Illinois General Assembly

  Bills & Resolutions  
  Compiled Statutes  
  Public Acts  
  Legislative Reports  
  IL Constitution  
  Legislative Guide  
  Legislative Glossary  

 Search By Number
 (example: HB0001)
Search Tips

Search By Keyword

Illinois Compiled Statutes

 ILCS Listing   Public Acts  Search   Guide   Disclaimer

Information maintained by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Updating the database of the Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) is an ongoing process. Recent laws may not yet be included in the ILCS database, but they are found on this site as Public Acts soon after they become law. For information concerning the relationship between statutes and Public Acts, refer to the Guide.

Because the statute database is maintained primarily for legislative drafting purposes, statutory changes are sometimes included in the statute database before they take effect. If the source note at the end of a Section of the statutes includes a Public Act that has not yet taken effect, the version of the law that is currently in effect may have already been removed from the database and you should refer to that Public Act to see the changes made to the current law.

105 ILCS 5/21B-50

    (105 ILCS 5/21B-50)
    (Text of Section from P.A. 103-111)
    Sec. 21B-50. Alternative Educator Licensure Program.
    (a) There is established an alternative educator licensure program, to be known as the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.
    (b) The Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers may be offered by a recognized institution approved to offer educator preparation programs by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.
    The program shall be comprised of up to 3 phases:
        (1) A course of study that at a minimum includes
    
instructional planning; instructional strategies, including special education, reading, and English language learning; classroom management; and the assessment of students and use of data to drive instruction.
        (2) A year of residency, which is a candidate's
    
assignment to a full-time teaching position or as a co-teacher for one full school year. An individual must hold an Educator License with Stipulations with an alternative provisional educator endorsement in order to enter the residency. In residency, the candidate must: be assigned an effective, fully licensed teacher by the principal or principal equivalent to act as a mentor and coach the candidate through residency, complete additional program requirements that address required State and national standards, pass the State Board's teacher performance assessment and be recommended by the principal or qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator to be recommended for full licensure or to continue with a second year of the residency.
        (3) (Blank).
        (4) A comprehensive assessment of the candidate's
    
teaching effectiveness, as evaluated by the principal or qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator, at the end of either the first or the second year of residency. If there is disagreement between the 2 evaluators about the candidate's teaching effectiveness at the end of the first year of residency, a second year of residency shall be required. If there is disagreement between the 2 evaluators at the end of the second year of residency, the candidate may complete one additional year of residency teaching under a professional development plan developed by the principal or qualified equivalent and the preparation program. At the completion of the third year, a candidate must have positive evaluations and a recommendation for full licensure from both the principal or qualified equivalent and the program coordinator or no Professional Educator License shall be issued.
    Successful completion of the program shall be deemed to satisfy any other practice or student teaching and content matter requirements established by law.
    (c) An alternative provisional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for up to 2 years of teaching in the public schools, including without limitation a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or charter school, or in a State-recognized nonpublic school in which the chief administrator is required to have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public school in this State, but may be renewed for a third year if needed to complete the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers. The endorsement shall be issued only once to an individual who meets all of the following requirements:
        (1) Has graduated from a regionally accredited
    
college or university with a bachelor's degree or higher.
        (2) (Blank).
        (3) Has completed a major in the content area if
    
seeking a middle or secondary level endorsement or, if seeking an early childhood, elementary, or special education endorsement, has completed a major in the content area of early childhood reading, English/language arts, mathematics, or one of the sciences. If the individual does not have a major in a content area for any level of teaching, he or she must submit transcripts to the State Board of Education to be reviewed for equivalency.
        (4) Has successfully completed phase (1) of
    
subsection (b) of this Section.
        (5) Has passed a content area test required for the
    
specific endorsement for admission into the program, as required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.
    A candidate possessing the alternative provisional educator endorsement may receive a salary, benefits, and any other terms of employment offered to teachers in the school who are members of an exclusive bargaining representative, if any, but a school is not required to provide these benefits during the years of residency if the candidate is serving only as a co-teacher. If the candidate is serving as the teacher of record, the candidate must receive a salary, benefits, and any other terms of employment. Residency experiences must not be counted towards tenure.
    (d) The recognized institution offering the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers must partner with a school district, including without limitation a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or charter school, or a State-recognized, nonpublic school in this State in which the chief administrator is required to have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public school in this State. A recognized institution that partners with a public school district administering a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code must require a principal to recommend or evaluate candidates in the program. A recognized institution that partners with an eligible entity administering a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code and that is not a public school district must require a principal or qualified equivalent of a principal to recommend or evaluate candidates in the program. The program presented for approval by the State Board of Education must demonstrate the supports that are to be provided to assist the provisional teacher during the 1-year or 2-year residency period and if the residency period is to be less than 2 years in length, assurances from the partner school districts to provide intensive mentoring and supports through at least the end of the second full year of teaching for educators who completed the Alternative Educators Licensure Program in less than 2 years. These supports must, at a minimum, provide additional contact hours with mentors during the first year of residency.
    (e) Upon completion of phases under paragraphs (1), (2), (4), and, if needed, (3) in subsection (b) of this Section and all assessments required under Section 21B-30 of this Code, an individual shall receive a Professional Educator License.
    (f) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish and implement the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.
(Source: P.A. 103-111, eff. 6-29-23.)
 
