Public Act 0679 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1553 Enrolled LRB093 03067 NHT 03084 b

Public Act 093-0679

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 is amended by changing Sections 6.5 and 6.6 as follows:

(5 ILCS 375/6.5)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2004)

Sec. 6.5. Health benefits for TRS benefit recipients and TRS dependent beneficiaries.

(a) Purpose. It is the purpose of this amendatory Act of 1995 to transfer the administration of the program of health benefits established for benefit recipients and their dependent beneficiaries under Article 16 of the Illinois Pension Code to the Department of Central Management Services.

(b) Transition provisions. The Board of Trustees of the Teachers' Retirement System shall continue to administer the health benefit program established under Article 16 of the Illinois Pension Code through December 31, 1995. Beginning January 1, 1996, the Department of Central Management Services shall be responsible for administering a program of health benefits for TRS benefit recipients and TRS dependent beneficiaries under this Section. The Department of Central Management Services and the Teachers' Retirement System shall cooperate in this endeavor and shall coordinate their activities so as to ensure a smooth transition and uninterrupted health benefit coverage.

(c) Eligibility. All persons who were enrolled in the Article 16 program at the time of the transfer shall be eligible to participate in the program established under this Section without any interruption or delay in coverage or limitation as to pre-existing medical conditions. Eligibility to participate shall be determined by the Teachers' Retirement System. Eligibility information shall be communicated to the Department of Central Management Services in a format acceptable to the Department.

A TRS dependent beneficiary who is an unmarried child age 19 or over and mentally or physically disabled handicapped does not become ineligible to participate by reason of (i) becoming ineligible to be claimed as a dependent for Illinois or federal income tax purposes or (ii) receiving earned income, so long as those earnings are insufficient for the child to be fully self-sufficient.

(d) Coverage. The level of health benefits provided under this Section shall be similar to the level of benefits provided by the program previously established under Article 16 of the Illinois Pension Code.

Group life insurance benefits are not included in the benefits to be provided to TRS benefit recipients and TRS dependent beneficiaries under this Act.

The program of health benefits under this Section may include any or all of the benefit limitations, including but not limited to a reduction in benefits based on eligibility for federal medicare benefits, that are provided under subsection (a) of Section 6 of this Act for other health benefit programs under this Act.

(e) Insurance rates and premiums. The Director shall determine the insurance rates and premiums for TRS benefit recipients and TRS dependent beneficiaries, and shall present to the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois, by April 15 of each calendar year, the rate-setting methodology (including but not limited to utilization levels and costs) used to determine the amount of the health care premiums.

For Fiscal Year 1996, the premium shall be equal to the premium actually charged in Fiscal Year 1995; in subsequent years, the premium shall never be lower than the premium charged in Fiscal Year 1995.

For Fiscal Year 2003, the premium shall not exceed 110% of the premium actually charged in Fiscal Year 2002.

For Fiscal Year 2004, the premium shall not exceed 112% of the premium actually charged in Fiscal Year 2003.

For Fiscal Year 2005, the premium shall not exceed a weighted average of 106.6% of the premium actually charged in Fiscal Year 2004.

For Fiscal Year 2006, the premium shall not exceed a weighted average of 109.1% of the premium actually charged in Fiscal Year 2005.

For Fiscal Year 2007, the premium shall not exceed a weighted average of 103.9% of the premium actually charged in Fiscal Year 2006.

For Fiscal Year 2008 and thereafter, the premium in each fiscal year shall not exceed 105% of the premium actually charged in the previous fiscal year.

Rates and premiums may be based in part on age and eligibility for federal medicare coverage. However, the cost of participation for a TRS dependent beneficiary who is an unmarried child age 19 or over and mentally or physically disabled handicapped shall not exceed the cost for a TRS dependent beneficiary who is an unmarried child under age 19 and participates in the same major medical or managed care program.

The cost of health benefits under the program shall be paid as follows:

(1) For a TRS benefit recipient selecting a managed care program, up to 75% of the total insurance rate shall be paid from the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund. Effective with Fiscal Year 2007 and thereafter, for a TRS benefit recipient selecting a managed care program, 75% of the total insurance rate shall be paid from the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund.

(2) For a TRS benefit recipient selecting the major medical coverage program, up to 50% of the total insurance rate shall be paid from the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund if a managed care program is accessible, as determined by the Teachers' Retirement System. Effective with Fiscal Year 2007 and thereafter, for a TRS benefit recipient selecting the major medical coverage program, 50% of the total insurance rate shall be paid from the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund if a managed care program is accessible, as determined by the Department of Central Management Services.

(3) For a TRS benefit recipient selecting the major medical coverage program, up to 75% of the total insurance rate shall be paid from the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund if a managed care program is not accessible, as determined by the Teachers' Retirement System. Effective with Fiscal Year 2007 and thereafter, for a TRS benefit recipient selecting the major medical coverage program, 75% of the total insurance rate shall be paid from the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund if a managed care program is not accessible, as determined by the Department of Central Management Services.

(3.1) For a TRS dependent beneficiary who is Medicare primary and enrolled in a managed care plan, or the major medical coverage program if a managed care plan is not available, 25% of the total insurance rate shall be paid from the Teacher Health Security Fund as determined by the Department of Central Management Services. For the purpose of this item (3.1), the term "TRS dependent beneficiary who is Medicare primary" means a TRS dependent beneficiary who is participating in Medicare Parts A and B.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in item (3.1), the The balance of the rate of insurance, including the entire premium of any coverage for TRS dependent beneficiaries that has been elected, shall be paid by deductions authorized by the TRS benefit recipient to be withheld from his or her monthly annuity or benefit payment from the Teachers' Retirement System; except that (i) if the balance of the cost of coverage exceeds the amount of the monthly annuity or benefit payment, the difference shall be paid directly to the Teachers' Retirement System by the TRS benefit recipient, and (ii) all or part of the balance of the cost of coverage may, at the school board's option, be paid to the Teachers' Retirement System by the school board of the school district from which the TRS benefit recipient retired, in accordance with Section 10-22.3b of the School Code. The Teachers' Retirement System shall promptly deposit all moneys withheld by or paid to it under this subdivision (e)(4) into the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund. These moneys shall not be considered assets of the Retirement System.

