State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ Enrolled ][ House Amendment 001 ]

91_HB0534eng

 
HB0534 Engrossed                              LRB9101849NTsbA

 1        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  School  Code by changing Section
 2    14C-8.

 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:

 5        Section  5.   The  School  Code  is  amended  by changing
 6    Section 14C-8 as follows:

 7        (105 ILCS 5/14C-8) (from Ch. 122, par. 14C-8)
 8        Sec. 14C-8.  Teacher  certification  -  Qualifications  -
 9    Issuance  of  certificates.   No person shall be eligible for
10    employment by a school district as a teacher of  transitional
11    bilingual  education  without  either  (a)  holding  a  valid
12    teaching  certificate  issued  pursuant to Article 21 of this
13    Code  and  meeting  such  additional  language   and   course
14    requirements as prescribed by the State Board of Education or
15    (b)  meeting  the requirements set forth in this Section. The
16    Certification  Board  shall  issue  certificates  valid   for
17    teaching  in  all grades of the common school in transitional
18    bilingual education programs to any person  who  presents  it
19    with  satisfactory  evidence  that  he  possesses an adequate
20    speaking and reading ability in a language other than English
21    in which transitional  bilingual  education  is  offered  and
22    communicative  skills in English, and possessed within 5 five
23    years previous to his or her applying for a certificate under
24    this Section a valid teaching certificate issued by a foreign
25    country, or by a State or  possession  or  territory  of  the
26    United  States,  or other evidence of teaching preparation as
27    may be determined  to  be  sufficient  by  the  Certification
28    Board,  or  holds  a  degree  from  an  institution of higher
29    learning in a foreign country which the  Certification  Board
30    determines to be the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a
31    recognized  institution  of  higher  learning  in  the United
 
HB0534 Engrossed            -2-               LRB9101849NTsbA
 1    States; provided that any person seeking a certificate  under
 2    this Section must meet the following additional requirements:
 3        (1)  Such persons must be in good health;
 4        (2)  Such persons must be of sound moral character;
 5        (3)  Such  persons  must be legally present in the United
 6    States and possess legal authorization for employment;
 7        (4)  Such persons must not be  employed  to  replace  any
 8    presently   employed  teacher  who  otherwise  would  not  be
 9    replaced for any reason.
10        Certificates issuable pursuant to this Section  shall  be
11    issuable  only  during  the 5 years immediately following the
12    effective date of this  Act  and  thereafter  for  additional
13    periods  of  one  year only upon a determination by the State
14    Board of Education that a school district lacks the number of
15    teachers necessary to comply with the mandatory  requirements
16    of  Sections  14C-2.1  and  14C-3  of  this  Article  for the
17    establishment and maintenance  of  programs  of  transitional
18    bilingual  education  and  said  certificates  issued  by the
19    Certification Board shall be valid for a period  of  6  years
20    following  their  date  of issuance and shall not be renewed,
21    except that one renewal for a period  of  two  years  may  be
22    granted  if  necessary  to permit the holder of a certificate
23    issued under this Section to acquire a  teaching  certificate
24    pursuant  to  Article 21 of this Code.  Such certificates and
25    the persons to whom they are issued shall be exempt from  the
26    provisions  of  Article  21 of this Code except that Sections
27    21-12, 21-13, 21-16, 21-17, 21-19, 21-21,  21-22,  21-23  and
28    21-24   shall   continue   to   be  applicable  to  all  such
29    certificates.
30        After the effective date of this amendatory Act of  1984,
31    an additional renewal for a period to expire August 31, 1985,
32    may  be granted. The State Board of Education shall report to
33    the General Assembly  on  or  before  January  31,  1985  its
34    recommendations   for   the   qualification  of  teachers  of
 
HB0534 Engrossed            -3-               LRB9101849NTsbA
 1    bilingual education and for the qualification of teachers  of
 2    English  as  a  second  language.  Said qualification program
 3    shall take effect no later than August 31, 1985.
 4        Beginning July 1, 2001,  the  State  Board  of  Education
 5    shall  implement  a  test  or  tests  to assess the speaking,
 6    reading, writing, and grammar  skills  of  applicants  for  a
 7    certificate issued under this Section in the English language
 8    and  in  the language of the transitional bilingual education
 9    program  requested  by  the  applicant  and  shall  establish
10    appropriate  fees  for  these  tests.   The  State  Board  of
11    Education, in  consultation  with  the  Certification  Board,
12    shall  promulgate  rules  to  implement  the  required tests,
13    including specific provisions to govern test selection,  test
14    validation,  determination of a passing score, administration
15    of the test or tests, frequency of administration,  applicant
16    fees,  identification requirements for test takers, frequency
17    of applicants taking the tests, the years for which  a  score
18    is   valid,   waiving   tests   for   individuals   who  have
19    satisfactorily passed other tests, and  the  consequences  of
20    dishonest  conduct  in  the  application for or taking of the
21    tests.
22        If the qualifications of an applicant for  a  certificate
23    valid   for  teaching  in  transitional  bilingual  education
24    programs in all grades of the common schools do not meet  the
25    requirements   established   for   the   issuance   of   that
26    certificate, the Certification Board nevertheless shall issue
27    the   applicant  a  substitute  teacher's  certificate  under
28    Section 21-9  whenever  it  appears  from  the  face  of  the
29    application  submitted  for  certification  as  a  teacher of
30    transitional bilingual education and the  evidence  presented
31    in  support  thereof that the applicant's qualifications meet
32    the  requirements  established  for   the   issuance   of   a
33    certificate under Section 21-9; provided, that if it does not
34    appear  from  the  face  of  such  application and supporting
 
HB0534 Engrossed            -4-               LRB9101849NTsbA
 1    evidence that the applicant is qualified for  issuance  of  a
 2    certificate  under Section 21-9 the Certification Board shall
 3    evaluate the application with reference to  the  requirements
 4    for  issuance  of  certificates  under Section 21-9 and shall
 5    inform the applicant, at the time it denies  the  application
 6    submitted  for  certification  as  a  teacher of transitional
 7    bilingual education, of the additional  qualifications  which
 8    the  applicant must possess in order to meet the requirements
 9    established for issuance  of  (i)  a  certificate  valid  for
10    teaching  in transitional bilingual education programs in all
11    grades of the common schools and (ii) a substitute  teacher's
12    certificate under Section 21-9.
13    (Source: P.A. 86-1002.)

14        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
15    becoming law.

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