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92_SB2251
LRB9215842NTpk
1 AN ACT in relation to teacher certification.
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 21-5c as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/21-5c)
7 Sec. 21-5c. Alternative route to teacher certification.
8 The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
9 Teacher Certification Board, shall establish and implement an
10 alternative route to teacher certification program under
11 which persons who meet the requirements of and successfully
12 complete the program established by this Section shall be
13 issued an initial teaching certificate for teaching in
14 schools in this State. The State Board of Education shall
15 approve a course of study that persons in the program must
16 successfully complete in order to satisfy one criterion for
17 issuance of a certificate under this Section. The
18 Alternative Route to Teacher Certification program course of
19 study must include the current content and skills contained
20 in a university's current courses for State certification
21 which have been approved by the State Board of Education, in
22 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, as
23 the requirement for State teacher certification.
24 The program established under this Section shall be known
25 as the Alternative Route to Teacher Certification program.
26 The program may be offered in conjunction with one or more
27 not-for-profit organizations in this the State. The program
28 shall be comprised of the following 3 phases: (a) a course of
29 study offered on an intensive basis in education theory,
30 instructional methods, and practice teaching; (b) the
31 person's assignment to a full-time teaching position for one
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1 school year, including the designation of a mentor teacher to
2 advise and assist the person with that teaching assignment;
3 and (c) a comprehensive assessment of the person's teaching
4 performance by school officials and program participants and
5 a recommendation by the institution of higher education to
6 the State Board of Education that the person be issued an
7 initial teaching certificate. Successful completion of the
8 Alternative Route to Teacher Certification program shall be
9 deemed to satisfy any other practice or student teaching and
10 subject matter requirements established by law.
11 A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for
12 one year of teaching in the common schools and not renewable,
13 shall be issued under this Section 21-5c to persons who at
14 the time of applying for the provisional alternative teaching
15 certificate under this Section:
16 (1) have graduated from an accredited college or
17 university with a bachelor's degree;
18 (2) have been employed for a period of at least 5
19 years in an area requiring application of the
20 individual's education;
21 (3) have successfully completed the first phase of
22 the Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided
23 in this Section; and
24 (4) have passed the tests of basic skills and
25 subject matter knowledge required by Section 21-1a.
26 An initial teaching certificate, valid for teaching in
27 the common schools, shall be issued under Section 21-3 or
28 21-5 to persons who first complete the requirements for the
29 provisional alternative teaching certificate and who at the
30 time of applying for an initial teaching certificate have
31 successfully completed the second and third phases of the
32 Alternative Route to Teacher Certification program as
33 provided in this Section.
34 A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate
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1 or an initial teaching certificate earned under this Section
2 shall be treated as a regularly certified teacher for
3 purposes of compensation, benefits, and other terms and
4 conditions of employment afforded teachers in the school who
5 are members of a bargaining unit represented by an exclusive
6 bargaining representative, if any.
7 The State Board of Education may adopt rules and
8 regulations that are consistent with this Section and that
9 the State Board deems necessary to establish and implement
10 the program.
11 (Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98.)