(f) Financing. Beginning July 1, 1995, all revenues arising from the administration of the health benefit programs established under Article 16 of the Illinois Pension Code or this Section shall be deposited into the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund, which is hereby created as a nonappropriated trust fund to be held outside the State Treasury, with the State Treasurer as custodian. Any interest earned on moneys in the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund shall be deposited into the Fund.

Moneys in the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund shall be used only to pay the costs of the health benefit program established under this Section, including associated administrative costs, and the costs associated with the health benefit program established under Article 16 of the Illinois Pension Code, as authorized in this Section. Beginning July 1, 1995, the Department of Central Management Services may make expenditures from the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund for those costs.

After other funds authorized for the payment of the costs of the health benefit program established under Article 16 of the Illinois Pension Code are exhausted and until January 1, 1996 (or such later date as may be agreed upon by the Director of Central Management Services and the Secretary of the Teachers' Retirement System), the Secretary of the Teachers' Retirement System may make expenditures from the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund as necessary to pay up to 75% of the cost of providing health coverage to eligible benefit recipients (as defined in Sections 16-153.1 and 16-153.3 of the Illinois Pension Code) who are enrolled in the Article 16 health benefit program and to facilitate the transfer of administration of the health benefit program to the Department of Central Management Services.

(g) Contract for benefits. The Director shall by contract, self-insurance, or otherwise make available the program of health benefits for TRS benefit recipients and their TRS dependent beneficiaries that is provided for in this Section. The contract or other arrangement for the provision of these health benefits shall be on terms deemed by the Director to be in the best interest of the State of Illinois and the TRS benefit recipients based on, but not limited to, such criteria as administrative cost, service capabilities of the carrier or other contractor, and the costs of the benefits.

(g-5) Committee. A Teacher Retirement Insurance Program Committee shall be established, to consist of 10 persons appointed by the Governor.

The Committee shall convene at least 4 times each year, and shall consider and make recommendations on issues affecting the program of health benefits provided under this Section. Recommendations of the Committee shall be based on a consensus of the members of the Committee.

If the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund experiences a deficit balance based upon the contribution and subsidy rates established in this Section and Section 6.6 for Fiscal Year 2008 or thereafter, the Committee shall make recommendations for adjustments to the funding sources established under these Sections.

(h) Continuation and termination of program. It is the intention of the General Assembly that the program of health benefits provided under this Section be maintained on an ongoing, affordable basis. through June 30, 2004. The program of health benefits provided under this Section is terminated on July 1, 2004.

The program of health benefits provided under this Section may be amended by the State and is not intended to be a pension or retirement benefit subject to protection under Article XIII, Section 5 of the Illinois Constitution.

(i) Repeal. (Blank). This Section is repealed on July 1, 2004.

(Source: P.A. 92-505, eff. 12-20-01; 92-862, eff. 1-3-03; revised 1-10-03.)

(5 ILCS 375/6.6)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on July 1, 2004)

Sec. 6.6. Contributions to the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund.

(a) Beginning July 1, 1995, all active contributors of the Teachers' Retirement System (established under Article 16 of the Illinois Pension Code) who are not employees of a department as defined in Section 3 of this Act shall make contributions toward the cost of annuitant and survivor health benefits. These contributions shall be at the following rates: until January 1, 2002, 0.5% of salary; beginning January 1, 2002, 0.65% of salary; beginning July 1, 2003, 0.75% of salary; beginning July 1, 2005, 0.80% of salary; beginning July 1, 2007, a percentage of salary to be determined by the Department of Central Management Services by rule, which in each fiscal year shall not exceed 105% of the percentage of salary actually required to be paid in the previous fiscal year.

These contributions shall be deducted by the employer and paid to the System as service agent for the Department of Central Management Services. The System may use the same processes for collecting the contributions required by this subsection that it uses to collect contributions received from school districts and other covered employers under Sections 16-154 and 16-155 of the Illinois Pension Code.

An employer may agree to pick up or pay the contributions required under this subsection on behalf of the teacher; such contributions shall be deemed to have to have been paid by the teacher. Beginning January 1, 2002, if the employer does not directly pay the required member contribution, then the employer shall reduce the member's salary by an amount equal to the required contribution and shall then pay the contribution on behalf of the member. This reduction shall not change the amounts reported as creditable earnings to the Teachers' Retirement System.

A person who purchases optional service credit under Article 16 of the Illinois Pension Code for a period after June 30, 1995 must also make a contribution under this subsection for that optional credit, at the rate provided in subsection (a), based on the salary used in computing the optional service credit, plus interest on this employee contribution. This contribution shall be collected by the System as service agent for the Department of Central Management Services. The contribution required under this subsection for the optional service credit must be paid in full before any annuity based on that credit begins.

(a-5) Beginning January 1, 2002, every employer of a teacher (other than an employer that is a department as defined in Section 3 of this Act) shall pay an employer contribution toward the cost of annuitant and survivor health benefits. These contributions shall be computed as follows:

(1) Beginning January 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003, the employer contribution shall be equal to 0.4% of each teacher's salary.

(2) Beginning July 1, 2003, the employer contribution shall be equal to 0.5% of each teacher's salary.

(3) Beginning July 1, 2005, the employer contribution shall be equal to 0.6% of each teacher's salary.

(4) Beginning July 1, 2007, the employer contribution shall be a percentage of each teacher's salary to be determined by the Department of Central Management Services by rule, which in each fiscal year shall not exceed 105% of the percentage of each teacher's salary actually required to be paid in the previous fiscal year.