    (Text of Section from P.A. 103-488)
    Sec. 21B-50. Alternative Educator Licensure Program.
    (a) There is established an alternative educator licensure program, to be known as the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.
    (b) The Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers may be offered by a recognized institution approved to offer educator preparation programs by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.
    The program shall be comprised of 4 phases:
        (1) A course of study that at a minimum includes
    
instructional planning; instructional strategies, including special education, reading, and English language learning; classroom management; and the assessment of students and use of data to drive instruction.
        (2) A year of residency, which is a candidate's
    
assignment to a full-time teaching position or as a co-teacher for one full school year. An individual must hold an Educator License with Stipulations with an alternative provisional educator endorsement in order to enter the residency and must complete additional program requirements that address required State and national standards, pass the State Board's teacher performance assessment, if required under Section 21B-30, no later than the end of the first semester of the second year of residency, as required under phase (3) of this subsection (b), and be recommended by the principal or qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator to continue with the second year of the residency.
        (3) A second year of residency, which shall include
    
the candidate's assignment to a full-time teaching position for one school year. The candidate must be assigned an experienced teacher to act as a mentor and coach the candidate through the second year of residency.
        (4) A comprehensive assessment of the candidate's
    
teaching effectiveness, as evaluated by the principal or qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator, at the end of the second year of residency. If there is disagreement between the 2 evaluators about the candidate's teaching effectiveness, the candidate may complete one additional year of residency teaching under a professional development plan developed by the principal or qualified equivalent and the preparation program. At the completion of the third year, a candidate must have positive evaluations and a recommendation for full licensure from both the principal or qualified equivalent and the program coordinator or no Professional Educator License shall be issued.
    Successful completion of the program shall be deemed to satisfy any other practice or student teaching and content matter requirements established by law.
    (c) An alternative provisional educator endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 2 years of teaching in the public schools, including without limitation a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or charter school, or in a State-recognized nonpublic school in which the chief administrator is required to have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public school in this State, but may be renewed for a third year if needed to complete the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers. The endorsement shall be issued only once to an individual who meets all of the following requirements:
        (1) Has graduated from a regionally accredited
    
college or university with a bachelor's degree or higher.
        (2) (Blank).
        (3) Has completed a major in the content area if
    
seeking a middle or secondary level endorsement or, if seeking an early childhood, elementary, or special education endorsement, has completed a major in the content area of reading, English/language arts, mathematics, or one of the sciences. If the individual does not have a major in a content area for any level of teaching, he or she must submit transcripts to the State Board of Education to be reviewed for equivalency.
        (4) Has successfully completed phase (1) of
    
subsection (b) of this Section.
        (5) Has passed a content area test required for the
    
specific endorsement for admission into the program, as required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.
    A candidate possessing the alternative provisional educator endorsement may receive a salary, benefits, and any other terms of employment offered to teachers in the school who are members of an exclusive bargaining representative, if any, but a school is not required to provide these benefits during the years of residency if the candidate is serving only as a co-teacher. If the candidate is serving as the teacher of record, the candidate must receive a salary, benefits, and any other terms of employment. Residency experiences must not be counted towards tenure.
    (d) The recognized institution offering the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers must partner with a school district, including without limitation a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or charter school, or a State-recognized, nonpublic school in this State in which the chief administrator is required to have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public school in this State. A recognized institution that partners with a public school district administering a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code must require a principal to recommend or evaluate candidates in the program. A recognized institution that partners with an eligible entity administering a preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code and that is not a public school district must require a principal or qualified equivalent of a principal to recommend or evaluate candidates in the program. The program presented for approval by the State Board of Education must demonstrate the supports that are to be provided to assist the provisional teacher during the 2-year residency period. These supports must provide additional contact hours with mentors during the first year of residency.
    (e) Upon completion of the 4 phases outlined in subsection (b) of this Section and all assessments required under Section 21B-30 of this Code, an individual shall receive a Professional Educator License.
    (f) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish and implement the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.
(Source: P.A. 103-488, eff. 8-4-23.)