|
| Public Act 103-0402
|
| SB2243 Enrolled | LRB103 25644 RJT 51993 b |
|
|
AN ACT concerning education.
|
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
|
represented in the General Assembly:
|
Section 1. Findings. The General Assembly makes all of the |
following findings: |
(1) Literacy is not only critical for individuals' |
ability to earn income, secure housing, participate in |
their health care, support their children's education, |
pursue happiness, and navigate the world but also |
collectively foundational to our community and democracy.
|
(2) The World Literacy Foundation found that low |
literacy is a major contributor to inequality and |
increases the likelihood of poor physical and mental |
health, workplace accidents, misuse of medication, |
participation in crime, and welfare dependency, all of |
which have substantial additional social and economic |
costs.
|
(3) Fifty percent of Illinois' third graders met, |
exceeded, or approached learning standards in English |
language arts according to the Illinois Assessment of |
Readiness with the other half of students not meeting or |
partially meeting standards; this represents a 10 |
percentage-point swing from the 2019 prepandemic rates |
when 60% of students met, exceeded, or approached learning |
|
standards.
|
(4) Thirty-three percent of Illinois' fourth graders |
achieved proficient or advanced reading scores on the 2022 |
National Assessment of Educational Progress with another |
29% meeting basic reading proficiency and the remaining |
38% scoring below basic reading proficiency.
|
(5) Research from the Annie E. Casey Institute found |
that students who are not proficient readers in third |
grade are 4 times more likely not to finish high school; if |
those students are from low-income families, they are more |
than 6 times more likely not to finish high school.
|
(6) Research consistently finds that a diverse, |
well-trained, and expanding pool of teachers, in |
conjunction with curricula responsive to the strengths and |
needs of diverse student populations, improves educational |
outcomes for all students.
|
(7) An appropriate curriculum considers the learning |
needs of students with their developmental needs and |
increases in complexity with every new stage of childhood.
|
(8) Oral language development is a prerequisite for |
reading and writing that is nurtured from birth through |
talking, reading, story-telling, singing, nursery rhymes, |
and other language exposure and, as younger children |
develop, through intentional dialogue with rich |
vocabulary, home visiting programs, access to books, |
high-quality child care and preschool, and lived |
|
experiences that strengthen students' opportunity to build |
oracy skills, vocabulary, and background knowledge, |
leading to higher-level cognitive thinking.
|
(9) Reading builds new neural pathways in the brain as |
people, usually children, learn to connect the sounds in |
language to letters on a page to the meaning of the text; |
however, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to |
literacy, as learners will require differentiated |
strategies or methods and dosages within different areas |
of literacy instruction to meet their individual needs.
|
(10) Reading, writing, and oracy have a reciprocal |
relationship, as each strengthens the other, and students |
benefit when their instruction is closely intertwined.
|
(11) English learners benefit from a comprehensive |
literacy approach that recognizes the value of |
multilingualism by enveloping all areas of literacy |
instruction with a deep focus on oral language development |
and encouraging students to make connections between |
English and their home language.
|
(12) Teachers deserve the tools to be knowledgeable |
about the cultural practices and language system of the |
children they serve, including those children who speak |
language variations of English, such as African-American |
English (AAE); AAE has a linguistic structure that is a |
systematic and rule-governed variation of General American |
English.
|
|
(13) Research shows that direct, systematic, |
cumulative, and explicit reading instruction that is |
focused on the foundational reading skills of phonemic |
awareness, phonics or decoding, spelling or encoding, |
vocabulary development that includes morphology, oral |
language development, reading fluency, and reading |
comprehension that includes syntax and building background |
or content knowledge, is highly effective in teaching |
young children to read.
|
(14) High literacy achievement across all demographic |
groups is an essential indicator of educational equity |
within this State; strengthening early literacy |
instruction and support for students in Illinois will pay |
dividends in the future by empowering students, providing |
them with the skills they will need to graduate, find |
fulfilling careers, and be productive members of their |
communities and of our democracy.