These contributions shall be paid by the employer to the System as service agent for the Department of Central Management Services. The System may use the same processes for collecting the contributions required by this subsection that it uses to collect contributions received from school districts and other covered employers under the Illinois Pension Code.

The school district or other employing unit may pay these employer contributions out of any source of funding available for that purpose and shall forward the contributions to the System on the schedule established for the payment of member contributions.

(b) The Teachers' Retirement System shall promptly deposit all moneys collected under subsections (a) and (a-5) of this Section into the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund created in Section 6.5 of this Act. The moneys collected under this Section shall be used only for the purposes authorized in Section 6.5 of this Act and shall not be considered to be assets of the Teachers' Retirement System. Contributions made under this Section are not transferable to other pension funds or retirement systems and are not refundable upon termination of service.

(c) On or before November 15 of each year, the Board of Trustees of the Teachers' Retirement System shall certify to the Governor, the Director of Central Management Services, and the State Comptroller its estimate of the total amount of contributions to be paid under subsection (a) of this Section 6.6 for the next fiscal year. The amount certified shall be decreased or increased each year by the amount that the actual active teacher contributions either fell short of or exceeded the estimate used by the Board in making the certification for the previous fiscal year. The certification shall include a detailed explanation of the methods and information that the Board relied upon in preparing its estimate. As soon as possible after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, the Board shall recalculate and recertify its certifications for fiscal years 2002 and 2003.

(d) Beginning in fiscal year 1996, on the first day of each month, or as soon thereafter as may be practical, the State Treasurer and the State Comptroller shall transfer from the General Revenue Fund to the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund 1/12 of the annual amount appropriated for that fiscal year to the State Comptroller for deposit into the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund under Section 1.3 of the State Pension Funds Continuing Appropriation Act.

(e) Except where otherwise specified in this Section, the definitions that apply to Article 16 of the Illinois Pension Code apply to this Section.

(f) (Blank). This Section is repealed on July 1, 2004.

(Source: P.A. 92-505, eff. 12-20-01.)

Section 10. The State Pension Funds Continuing Appropriation Act is amended by changing Section 1.3 as follows:

(40 ILCS 15/1.3)

Sec. 1.3. Appropriations for the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund. Beginning in State fiscal year 1996, there is hereby appropriated, on a continuing annual basis, from the General Revenue Fund to the State Comptroller for deposit into the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund, an amount equal to the amount certified by the Board of Trustees of the Teachers' Retirement System of Illinois under subsection (c) of Section 6.6 of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 as the estimated total amount of contributions to be paid under subsection (a) of that Section 6.6 in that fiscal year.

In addition to any other amounts that may be appropriated for this purpose, in State fiscal years 2005 through 2007, there is hereby appropriated, on a continuing annual basis, from the General Revenue Fund to the State Comptroller for deposit into the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund, an amount equal to $13,000,000 in each fiscal year.

The moneys appropriated under this Section 1.3 shall be deposited into the Teacher Health Insurance Security Fund and used only for the purposes authorized in Section 6.5 of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971.

(Source: P.A. 89-25, eff. 6-21-95.)

Section 15. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 2-3.11, 21-1a, 21-1b, 21-2, 21-7.1, 21-9, 21-12, 21-14, 21-16, 21-17, 21-18, and 21-23 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/2-3.11) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.11)

Sec. 2-3.11. Report to Governor and General Assembly. To report to the Governor and General Assembly annually on or before January 14 the condition of the schools of the State for the preceding year, ending on June 30.

Such annual report shall contain reports of the State Teacher Certification Board; the schools of the State charitable institutions; reports on driver education, special education, and transportation; and for such year the annual statistical reports of the State Board of Education, including the number and kinds of school districts; number of school attendance centers; number of men and women teachers; enrollment by grades; total enrollment; total days attendance; total days absence; average daily attendance; number of elementary and secondary school graduates; assessed valuation; tax levies and tax rates for various purposes; amount of teachers' orders, anticipation warrants, and bonds outstanding; and number of men and women teachers and total enrollment of private schools. The report shall give for all school districts receipts from all sources and expenditures for all purposes for each fund; the total operating expense, and the per capita cost, and instructional expenditures; federal and state aids and reimbursements; new school buildings, and recognized schools; together with such other information and suggestions as the State Board of Education may deem important in relation to the schools and school laws and the means of promoting education throughout the state.

In this Section, "instructional expenditures" means the annual expenditures of school districts properly attributable to expenditure functions defined in rules of the State Board of Education as: 1100 (Regular Education); 1200-1220 (Special Education); 1250 (Ed. Deprived/Remedial); 1400 (Vocational Programs); 1600 (Summer School); 1650 (Gifted); 1800 (Bilingual Programs); 1900 (Truant Alternative); 2110 (Attendance and Social Work Services); 2120 (Guidance Services); 2130 (Health Services); 2140 (Psychological Services); 2150 (Speech Pathology and Audiology Services); 2190 (Other Support Services Pupils); 2210 (Improvement of Instruction); 2220 (Educational Media Services); 2230 (Assessment and Testing); 2540 (Operation and Maintenance of Plant Services); 2550 (Pupil Transportation Service); 2560 (Food Service); 4110 (Payments for Regular Programs); 4120 (Payments for Special Education Programs); 4130 (Payments for Adult Education Programs); 4140 (Payments for Vocational Education Programs); 4170 (Payments for Community College Programs); 4190 (Other payments to in-state government units); and 4200 (Other payments to out of state government units).

(Source: P.A. 84-1308; 84-1424.)

(105 ILCS 5/21-1a) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-1a)

Sec. 21-1a. Tests required for certification and teacher preparation.

