Public Act 100-0008
 
HB2470 EnrolledLRB100 08416 MLM 18530 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
21B-20 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21B-20)
    Sec. 21B-20. Types of licenses. Before July 1, 2013, the
State Board of Education shall implement a system of educator
licensure, whereby individuals employed in school districts
who are required to be licensed must have one of the following
licenses: (i) a professional educator license; (ii) a
professional educator license with stipulations; or (iii) a
substitute teaching license. References in law regarding
individuals certified or certificated or required to be
certified or certificated under Article 21 of this Code shall
also include individuals licensed or required to be licensed
under this Article. The first year of all licenses ends on June
30 following one full year of the license being issued.
    The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such
rules as may be necessary to govern the requirements for
licenses and endorsements under this Section.
        (1) Professional Educator License. Persons who (i)
    have successfully completed an approved educator
    preparation program and are recommended for licensure by
    the Illinois institution offering the educator preparation
    program, (ii) have successfully completed the required
    testing under Section 21B-30 of this Code, (iii) have
    successfully completed coursework on the psychology of,
    the identification of, and the methods of instruction for
    the exceptional child, including without limitation
    children with learning disabilities, (iv) have
    successfully completed coursework in methods of reading
    and reading in the content area, and (v) have met all other
    criteria established by rule of the State Board of
    Education shall be issued a Professional Educator License.
    All Professional Educator Licenses are valid until June 30
    immediately following 5 years of the license being issued.
    The Professional Educator License shall be endorsed with
    specific areas and grade levels in which the individual is
    eligible to practice.
        Individuals can receive subsequent endorsements on the
    Professional Educator License. Subsequent endorsements
    shall require a minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework
    in the endorsement area, unless otherwise specified by
    rule, and passage of the applicable content area test.
        (2) Educator License with Stipulations. An Educator
    License with Stipulations shall be issued an endorsement
    that limits the license holder to one particular position
    or does not require completion of an approved educator
    program or both.
        An individual with an Educator License with
    Stipulations must not be employed by a school district or
    any other entity to replace any presently employed teacher
    who otherwise would not be replaced for any reason.
        An Educator License with Stipulations may be issued
    with the following endorsements:
            (A) Provisional educator. A provisional educator
        endorsement in a specific content area or areas on an
        Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an
        applicant who holds an educator license from another
        state, U.S. territory, or foreign country and who, at
        the time of applying for an Illinois license, does not
        meet the minimum requirements under Section 21B-35 of
        this Code, but does, at a minimum, meet the following
        requirements:
                (i) Holds the equivalent of a minimum of a
            bachelor's degree, unless a master's degree is
            required for the endorsement, from a regionally
            accredited college or university or, for
            individuals educated in a country other than the
            United States, the equivalent of a minimum of a
            bachelor's degree issued in the United States,
            unless a master's degree is required for the
            endorsement.
                (ii) Has passed or passes a test of basic
            skills and content area test prior to or within one
            year after issuance of the provisional educator
            endorsement on the Educator License with
            Stipulations. If an individual who holds an
            Educator License with Stipulations endorsed for
            provisional educator has not passed a test of basic
            skills and applicable content area test or tests
            within one year after issuance of the endorsement,
            the endorsement shall expire on June 30 following
            one full year of the endorsement being issued. If
            such an individual has passed the test of basic
            skills and applicable content area test or tests
            either prior to issuance of the endorsement or
            within one year after issuance of the endorsement,
            the endorsement is valid until June 30 immediately
            following 2 years of the license being issued,
            during which time any and all coursework
            deficiencies must be met and any and all additional
            testing deficiencies must be met.
            In addition, a provisional educator endorsement
        for principals or superintendents may be issued if the
        individual meets the requirements set forth in
        subdivisions (1) and (3) of subsection (b-5) of Section
        21B-35 of this Code. Applicants who have not been
        entitled by an Illinois-approved educator preparation
        program at an Illinois institution of higher education
        shall not receive a provisional educator endorsement
        if the person completed an alternative licensure
        program in another state, unless the program has been
        determined to be equivalent to Illinois program
        requirements.
            Notwithstanding any other requirements of this
        Section, a service member or spouse of a service member
        may obtain a Professional Educator License with
        Stipulations, and a provisional educator endorsement
        in a specific content area or areas, if he or she holds
        a valid teaching certificate or license in good
        standing from another state, meets the qualifications
        of educators outlined in Section 21B-15 of this Code,
        and has not engaged in any misconduct that would
        prohibit an individual from obtaining a license
        pursuant to Illinois law, including without limitation
        any administrative rules of the State Board of
        Education.
