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1 AN ACT concerning education.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
5 21B-30 and 21B-50 as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/21B-30)
7 Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing.
8 (a) (Blank).
9 (b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
10 State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design
11 and implement a system of examinations, which shall be
12 required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These
13 examinations and indicators must be based on national and
14 State professional teaching standards, as determined by the
15 State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
16 Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of
17 Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to
18 implement and administer this Section.
19 (c) (Blank).
20 (c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a
21 paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an
22 applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a
23 paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the
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1 endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other
2 requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section
3 21B-20 other than the higher education requirements.
4 (d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be
5 required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area
6 of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There
7 shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall
8 be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record
9 until he or she has passed the applicable content area test.
10 (e) (Blank).
11 (f) Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act
12 of the 103rd General Assembly through August 31, 2025, no
13 candidate completing a teacher preparation program in this
14 State or candidate subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code is
15 required to pass a teacher performance assessment. Except as
16 otherwise provided in this Article, beginning on September 1,
17 2015 until the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
18 103rd General Assembly and beginning again on September 1,
19 2025, all candidates completing teacher preparation programs
20 in this State and all candidates subject to Section 21B-35 of
21 this Code are required to pass a teacher performance
22 assessment approved by the State Board of Education, in
23 consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
24 Board. A candidate may not be required to submit test
25 materials by video submission. Subject to appropriation, an
26 individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is
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1 employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district
2 designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after
3 application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a
4 refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher
5 performance assessment under this subsection.
6 (f-5) The Teacher Performance Assessment Task Force is
7 created to evaluate potential teacher performance assessment
8 systems for implementation in this State, with the intention
9 of supporting a thoughtful and well-rounded licensure system
10 that is performance-based and has consistency across programs
11 and objectivity. The Task Force shall consist of all of the
12 following members:
13 (1) One member of the Senate, appointed by the
14 President of the Senate.
15 (2) One member of the Senate, appointed by the
16 Minority Leader of the Senate.
17 (3) One member of the House of Representatives,
18 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
19 (4) One member of the House of Representatives,
20 appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
21 Representatives.
22 (5) One member who represents a statewide professional
23 teachers' organization, appointed by the State
24 Superintendent of Education.
25 (6) One member who represents a different statewide
26 professional teachers' organization, appointed by the
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1 State Superintendent of Education.
2 (7) One member from a statewide organization
3 representing school principals, appointed by the State
4 Superintendent of Education.
5 (8) One member from a statewide organization
6 representing regional superintendents of schools,
7 appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
8 (9) One member from a statewide organization
9 representing school business officials, appointed by the
10 State Superintendent of Education.
11 (10) One member representing a school district
12 organized under Article 34 of this Code, appointed by the
13 State Superintendent of Education.
14 (11) One member of an association representing rural
15 and small schools, appointed by the State Superintendent
16 of Education.
17 (12) One member representing a suburban school
18 district, appointed by the State Superintendent of
19 Education.
20 (13) One member from a statewide organization
21 representing school districts in the southern suburbs of
22 the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent
23 of Education.
24 (14) One member from a statewide organization
25 representing large unit school districts, appointed by the
26 State Superintendent of Education.
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1 (15) One member from a statewide organization
2 representing school districts in the collar counties of
3 the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent
4 of Education.
5 (16) Three members, each representing a different
6 public university in this State, appointed by the State
7 Superintendent of Education.
8 (17) Three members, each representing a different
9 4-year nonpublic university or college in this State,
10 appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
11 (18) One member of the Board of Higher Education,
12 appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
13 (19) One member representing a statewide policy
14 organization advocating on behalf of multilingual students
15 and families, appointed by the State Superintendent of
16 Education.
17 (20) One member representing a statewide organization
18 focused on research-based education policy to support a
19 school system that prepares all students for college, a
20 career, and democratic citizenship, appointed by the State
21 Superintendent of Education.
22 (21) Two members representing an early childhood
23 advocacy organization, appointed by the State
24 Superintendent of Education.
25 Members of the Task Force shall serve without
26 compensation. The Task Force shall first meet at the call of
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1 the State Superintendent of Education, and each subsequent
2 meeting shall be called by the chairperson of the Task Force,
3 who shall be designated by the State Superintendent of
4 Education. The State Board of Education shall provide
5 administrative and other support to the Task Force.
6 On or before August 1, 2024, the Task Force shall report on
7 its work, including recommendations on a teacher performance
8 assessment system in this State, to the State Board of
9 Education. The Task Force is dissolved upon submission of this
10 report.
11 (g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher
12 performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to
13 time are designated by the State Board of Education, in
14 consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
15 Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing
16 organization or tests designed by the State Board of
17 Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
18 and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall
19 assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The
20 tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no
21 person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis
22 of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to
23 the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The
24 score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State
25 Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator
26 Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be
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1 administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and
2 place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in
3 consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
4 Board.
5 The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess
6 the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of
7 applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under
8 subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this
9 Code in the English language and in the language of the
10 transitional bilingual education program requested by the
11 applicant.
12 (h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the
13 provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school
14 district subject to Article 34 of this Code.
15 (i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the
16 testing requirements under this Section shall include without
17 limitation provisions governing test selection, test
18 validation and determination of a passing score,
19 administration of the tests, frequency of administration,
20 applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the
21 years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special
22 accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop
23 such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to
24 year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.
