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| Public Act 098-0872
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| SB2972 Enrolled | LRB098 19901 NHT 55120 b |
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section |
21B-25 as follows:
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(105 ILCS 5/21B-25) |
Sec. 21B-25. Endorsement on licenses. All licenses issued |
under paragraph (1) of Section 21B-20 of this Code shall be |
specifically endorsed by the State Board of Education for each |
content area, school support area, and administrative area for |
which the holder of the license is qualified. Recognized |
institutions approved to offer educator preparation programs |
shall be trained to add endorsements to licenses issued to |
applicants who meet all of the requirements for the endorsement |
or endorsements, including passing any required tests. The |
State Superintendent of Education shall randomly audit |
institutions to ensure that all rules and standards are being |
followed for entitlement or when endorsements are being |
recommended. |
(1) The State Board of Education, in consultation with |
the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall |
establish, by rule, the grade level and subject area |
endorsements to be added to the Professional Educator |
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License. These rules shall outline the requirements for |
obtaining each endorsement. |
(2) In addition to any and all grade level and content |
area endorsements developed by rule, the State Board of |
Education, in consultation with the State Educator |
Preparation and Licensure Board, shall develop the |
requirements for the following endorsements: |
(A) General administrative endorsement. A general |
administrative endorsement shall be added to a |
Professional Educator License, provided that an |
approved program has been completed. An individual |
holding a general administrative endorsement may work |
only as a principal or assistant principal or in a |
related or similar position, as determined by the State |
Superintendent of Education, in consultation with the |
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. |
Beginning on September 1, 2014, the general |
administrative endorsement shall no longer be issued. |
Individuals who hold a valid and registered |
administrative certificate with a general |
administrative endorsement issued under Section 21-7.1 |
of this Code or a Professional Educator License with a |
general administrative endorsement issued prior to |
September 1, 2014 and who have served for at least one |
full year during the 5 years prior in a position |
requiring a general administrative endorsement shall, |
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upon request to the State Board of Education and |
through July 1, 2015, have their respective general |
administrative endorsement converted to a principal |
endorsement on the Professional Educator License. |
Candidates shall not be admitted to an approved general |
administrative preparation program after September 1, |
2012. |
All other individuals holding a valid and |
registered administrative certificate with a general |
administrative endorsement issued pursuant to Section |
21-7.1 of this Code or a general administrative |
endorsement on a Professional Educator License issued |
prior to September 1, 2014 shall have the general |
administrative endorsement converted to a principal |
endorsement on a Professional Educator License upon |
request to the State Board of Education and by |
completing one of the following pathways: |
(i) Passage of the State principal assessment |
developed by the State Board of Education. |
(ii) Through July 1, 2019, completion of an |
Illinois Educators' Academy course designated by |
the State Superintendent of Education. |
(iii) Completion of a principal preparation |
program established and approved pursuant to |
Section 21B-60 of this Code and applicable rules. |
Individuals who do not choose to convert the |
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general administrative endorsement on the |
administrative certificate issued pursuant to Section |
21-7.1 of this Code or on the Professional Educator |
License shall continue to be able to serve in any |
position previously allowed under paragraph (2) of |
subsection (e) of Section 21-7.1 of this Code. |
The general administrative endorsement on the |
Professional Educator License is available only to |
individuals who, prior to September 1, 2014, had such |
an endorsement on the administrative certificate |
issued pursuant to Section 21-7.1 of this Code or who |
already have a Professional Educator License and have |
completed a general administrative program and who do |
not choose to convert the general administrative |
endorsement to a principal endorsement pursuant to the |
options in this Section. |
(B) Principal endorsement. A principal endorsement |
shall be affixed to a Professional Educator License of |
any holder who qualifies by having all of the |
following: |
(i) Successful completion of a principal |
preparation program approved in accordance with |
Section 21B-60 of this Code and any applicable |
rules. |
(ii) Four years of teaching in a public school |
or nonpublic school recognized by the State Board |
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of Education; however, the State Board of |
Education, in consultation with the State Educator |
Preparation and Licensure Board, shall allow, by |
rules, for fewer than 4 years of experience based |
on meeting standards set forth in such rules, |
including without limitation a review of |
performance evaluations or other evidence of |
demonstrated qualifications. |
(iii) A master's degree or higher from a |
regionally accredited college or university. |
(C) Chief school business official endorsement. A |
chief school business official endorsement shall be |
affixed to the Professional Educator License of any |
holder 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 applicable State tests. The chief |
school business official endorsement may also be |
affixed to the Professional Educator License 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 |
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internship in school business management from a |
regionally accredited institution of higher education |
and passes the applicable State tests. This |
endorsement shall be required for any individual |