|
(15) Ensuring that every child has access to |
high-quality, research-aligned, developmentally |
appropriate reading instruction implemented using a |
comprehensive approach is a foundational component of this |
State's public education system and a responsibility |
shared among federal, State, and local education agencies.
|
Section 90. The School Code is amended by adding Section |
2-3.196 and by changing Sections 21B-30 and 21B-35 and as |
|
follows:
|
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new) |
Sec. 2-3.196. State Board of Education literacy |
assistance. |
(a) The State Board of Education shall adopt and make |
available all of the following to each publicly funded school |
district by July 1, 2024: |
(1) A rubric by which districts may evaluate curricula |
and select and implement evidence-based, culturally |
inclusive core reading instruction programs aligned with |
the comprehensive literacy plan for the State described in |
subsection (c). |
(2) A template to support districts when developing |
comprehensive, district-wide literacy plans that include |
support for special student populations, including, at a |
minimum, students with disabilities, multilingual |
students, and bidialectal students. |
(3) Guidance on evidence-based practices for effective |
structures for training and deploying literacy coaches to |
support teachers and close opportunity gaps among student |
demographic groups. |
(b) On or before January 1, 2025, the State Board of |
Education shall develop and make available training |
opportunities for educators in teaching reading that are |
aligned with the comprehensive literacy plan described in |
|
subsection (c) and consistent with State learning standards. |
This support may include: |
(1) the development of a microcredential or a series |
of microcredentials in literacy instruction aligned with |
the comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection |
(c) to be affixed to educator licenses upon successful |
demonstration of the skill or completion of the required |
coursework or assessment, or both, or online training |
modules on literacy instruction, aligned with the |
comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection (c) |
and consistent with State learning standards, accepted for |
continuing professional development units; and |
(2) the creation and dissemination of a tool that |
school districts, educators, and the public may use to |
evaluate professional development and training programs |
related to literacy instruction. |
(c) In consultation with education stakeholders, the State |
Board of Education shall develop and adopt a comprehensive |
literacy plan for the State on or before January 31, 2024. The |
comprehensive literacy plan shall consider, without |
limitation, evidence-based research and culturally and |
linguistically sustaining pedagogical approaches to meet the |
needs of all students and shall, at a minimum, do all of the |
following: |
(1) Consider core instructional literacy practices and |
practices related to the unique needs of and support for |
|
specific student populations, including, at a minimum, |
students with disabilities, multilingual students, and |
bidialectal students, and the resources and support, |
including professional learning for teachers, needed to |
effectively implement the literacy instruction. |
(2) Provide guidance related to screening tools, the |
administration of such screening tools, and the |
interpretation of the resulting data to identify students |
at risk of reading difficulties in grades kindergarten |
through 2. This guidance shall outline instances in which |
dyslexia screenings and other universal screeners are |
appropriate for use with English learners. |
(3) Provide guidance related to early literacy |
intervention for students in grades kindergarten through 2 |
for schools to implement with students at risk of reading |
difficulties, as well as literacy intervention for |
students in grades 3 through 12 demonstrating reading |
difficulties. |
(4) Consider the impact of second language acquisition |
and bilingual education on reading instruction in the |
student's native language and English. |
(5) Define key terminology, such as "evidence-based". |
(6) Contextualize the interaction between elements of |
the plan and existing laws and regulations that have |
overlapping components, such as a multi-tiered system of |
support. |
|
(7) Focus on a comprehensive range of elements of |
literacy, including phonological awareness; decoding |
(phonics); encoding (spelling); vocabulary development, |
including morphology, oracy, and reading fluency; and |
reading comprehension, including syntax and background and |
content knowledge.