            In this Section, "service member" means any person
        who, at the time of application under this Section, is
        an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces
        or any reserve component of the United States Armed
        Forces or the National Guard of any state,
        commonwealth, or territory of the United States or the
        District of Columbia.
            A provisional educator endorsement is valid until
        June 30 immediately following 2 years of the license
        being issued, provided that any remaining testing and
        coursework deficiencies are met as set forth in this
        Section. Failure to satisfy all stated deficiencies
        shall mean the individual, including any service
        member or spouse who has obtained a Professional
        Educator License with Stipulations and a provisional
        educator endorsement in a specific content area or
        areas, is ineligible to receive a Professional
        Educator License at that time. An Educator License with
        Stipulations endorsed for provisional educator shall
        not be renewed for individuals who hold an Educator
        License with Stipulations and who have held a position
        in a public school or non-public school recognized by
        the State Board of Education.
            (B) Alternative provisional educator. An
        alternative provisional educator endorsement on an
        Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an
        applicant who, at the time of applying for the
        endorsement, has done all of the following:
                (i) Graduated from a regionally accredited
            college or university with a minimum of a
            bachelor's degree.
                (ii) Successfully completed the first phase of
            the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for
            Teachers, as described in Section 21B-50 of this
            Code.
                (iii) Passed a test of basic skills and content
            area test, as required under Section 21B-30 of this
            Code.
            The alternative provisional educator endorsement
        is valid for 2 years of teaching and may be renewed for
        a third year by an individual meeting the requirements
        set forth in Section 21B-50 of this Code.
            (C) Alternative provisional superintendent. An
        alternative provisional superintendent endorsement on
        an Educator License with Stipulations entitles the
        holder to serve only as a superintendent or assistant
        superintendent in a school district's central office.
        This endorsement may only be issued to an applicant
        who, at the time of applying for the endorsement, has
        done all of the following:
                (i) Graduated from a regionally accredited
            college or university with a minimum of a master's
            degree in a management field other than education.
                (ii) Been employed for a period of at least 5
            years in a management level position in a field
            other than education.
                (iii) Successfully completed the first phase
            of an alternative route to superintendent
            endorsement program, as provided in Section 21B-55
            of this Code.
                (iv) Passed a test of basic skills and content
            area tests required under Section 21B-30 of this
            Code.
            The endorsement may be registered for 2 fiscal
        years in order to complete one full year of serving as
        a superintendent or assistant superintendent.
            (D) Resident teacher endorsement. A resident
        teacher endorsement on an Educator License with
        Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who, at the
        time of applying for the endorsement, has done all of
        the following:
                (i) Graduated from a regionally accredited
            institution of higher education with a minimum of a
            bachelor's degree.
                (ii) Enrolled in an approved Illinois educator
            preparation program.
                (iii) Passed a test of basic skills and content
            area test, as required under Section 21B-30 of this
            Code.
            The resident teacher endorsement on an Educator
        License with Stipulations is valid for 4 years of
        teaching and shall not be renewed.
            A resident teacher may teach only under the
        direction of a licensed teacher, who shall act as the
        resident mentor teacher, and may not teach in place of
        a licensed teacher. A resident teacher endorsement on
        an Educator License with Stipulations shall no longer
        be valid after June 30, 2017.
            (E) Career and technical educator. A career and
        technical educator endorsement on an Educator License
        with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has
        a minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework from a
        regionally accredited institution of higher education
        or an accredited trade and technical institution and
        has a minimum of 2,000 hours of experience outside of
        education in each area to be taught.
            The career and technical educator endorsement on
        an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until
        June 30 immediately following 5 years of the
        endorsement being issued and may be renewed. For
        individuals who were issued the career and technical
        educator endorsement on an Educator License with
        Stipulations on or after January 1, 2015, the license
        may be renewed if the individual passes a test of basic
        skills or test of work proficiency, as required under
        Section 21B-30 of this Code.
            (F) Part-time provisional career and technical
        educator or provisional career and technical educator.
        A part-time provisional career and technical educator
        endorsement or a provisional career and technical
        educator endorsement on an Educator License with
        Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has a
        minimum of 8,000 hours of work experience in the skill
        for which the applicant is seeking the endorsement. It
        is the responsibility of each employing school board
        and regional office of education to provide
        verification, in writing, to the State Superintendent
        of Education at the time the application is submitted
        that no qualified teacher holding a Professional
        Educator License or an Educator License with
        Stipulations with a career and technical educator
        endorsement is available and that actual circumstances
        require such issuance.