(a) After July 1, 1988, in addition to all other requirements, early childhood, elementary, special, high school, school service personnel, or, except as provided in Section 34-6, administrative certificates shall be issued to persons who have satisfactorily passed a test of basic skills and subject matter knowledge. A person who holds a valid and comparable out-of-state certificate, however, is not required to take a test of basic skills and is not required to take a test of subject matter knowledge, provided that the person has successfully passed a test of subject matter knowledge in another state or territory of the United States that is directly related in content to the specific subject area of certification. The tests of basic skills and subject matter knowledge shall be the tests which from time to time are designated by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board and may be tests prepared by an educational testing organization or tests designed by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. The areas to be covered by the test of basic skills shall include the basic skills of reading, writing, grammar and mathematics. The test of subject matter knowledge shall assess content knowledge in the specific subject field. The tests shall be designed to be racially neutral to assure that no person in taking the tests is thereby discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin or other factors unrelated to the person's ability to perform as a certificated employee. The score required to pass the tests of basic skills and subject matter knowledge shall be fixed by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. The tests shall be held not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and place as may be designated by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(b) Except as provided in Section 34-6, the provisions of subsection (a) of this Section shall apply equally in any school district subject to Article 34, provided that the State Board of Education shall determine which certificates issued under Sections 34-8.1 and 34-83 prior to July 1, 1988 are comparable to any early childhood certificate, elementary school certificate, special certificate, high school certificate, school service personnel certificate or administrative certificate issued under this Article as of July 1, 1988.

(c) A person who holds an early childhood, elementary, special, high school or school service personnel certificate issued under this Article on or at any time before July 1, 1988, including a person who has been issued any such certificate pursuant to Section 21-11.1 or in exchange for a comparable certificate theretofore issued under Section 34-8.1 or Section 34-83, shall not be required to take or pass the tests in order to thereafter have such certificate renewed.

(d) The State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board shall conduct a pilot administration of the tests by administering the test to students completing teacher education programs in the 1986-87 school year for the purpose of determining the effect and impact of testing candidates for certification.

Beginning with the 2002-2003 academic year, a student may not enroll in a teacher preparation program at a recognized teacher training institution until he or she has passed the basic skills test.

Beginning with the 2004-2005 academic year, a preservice education teacher may not student teach until he or she has passed the subject matter test in the discipline in which he or she will student teach.

(e) The rules and regulations developed to implement the required test of basic skills and subject matter knowledge shall include the requirements of subsections (a), (b), and (c) and shall include specific regulations to govern test selection; test validation and determination of a passing score; administration of the tests; frequency of administration; applicant fees; frequency of applicants' taking the tests; the years for which a score is valid; and, waiving certain additional tests for additional certificates to individuals who have satisfactorily passed the test of basic skills and subject matter knowledge as required in subsection (a). The State Board of Education shall provide, by rule, specific policies that assure uniformity in the difficulty level of each form of the basic skills test and each subject matter knowledge test from test-to-test and year-to-year. The State Board of Education shall also set a passing score for the tests.

(f) The State Teacher Certification Board may issue a nonrenewable temporary certificate between July 1, 1988 and August 31, 1988 to individuals who have taken the tests of basic skills and subject matter knowledge prescribed by this Section but have not received such test scores by August 31, 1988. Such temporary certificates shall expire on December 31, 1988.

(g) Beginning February 15, 2000, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, shall implement and administer a new system of certification for teachers in the State of Illinois. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, shall design and implement a system of examinations and various other criteria which shall be required prior to the issuance of Initial Teaching Certificates and Standard Teaching Certificates. These examinations and indicators shall be based on national and State professional teaching standards, as determined by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. The State Board of Education may adopt any and all regulations necessary to implement and administer this Section.

(h) The State Board of Education shall report to the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor with recommendations for further changes and improvements to the teacher certification system no later than July 1, 1999 and on an annual basis until July 1, 2001.

(Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99; 92-734, eff. 7-25-02.)

(105 ILCS 5/21-1b) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-1b)

Sec. 21-1b. Subject endorsement on certificates. All certificates initially issued under this Article after June 30, 1986, shall be specifically endorsed by the State Board of Education for each subject the holder of the certificate is legally qualified to teach, such endorsements to be made in accordance with standards promulgated by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. All certificates which are issued under this Article prior to July 1, 1986 may, by application to the State Board of Education, be specifically endorsed for each subject the holder is legally qualified to teach. Endorsements issued under this Section shall not apply to substitute teacher's certificates issued under Section 21-9 of this Code.

Commencing July 1, 1999, each application for endorsement of an existing teaching certificate shall be accompanied by a $30 nonrefundable fee. There is hereby created a Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund as a special fund within the State Treasury. The proceeds of each $30 fee shall be paid into the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund; and the moneys in that Fund shall be appropriated and used to provide the technology and other resources necessary for the timely and efficient processing of certification requests.

The State Board of Education and each regional office of education are authorized to charge a service or convenience fee for the use of credit cards for the payment of certification fees. This service or convenience fee may not exceed the amount required by the credit card processing company or vendor that has entered into a contract with the State Board or regional office of education for this purpose, and the fee must be paid to that company or vendor.

(Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99.)

(105 ILCS 5/21-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-2)

Sec. 21-2. Grades of certificates.

(a) All certificates issued under this Article shall be State certificates valid, except as limited in Section 21-1, in every school district coming under the provisions of this Act and shall be limited in time and designated as follows: Provisional vocational certificate, temporary provisional vocational certificate, early childhood certificate, elementary school certificate, special certificate, secondary certificate, school service personnel certificate, administrative certificate, provisional certificate, and substitute certificate. The requirement of student teaching under close and competent supervision for obtaining a teaching certificate may be waived by the State Teacher Certification Board upon presentation to the Board by the teacher of evidence of 5 years successful teaching experience on a valid certificate and graduation from a recognized institution of higher learning with a bachelor's degree.

