95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB2481

 

Introduced 2/15/2008, by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21-1a   from Ch. 122, par. 21-1a
105 ILCS 5/21-10   from Ch. 122, par. 21-10

    Amends the Teacher Certification Article of the School Code. Removes a provision that provides that a person who holds a valid and comparable out-of-state certificate is not required to take the tests of basic skills and subject matter knowledge. Removes a provision that requires a provisional certificate holder to pass the examinations set forth by the State Board of Education within 9 months. Removes a provision that provides that a failure to pass the tests of basic skills and subject matter knowledge shall result in cancellation of a provisional certificate. Effective July 1, 2008.


LRB095 15748 NHT 41755 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2481 LRB095 15748 NHT 41755 b

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 21-1a and 21-10 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/21-1a)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-1a)
7     Sec. 21-1a. Tests required for certification and teacher
8 preparation.
9     (a) After July 1, 1988, in addition to all other
10 requirements, early childhood, elementary, special, high
11 school, school service personnel, or, except as provided in
12 Section 34-6, administrative certificates shall be issued to
13 persons who have satisfactorily passed a test of basic skills
14 and subject matter knowledge. A person who holds a valid and
15 comparable out-of-state certificate, however, is not required
16 to take a test of basic skills and is not required to take a
17 test of subject matter knowledge, provided that the person has
18 successfully passed a test of subject matter knowledge in
19 another state or territory of the United States that is
20 directly related in content to the specific subject area of
21 certification. The tests of basic skills and subject matter
22 knowledge shall be the tests which from time to time are
23 designated by the State Board of Education in consultation with

 

 

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1 the State Teacher Certification Board and may be tests prepared
2 by an educational testing organization or tests designed by the
3 State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
4 Certification Board. The areas to be covered by the test of
5 basic skills shall include the basic skills of reading,
6 writing, grammar and mathematics. The test of subject matter
7 knowledge shall assess content knowledge in the specific
8 subject field. The tests shall be designed to be racially
9 neutral to assure that no person in taking the tests is thereby
10 discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national
11 origin or other factors unrelated to the person's ability to
12 perform as a certificated employee. The score required to pass
13 the tests of basic skills and subject matter knowledge shall be
14 fixed by the State Board of Education in consultation with the
15 State Teacher Certification Board. The tests shall be held not
16 fewer than 3 times a year at such time and place as may be
17 designated by the State Board of Education in consultation with
18 the State Teacher Certification Board.
19     (b) Except as provided in Section 34-6, the provisions of
20 subsection (a) of this Section shall apply equally in any
21 school district subject to Article 34, provided that the State
22 Board of Education shall determine which certificates issued
23 under Sections 34-8.1 and 34-83 prior to July 1, 1988 are
24 comparable to any early childhood certificate, elementary
25 school certificate, special certificate, high school
26 certificate, school service personnel certificate or

 

 

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1 administrative certificate issued under this Article as of July
2 1, 1988.
3     (c) A person who holds an early childhood, elementary,
4 special, high school or school service personnel certificate
5 issued under this Article on or at any time before July 1,
6 1988, including a person who has been issued any such
7 certificate pursuant to Section 21-11.1 or in exchange for a
8 comparable certificate theretofore issued under Section 34-8.1
9 or Section 34-83, shall not be required to take or pass the
10 tests in order to thereafter have such certificate renewed.
11     (d) The State Board of Education in consultation with the
12 State Teacher Certification Board shall conduct a pilot
13 administration of the tests by administering the test to
14 students completing teacher education programs in the 1986-87
15 school year for the purpose of determining the effect and
16 impact of testing candidates for certification.
17     Beginning with the 2002-2003 academic year, a student may
18 not enroll in a teacher preparation program at a recognized
19 teacher training institution until he or she has passed the
20 basic skills test.
21     Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of
22 the 94th General Assembly, prior to completing an approved
23 teacher preparation program, a preservice education candidate
24 must satisfactorily pass the test of subject matter knowledge
25 in the discipline in which he or she will be certified to
26 teach. The teacher preparation program may require passage of