employed as a chief school business official. |
(D) Superintendent endorsement. A superintendent |
endorsement shall be affixed to the Professional |
Educator License of any holder who has completed a |
program approved by the State Board of Education for |
the preparation of superintendents of schools, has had |
at least 2 years of experience employed full-time in a |
general administrative position or as a full-time |
principal, director of special education, or chief |
school business official in the public schools 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 where a majority of the teachers are required |
to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a |
public school in this State, and has passed the |
required State tests; or of any holder who has |
completed a program from out-of-state that has a |
program with recognition standards comparable to those |
approved by the State Superintendent of Education and |
holds the general administrative, principal, or chief |
school business official endorsement and who has had 2 |
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years of experience as a principal, director of special |
education, or chief school business official while |
holding a valid educator license or certificate |
comparable in validity and educational and experience |
requirements and has passed the appropriate State |
tests, as provided in Section 21B-30 of this Code. The |
superintendent endorsement shall allow individuals to |
serve only as a superintendent or assistant |
superintendent. |
(E) Teacher leader endorsement. It shall be the |
policy of this State to improve the quality of |
instructional leaders by providing a career pathway |
for teachers interested in serving in leadership |
roles, but not as principals. The State Board of |
Education, in consultation with the State Educator |
Preparation and Licensure Board, may issue a teacher |
leader endorsement under this subdivision (E). Persons |
who meet and successfully complete the requirements of |
the endorsement shall be issued a teacher leader |
endorsement on the Professional Educator License for |
serving in schools in this State. Teacher leaders may |
qualify to serve in such positions as department |
chairs, coaches, mentors, curriculum and instruction |
leaders, or other leadership positions as defined by |
the district. The endorsement shall be available to |
those teachers who (i) hold a Professional Educator |
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License, (ii) hold a master's degree or higher from a |
regionally accredited institution, (iii) have |
completed a program of study that has been approved by |
the State Board of Education, in consultation with the |
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, and |
(iv) have taken coursework in all of the following |
areas: |
(I) Leadership. |
(II) Designing professional development to |
meet teaching and learning needs. |
(III) Building school culture that focuses on |
student learning. |
(IV) Using assessments to improve student |
learning and foster school improvement. |
(V) Building collaboration with teachers and |
stakeholders. |
A teacher who meets the requirements set forth in |
this Section and holds a teacher leader endorsement may |
evaluate teachers pursuant to Section 24A-5 of this |
Code, provided that the individual has completed the |
evaluation component required by Section 24A-3 of this |
Code and a teacher leader is allowed to evaluate |
personnel under the respective school district's |
collective bargaining agreement. |
The State Board of Education, in consultation with |
the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, |
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may adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish |
and implement the teacher leader endorsement program |
and to specify the positions for which this endorsement |
shall be required. |
(F) Special education endorsement. A special |
education endorsement in one or more areas shall be |
affixed to a Professional Educator License for any |
individual that meets those requirements established |
by the State Board of Education in rules. Special |
education endorsement areas shall include without |
limitation the following: |
(i) Learning Behavior Specialist I; |
(ii) Learning Behavior Specialist II; |
(iii) Speech Language Pathologist; |
(iv) Blind or Visually Impaired; |
(v) Deaf-Hard of Hearing; and |
(vi) Early Childhood Special Education. |
Notwithstanding anything in this Code to the contrary, |
the State Board of Education, in consultation with the |
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may |
add additional areas of special education by rule. |
(G) School support personnel endorsement. School |
support personnel endorsement areas shall include, but |
are not limited to, school counselor, marriage and |
family therapist, school psychologist, school speech |
and language pathologist, school nurse, and school |
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social worker. This endorsement is for individuals who |
are not teachers or administrators, but still require |
licensure to work in an instructional support position |
in a public or State-operated elementary school, |
secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement |
with a governing body or board of control or a charter |
school operating in compliance with the Charter |
Schools Law. The school support personnel endorsement |
shall be affixed to the Professional Educator License |
and shall meet all of the requirements established in |
any rules adopted to implement this subdivision (G). |
The holder of such an endorsement is entitled to all of |
the rights and privileges granted holders of any other |
Professional Educator License, including teacher |
benefits, compensation, and working conditions.
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Beginning on January 1, 2014 and ending on April |
30, 2014, a person holding a Professional Educator |
License with a school speech and language pathologist |
(teaching) endorsement may exchange his or her school |
speech and language pathologist (teaching) endorsement |
for a school speech and language pathologist |
(non-teaching) endorsement through application to the |
State Board of Education. There shall be no cost for |
this exchange. |
(Source: P.A. 97-607, eff. 8-26-11; 98-413, eff. 8-16-13; |
98-610, eff. 12-27-13.)
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