving only
as a co-teacher. If the candidate is serving as the teacher of
record, the candidate must receive a salary, benefits, and any
other terms of employment. Residency experiences must not be
counted towards tenure.
(d) The recognized institution offering the Alternative
Educator Licensure Program for Teachers must partner with a
school district, including without limitation a preschool

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educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or
charter school, or a State-recognized, nonpublic school in
this State in which the chief administrator is required to
have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public
school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers
are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors
in a public school in this State. A recognized institution
that partners with a public school district administering a
preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this
Code must require a principal to recommend or evaluate
candidates in the program. A recognized institution that
partners with an eligible entity administering a preschool
educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code and that
is not a public school district must require a principal or
qualified equivalent of a principal to recommend or evaluate
candidates in the program. The program presented for approval
by the State Board of Education must demonstrate the supports
that are to be provided to assist the provisional teacher
during the 2-year residency period. These supports must
provide additional contact hours with mentors during the first
year of residency.
(e) Upon completion of the 3 4 phases outlined in
subsection (b) of this Section and all assessments required
under Section 21B-30 of this Code, an individual shall receive
a Professional Educator License.
(f) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the

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State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such
rules as may be necessary to establish and implement the
Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.
(Source: P.A. 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-822, eff. 1-1-19;
101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-570, eff. 8-23-19; 101-643, eff.
6-18-20.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.