            The provisional career and technical educator
        endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
        is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of
        the endorsement being issued and may be renewed only
        one time for 5 years. For individuals who were issued
        the provisional career and technical educator
        endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
        on or after January 1, 2015, the license may be renewed
        one time if the individual passes a test of basic
        skills or test of work proficiency, as required under
        Section 21B-30 of this Code, and has completed a
        minimum of 20 semester hours from a regionally
        accredited institution.
            A part-time provisional career and technical
        educator endorsement on an Educator License with
        Stipulations may be issued for teaching no more than 2
        courses of study for grades 6 through 12. The part-time
        provisional career and technical educator endorsement
        on an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until
        June 30 immediately following 5 years of the
        endorsement being issued and may be renewed for 5 years
        if the individual makes application for renewal.
            (G) Transitional bilingual educator. A
        transitional bilingual educator endorsement on an
        Educator License with Stipulations may be issued for
        the purpose of providing instruction in accordance
        with Article 14C of this Code to an applicant who
        provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all
        of the following requirements:
                (i) Possesses adequate speaking, reading, and
            writing ability in the language other than English
            in which transitional bilingual education is
            offered.
                (ii) Has the ability to successfully
            communicate in English.
                (iii) Either possessed, within 5 years
            previous to his or her applying for a transitional
            bilingual educator endorsement, a valid and
            comparable teaching certificate or comparable
            authorization issued by a foreign country or holds
            a degree from an institution of higher learning in
            a foreign country that the State Educator
            Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be
            the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a
            regionally accredited institution of higher
            learning in the United States.
            A transitional bilingual educator endorsement
        shall be valid for prekindergarten through grade 12, is
        valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of
        the endorsement being issued, and shall not be renewed.
            Persons holding a transitional bilingual educator
        endorsement shall not be employed to replace any
        presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be
        replaced for any reason.
            (H) Language endorsement. In an effort to
        alleviate the shortage of teachers speaking a language
        other than English in the public schools, an individual
        who holds an Educator License with Stipulations may
        also apply for a language endorsement, provided that
        the applicant provides satisfactory evidence that he
        or she meets all of the following requirements:
                (i) Holds a transitional bilingual
            endorsement.
                (ii) Has demonstrated proficiency in the
            language for which the endorsement is to be issued
            by passing the applicable language content test
            required by the State Board of Education.
                (iii) Holds a bachelor's degree or higher from
            a regionally accredited institution of higher
            education or, for individuals educated in a
            country other than the United States, holds a
            degree from an institution of higher learning in a
            foreign country that the State Educator
            Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be
            the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a
            regionally accredited institution of higher
            learning in the United States.
                (iv) Has passed a test of basic skills, as
            required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.
            A language endorsement on an Educator License with
        Stipulations is valid for prekindergarten through
        grade 12 for the same validity period as the
        individual's transitional bilingual educator
        endorsement on the Educator License with Stipulations
        and shall not be renewed.
            (I) Visiting international educator. A visiting
        international educator endorsement on an Educator
        License with Stipulations may be issued to an
        individual who is being recruited by a particular
        school district that conducts formal recruitment
        programs outside of the United States to secure the
        services of qualified teachers and who meets all of the
        following requirements:
                (i) Holds the equivalent of a minimum of a
            bachelor's degree issued in the United States.
                (ii) Has been prepared as a teacher at the
            grade level for which he or she will be employed.
                (iii) Has adequate content knowledge in the
            subject to be taught.
                (iv) Has an adequate command of the English
            language.
            A holder of a visiting international educator
        endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations
        shall be permitted to teach in bilingual education
        programs in the language that was the medium of
        instruction in his or her teacher preparation program,
        provided that he or she passes the English Language
        Proficiency Examination or another test of writing
        skills in English identified by the State Board of
        Education, in consultation with the State Educator
        Preparation and Licensure Board.
            A visiting international educator endorsement on
        an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 3
        years and shall not be renewed.