 

 

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1 the test of subject matter knowledge at any time during the
2 program, including prior to student teaching.
3     (e) The rules and regulations developed to implement the
4 required test of basic skills and subject matter knowledge
5 shall include the requirements of subsections (a), (b), and (c)
6 and shall include specific regulations to govern test
7 selection; test validation and determination of a passing
8 score; administration of the tests; frequency of
9 administration; applicant fees; frequency of applicants'
10 taking the tests; the years for which a score is valid; and,
11 waiving certain additional tests for additional certificates
12 to individuals who have satisfactorily passed the test of basic
13 skills and subject matter knowledge as required in subsection
14 (a). The State Board of Education shall provide, by rule,
15 specific policies that assure uniformity in the difficulty
16 level of each form of the basic skills test and each subject
17 matter knowledge test from test-to-test and year-to-year. The
18 State Board of Education shall also set a passing score for the
19 tests.
20     (f) The State Teacher Certification Board may issue a
21 nonrenewable temporary certificate between July 1, 1988 and
22 August 31, 1988 to individuals who have taken the tests of
23 basic skills and subject matter knowledge prescribed by this
24 Section but have not received such test scores by August 31,
25 1988. Such temporary certificates shall expire on December 31,
26 1988.

 

 

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1     (g) Beginning February 15, 2000, the State Board of
2 Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
3 Certification Board, shall implement and administer a new
4 system of certification for teachers in the State of Illinois.
5 The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
6 Teacher Certification Board, shall design and implement a
7 system of examinations and various other criteria which shall
8 be required prior to the issuance of Initial Teaching
9 Certificates and Standard Teaching Certificates. These
10 examinations and indicators shall be based on national and
11 State professional teaching standards, as determined by the
12 State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
13 Teacher Certification Board. The State Board of Education may
14 adopt any and all regulations necessary to implement and
15 administer this Section.
16     (h) The State Board of Education shall report to the
17 Illinois General Assembly and the Governor with
18 recommendations for further changes and improvements to the
19 teacher certification system no later than July 1, 1999 and on
20 an annual basis until July 1, 2001.
21 (Source: P.A. 93-679, eff. 6-30-04; 94-208, eff. 7-14-05.)
 
22     (105 ILCS 5/21-10)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-10)
23     Sec. 21-10. Provisional certificate.
24     (A) Until July 1, 1972, the State Teacher Certification
25 Board may issue a provisional certificate valid for teaching in

 

 

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1 elementary, high school or special subject fields subject to
2 the following conditions:
3     A provisional certificate may be issued to a person who
4 presents certified evidence of having earned a bachelor's
5 degree from a recognized institution of higher learning. The
6 academic and professional courses offered as a basis of the
7 provisional certificate shall be courses approved by the State
8 Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
9 Certification Board.
10     A certificate earned under this plan may be renewed at the
11 end of each two-year period upon evidence filed with the State
12 Teacher Certification Board that the holder has earned 8
13 semester hours of credit within the period; provided the
14 requirements for the certificate of the same type issued for
15 the teaching position for which the teacher is employed shall
16 be met by the end of the second renewal period. A second
17 provisional certificate shall not be issued. The credits so
18 earned must be approved by the State Board of Education in
19 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board and
20 must meet the general pattern for a similar type of certificate
21 issued on the basis of credit. No more than 4 semester hours
22 shall be chosen from elective subjects.
23     (B) After July 1, 1972, the State Teacher Certification
24 Board may issue a provisional certificate valid for teaching in
25 early childhood, elementary, high school or special subject
26 fields, or for providing service as school service personnel or

 

 