(b) Initial Teaching Certificate. Persons who (1) have completed an approved teacher preparation program, (2) are recommended by an approved teacher preparation program, (3) have successfully completed the Initial Teaching Certification examinations required by the State Board of Education, and (4) have met all other criteria established by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, shall be issued an Initial Teaching Certificate valid for 4 years of teaching, as defined in Section 21-14 of this Code. Initial Teaching Certificates shall be issued for categories corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and Special K-12, with special certification designations for Special Education, Bilingual Education, fundamental learning areas (including Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Physical Development and Health, Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article, an Initial Teaching Certificate shall be automatically extended for one year for all persons who (i) have been issued an Initial Teaching Certificate that expires on June 30, 2004 and (ii) have not met, prior to July 1, 2004, the Standard Certificate requirements under paragraph (c) of this Section. An application and fee shall not be required for this extension.

(b-5) A person who holds an out-of-state certificate and who is otherwise eligible for a comparable Illinois certificate may be issued an Initial Certificate if that person has not completed 4 years of teaching. Upon completion of 4 years of teaching, the person is eligible for a Standard Certificate. Beginning July 1, 2004, an out-of-state candidate who has already earned a second-tier certificate in another state is not subject to any Standard Certificate eligibility requirements stated in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Section other than completion of the 4 years of teaching. An out-of-state candidate who has completed less than 4 years of teaching and does not hold a second-tier certificate from another state must meet the requirements stated in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of this Section, proportionately reduced by the amount of time remaining to complete the 4 years of teaching.

(c) Standard Certificate.

(1) Persons who (i) have completed 4 years of teaching, as defined in Section 21-14 of this Code, with an Initial Certificate or an Initial Alternative Teaching Certificate and have met all other criteria established by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, (ii) have completed 4 years of teaching on a valid equivalent certificate in another State or territory of the United States, or have completed 4 years of teaching in a nonpublic Illinois elementary or secondary school with an Initial Certificate or an Initial Alternative Teaching Certificate, and have met all other criteria established by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, or (iii) were issued teaching certificates prior to February 15, 2000 and are renewing those certificates after February 15, 2000, shall be issued a Standard Certificate valid for 5 years, which may be renewed thereafter every 5 years by the State Teacher Certification Board based on proof of continuing education or professional development. Beginning July 1, 2003, persons who have completed 4 years of teaching, as described in clauses (i) and (ii) of this paragraph (1), have successfully completed the requirements of paragraphs (2) through (4) of this subsection (c), and have met all other criteria established by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, shall be issued Standard Certificates. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, beginning July 1, 2004, persons who hold valid out-of-state certificates and have completed 4 years of teaching on a valid equivalent certificate in another State or territory of the United States shall be issued comparable Standard Certificates. Beginning July 1, 2004, persons who hold valid out-of-state certificates as described in subsection (b-5) of this Section are subject to the requirements of paragraphs (2) through (4) of this subsection (c), as required in subsection (b-5) of this Section, in order to receive a Standard Certificate. Standard Certificates shall be issued for categories corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and Special K-12, with special certification designations for Special Education, Bilingual Education, fundamental learning areas (including Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Physical Development and Health, Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(2) This paragraph (2) applies only to those persons required to successfully complete the requirements of this paragraph under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). In order to receive a Standard Teaching Certificate, a person must satisfy one of the following requirements, which the person must identify, in writing, as the requirement that the person has chosen to satisfy to the responsible local professional development committee established pursuant to subsection (f) of Section 21-14 of this Code:

(A) Completion of a program of induction and mentoring for new teachers that is based upon a specific plan approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. Nothing in this Section, however, prohibits an induction or mentoring program from operating prior to approval. Holders of Initial Certificates issued before September 1, 2007 must complete, at a minimum, an approved one-year induction and mentoring program. Holders of Initial Certificates issued on or after September 1, 2007 must complete an approved 2-year induction and mentoring program. The plan must describe the role of mentor teachers, the criteria and process for their selection, and how all the following components are to be provided:

(i) Assignment of a formally trained mentor teacher to each new teacher for a specified period of time, which shall be established by the employing school or school district but shall be at least 2 school years in duration, provided that a mentor teacher may not directly or indirectly participate in the evaluation of a new teacher pursuant to Article 24A of this Code or the evaluation procedure of the school.

(ii) Formal mentoring for each new teacher.

(iii) Support for each new teacher in relation to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, the content-area standards applicable to the new teacher's area of certification, and any applicable local school improvement and professional development plans.

(iv) Professional development specifically designed to foster the growth of each new teacher's knowledge and skills.

(v) Formative assessment that is based on the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and designed to provide feedback to the new teacher and opportunities for reflection on his or her performance, which must not be used directly or indirectly in any evaluation of a new teacher pursuant to Article 24A of this Code or the evaluation procedure of the school and which must include the activities specified in clauses (B)(i), (B)(ii), and (B)(iii) of this paragraph (2).

(vi) Assignment of responsibility for coordination of the induction and mentoring program within each school district participating in the program.

(B) Successful completion of 4 semester hours of graduate-level coursework on the assessment of one's own performance in relation to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. The coursework must be approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board; must be offered either by an institution of higher education, by such an institution in partnership with a teachers' association or union or with a regional office of education, or by another entity authorized to issue college credit; and must include demonstration of performance through all of the following activities for each of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards:

(i) Observation, by the course instructor or another experienced teacher, of the new teacher's classroom practice (the observation may be recorded for later viewing) for the purpose of identifying and describing how the new teacher made content meaningful for students; how the teacher motivated individuals and the group and created an environment conducive to positive social interactions, active learning, and self-motivation; what instructional strategies the teacher used to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance; how the teacher communicated using written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication techniques; and how the teacher maintained standards of professional conduct and provided leadership to improve students' learning.

(ii) Review and analysis, by the course instructor or another experienced teacher, of written documentation (i.e., lesson plans, assignments, assessment instruments, and samples of students' work) prepared by the new teacher for at least 2 lessons. The documentation must provide evidence of classroom performance related to Illinois Professional Teaching Standards 1 through 9, with an emphasis on how the teacher used his or her understanding of students, assessment data, and subject matter to decide on learning goals; how the teacher designed or selected activities and instructional materials and aligned instruction to the relevant Illinois Learning Standards; how the teacher adapted or modified curriculum to meet individual students' needs; and how the teacher sequenced instruction and designed or selected student assessment strategies.

