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1 AN ACT concerning education.


2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3represented in the General Assembly:



4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 
521B-25 as follows:

6 (105 ILCS 5/21B-25)
7 Sec. 21B-25. Endorsement on licenses. All licenses issued 
8under paragraph (1) of Section 21B-20 of this Code shall be 
9specifically endorsed by the State Board of Education for each 
10content area, school support area, and administrative area for 
11which the holder of the license is qualified. Recognized 
12institutions approved to offer educator preparation programs 
13shall be trained to add endorsements to licenses issued to 
14applicants who meet all of the requirements for the endorsement 
15or endorsements, including passing any required tests. The 
16State Superintendent of Education shall randomly audit 
17institutions to ensure that all rules and standards are being 
18followed for entitlement or when endorsements are being 
19recommended.
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  (2) In addition to any and all grade level and content 
4 area endorsements developed by rule, the State Board of 
5 Education, in consultation with the State Educator 
6 Preparation and Licensure Board, shall develop the 
7 requirements for the following endorsements:
8   (A) General administrative endorsement. A general 
9 administrative endorsement shall be added to a 
10 Professional Educator License, provided that an 
11 approved program has been completed. An individual 
12 holding a general administrative endorsement may work 
13 only as a principal or assistant principal or in a 
14 related or similar position, as determined by the State 
15 Superintendent of Education, in consultation with the 
16 State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.
17   Beginning on September 1, 2014, the general 
18 administrative endorsement shall no longer be issued. 
19 Individuals who hold a valid and registered 
20 administrative certificate with a general 
21 administrative endorsement issued under Section 21-7.1 
22 of this Code or a Professional Educator License with a 
23 general administrative endorsement issued prior to 
24 September 1, 2014 and who have served for at least one 
25 full year during the 5 years prior in a position 
26 requiring a general administrative endorsement shall, 
 
 
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1 upon request to the State Board of Education and 
2 through July 1, 2015, have their respective general 
3 administrative endorsement converted to a principal 
4 endorsement on the Professional Educator License. 
5 Candidates shall not be admitted to an approved general 
6 administrative preparation program after September 1, 
7 2012.
8   All other individuals holding a valid and 
9 registered administrative certificate with a general 
10 administrative endorsement issued pursuant to Section 
11 21-7.1 of this Code or a general administrative 
12 endorsement on a Professional Educator License issued 
13 prior to September 1, 2014 shall have the general 
14 administrative endorsement converted to a principal 
15 endorsement on a Professional Educator License upon 
16 request to the State Board of Education and by 
17 completing one of the following pathways:
18    (i) Passage of the State principal assessment 
19 developed by the State Board of Education.
20    (ii) Through July 1, 2019, completion of an 
21 Illinois Educators' Academy course designated by 
22 the State Superintendent of Education.
23    (iii) Completion of a principal preparation 
24 program established and approved pursuant to 
25 Section 21B-60 of this Code and applicable rules.
26   Individuals who do not choose to convert the 
 
 
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1 general administrative endorsement on the 
2 administrative certificate issued pursuant to Section 
3 21-7.1 of this Code or on the Professional Educator 
4 License shall continue to be able to serve in any 
5 position previously allowed under paragraph (2) of 
6 subsection (e) of Section 21-7.1 of this Code.
7   The general administrative endorsement on the 
8 Professional Educator License is available only to 
9 individuals who, prior to September 1, 2014, had such 
10 an endorsement on the administrative certificate 
11 issued pursuant to Section 21-7.1 of this Code or who 
12 already have a Professional Educator License and have 
13 completed a general administrative program and who do 
14 not choose to convert the general administrative 
15 endorsement to a principal endorsement pursuant to the 
16 options in this Section.
17   (B) Principal endorsement. A principal endorsement 
18 shall be affixed to a Professional Educator License of 
19 any holder who qualifies by having all of the 
20 following:
21    (i) Successful completion of a principal 
22 preparation program approved in accordance with 
23 Section 21B-60 of this Code and any applicable 
24 rules.
25    (ii) Four years of teaching in a public school 
26 or nonpublic school recognized by the State Board 
 
 
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1 of Education; however, the State Board of 
2 Education, in consultation with the State Educator 
3 Preparation and Licensure Board, shall allow, by 
4 rules, for fewer than 4 years of experience based 
5 on meeting standards set forth in such rules, 
6 including without limitation a review of 
7 performance evaluations or other evidence of 
8 demonstrated qualifications.
9    (iii) A master's degree or higher from a 
10 regionally accredited college or university.
11   (C) Chief school business official endorsement. A 
12 chief school business official endorsement shall be 
13 affixed to the Professional Educator License of any 
14 holder who qualifies by having a master's degree or 
15 higher, 2 years of full-time administrative experience 
16 in school business management or 2 years of 
17 university-approved practical experience, and a 
18 minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate credit in a 
19 program approved by the State Board of Education for 
20 the preparation of school business administrators and 
21 by passage of the applicable State tests. The chief 
22 school business official endorsement may also be 
23 affixed to the Professional Educator License of any 
24 holder who qualifies by having a master's degree in 
25 business administration, finance, or accounting and 
26 who completes an additional 6 semester hours of 
 
