Section 25.11  New Certificates (February 15, 2000)

Section 21-2 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21-2] established a new system of teaching certificates effective February 15, 2000.  A complete list of the certificates that were available as of that date is found in Appendix B to this Part. 

a)         Holders of certain Illinois teaching certificates received, or shall receive, corresponding standard teaching certificates.  Certificates subject to exchange are listed in Appendix C to this Part; see also Sections 25.400 and 25.450 of this Part. Out-of-state candidates who qualify for Illinois teaching certificates pursuant to Section 25.425 of this Part and who pass the applicable examinations (see Section 25.720 of this Part) shall receive either initial or standard teaching certificates, and, except as provided in subsection (a)(3) of this Section, those who receive initial certificates shall be subject to the requirements of subsection (c) of this Section in terms of their subsequent receipt of standard teaching certificates.  An out-of-state applicant who does not qualify for an initial or standard certificate may qualify to receive a provisional certificate subject to the provisions of Section 21-10 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21-10].

1)         Standard certificates will be issued to candidates who present evidence of at least four years of teaching experience on a valid certificate issued by a state, territory, or possession of the United States.  (Section 21-2(b-5) of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21-2(b-5)])

2)         Initial certificates will be issued to qualified candidates with fewer than four years of teaching experience. 

A)        A recipient of an initial certificate pursuant to this subsection (a)(2) shall be eligible to apply for a comparable standard certificate when he or she has accumulated a total of four years' teaching experience on a valid certificate, including the time taught outside Illinois.

B)        Pursuant to Section 21-2(b-5) of the School Code, the 12 semester hours of graduate-level coursework needed to complete the option discussed in Section 25.905(d) of this Part and the 60 continuing professional development units (CPDUs) needed to complete the option discussed in Section 25.905(e) of this Part shall be reduced in proportion to the amount of teaching time a candidate needs to accumulate in Illinois in order to complete four years of teaching. The number of hours or CPDUs required shall be reduced by one-fourth for each full year of teaching completed outside Illinois.

3)         The requirements of Subpart K of this Part shall not apply to an individual who holds a second-tier certificate from another state.  (Section 21-2(b-5) of the School Code)  A "second-tier certificate" is one that is issued after a teacher has:

A)        held a prerequisite teaching certificate that was valid for the same area or areas of assignment, other than an emergency, provisional, or substitute certificate; and

B)        met specified additional requirements for professional development or induction to the profession of teaching.

4)         Certificates will be endorsed in accordance with the provisions of Sections 25.100 and 25.425 of this Part.

b)         A candidate completing an approved Illinois teacher preparation program may qualify for an initial teaching certificate by passing the applicable examinations (see Section 25.720 of this Part).

c)         An individual who has completed four years of teaching on an initial certificate (or on another certificate that was issued in conjunction with an initial certificate) may qualify for a comparable standard certificate as set forth in Subpart K of this Part.

1)         All endorsements shall be carried forward from an initial to the comparable standard certificate.

2)         A holder of an initial certificate who has not completed four years of teaching within four years may renew and register the certificate for additional four-year periods without limitation.  (Section 21-14(b) of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21-14(b)])

3)         A candidate who has taught for four years on an initial certificate but has not met the requirements of Subpart K of this Part may not receive another comparable initial teaching certificate.  For example, a holder of an initial elementary certificate will not be eligible to receive another initial elementary certificate.  However, such an individual may receive a reinstated certificate, valid for one year, during which he or she may complete the option chosen as a means of qualifying for the standard teaching certificate.  (Section 21-14(b) of the School Code) No initial certificate-holder may receive a reinstated certificate more than once pursuant to this subsection (c)(3).

4)         When an individual completes four years of teaching experience on an initial certificate, that certificate shall become invalid on the following June 30.

d)         A holder of an Illinois teaching certificate who has teaching experience on a valid certificate as required by Section 21-11.2 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21-11.2] may receive an additional certificate of another type as set forth in Section 25.37 of this Part, unless the additional certificate is to be issued based on comparable out-of-state certification.  Once an individual has received a standard teaching certificate, any other subsequently issued early childhood, elementary, secondary, special K-12, or special preschool-age 21 certificate shall also be a standard certificate, with the exception of any master certificate for which the individual also qualifies.

e)         "Four years of teaching experience" means the equivalent of four years' full-time employment, i.e., eight semesters of scheduled full-time teaching, which may, however, be accumulated in any combination of increments.  That is, it need not be accumulated through full-time teaching.  To permit timely processing of applications for standard certificates, the State Superintendent of Education may accept applications from individuals who are at least midway through their final semester of required teaching experience, provided that each such individual submits a letter that otherwise meets the requirements of subsection (f) of this Section but indicates that:

1)         the individual has completed 3½ years of teaching plus the required portion of the final semester; and

2)         the representative of the employing entity knows of no reason why the individual will not complete four years of teaching experience during the then-current semester.

f)          "Evidence of teaching experience" means a letter signed by the chief administrator or other designated official of the employing school district or nonpublic school (or other employing entity, if applicable to the holder of an early childhood certificate) documenting the nature and duration of the candidate's teaching.  A letter signed by an official of the state education agency in another state may be substituted for an employer's letter when the latter cannot be secured. Early childhood teaching experience shall be understood as contributing to the fulfillment of this requirement if gained in a position for which an early childhood certificate was required pursuant to the rules of the State Board of Education at 23 Ill. Adm. Code 235 (Early Childhood Block Grant).  Experience gained while teaching in a home school shall not be applicable to the fulfillment of this requirement.

g)         For purposes of this Section, "valid certificate" means a certificate equivalent to an Illinois master, standard, initial, or provisional early childhood, elementary, secondary, or special certificate.

h)         Upon application, a holder of certification issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) shall be issued a comparable Illinois master certificate.  Endorsements comparable to those held by the individual shall appear on the master certificate.  The State Board shall make available the list of NBPTS certifications for which Illinois master credentials are available and shall update that list as the NBPTS expands its areas of certification.

(Source:  Amended at 32 Ill. Reg. 13263, effective July 25, 2008)