(iii) Demonstration of professional expertise on the part of the new teacher in reflecting on his or her practice, which was observed under clause (B)(i) of this paragraph (2) and documented under clause (B)(ii) of this paragraph (2), in terms of teaching strengths, weaknesses, and implications for improvement according to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards.

(C) Successful completion of a minimum of 4 semester hours of graduate-level coursework addressing preparation to meet the requirements for certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The coursework must be approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, and must be offered either by an institution of higher education, by such an institution in partnership with a teachers' association or union or with a regional office of education, or by another entity authorized to issue college credit. The course must address the 5 NBPTS Core Propositions and relevant standards through such means as the following:

(i) Observation, by the course instructor or another experienced teacher, of the new teacher's classroom practice (the observation may be recorded for later viewing) for the purpose of identifying and describing how the new teacher made content meaningful for students; how the teacher motivated individuals and the group and created an environment conducive to positive social interactions, active learning, and self-motivation; what instructional strategies the teacher used to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance; how the teacher communicated using written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication techniques; and how the teacher maintained standards of professional conduct and provided leadership to improve students' learning.

(ii) Review and analysis, by the course instructor or another experienced teacher, of written documentation (i.e., lesson plans, assignments, assessment instruments, and samples of students' work) prepared by the new teacher for at least 2 lessons. The documentation must provide evidence of classroom performance, including how the teacher used his or her understanding of students, assessment data, and subject matter to decide on learning goals; how the teacher designed or selected activities and instructional materials and aligned instruction to the relevant Illinois Learning Standards; how the teacher adapted or modified curriculum to meet individual students' needs; and how the teacher sequenced instruction and designed or selected student assessment strategies.

(iii) Demonstration of professional expertise on the part of the new teacher in reflecting on his or her practice, which was observed under clause (C)(i) of this paragraph (2) and documented under clause (C)(ii) of this paragraph (2), in terms of teaching strengths, weaknesses, and implications for improvement.

(C-5) Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 12 semester hours of graduate credit towards an advanced degree in an education-related field from an accredited institution of higher education.

(D) Receipt of an advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in an education-related field that is earned by a person either while he or she holds an Initial Teaching Certificate or prior to his or her receipt of that certificate , provided that at least 8 semester hours of the coursework completed count toward a degree, certificate, or endorsement in a teaching field.

(E) Accumulation of 60 continuing professional development units (CPDUs), earned by completing selected activities that comply with paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection (c). However, for an individual who holds an Initial Teaching Certificate on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, the number of CPDUs shall be reduced to reflect the teaching time remaining on the Initial Teaching Certificate.

(F) Completion of a nationally normed, performance-based assessment, if made available by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, provided that the cost to the person shall not exceed the cost of the coursework described in clause (B) of this paragraph (2).

(G) Completion of requirements for meeting the Illinois criteria for becoming "highly qualified" (for purposes of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Public Law 107-110) in an additional teaching area.

(H) Receipt of a minimum 12-hour, post-baccalaureate, education-related professional development certificate issued by an Illinois institution of higher education and developed in accordance with rules adopted by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(I) Completion of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) process.

(J) Receipt of a subsequent Illinois certificate or endorsement pursuant to Article 21 of this Code.

(3) This paragraph (3) applies only to those persons required to successfully complete the requirements of this paragraph under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). Persons who seek to satisfy the requirements of clause (E) of paragraph (2) of this subsection (c) through accumulation of CPDUs may earn credit At least one-half the CPDUs a person must accrue in order to qualify for a Standard Teaching Certificate must be earned through completion of coursework, workshops, seminars, conferences, and other similar training events that are pre-approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, for the purpose of reflection on teaching practices in order to address all of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards necessary to obtain a Standard Teaching Certificate. These activities must meet all of the following requirements:

(A) Each activity must be designed to advance a person's knowledge and skills in relation to one or more of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards or in relation to the content-area standards applicable to the teacher's field of certification.

(B) Taken together, the activities completed must address each of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards as provided in clauses (B)(i), (B)(ii), and (B)(iii) of paragraph (2) of this subsection (c).

(C) Each activity must be provided by an entity approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, for this purpose.

(D) Each activity, integral to its successful completion, must require participants to demonstrate the degree to which they have acquired new knowledge or skills, such as through performance, through preparation of a written product, through assembling samples of students' or teachers' work, or by some other means that is appropriate to the subject matter of the activity.

(E) One CPDU shall be available for each hour of direct participation by a holder of an Initial Teaching Certificate in a qualifying activity. An activity may be attributed to more than one of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, but credit for any activity shall be counted only once.

(4) This paragraph (4) applies only to those persons required to successfully complete the requirements of this paragraph under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). Persons who seek to satisfy the requirements of clause (E) of paragraph (2) of this subsection (c) through accumulation of CPDUs may earn credit from the following, provided that each activity is designed to advance a person's knowledge and skills in relation to one or more of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards or in relation to the content-area standards applicable to the person's field or fields of certification The balance of the CPDUs a person must accrue in order to qualify for a Standard Teaching Certificate, in combination with those earned pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection (c), may be chosen from among the following, provided that an activity listed in clause (C) of this paragraph (4) shall be creditable only if its provider is approved for this purpose by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board:

(A) Collaboration and partnership activities related to improving a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including all of the following:

(i) Peer review and coaching.

(ii) Mentoring in a formal mentoring program, including service as a consulting teacher participating in a remediation process formulated under Section 24A-5 of this Code.

(iii) Facilitating parent education programs directly related to student achievement for a school, school district, or regional office of education.

(iv) Participating in business, school, or community partnerships directly related to student achievement.

