Section 25.70  Provisional Vocational Certificate

a)         Each applicant for a provisional vocational certificate shall present evidence of having completed 60 semester hours of college coursework from a regionally accredited institution and 2,000 hours of work experience in each area to be taught.  The required evidence of this work experience shall be written statements from former supervisors who can be reached for verification or, in cases in which supervisors are no longer available to verify the individual's employment, affidavits by the applicant describing the work experience.

b)         Each provisional vocational certificate issued on or after July 1, 2009 shall be valid for five years and shall be renewable contingent upon the certificate-holder's fulfillment of the applicable requirements set forth in this Section.

c)         Each provisional vocational certificate issued on or before June 30, 2009 shall be valid for five years from the date of issue or the date of its most recent registration, whichever is later.  When any such certificate is next registered after June 30, 2009, the registration shall be for a five-year period of validity, and renewal of the certificate after that five-year period shall be contingent upon the certificate-holder's fulfillment of the applicable requirements of this Section.

d)         For purposes of this subsection (d), coursework shall be considered "related to education" if it leads to teaching, administrative, or school service personnel certification or endorsement or if it relates to the field of an individual's current teaching assignment or any other field of teaching assignment.  Each affected certificate-holder shall complete:

1)         eight semester hours of undergraduate or graduate-level coursework related to education, of which no fewer than two semester hours must address advancing the certificate-holder's knowledge and skills as a teacher in relation to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards (see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 24.100) and the content-area standards in his or her area of certification, endorsement, or assignment; or

2)         one hundred twenty continuing professional development units (CPDUs) in accordance with Section 25.875 of this Part; or

3)         any combination of the types of activities described in subsections (a)(1) and (2) of this Section, provided that the total effort represents the equivalent of 120 CPDUs, and provided that one semester hour of college credit shall be considered the equivalent of 15 CPDUs; or

4)         an advanced degree from a regionally accredited institution in an education-related field; or

5)         all required activities in pursuit of certification or recertification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS); or

6)         four semester hours of graduate-level coursework on the assessment of one's own performance in relation to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards; or

7)         four semester hours of graduate-level coursework in preparation for meeting the requirements for certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

e)         Each professional development activity used to fulfill the requirements of this Section, other than those identified in subsections (d)(4)-(7) of this Section, shall be required to address one or more of the purposes identified for the renewal of standard and master certificates in Section 21-14(e)(2) of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21-14(e)(2)].  At least 20 percent of the units required must address the purpose identified in Section 21-14(e)(2)(E) of the School Code.

f)          CPDUs shall be generated for completion of activities in accordance with provisions of Section 25.875 of this Part, provided that the activity described in subsection (h) of that Section shall not be used to generate CPDUs for holders of the provisional vocational certificate and references to Section 21-14 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21-14] are not applicable in the case of the provisional vocational certificate.

g)         The provisions of Sections 25.855, 25.860, 25.865, and 25.872 of this Part shall apply to the awarding of CPDUs for activities offered by providers, provided that:

1)         the references to Section 21-14 of the School Code are not applicable to the provisional vocational certificate;

2)         references to Subpart J of this Part shall be understood as referring to this Section where necessary to the context; and

3)         references to continuing education units (CEUs) shall not apply in the case of the provisional vocational certificate.

h)         Each provisional vocational certificate shall be maintained as "valid and active" or "valid and exempt" for each semester of its validity.  Periods of exemption and proportionate reductions in the requirements for continuing professional development shall be determined as discussed in Section 25.880(a) of this Part.  In addition, the number of continuing professional development units needed to renew the certificate shall be reduced by 50 percent for any amount of time during which the certificate-holder has been employed and performing services on a part-time basis, i.e., for less than 50 percent of the school day or school term.

i)          Credit earned for any activity that is completed (or for which the certificate-holder receives evidence of completion) on or after April 1 of the final year of a certificate's validity, if not claimed with respect to that period of validity, may be carried over and claimed in the subsequent period of validity, provided that the activity in question is relevant to the requirements that apply to that period.

j)          Each certificate-holder shall:

1)         maintain the required form of evidence of completion for each activity throughout the period of validity that follows the renewal of the certificate based on completion of the activities documented; and

