Section 25.510  Endorsement for Paraprofessional Educators

a)         The term "paraprofessional" educator shall be used to refer to the non-certificated personnel authorized by Sections 10-22.34 and 34-18 of the Code to be employed to assist in instruction and who are required under Section 21B-20(2)(J) of the Code to hold an educator license with stipulations endorsed for paraprofessional educator, except that the following individuals are not subject to this Section:  

1)         Any individual whose paraprofessional approval was continued after June 30, 2013, subject to any limitations of that approval;

2)         Any individual who holds an educator license indicative of completion of at least a bachelor's degree;

3)         Any individual who holds an educator license with stipulations endorsed for career and technical educator (see Section 25.70); and

4)         Any individual who holds a short-term substitute teaching license (see Section 25.525).

b)         Each paraprofessional educator shall be of good character, as defined in Section 21B-15 of the Code.  Each paraprofessional educator shall be subject to that portion of Section 24-5 of the Code that requires physical fitness and freedom from communicable disease, including evidence of freedom from tuberculosis as may be required by Illinois Department of Public Health rules (77 Ill. Adm. Code 696; Control of Tuberculosis Code).  To receive an educator license with stipulations endorsed for paraprofessional educator, an individual shall:

1)         present evidence of having completed a minimum of 60 semester hours of college credit at a regionally accredited institution of higher education, which shall not include any remedial or developmental coursework that the applicant has taken;

2)         hold an associate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education;

3)         hold a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and pass the ParaPro test offered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) with at least the score identified by the State Board in consultation with SEPLB; or

4)         hold a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and pass the WorkKeys^® assessment offered by ACT with at least the score identified by the State Board in consultation with SEPLB.

c)         Revocation or Suspension of Approval or Licensure or other Permissible Sanction

1)         Revocation, suspension, or other permissible sanction may be initiated by the State Superintendent with respect to a paraprofessional approval or an educator license with stipulations endorsed for paraprofessional educator for any of the bases set forth in Section 21B-75(b) of the Code and any of these actions shall be governed by, and conducted in accordance with, 23 Ill. Adm. Code 475 (Contested Cases and Other Formal Hearings).  The State Superintendent's decision shall be considered an "administrative decision" for purposes of the Administrative Review Law [735 ILCS 5/Art. III].

2)         When the State Superintendent receives information indicating that an individual who holds approval as a paraprofessional or an educator license with stipulations endorsed for paraprofessional educator has been convicted of any offense as defined in Section 21B-80 of the Code, the State Superintendent shall forthwith revoke the individual's approval or license.  The State Superintendent's decision shall be considered an "administrative decision" for purposes of the Administrative Review Law.

3)         In accordance with Section 21B-20(2)(J) of the Code, the educator license with stipulations endorsed for paraprofessional is valid until June 30 immediately following five fiscal years after the license was issued and may be renewed upon application and payment of the fee required by Section 21B-40 of the Code to register the license.

d)         To receive an ELS-PARA an individual must be at least 18 years of age, and use the Educator License with Stipulations exclusively for grades prekindergarten through grade 8.

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 5954, effective April 11, 2023)