(B) Teaching college or university courses in areas relevant to a teacher's field of certification, provided that the teaching may only be counted once during the course of 4 years.

(C) Conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars, and symposiums related to improving a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including all of the following:

(i) Completing non-university credit directly related to student achievement, the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, or content-area standards.

(ii) Participating in or presenting at workshops, seminars, conferences, institutes, and symposiums.

(iii) (Blank). Training as external reviewers for the State Board of Education.

(iv) Training as reviewers of university teacher preparation programs.

An activity listed in this clause (C) is creditable only if its provider is approved for this purpose by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(D) Other educational experiences related to improving a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including all of the following:

(i) Participating in action research and inquiry projects.

(ii) Observing programs or teaching in schools, related businesses, or industry that is systematic, purposeful, and relevant to a teacher's field of certification.

(iii) Participating in study groups related to student achievement, the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, or content-area standards.

(iv) Participating in work/learn programs or internships.

(v) Developing a portfolio of students' and teacher's work.

(E) Professional leadership experiences related to improving a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including all of the following:

(i) Participating in curriculum development or assessment activities at the school, school district, regional office of education, State, or national level.

(ii) Participating in team or department leadership in a school or school district.

(iii) (Blank). Participating on external or internal school or school district review teams.

(iv) Publishing educational articles, columns, or books relevant to a teacher's field of certification.

(v) Participating in non-strike related activities of a professional association or labor organization that are related to professional development.

(5) A person must complete the requirements his or her chosen requirement under paragraph (2) of this subsection (c) before the expiration of his or her Initial Teaching Certificate and must submit assurance evidence of having done so to the regional superintendent of schools or a local professional development committee authorized by the regional superintendent to submit recommendations to him or her for this purpose. Within 30 days after receipt of a person's evidence of completion, the local professional development committee shall forward the evidence of completion to the responsible regional superintendent of schools along with the local professional development committee's recommendation, based on that evidence, as to whether the person is eligible to receive a Standard Teaching Certificate. The local professional development committee shall provide a copy of this recommendation to the affected person.

Within 30 days after receipt, the The regional superintendent of schools shall review the assurance evidence of completion submitted by a person and, based upon compliance with all of the requirements for receipt of a Standard Teaching Certificate, shall forward to the State Board of Education a recommendation for issuance of the Standard Certificate or non-issuance. The regional superintendent of schools shall notify the affected person if the recommendation is for non-issuance of the Standard Certificate. A person who is considered not to be eligible for a Standard Certificate and who has received the notice of non-issuance may appeal this determination to the Regional Professional Development Review Committee (RPDRC). The recommendation of the regional superintendent and the RPDRC, along with all supporting materials, must then be forwarded to the State Board of Education for a final determination of the recommendation forwarded.

Upon review of a regional superintendent of school's recommendations, the State Board of Education shall issue Standard Teaching Certificates to those who qualify and shall notify a person, in writing, of a decision denying a Standard Teaching Certificate. Any decision denying issuance of a Standard Teaching Certificate to a person may be appealed to the State Teacher Certification Board.

(6) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, may adopt rules to implement this subsection (c) and may periodically evaluate any of the methods of qualifying for a Standard Teaching Certificate described in this subsection (c).

(7) The changes made to paragraphs (1) through (5) of this subsection (c) by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly shall apply to those persons who hold or are eligible to hold an Initial Certificate on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and shall be given effect upon their application for a Standard Certificate.

(8) Beginning July 1, 2004, persons who hold a Standard Certificate and have acquired one master's degree in an education-related field are eligible for certificate renewal upon completion of two-thirds of the continuing education units specified in subdivision (C) of paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of Section 21-14 of this Code or of the continuing professional development units specified in subdivision (E) of paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of Section 21-14 of this Code. Persons who hold a Standard Certificate and have acquired a second master's degree, an education specialist, or a doctorate in an education-related field or hold a Master Certificate are eligible for certificate renewal upon completion of one-third of the continuing education units specified in subdivision (C) of paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of Section 21-14 of this Code or of the continuing professional development units specified in subdivision (E) of paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of Section 21-14 of this Code.

(d) Master Certificate. Persons who have successfully achieved National Board certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards shall be issued a Master Certificate, valid for 10 years and renewable thereafter every 10 years through compliance with requirements set forth by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. However, each teacher who holds a Master Certificate shall be eligible for a teaching position in this State in the areas for which he or she holds a Master Certificate without satisfying any other requirements of this Code, except for those requirements pertaining to criminal background checks. A holder of a Master Certificate in an area of science or social science is eligible to teach in any of the subject areas within those fields, including those taught at the advanced level, as defined by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. A teacher who holds a Master Certificate shall be deemed to meet State certification renewal requirements in the area or areas for which he or she holds a Master Certificate for the 10-year term of the teacher's Master Certificate.

(Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99; 91-606, eff. 8-16-99; 91-609, eff. 1-1-00; 92-16, eff. 6-28-01; 92-796, eff. 8-10-02.)

(105 ILCS 5/21-7.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-7.1)

Sec. 21-7.1. Administrative certificate.

(a) After July 1, 1999, an administrative certificate valid for 5 years of supervising and administering in the public common schools (unless changed under subsection (a-5) of this Section) may be issued to persons who have graduated from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning with a master's degree and who have been recommended by a recognized institution of higher learning as having completed a program of preparation for one or more of these endorsements. Such programs of academic and professional preparation required for endorsement shall be administered by the institution in accordance with standards set forth by the State Superintendent of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(a-5) Beginning July 1, 2003, if an administrative certificate holder holds a Standard Teaching Certificate, the validity period of the administrative certificate shall be changed, if necessary, so that the validity period of the administrative certificate coincides with the validity period of the Standard Teaching Certificate. Beginning July 1, 2003, if an administrative certificate holder holds a Master Teaching Certificate, the validity period of the administrative certificate shall be changed so that the validity period of the administrative certificate coincides with the validity period of the Master Teaching Certificate.

