104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1867 Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Chris Balkema SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/21B-30 Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, provides that the State Board of Education and the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board are required to approve more than one assessment, not from the same source, and each teacher preparation program in the State may use any evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness that aligns to current State teaching standards. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 10664 LNS 20743 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1867 Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Chris Balkema SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/21B-30 Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, provides that the State Board of Education and the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board are required to approve more than one assessment, not from the same source, and each teacher preparation program in the State may use any evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness that aligns to current State teaching standards. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 10664 LNS 20743 b LRB104 10664 LNS 20743 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1867 Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Chris Balkema SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/21B-30
105 ILCS 5/21B-30
Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, provides that the State Board of Education and the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board are required to approve more than one assessment, not from the same source, and each teacher preparation program in the State may use any evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness that aligns to current State teaching standards. Effective July 1, 2025.
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A BILL FOR
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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 Section
5 21B-30 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
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1867 Introduced 2/5/2025, by Sen. Chris Balkema SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
105 ILCS 5/21B-30 105 ILCS 5/21B-30
105 ILCS 5/21B-30
Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. In provisions concerning educator testing, provides that the State Board of Education and the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board are required to approve more than one assessment, not from the same source, and each teacher preparation program in the State may use any evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness that aligns to current State teaching standards. Effective July 1, 2025.
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A BILL FOR
105 ILCS 5/21B-30
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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.
8 (d-5) The State Board shall consult with any applicable
9 vendors within 90 days after July 28, 2023 (the effective date
10 of Public Act 103-402) to develop a plan to transition the test
11 of content area knowledge in the endorsement area of
12 elementary education, grades one through 6, by July 1, 2026 to
13 a content area test that contains testing elements that cover
14 bilingualism, biliteracy, oral language development,
15 foundational literacy skills, and developmentally appropriate
16 higher-order comprehension and on which a valid and reliable
17 language and literacy subscore can be determined. The State
18 Board shall base its rules concerning the passing subscore on
19 the language and literacy portion of the test on the
20 recommended cut-score determined in the formal
21 standard-setting process. Candidates need not achieve a
22 particular subscore in the area of language and literacy. The
23 State Board shall aggregate and publish the number of
24 candidates in each preparation program who take the test and
25 the number who pass the language and literacy portion.
26 (e) (Blank).
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1 (f) Beginning on August 4, 2023 (the effective date of
2 Public Act 103-488) through August 31, 2025, no candidate
3 completing a teacher preparation program in this State or
4 candidate subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code is required
5 to pass a teacher performance assessment. Except as otherwise
6 provided in this Article, beginning on September 1, 2015 until
7 August 4, 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 103-488) and
8 beginning again on September 1, 2025, all candidates
9 completing teacher preparation programs in this State and all
10 candidates subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code are required
11 to pass a teacher performance assessment approved by the State
12 Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator
13 Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of Education
14 and the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board are
15 required to approve more than one assessment, not from the
16 same source. Each teacher preparation program in this State
17 may use any evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness
18 that aligns to current State teaching standards in order for a
19 candidate to meet the requirements of this subsection (f). A
20 candidate may not be required to submit test materials by
21 video submission. Subject to appropriation, an individual who
22 holds a Professional Educator License and is employed for a
23 minimum of one school year by a school district designated as
24 Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after application to the
25 State Board, receive from the State Board a refund for any
26 costs associated with completing the teacher performance
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1 assessment under this subsection.
2 (f-5) The Teacher Performance Assessment Task Force is
3 created to evaluate potential performance-based and objective
4 teacher performance assessment systems for implementation
5 across all educator preparation programs in this State, with
6 the intention of ensuring consistency across programs and
7 supporting a thoughtful and well-rounded licensure system.