2)         present the evidence of completion upon request by the regional superintendent or a representative of the State Board of Education or if required as part of an appeal under Section 25.840 of this Part.

k)         Each holder of a provisional vocational certificate shall apply for renewal of that certificate as set forth with respect to standard teaching certificates in Section 25.830 of this Part, including the submission of a statement of assurance that conforms to the requirements of subsection (b) of that Section, except that:

1)         each application for certificate renewal shall be submitted to the regional superintendent of schools, regardless of whether a local professional development committee is in operation in the employing district; and

2)         references to standard certificates in that Section shall be understood to apply to provisional vocational certificates as necessary to the context.

l)          Within 14 days after receiving an application for the renewal of a provisional vocational certificate, the regional superintendent shall forward to the State Teacher Certification Board a recommendation for renewal or nonrenewal on a form prescribed by the State Superintendent of Education.

1)         The regional superintendent shall transmit a list identifying all the certificate-holders with respect to whom the regional superintendent is recommending renewal of provisional vocational certificates, along with verification that:

A)        each certificate-holder has completed professional development or otherwise qualifies for certificate renewal in accordance with this Section; and

B)        each certificate-holder has submitted the statement of assurance required in accordance with subsection (k) of this Section.

2)         If the recommendation is not to renew the certificates held, or if the application indicates the individual is or may be out of compliance with Section 10-65 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act [5 ILCS 100/10-65] with regard to child support payments, the certificate-holder's copy shall be sent concurrently by certified mail, return receipt requested.  Each recommendation for nonrenewal shall include the regional superintendent's rationale.

m)        A certificate-holder with respect to whom a regional superintendent has recommended nonrenewal of the provisional vocational certificate may appeal to the State Teacher Certification Board in accordance with the provisions of Section 25.835(h) of this Part, except that references to the requirements of Section 21-14 of the School Code shall not apply in the case of the provisional vocational certificate.

n)         The State Teacher Certification Board shall review regional superintendents' recommendations regarding the renewal of provisional vocational certificates and notify the affected certificate-holders in writing as to whether their certificates have been renewed or not renewed.  This notification shall take place within 90 days after the State Teacher Certification Board receives regional superintendents' recommendations, subject to the right of appeal set forth in this subsection (n).

1)         Within 60 days after receipt of an appeal filed by a certificate-holder challenging a regional superintendent's recommendation for nonrenewal, the State Teacher Certification Board shall hold an appeal hearing.  The Board shall notify the certificate-holder of the date, time, and place of the hearing.

2)         The certificate-holder shall submit to the State Teacher Certification Board such additional information as the Certification Board determines is necessary to decide the appeal.

3)         The State Teacher Certification Board may request that the certificate-holder appear before it.  The certificate-holder shall be given at least ten days' notice of the date, time, and place of the hearing.

4)         In verifying whether the certificate-holder has met the renewal criteria set forth in this Section, the State Teacher Certification Board shall review the recommendation of the regional superintendent of schools and all relevant documentation.

o)         The State Teacher Certification Board shall notify the certificate-holder in writing, within seven days after completing its review, as to whether the certificate has been renewed.  Upon receipt of notification of renewal, the certificate-holder shall pay the applicable registration fee to the regional superintendent.  If the decision is not to renew the certificate, the notice to the certificate-holder shall be transmitted by certified mail, return receipt requested, and shall state the reason for the decision.  The decision of the State Teacher Certification Board is final and subject to administrative review as set forth in Section 21-24 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/21-24].

p)         An individual whose certificate is not renewed because of his or her failure to meet the requirements of this Section may apply for a reinstated certificate valid for one year.  After the one-year period of validity of the reinstated certificate, the individual shall receive a renewable provisional vocational certificate only if he or she presents evidence of having:

1)         completed the balance of the professional development activities that were required for renewal of the certificate previously held; and

2)         earned five additional semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning relevant to the field of certification.

q)         The provisions of Section 25.840(d) of this Part shall apply to the renewal of the provisional vocational certificate.

r)          An individual who performs services on a provisional vocational certificate and concurrently also on some other type of certificate that is subject to renewal requirements shall be subject to the provisions of Section 25.475 of this Part.

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