|
(105 ILCS 5/21B-30)
|
Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing. |
(a) (Blank). |
(b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the |
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design |
and implement a system of examinations, which shall be |
required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These |
examinations and indicators must be based on national and |
State professional teaching standards, as determined by the |
State Board of Education, in consultation with the State |
Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of |
Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to |
implement and administer this Section. |
(c) (Blank). |
(c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a |
paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an |
applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a |
paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the |
endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other |
|
requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section |
21B-20 other than the higher education requirements. |
(d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be |
required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area |
of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There |
shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall |
be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record |
until he or she has passed the applicable content area test. |
(d-5) The State Board shall consult with any applicable |
vendors within 90 days after the effective date of this |
amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly to develop a plan |
to transition the test of content area knowledge in the |
endorsement area of elementary education, grades one through |
6, by July 1, 2026 to a content area test that contains testing |
elements that cover bilingualism, biliteracy, oral language |
development, foundational literacy skills, and developmentally |
appropriate higher-order comprehension and on which a valid |
and reliable language and literacy subscore can be determined. |
The State Board shall base its rules concerning the passing |
subscore on the language and literacy portion of the test on |
the recommended cut-score determined in the formal |
standard-setting process. Candidates need not achieve a |
particular subscore in the area of language and literacy. The |
State Board shall aggregate and publish the number of |
candidates in each preparation program who take the test and |
the number who pass the language and literacy portion. |
|
(e) (Blank). |
(f) Except as otherwise provided in this Article, |
beginning on September 1, 2015, all candidates completing |
teacher preparation programs in this State and all candidates |
subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code are required to pass a |
teacher performance assessment approved by the State Board of |
Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation |
and Licensure Board. A candidate may not be required to submit |
test materials by video submission. Subject to appropriation, |
an individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is |
employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district |
designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after |
application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a |
refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher |
performance assessment under this subsection. |
(g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher |
performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to |
time are designated by the State Board of Education, in |
consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure |
Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing |
organization or tests designed by the State Board of |
Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation |
and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall |
assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The |
tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no |
person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis |
|
of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to |
the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The |
score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State |
Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator |
Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be |
administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and |
place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in |
consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure |
Board. |
The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess |
the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of |
applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under |
subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this |
Code in the English language and in the language of the |
transitional bilingual education program requested by the |
applicant. |
(h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the |
provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school |
district subject to Article 34 of this Code. |
(i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the |
testing requirements under this Section shall include, without |
limitation, provisions governing test selection, test |
validation, and determination of a passing score, |
administration of the tests, frequency of administration, |
applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the |
years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special |
|
accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop |
such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to |
year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.
|
(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; |
101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 102-301, eff. 8-26-21.)
|
(105 ILCS 5/21B-35) |
Sec. 21B-35. Minimum requirements for educators trained in |
other states or countries. |
(a) Any applicant who has not been entitled by an |
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois |
institution of higher education applying for a Professional |
Educator License endorsed in a teaching field or school |
support personnel area must meet the following requirements: |
(1) the applicant must: |
(A) hold a comparable and valid educator license |
or certificate, as defined by rule, with similar grade |
level and content area credentials from another state, |
with the State Board of Education having the authority |
to determine what constitutes similar grade level and |
content area credentials from another state; |
(B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally |
accredited institution of higher education; and |
(C) (blank); or |
(2) the applicant must: |
(A) have completed a state-approved program for |
|
the licensure area sought, including coursework |
concerning (i) methods of instruction of the |
exceptional child, (ii) methods of reading that align |
with all applicable standards set forth in Part 23 of |
Title 23 of the Illinois
Administrative Code and |
reading in the content area, and (iii) instructional |
strategies for English learners; |
(B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally |
accredited institution of higher education; |
(C) have successfully met all Illinois examination |
requirements, except that: |
(i) (blank); |
