105 ILCS 5/21-4

(105 ILCS 5/21-4) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-4)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on June 30, 2013)

Sec. 21-4. Special certificate.

(a) A special certificate shall be valid for 4 years for teaching the special subjects named therein in all grades of the common schools. Subject to the provisions of Section 21-1a, it shall be issued to persons who have graduated from a recognized institution of higher learning with a bachelor's degree and with not fewer than 120 semester hours including a minimum of 16 semester hours in professional education, 5 of which shall be in student teaching under competent and close supervision. When the holder of such certificate has earned a master's degree, including eight semester hours of graduate professional education from a recognized institution of higher learning and with two years' teaching experience, it may be endorsed for supervision.

Such persons shall be recommended for the special certificate by a recognized institution as having completed an approved program of preparation which includes academic and professional courses approved by the State Superintendent of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(b) Those persons holding special certificates on February 15, 2000 shall be eligible for one of the following:

(1) The issuance of Standard Elementary and Standard Secondary Certificates with appropriate special certification designations as determined by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, and consistent with rules adopted by the State Board of Education. These certificates shall be renewed as provided in subsection (c) of Section 21-2.

(2) The issuance of Standard Special K-12 Certificates with appropriate special certification designations, which shall be renewed as provided in subsection (c) of Section 21-2. These certificates shall not be eligible for additional certification designations except as approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(c) Those persons eligible to receive K-12 certification after February 15, 2000 shall be issued Initial Elementary and Initial Secondary Certificates with appropriate special certification designations pursuant to this Section or Initial Special K-12 Certificates with appropriate special certification designations pursuant to this Section. These Initial K-12 Special Certificates shall not be eligible for additional certification designations except as approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(d) All persons holding a special certificate with a special education endorsement are exempt from the provisions of Section 2-3.71 of this Code, provided they meet all the other requirements for teaching as established by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

Beginning February 15, 2000, all persons exchanging a special certificate pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section with a special education endorsement or receiving a special education designation on either a special certificate or an elementary certificate issued pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section are exempt from the provisions of Section 2-3.71 of this Code, provided they meet all the other requirements for teaching as established by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

Certificates exchanged or issued pursuant to this subsection (d) shall be valid for teaching children with disabilities, as defined in Section 14-1.02 of this Code, and these special certificates shall be called Initial or Standard Special Preschool - Age 21 Certificates. Nothing in this subsection (d) shall be construed to adversely affect the rights of any person presently certificated, any person whose certification is currently pending, or any person who is currently enrolled or enrolls prior to February 15, 2000 in an approved Special K-12 certification program.

(e) This Section is repealed on June 30, 2013.

(Source: P.A. 97-607, eff. 8-26-11.)