            (J) Paraprofessional educator. A paraprofessional
        educator endorsement on an Educator License with
        Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who holds a
        high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and
        either holds an associate's degree or a minimum of 60
        semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited
        institution of higher education or has passed a test of
        basic skills required under Section 21B-30 of this
        Code. The paraprofessional educator endorsement is
        valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of
        the endorsement being issued and may be renewed through
        application and payment of the appropriate fee, as
        required under Section 21B-40 of this Code. An
        individual who holds only a paraprofessional educator
        endorsement is not subject to additional requirements
        in order to renew the endorsement.
            (K) Chief school business official. A chief school
        business official endorsement on an Educator License
        with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who
        qualifies by having a master's degree or higher, 2
        years of full-time administrative experience in school
        business management or 2 years of university-approved
        practical experience, and a minimum of 24 semester
        hours of graduate credit in a program approved by the
        State Board of Education for the preparation of school
        business administrators and by passage of the
        applicable State tests, including a test of basic
        skills and applicable content area test.
            The chief school business official endorsement may
        also be affixed to the Educator License with
        Stipulations of any holder who qualifies by having a
        master's degree in business administration, finance,
        or accounting and who completes an additional 6
        semester hours of internship in school business
        management from a regionally accredited institution of
        higher education and passes the applicable State
        tests, including a test of basic skills and applicable
        content area test. This endorsement shall be required
        for any individual employed as a chief school business
        official.
            The chief school business official endorsement on
        an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until
        June 30 immediately following 5 years of the
        endorsement being issued and may be renewed if the
        license holder completes renewal requirements as
        required for individuals who hold a Professional
        Educator License endorsed for chief school business
        official under Section 21B-45 of this Code and such
        rules as may be adopted by the State Board of
        Education.
            (L) Provisional in-state educator. A provisional
        in-state educator endorsement on an Educator License
        with Stipulations may be issued to a candidate who has
        completed an Illinois-approved educator preparation
        program at an Illinois institution of higher education
        and who has not successfully completed an
        evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness but
        who meets all of the following requirements:
                (i) Holds at least a bachelor's degree.
                (ii) Has completed an approved educator
            preparation program at an Illinois institution.
                (iii) Has passed a test of basic skills and
            applicable content area test, as required by
            Section 21B-30 of this Code.
                (iv) Has attempted an evidence-based
            assessment of teacher effectiveness and received a
            minimum score on that assessment, as established
            by the State Board of Education in consultation
            with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
            Board.
            A provisional in-state educator endorsement on an
        Educator License with Stipulations is valid for one
        full fiscal year after the date of issuance and may not
        be renewed.
        (3) Substitute Teaching License. A Substitute Teaching
    License may be issued to qualified applicants for
    substitute teaching in all grades of the public schools,
    prekindergarten through grade 12. Substitute Teaching
    Licenses are not eligible for endorsements. Applicants for
    a Substitute Teaching License must hold a bachelor's degree
    or higher from a regionally accredited institution of
    higher education.
        Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for 5 years.
        Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for substitute
    teaching in every county of this State. If an individual
    has had his or her Professional Educator License or
    Educator License with Stipulations suspended or revoked or
    has not met the renewal requirements for licensure, then
    that individual is not eligible to obtain a Substitute
    Teaching License.
        A substitute teacher may only teach in the place of a
    licensed teacher who is under contract with the employing
    board. If, however, there is no licensed teacher under
    contract because of an emergency situation, then a district
    may employ a substitute teacher for no longer than 30
    calendar days per each vacant position in the district if
    the district notifies the appropriate regional office of
    education within 5 business days after the employment of
    the substitute teacher in the emergency situation. An
    emergency situation is one in which an unforeseen vacancy
    has occurred and (i) a teacher is unable to fulfill his or
    her contractual duties or (ii) teacher capacity needs of
    the district exceed previous indications, and the district
    is actively engaged in advertising to hire a fully licensed
    teacher for the vacant position.
        There is no limit on the number of days that a
    substitute teacher may teach in a single school district,
    provided that no substitute teacher may teach for longer
    than 90 school days for any one licensed teacher under
    contract in the same school year. A substitute teacher who
    holds a Professional Educator License or Educator License
    with Stipulations shall not teach for more than 120 school
    days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the
    same school year. The limitations in this paragraph (3) on
    the number of days a substitute teacher may be employed do
    not apply to any school district operating under Article 34
    of this Code.
(Source: P.A. 98-28, eff. 7-1-13; 98-751, eff. 1-1-15; 99-35,
eff. 1-1-16; 99-58, eff. 7-16-15; 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 99-642,
eff. 7-28-16; 99-920, eff. 1-6-17.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2017.