Bill Text: IL SB3684 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that if the State Board declares a teacher shortage, then an applicant shall be deemed to have passed a test of content area knowledge. Provides that the State Board shall adopt rules to define a teacher shortage, and shall post and publicly display this definition on the State Board's Internet website.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-09 - Referred to Assignments [SB3684 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB3684-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB3684 Introduced 2/9/2024, by Sen. Michael W. Halpin SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/21B-30
Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that if the State Board declares a teacher shortage, then an applicant shall be deemed to have passed a test of content area knowledge. Provides that the State Board shall adopt rules to define a teacher shortage, and shall post and publicly display this definition on the State Board's Internet website.
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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 Section
21B-30 as follows:
(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

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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. If the
State Board declares a teacher shortage, then an applicant
shall be deemed to have passed a test of content area knowledge
under this Section. The State Board shall adopt rules to
define a teacher shortage, and shall post and publicly display
this definition on the State Board's Internet website. 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 July 28, 2023 (the effective date
of Public Act 103-402) 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

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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) Beginning on August 4, 2023 (the effective date of
Public Act 103-488) this amendatory Act of the 103rd General
Assembly through August 31, 2025, no candidate completing a
teacher preparation program in this State or candidate subject
to Section 21B-35 of this Code is required to pass a teacher
performance assessment. Except as otherwise provided in this
Article, beginning on September 1, 2015 until August 4, 2023
(the effective date of Public Act 103-488) this amendatory Act
of the 103rd General Assembly and beginning again on September
1, 2025, 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

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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.
(f-5) The Teacher Performance Assessment Task Force is
created to evaluate potential performance-based and objective
teacher performance assessment systems for implementation
across all educator preparation programs in this State, with
the intention of ensuring consistency across programs and
supporting a thoughtful and well-rounded licensure system.
Members appointed to the Task Force must reflect the racial,
ethnic, and geographic diversity of this State. The Task Force
shall consist of all of the following members:
(1) One member of the Senate, appointed by the
President of the Senate.
(2) One member of the Senate, appointed by the
Minority Leader of the Senate.
(3) One member of the House of Representatives,
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(4) One member of the House of Representatives,
appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives.
(5) One member who represents a statewide professional
teachers' organization, appointed by the State
Superintendent of Education.
(6) One member who represents a different statewide

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professional teachers' organization, appointed by the
State Superintendent of Education.
(7) One member from a statewide organization
representing school principals, appointed by the State
Superintendent of Education.
(8) One member from a statewide organization
representing regional superintendents of schools,
appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
(9) One member from a statewide organization
representing school administrators, appointed by the State
Superintendent of Education.
(10) One member representing a school district
organized under Article 34 of this Code, appointed by the
State Superintendent of Education.
(11) One member of an association representing rural
and small schools, appointed by the State Superintendent
of Education.
(12) One member representing a suburban school
district, appointed by the State Superintendent of
Education.
(13) One member from a statewide organization
representing school districts in the southern suburbs of
the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent
of Education.
(14) One member from a statewide organization
representing large unit school districts, appointed by the

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State Superintendent of Education.
(15) One member from a statewide organization
representing school districts in the collar counties of
the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent
of Education.
(16) Three members, each representing a different
public university in this State and each a current member
of the faculty of an approved educator preparation
program, appointed by the State Superintendent of
Education.
(17) Three members, each representing a different
4-year nonpublic university or college in this State and
each a current member of the faculty of an approved
educator preparation program, appointed by the State
Superintendent of Education.
(18) One member of the Board of Higher Education,
appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
(19) One member representing a statewide policy
organization advocating on behalf of multilingual students
and families, appointed by the State Superintendent of
Education.
(20) One member representing a statewide organization
focused on research-based education policy to support a
school system that prepares all students for college, a
career, and democratic citizenship, appointed by the State
Superintendent of Education.

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(21) Two members representing an early childhood
advocacy organization, appointed by the State
Superintendent of Education.
(22) One member representing a statewide organization
that partners with educator preparation programs and
school districts to support the growth and development of
preservice teachers, appointed by the State Superintendent
of Education.
(23) One member representing a statewide organization
that advocates for educational equity and racial justice
in schools, appointed by the State Superintendent of
Education.
(24) One member representing a statewide organization
that represents school boards, appointed by the State
Superintendent of Education.
(25) One member who has, within the last 5 years,
served as a cooperating teacher, appointed by the State
Superintendent of Education.
Members of the Task Force shall serve without
compensation. The Task Force shall first meet at the call of
the State Superintendent of Education, and each subsequent
meeting shall be called by the chairperson of the Task Force,
who shall be designated by the State Superintendent of
Education. The State Board of Education shall provide
administrative and other support to the Task Force.
On or before August 1, 2024, the Task Force shall report on

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its work, including recommendations on a teacher performance
assessment system in this State, to the State Board of
Education and the General Assembly. The Task Force is
dissolved upon submission of this report.
(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

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