 
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1 internship in school business management from a 
2 regionally accredited institution of higher education 
3 and passes the applicable State tests. This 
4 endorsement shall be required for any individual 
5 employed as a chief school business official.
6   (D) Superintendent endorsement. A superintendent 
7 endorsement shall be affixed to the Professional 
8 Educator License of any holder who has completed a 
9 program approved by the State Board of Education for 
10 the preparation of superintendents of schools, has had 
11 at least 2 years of experience employed full-time in a 
12 general administrative position or as a full-time 
13 principal, director of special education, or chief 
14 school business official in the public schools or in a 
15 State-recognized nonpublic school in which the chief 
16 administrator is required to have the licensure 
17 necessary to be a principal in a public school in this 
18 State and where a majority of the teachers are required 
19 to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a 
20 public school in this State, and has passed the 
21 required State tests; or of any holder who has 
22 completed a program from out-of-state that has a 
23 program with recognition standards comparable to those 
24 approved by the State Superintendent of Education and 
25 holds the general administrative, principal, or chief 
26 school business official endorsement and who has had 2 
 
 
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1 years of experience as a principal, director of special 
2 education, or chief school business official while 
3 holding a valid educator license or certificate 
4 comparable in validity and educational and experience 
5 requirements and has passed the appropriate State 
6 tests, as provided in Section 21B-30 of this Code. The 
7 superintendent endorsement shall allow individuals to 
8 serve only as a superintendent or assistant 
9 superintendent.
10   (E) Teacher leader endorsement. It shall be the 
11 policy of this State to improve the quality of 
12 instructional leaders by providing a career pathway 
13 for teachers interested in serving in leadership 
14 roles, but not as principals. The State Board of 
15 Education, in consultation with the State Educator 
16 Preparation and Licensure Board, may issue a teacher 
17 leader endorsement under this subdivision (E). Persons 
18 who meet and successfully complete the requirements of 
19 the endorsement shall be issued a teacher leader 
20 endorsement on the Professional Educator License for 
21 serving in schools in this State. Teacher leaders may 
22 qualify to serve in such positions as department 
23 chairs, coaches, mentors, curriculum and instruction 
24 leaders, or other leadership positions as defined by 
25 the district. The endorsement shall be available to 
26 those teachers who (i) hold a Professional Educator 
 
 
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1 License, (ii) hold a master's degree or higher from a 
2 regionally accredited institution, (iii) have 
3 completed a program of study that has been approved by 
4 the State Board of Education, in consultation with the 
5 State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, and 
6 (iv) have taken coursework in all of the following 
7 areas:
8    (I) Leadership.
9    (II) Designing professional development to 
10 meet teaching and learning needs.
11    (III) Building school culture that focuses on 
12 student learning.
13    (IV) Using assessments to improve student 
14 learning and foster school improvement.
15    (V) Building collaboration with teachers and 
16 stakeholders.
17   A teacher who meets the requirements set forth in 
18 this Section and holds a teacher leader endorsement may 
19 evaluate teachers pursuant to Section 24A-5 of this 
20 Code, provided that the individual has completed the 
21 evaluation component required by Section 24A-3 of this 
22 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 endorsement 
4 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; and
17    (vi) Early Childhood Special Education.
18  Notwithstanding anything in this Code to the contrary, 
19 the State Board of Education, in consultation with the 
20 State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may 
21 add additional areas of special education by rule.
22   (G) School support personnel endorsement. School 
23 support personnel endorsement areas shall include, but 
24 are not limited to, school counselor, marriage and 
25 family therapist, school psychologist, school speech 
26 and language pathologist, school nurse, and school 
 
 
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1 social worker. This endorsement is for individuals who 
2 are not teachers or administrators, but still require 
3 licensure to work in an instructional support position 
4 in a public or State-operated elementary school, 
5 secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement 
6 with a governing body or board of control or a charter 
7 school operating in compliance with the Charter 
8 Schools Law. The school support personnel endorsement 
9 shall be affixed to the Professional Educator License 
10 and shall meet all of the requirements established in 
11 any rules adopted to implement this subdivision (G). 
12 The holder of such an endorsement is entitled to all of 
13 the rights and privileges granted holders of any other 
14 Professional Educator License, including teacher 
15 benefits, compensation, and working conditions.

16   Beginning on January 1, 2014 and ending on April 
17 30, 2014, a person holding a Professional Educator 
18 License with a school speech and language pathologist 
19 (teaching) endorsement may exchange his or her school 
20 speech and language pathologist (teaching) endorsement 
21 for a school speech and language pathologist 
22 (non-teaching) endorsement through application to the 
23 State Board of Education. There shall be no cost for 
24 this exchange. 
25(Source: P.A. 97-607, eff. 8-26-11; 98-413, eff. 8-16-13; 
2698-610, eff. 12-27-13.)


 
 
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1 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
2becoming law.