25 (Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19;
26 101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 102-301, eff. 8-26-21.)
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1 (105 ILCS 5/21B-50)
2 Sec. 21B-50. Alternative Educator Licensure Program.
3 (a) There is established an alternative educator licensure
4 program, to be known as the Alternative Educator Licensure
5 Program for Teachers.
6 (b) The Alternative Educator Licensure Program for
7 Teachers may be offered by a recognized institution approved
8 to offer educator preparation programs by the State Board of
9 Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
10 and Licensure Board.
11 The program shall be comprised of 4 phases:
12 (1) A course of study that at a minimum includes
13 instructional planning; instructional strategies,
14 including special education, reading, and English language
15 learning; classroom management; and the assessment of
16 students and use of data to drive instruction.
17 (2) A year of residency, which is a candidate's
18 assignment to a full-time teaching position or as a
19 co-teacher for one full school year. An individual must
20 hold an Educator License with Stipulations with an
21 alternative provisional educator endorsement in order to
22 enter the residency and must complete additional program
23 requirements that address required State and national
24 standards, pass the State Board's teacher performance
25 assessment, if required under Section 21B-30, no later
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1 than the end of the first semester of the second year of
2 residency, as required under phase (3) of this subsection
3 (b), and be recommended by the principal or qualified
4 equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection
5 (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator to
6 continue with the second year of the residency.
7 (3) A second year of residency, which shall include
8 the candidate's assignment to a full-time teaching
9 position for one school year. The candidate must be
10 assigned an experienced teacher to act as a mentor and
11 coach the candidate through the second year of residency.
12 (4) A comprehensive assessment of the candidate's
13 teaching effectiveness, as evaluated by the principal or
14 qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under
15 subsection (d) of this Section, and the program
16 coordinator, at the end of the second year of residency.
17 If there is disagreement between the 2 evaluators about
18 the candidate's teaching effectiveness, the candidate may
19 complete one additional year of residency teaching under a
20 professional development plan developed by the principal
21 or qualified equivalent and the preparation program. At
22 the completion of the third year, a candidate must have
23 positive evaluations and a recommendation for full
24 licensure from both the principal or qualified equivalent
25 and the program coordinator or no Professional Educator
26 License shall be issued.
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1 Successful completion of the program shall be deemed to
2 satisfy any other practice or student teaching and content
3 matter requirements established by law.
4 (c) An alternative provisional educator endorsement on an
5 Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 2 years of
6 teaching in the public schools, including without limitation a
7 preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this
8 Code or charter school, or in a State-recognized nonpublic
9 school in which the chief administrator is required to have
10 the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in
11 this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required
12 to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public
13 school in this State, but may be renewed for a third year if
14 needed to complete the Alternative Educator Licensure Program
15 for Teachers. The endorsement shall be issued only once to an
16 individual who meets all of the following requirements:
17 (1) Has graduated from a regionally accredited college
18 or university with a bachelor's degree or higher.
19 (2) (Blank).
20 (3) Has completed a major in the content area if
21 seeking a middle or secondary level endorsement or, if
22 seeking an early childhood, elementary, or special
23 education endorsement, has completed a major in the
24 content area of reading, English/language arts,
25 mathematics, or one of the sciences. If the individual
26 does not have a major in a content area for any level of
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1 teaching, he or she must submit transcripts to the State
2 Board of Education to be reviewed for equivalency.
3 (4) Has successfully completed phase (1) of subsection
4 (b) of this Section.
5 (5) Has passed a content area test required for the
6 specific endorsement for admission into the program, as
7 required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.
8 A candidate possessing the alternative provisional
9 educator endorsement may receive a salary, benefits, and any
10 other terms of employment offered to teachers in the school
11 who are members of an exclusive bargaining representative, if
12 any, but a school is not required to provide these benefits
13 during the years of residency if the candidate is serving only
14 as a co-teacher. If the candidate is serving as the teacher of
15 record, the candidate must receive a salary, benefits, and any
16 other terms of employment. Residency experiences must not be
17 counted towards tenure.
18 (d) The recognized institution offering the Alternative
19 Educator Licensure Program for Teachers must partner with a
20 school district, including without limitation a preschool
21 educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or
22 charter school, or a State-recognized, nonpublic school in
23 this State in which the chief administrator is required to
24 have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public
25 school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers
26 are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors
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1 in a public school in this State. A recognized institution
2 that partners with a public school district administering a
3 preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this
4 Code must require a principal to recommend or evaluate
5 candidates in the program. A recognized institution that
6 partners with an eligible entity administering a preschool
7 educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code and that
8 is not a public school district must require a principal or
9 qualified equivalent of a principal to recommend or evaluate
10 candidates in the program. The program presented for approval
11 by the State Board of Education must demonstrate the supports
12 that are to be provided to assist the provisional teacher
13 during the 2-year residency period. These supports must
14 provide additional contact hours with mentors during the first
15 year of residency.
16 (e) Upon completion of the 4 phases outlined in subsection
17 (b) of this Section and all assessments required under Section
18 21B-30 of this Code, an individual shall receive a
19 Professional Educator License.
20 (f) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
21 State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such
22 rules as may be necessary to establish and implement the
23 Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.
24 (Source: P.A. 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-822, eff. 1-1-19;
25 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-570, eff. 8-23-19; 101-643, eff.
26 6-18-20; 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)
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1 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
2 becoming law.
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