(ii) an applicant who has successfully |
completed a test of content, as defined by rules, |
at the time of initial licensure in another state |
is not required to complete a test of content; and |
(iii) an applicant for a teaching endorsement |
who has successfully completed an evidence-based |
assessment of teacher effectiveness, as defined by |
rules, at the time of initial licensure in another |
state is not required to complete an |
evidence-based assessment of teacher |
effectiveness; and |
(D) for an applicant for a teaching endorsement, |
have completed student teaching or an equivalent |
experience or, for an applicant for a school service |
|
personnel endorsement, have completed an internship or |
an equivalent experience. |
(b) In order to receive a Professional Educator License |
endorsed in a teaching field or school support personnel area, |
applicants trained in another country must meet all of the |
following requirements: |
(1) Have completed a comparable education program in |
another country. |
(2) Have had transcripts evaluated by an evaluation |
service approved by the State Superintendent of Education. |
(3) Have a degree comparable to a degree from a |
regionally accredited institution of higher education. |
(4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards |
concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional |
child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all |
applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of |
the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the |
content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for |
English learners. |
(5) (Blank). |
(6) (Blank). |
(7) Have successfully met all State licensure |
examination requirements. Applicants who have successfully |
completed a test of content, as defined by rules, at the |
time of initial licensure in another country shall not be |
required to complete a test of content. Applicants for a |
|
teaching endorsement who have successfully completed an |
evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness, as |
defined by rules, at the time of initial licensure in |
another country shall not be required to complete an |
evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness. |
(8) Have completed student teaching or an equivalent |
experience. |
(9) (Blank). |
(b-5) All applicants who have not been entitled by an |
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois |
institution of higher education and applicants trained in |
another country applying for a Professional Educator License |
endorsed for principal or superintendent must hold a master's |
degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher |
education and hold a comparable and valid educator license or |
certificate with similar grade level and subject matter |
credentials, with the State Board of Education having the |
authority to determine what constitutes similar grade level |
and subject matter credentials from another state, or must |
meet all of the following requirements: |
(1) Have completed an educator preparation program |
approved by another state or comparable educator program |
in another country leading to the receipt of a license or |
certificate for the Illinois endorsement sought. |
(2) Have successfully met all State licensure |
examination requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of |
|
this Code. Applicants who have successfully completed a |
test of content, as defined by rules, at the time of |
initial licensure in another state or country shall not be |
required to complete a test of content. |
(2.5) Have completed an internship, as defined by |
rule. |
(3) (Blank). |
(4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards |
concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional |
child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all |
applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of |
the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the |
content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for |
English learners. |
(4.5) (Blank). |
(5) Have completed a master's degree. |
(6) Have successfully completed teaching, school |
support, or administrative experience as defined by rule. |
(b-7) All applicants who have not been entitled by an |
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois |
institution of higher education applying for a Professional |
Educator License endorsed for Director of Special Education |
must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited |
institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and |
valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level |
and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of |
|
Education having the authority to determine what constitutes |
similar grade level and subject matter credentials from |
another state, or must meet all of the following requirements: |
(1) Have completed a master's degree. |
(2) Have 2 years of full-time experience providing |
special education services. |
(3) Have successfully completed all examination |
requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code. |
Applicants who have successfully completed a test of |
content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial |
licensure in another state or country shall not be |
required to complete a test of content. |
(4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards |
concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional |
child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all |
applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of |
the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the |
content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for |
English learners. |
(b-10) All applicants who have not been entitled by an |
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois |
institution of higher education applying for a Professional |
Educator License endorsed for chief school business official |
must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited |
institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and |
valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level |
|
and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of |
Education having the authority to determine what constitutes |
similar grade level and subject matter credentials from |
another state, or must meet all of the following requirements: |
(1) Have completed a master's degree in school |
business management, finance, or accounting. |
(2) Have successfully completed an internship in |
school business management or have 2 years of experience |
as a school business administrator. |
(3) Have successfully met all State examination |
requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code. |
Applicants who have successfully completed a test of |
content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial |
licensure in another state or country shall not be |
required to complete a test of content. |
(4) Have completed modules aligned to standards |
concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional |
child, methods of reading and reading in the content area, |
and instructional strategies for English learners. |
(c) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the |
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such |
rules as may be necessary to implement this Section.
|
(Source: P.A. 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20; |
102-539, eff. 8-20-21.)
|
