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91_HB1670enr HB1670 Enrolled LRB9103489NTsb 1 AN ACT to amend the School Code. 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 5 Section 21-5b as follows: 6 (105 ILCS 5/21-5b) 7 Sec. 21-5b. Alternative certification. The State Board 8 of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher 9 Certification Board, shall establish and implement an 10 alternative certification program under which persons who 11 meet the requirements of and successfully complete the 12 program established by this Section shall be issued an 13 alternative teaching certificate for teaching in the schools 14situated in a school district that is located in a city15having a population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants. The 16 program shall be limited to not more than 260 new 17 participants during each year that the program is in effect. 18In establishing an alternative certification program under19this Section, the State Board of Education shall designate20the City of Chicago as the area in the State where the21program shall be made available. In addition,The State 22 Board of Education, in cooperation with a partnership formed 23 with a university that offers 4-year baccalaureate and 24 masters degree programs and that is a recognized institution 25 as defined in Section 21-21 and one or more not-for-profit 26 organizations in the State which support excellence in 27 teaching, shall within 30 days after submission by the 28 partnership approve a course of study developed by the 29 partnership that persons in the program must successfully 30 complete in order to satisfy one criterion for issuance of an 31 alternative certificate under this Section. The Alternative HB1670 Enrolled -2- LRB9103489NTsb 1 Teacher Certification program course of study must include 2 the current content and skills contained in the university's 3 current courses for State certification which have been 4 approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation 5 with the State Teacher Certification Board, as the 6 requirement for State teacher certification. 7 The alternative certification program established under 8 this Section shall be known as the Alternative Teacher 9 Certification program. The Alternative Teacher Certification 10 Program shall be offered by the submitting partnership and 11 may be offered in conjunction with one or more not-for-profit 12 organizations in the State which support excellence in 13 teaching. The program shall be comprised of the following 3 14 phases: (a) the first phase is the course of study offered on 15 an intensive basis in education theory, instructional 16 methods, and practice teaching; (b) the second phase is the 17 person's assignment to a full-time teaching position for one 18 school year; and (c) the third phase is a comprehensive 19 assessment of the person's teaching performance by school 20 officials and the partnership participants and a 21 recommendation by the partner institution of higher education 22 to the State Board of Education that the person be issued a 23 standard alternative teaching certificate. Successful 24 completion of the Alternative Teacher Certification program 25 shall be deemed to satisfy any other practice or student 26 teaching and subject matter requirements established by law. 27 A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for 28 one year of teaching in the common schools and not renewable, 29 shall be issued under this Section 21-5b to persons who at 30 the time of applying for the provisional alternative teaching 31 certificate under this Section: 32 (1) have graduated from an accredited college or 33 university with a bachelor's degree; 34 (2) have successfully completed the first phase of HB1670 Enrolled -3- LRB9103489NTsb 1 the Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided 2 in this Section;and3 (3) have passed the tests of basic skills and 4 subject matter knowledge required by Section 21-1a; and 5 (4) have been employed for a period of at least 5 6 years in an area requiring application of the 7 individual's education; however, this requirement does 8 not apply with respect to a provisional alternative 9 teaching certificate for teaching in schools situated in 10 a school district that is located in a city having a 11 population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants. 12 A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate 13 under this Section shall be treated as a regularly certified 14 teacher for purposes of compensation, benefits, and other 15 terms and conditions of employment afforded teachers in the 16 school who are members of a bargaining unit represented by an 17 exclusive bargaining representative, if any. 18 Until February 15, 2000, a standard alternative teaching 19 certificate, valid for 4 years for teaching in the schools 20situated in a school district that is located in a city21having a population in excess of 500,000 inhabitantsand 22 renewable as provided in Section 21-14, shall be issued under 23 this Section 21-5b to persons who first complete the 24 requirements for the provisional alternative teaching 25 certificate and who at the time of applying for a standard 26 alternative teaching certificate under this Section have 27 successfully completed the second and third phases of the 28 Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided in this 29 Section. Alternatively, beginning February 15, 2000, at the 30 end of the 4-year validity period, persons who were issued a 31 standard alternative teaching certificate shall be eligible, 32 on the same basis as holders of an Initial Teaching 33 Certificate issued under subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of 34 this Code, to apply for a Standard Teaching Certificate, HB1670 Enrolled -4- LRB9103489NTsb 1 provided they meet the requirements of subsection (c) of 2 Section 21-2 of this Code and further provided that a person 3 who does not apply for and receive a Standard Teaching 4 Certificate shall be able to teach only in schools situated 5 in a school district that is located in a city having a 6 population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants. 7 Beginning February 15, 2000, persons who have completed 8 the requirements for a standard alternative teaching 9 certificate under this Section shall be issued an Initial 10 Alternative Teaching Certificate valid for 4 years of 11 teaching and not renewable. At the end of the 4-year 12 validity period, these persons shall be eligible, on the same 13 basis as holders of an Initial Teaching Certificate issued 14 under subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of this Code, to apply 15 for a Standard Teaching Certificate, provided they meet the 16 requirements of subsection (c) of Section 21-2. 