8 Members appointed to the Task Force must reflect the racial,
9 ethnic, and geographic diversity of this State. The Task Force
10 shall consist of all of the following members:
11 (1) One member of the Senate, appointed by the
12 President of the Senate.
13 (2) One member of the Senate, appointed by the
14 Minority Leader of the Senate.
15 (3) One member of the House of Representatives,
16 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
17 (4) One member of the House of Representatives,
18 appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
19 Representatives.
20 (5) One member who represents a statewide professional
21 teachers' organization, appointed by the State
22 Superintendent of Education.
23 (6) One member who represents a different statewide
24 professional teachers' organization, appointed by the
25 State Superintendent of Education.
26 (7) One member from a statewide organization
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1 representing school principals, appointed by the State
2 Superintendent of Education.
3 (8) One member from a statewide organization
4 representing regional superintendents of schools,
5 appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
6 (9) One member from a statewide organization
7 representing school administrators, appointed by the State
8 Superintendent of Education.
9 (10) One member representing a school district
10 organized under Article 34 of this Code, appointed by the
11 State Superintendent of Education.
12 (11) One member of an association representing rural
13 and small schools, appointed by the State Superintendent
14 of Education.
15 (12) One member representing a suburban school
16 district, appointed by the State Superintendent of
17 Education.
18 (13) One member from a statewide organization
19 representing school districts in the southern suburbs of
20 the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent
21 of Education.
22 (14) One member from a statewide organization
23 representing large unit school districts, appointed by the
24 State Superintendent of Education.
25 (15) One member from a statewide organization
26 representing school districts in the collar counties of
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1 the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent
2 of Education.
3 (16) Three members, each representing a different
4 public university in this State and each a current member
5 of the faculty of an approved educator preparation
6 program, appointed by the State Superintendent of
7 Education.
8 (17) Three members, each representing a different
9 4-year nonpublic university or college in this State and
10 each a current member of the faculty of an approved
11 educator preparation program, appointed by the State
12 Superintendent of Education.
13 (18) One member of the Board of Higher Education,
14 appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
15 (19) One member representing a statewide policy
16 organization advocating on behalf of multilingual students
17 and families, appointed by the State Superintendent of
18 Education.
19 (20) One member representing a statewide organization
20 focused on research-based education policy to support a
21 school system that prepares all students for college, a
22 career, and democratic citizenship, appointed by the State
23 Superintendent of Education.
24 (21) Two members representing an early childhood
25 advocacy organization, appointed by the State
26 Superintendent of Education.
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1 (22) One member representing a statewide organization
2 that partners with educator preparation programs and
3 school districts to support the growth and development of
4 preservice teachers, appointed by the State Superintendent
5 of Education.
6 (23) One member representing a statewide organization
7 that advocates for educational equity and racial justice
8 in schools, appointed by the State Superintendent of
9 Education.
10 (24) One member representing a statewide organization
11 that represents school boards, appointed by the State
12 Superintendent of Education.
13 (25) One member who has, within the last 5 years,
14 served as a cooperating teacher, appointed by the State
15 Superintendent of Education.
16 Members of the Task Force shall serve without
17 compensation. The Task Force shall first meet at the call of
18 the State Superintendent of Education, and each subsequent
19 meeting shall be called by the chairperson of the Task Force,
20 who shall be designated by the State Superintendent of
21 Education. The State Board of Education shall provide
22 administrative and other support to the Task Force.
23 On or before October 31, 2024, the Task Force shall report
24 on its work, including recommendations on a teacher
25 performance assessment system in this State, to the State
26 Board of Education and the General Assembly. The Task Force is
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1 dissolved upon submission of this report.
2 (g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher
3 performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to
4 time are designated by the State Board of Education, in
5 consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
6 Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing
7 organization or tests designed by the State Board of
8 Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
9 and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall
10 assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The
11 tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no
12 person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis
13 of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to
14 the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The
15 score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State
16 Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator
17 Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of
18 Education's rules for scoring the content area knowledge test
19 may include scoring and retaking of each test section
20 separately and independently. The tests shall be administered
21 not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and place as may be
22 designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation
23 with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.
24 The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess
25 the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of
26 applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under
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1 subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this
2 Code in the English language and in the language of the
3 transitional bilingual education program requested by the
4 applicant.
5 (h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the
6 provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school
7 district subject to Article 34 of this Code.
8 (i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the
9 testing requirements under this Section shall include, without
10 limitation, provisions governing test selection, test
11 validation, and determination of a passing score,
12 administration of the tests, frequency of administration,
13 applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the
14 years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special
15 accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop
16 such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to
17 year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.
18 (Source: P.A. 102-301, eff. 8-26-21; 103-402, eff. 7-28-23;
19 103-488, eff. 8-4-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 103-780, eff.
20 8-2-24; 103-811, eff. 8-9-24; 103-846, eff. 8-9-24.)
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