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1 for administering schools subject to the following conditions:
2 A provisional certificate may be issued to a person who meets
3 the requirements for a regular teaching, school service
4 personnel or administrative certificate in another State and
5 who presents certified evidence of having earned a bachelor's
6 degree from a recognized institution of higher learning. The
7 academic and professional courses offered as a basis of the
8 provisional certificate shall be courses approved by the State
9 Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
10 Certification Board. A certificate earned under this plan is
11 valid for a period of 2 years and shall not be renewed;
12 however, the individual to whom this certificate is issued
13 shall have passed or shall pass the examinations set forth by
14 the State Board of Education within 9 months of the date of
15 issuance of the provisional certificate. Failure to pass the
16 tests, required in Section 21-1a, shall result in the
17 cancellation of the provisional certificate.
18     (C) The State Teacher Certification Board may also issue a
19 provisional vocational certificate and a temporary provisional
20 vocational certificate.
21         (1) The requirements for a provisional vocational
22     certificate shall be determined by the State Board of
23     Education in consultation with the State Teacher
24     Certification Board; provided, the following minimum
25     requirements are met: (a) after July 1, 1972, at least 30
26     semester hours of credit from a recognized institution of

 

 

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1     higher learning; and (b) after July 1, 1974, at least 60
2     semester hours of credit from a recognized institution of
3     higher learning.
4         (2) The requirements for a temporary provisional
5     vocational certificate shall be determined by the State
6     Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
7     Certification Board; provided, the following minimum
8     requirements are met: (a) after July 1, 1973, at least
9     4,000 hours of work experience in the skill to be certified
10     for teaching; and (b) after July 1, 1975, at least 8,000
11     hours of work experience in the skill to be certified for
12     teaching. Any certificate issued under the provisions of
13     this paragraph shall expire on June 30 following the date
14     of issue. Renewals may be granted on a yearly basis, but
15     shall not be granted to any person who does not file with
16     the State Teacher Certification Board a transcript showing
17     at least 3 semester hours of credit earned during the
18     previous year in a recognized institution of learning. No
19     such certificate shall be issued except upon certification
20     by the employing board, subject to the approval of the
21     regional superintendent of schools, that no qualified
22     teacher holding a regular certificate or a provisional
23     vocational certificate is available and that actual
24     circumstances and need require such issuance.
25     The courses or work experience offered as a basis for the
26 issuance of the provisional vocational certificate or the

 

 

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1 temporary provisional vocational certificate shall be approved
2 by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State
3 Teacher Certification Board.
4     (D) Until July 1, 1972, the State Teacher Certification
5 Board may also issue a provisional foreign language certificate
6 valid for 4 years for teaching the foreign language named
7 therein in all grades of the common schools and shall be issued
8 to persons who have graduated from a recognized institution of
9 higher learning with not fewer than 120 semester hours of
10 credit and who have met other requirements as determined by the
11 State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
12 Certification Board. If the holder of a provisional foreign
13 language certificate is not a citizen of the United States
14 within 6 years of the date of issuance of the original
15 certificate, such certificate shall be suspended by the
16 regional superintendent of schools of the region in which the
17 holder is engaged to teach and shall not be reinstated until
18 the holder is a citizen of the United States.
19     (E) Notwithstanding anything in this Act to the contrary,
20 the State Teacher Certification Board shall issue part-time
21 provisional certificates to eligible individuals who are
22 professionals and craftsmen.
23     The requirements for a part-time provisional teachers
24 certificate shall be determined by the State Board of Education
25 in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board,
26 provided the following minimum requirements are met: 60

 

 

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1 semester hours of credit from a recognized institution of
2 higher learning or 4000 hours of work experience in the skill
3 to be certified for teaching.
4     A part-time provisional certificate may be issued for
5 teaching no more than 2 courses of study for grades 6 through
6 12.
7     A part-time provisional teachers certificate shall be
8 valid for 2 years and may be renewed at the end of each 2 year
9 period.
10 (Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)
 
11     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
12 2008.