17 This alternative certification program shall be 18 implemented so that the first provisional alternative 19 teaching certificates issued under this Section are effective 20 upon the commencement of the 1997-1998 academic year and the 21 first standard alternative teaching certificates issued under 22 this Section are effective upon the commencement of the 23 1998-1999 academic year. 24 The State Board of Education, in cooperation with the 25 partnership establishing the Alternative Teacher 26 Certification program, shall adopt rules and regulations that 27 are consistent with this Section and that the State Board of 28 Education deems necessary to establish and implement the 29 program. 30 (Source: P.A. 89-708, eff. 2-14-97.) 31 Section 10. If and only if Senate Bill 556 of the 91st 32 General Assembly becomes law, the School Code is amended by 33 changing Section 21-2 as follows: HB1670 Enrolled -5- LRB9103489NTsb 1 (105 ILCS 5/21-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-2) 2 Sec. 21-2. Grades of certificates. 3 (a) Until February 15, 2000, all certificates issued 4 under this Article shall be State certificates valid, except 5 as limited in Section 21-1, in every school district coming 6 under the provisions of this Act and shall be limited in time 7 and designated as follows: Provisional vocational 8 certificate, temporary provisional vocational certificate, 9 early childhood certificate, elementary school certificate, 10 special certificate, high school certificate, school service 11 personnel certificate, administrative certificate, 12 provisional certificate, and substitute certificate. The 13 requirement of student teaching under close and competent 14 supervision for obtaining a teaching certificate may be 15 waived by the State Teacher Certification Board upon 16 presentation to the Board by the teacher of evidence of 5 17 years successful teaching experience on a valid certificate 18 and graduation from a recognized institution of higher 19 learning with a bachelor's degree with not less than 120 20 semester hours and a minimum of 16 semester hours in 21 professional education. 22 (b) Initial Teaching Certificate. Beginning February 23 15, 2000, persons who (1) have completed an approved teacher 24 preparation program, (2) are recommended by an approved 25 teacher preparation program, (3) have successfully completed 26 the Initial Teaching Certification examinations required by 27 the State Board of Education, and (4) have met all other 28 criteria established by the State Board of Education in 29 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, 30 shall be issued an Initial Teaching Certificate valid for 4 31 years of teaching, as defined in Section 21-14 of this Code. 32 Initial Teaching Certificates shall be issued for categories 33 corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and 34 Special K-12, with special certification designations for HB1670 Enrolled -6- LRB9103489NTsb 1 Special Education, Bilingual Education, fundamental learning 2 areas (including Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, 3 Science, Social Science, Physical Development and Health, 4 Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas designated 5 by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the 6 State Teacher Certification Board. 7 (c) Standard Certificate. Beginning February 15, 2000, 8 persons who (1) have completed 4 years of teaching, as 9 defined in Section 21-14 of this Code, with an Initial 10 Certificate or an Initial Alternative Teaching Certificate 11 and have met all other criteria established by the State 12 Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher 13 Certification Board, (2) have completed 4 years of teaching 14 on a valid equivalent certificate in another State or 15 territory of the United States, or have completed 4 years of 16 teaching in a nonpublic Illinois elementary or secondary 17 school with an Initial Certificate or an Initial Alternative 18 Teaching Certificate, and have met all other criteria 19 established by the State Board of Education, in consultation 20 with the State Teacher Certification Board, or (3) were 21 issued teaching certificates prior to February 15, 2000 and 22 are renewing those certificates after February 15, 2000, 23 shall be issued a Standard Certificate valid for 5 years, 24 which may be renewed thereafter every 5 years by the State 25 Teacher Certification Board based on proof of continuing 26 education or professional development. Beginning July 1, 27 2003, persons who have completed 4 years of teaching, as 28 described in clauses (1) and (2) of this subsection (c), have 29 successfully completed the Standard Teaching Certificate 30 Examinations, and have met all other criteria established by 31 the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State 32 Teacher Certification Board, shall be issued Standard 33 Certificates. Standard Certificates shall be issued for 34 categories corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary, HB1670 Enrolled -7- LRB9103489NTsb 1 Secondary, and Special K-12, with special certification 2 designations for Special Education, Bilingual Education, 3 fundamental learning areas (including Language Arts, Reading, 4 Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Physical Development 5 and Health, Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas 6 designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation 7 with the State Teacher Certification Board. 8 (d) Master Certificate. Beginning February 15, 2000, 9 persons who have successfully achieved National Board 10 certification through the National Board for Professional 11 Teaching Standards shall be issued a Master Certificate, 12 valid for 10 years and renewable thereafter every 10 years 13 through compliance with requirements set forth by the State 14 Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher 15 Certification Board. 16 (Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98; 90-653, eff. 7-29-98; 17 90-811, eff. 1-26-99; 91SB0556enrolled.)