State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Senate Amendment 002 ][ Conference Committee Report 001 ]

91_HB1670sam001

 










                                           LRB9103489NTsbam01

 1                    AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1670

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend House Bill 1670  by  replacing
 3    the title with the following:
 4        "AN  ACT  to  amend  the  School Code by changing Section
 5    21-5b."; and

 6    by replacing everything after the enacting  clause  with  the
 7    following:

 8        "Section  5.   The  School  Code  is  amended by changing
 9    Section 21-5b as follows:

10        (105 ILCS 5/21-5b)
11        Sec. 21-5b.  Alternative certification.  The State  Board
12    of   Education,   in  consultation  with  the  State  Teacher
13    Certification  Board,  shall  establish  and   implement   an
14    alternative  certification  program  under  which persons who
15    meet  the  requirements  of  and  successfully  complete  the
16    program established  by  this  Section  shall  be  issued  an
17    alternative teaching certificate for teaching in the schools
18    situated  in  a  school  district  that  is located in a city
19    having a population in excess  of  500,000  inhabitants.  The
20    program   shall   be   limited  to  not  more  than  260  new
21    participants during each year that the program is in effect.
 
                            -2-            LRB9103489NTsbam01
 1    In establishing an alternative  certification  program  under
 2    this  Section,  the  State Board of Education shall designate
 3    the City of Chicago as  the  area  in  the  State  where  the
 4    program  shall  be  made  available.  In addition,  The State
 5    Board of Education, in cooperation with a partnership  formed
 6    with  a  university  that  offers  4-year  baccalaureate  and
 7    masters  degree programs and that is a recognized institution
 8    as defined in Section 21-21 and one  or  more  not-for-profit
 9    organizations  in  the  State  which  support  excellence  in
10    teaching,  shall  within  30  days  after  submission  by the
11    partnership approve  a  course  of  study  developed  by  the
12    partnership  that  persons  in  the program must successfully
13    complete in order to satisfy one criterion for issuance of an
14    alternative certificate under this Section.  The  Alternative
15    Teacher  Certification  program  course of study must include
16    the current content and skills contained in the  university's
17    current  courses  for  State  certification  which  have been
18    approved by the State Board  of  Education,  in  consultation
19    with   the   State   Teacher   Certification  Board,  as  the
20    requirement for State teacher certification.
21        The alternative certification program  established  under
22    this  Section  shall  be  known  as  the  Alternative Teacher
23    Certification program.  The Alternative Teacher Certification
24    Program shall be offered by the  submitting  partnership  and
25    may be offered in conjunction with one or more not-for-profit
26    organizations  in  the  State  which  support  excellence  in
27    teaching.   The program shall be comprised of the following 3
28    phases: (a) the first phase is the course of study offered on
29    an  intensive  basis  in  education   theory,   instructional
30    methods,  and  practice teaching; (b) the second phase is the
31    person's assignment to a full-time teaching position for  one
32    school  year;  and  (c)  the  third  phase is a comprehensive
33    assessment of the person's  teaching  performance  by  school
34    officials    and   the   partnership   participants   and   a
 
                            -3-            LRB9103489NTsbam01
 1    recommendation by the partner institution of higher education
 2    to the State Board of Education that the person be  issued  a
 3    standard   alternative   teaching   certificate.   Successful
 4    completion of the Alternative Teacher  Certification  program
 5    shall  be  deemed  to  satisfy  any other practice or student
 6    teaching and subject matter requirements established by law.
 7        A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for
 8    one year of teaching in the common schools and not renewable,
 9    shall be issued under this Section 21-5b to  persons  who  at
10    the time of applying for the provisional alternative teaching
11    certificate under this Section:
12             (1)  have  graduated  from  an accredited college or
13        university with a bachelor's degree;
14             (1.5)  have been employed for a period of at least 5
15        years  in  an   area   requiring   application   of   the
16        individual's education;
17             (2)  have  successfully completed the first phase of
18        the Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided
19        in this Section; and
20             (3)  have passed  the  tests  of  basic  skills  and
21        subject matter knowledge required by Section 21-1a.
22        A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate
23    under  this Section shall be treated as a regularly certified
24    teacher for purposes of  compensation,  benefits,  and  other
25    terms  and  conditions of employment afforded teachers in the
26    school who are members of a bargaining unit represented by an
27    exclusive bargaining representative, if any.
28        A standard alternative teaching certificate, valid for  4
29    years  for  teaching  in  the  schools  situated  in a school
30    district that is located in a city  having  a  population  in
31    excess  of  500,000  inhabitants and renewable as provided in
32    Section 21-14, shall be issued under this  Section  21-5b  to
33    persons   who   first   complete  the  requirements  for  the
34    provisional alternative teaching certificate and who  at  the
 
                            -4-            LRB9103489NTsbam01
 1    time   of   applying  for  a  standard  alternative  teaching
 2    certificate under this Section  have  successfully  completed
 3    the  second  and  third  phases  of  the  Alternative Teacher
 4    Certification program as provided in this Section.
 5        This   alternative   certification   program   shall   be
 6    implemented  so  that  the  first   provisional   alternative
 7    teaching certificates issued under this Section are effective
 8    upon  the commencement of the 1997-1998 academic year and the
 9    first standard alternative teaching certificates issued under
10    this Section are  effective  upon  the  commencement  of  the
11    1998-1999 academic year.
12        The  State  Board  of  Education, in cooperation with the
13    partnership    establishing    the    Alternative     Teacher
14    Certification program, shall adopt rules and regulations that
15    are  consistent with this Section and that the State Board of
16    Education deems necessary  to  establish  and  implement  the
17    program.
18    (Source: P.A. 89-708, eff. 2-14-97.)".

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