(b) No administrative certificate shall be issued for the first time after June 30, 1987 and no endorsement provided for by this Section shall be made or affixed to an administrative certificate for the first time after June 30, 1987 unless the person to whom such administrative certificate is to be issued or to whose administrative certificate such endorsement is to be affixed has been required to demonstrate as a part of a program of academic or professional preparation for such certification or endorsement: (i) an understanding of the knowledge called for in establishing productive parent-school relationships and of the procedures fostering the involvement which such relationships demand; and (ii) an understanding of the knowledge required for establishing a high quality school climate and promoting good classroom organization and management, including rules of conduct and instructional procedures appropriate to accomplishing the tasks of schooling; and (iii) a demonstration of the knowledge and skills called for in providing instructional leadership. The standards for demonstrating an understanding of such knowledge shall be set forth by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, and shall be administered by the recognized institutions of higher learning as part of the programs of academic and professional preparation required for certification and endorsement under this Section. As used in this subsection: "establishing productive parent-school relationships" means the ability to maintain effective communication between parents and school personnel, to encourage parental involvement in schooling, and to motivate school personnel to engage parents in encouraging student achievement, including the development of programs and policies which serve to accomplish this purpose; and "establishing a high quality school climate" means the ability to promote academic achievement, to maintain discipline, to recognize substance abuse problems among students and utilize appropriate law enforcement and other community resources to address these problems, to support teachers and students in their education endeavors, to establish learning objectives and to provide instructional leadership, including the development of policies and programs which serve to accomplish this purpose; and "providing instructional leadership" means the ability to effectively evaluate school personnel, to possess general communication and interpersonal skills, and to establish and maintain appropriate classroom learning environments. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to or affect the initial issuance or making on or before June 30, 1987 of any administrative certificate or endorsement provided for under this Section, nor shall such provisions apply to or affect the renewal after June 30, 1987 of any such certificate or endorsement initially issued or made on or before June 30, 1987.

(c) Administrative certificates shall be renewed every 5 years with the first renewal being 5 years following the initial receipt of an administrative certificate, unless the validity period for the administrative certificate has been changed under subsection (a-5) of this Section, in which case the certificate shall be renewed at the same time that the Standard or Master Teaching Certificate is renewed.

(c-5) Before July 1, 2003, renewal requirements for administrators whose positions require certification shall be based upon evidence of continuing professional education which promotes the following goals: (1) improving administrators' knowledge of instructional practices and administrative procedures; (2) maintaining the basic level of competence required for initial certification; and (3) improving the mastery of skills and knowledge regarding the improvement of teaching performance in clinical settings and assessment of the levels of student performance in their schools. Evidence of continuing professional education must include verification of biennial attendance in a program developed by the Illinois Administrators' Academy and verification of annual participation in a school district approved activity which contributes to continuing professional education.

(c-10) Beginning July 1, 2003, except as otherwise provided in subsection (c-15) of this Section, persons holding administrative certificates must follow the certificate renewal procedure set forth in this subsection (c-10), provided that those persons holding administrative certificates on June 30, 2003 who are renewing those certificates on or after July 1, 2003 shall be issued new administrative certificates valid for 5 years (unless changed under subsection (a-5) of this Section), which may be renewed thereafter as set forth in this subsection (c-10).

(1) A person holding an administrative certificate and employed in a position requiring administrative certification, including a regional superintendent of schools, must satisfy develop an administrative certificate renewal plan for satisfying the continuing professional development requirements of this Section required to renew his or her administrative certificate. The continuing professional development An administrative certificate renewal plan must include a minimum of 3 individual improvement goals developed by the certificate holder and must include without limitation the following continuing professional development purposes:

(1) (A) To improve the administrator's knowledge of instructional practices and administrative procedures in accordance with the Illinois Professional School Leader Standards.

(2) (B) To maintain the basic level of competence required for initial certification.

(3) (C) To improve the administrator's mastery of skills and knowledge regarding the improvement of teaching performance in clinical settings and assessment of the levels of student performance in the schools.

An administrative certificate renewal plan must include a description of how the improvement goals are to be achieved and an explanation of the selected continuing professional development activities to be completed, each of which must meet one or more of the continuing professional development purposes specified in this paragraph (1).

The continuing professional development (2) In addition to the requirements in paragraph (1) of this subsection (c-10), the administrative certificate renewal plan must include the following in order for the certificate to be renewed:

(A) Participation in continuing professional development activities, which must total a minimum of 100 hours of continuing professional development. and which must meet all of the following requirements: (i) The participation must consist of a minimum of 5 activities per validity period of the certificate, and the certificate holder must maintain documentation of completion of each activity.

(ii) The activities must address the goals in the certificate holder's professional development plan.

(iii) The activities must be aligned with the Illinois Professional School Leader Standards.

(iv) A portion of the activities must address the certificate holder's school improvement plan at either the district or school level.

(v) The participation must include a communication, dissemination, or application component.

(vi) There must be documentation of completion of each activity.

(B) Participation every year in an Illinois Administrators' Academy course, which participation must total a minimum of 30 36 continuing professional development hours during the period of the certificate's validity and which must include completion all of the following: (i) Completion of applicable required coursework, including completion of a communication, dissemination, or application component, as defined by the State Board of Education.

(ii) Completion of a communication, dissemination, or application component.

(iii) Documentation of completion of each activity.

(3) Each administrator who is subject to the requirements of this subsection (c-10) but who is not serving as a district or regional superintendent, a director of a cooperative program or special education program, or a director of a State-operated school must submit his or her administrative certificate renewal plan for review to the superintendent of the employing school district or to the director of the cooperative or special education program or State-operated school (or to the superintendent's or director's designee). Each district or regional superintendent, director of a cooperative program or special education program, or director of a State-operated school must submit his or her administrative certificate renewal plan for review to a review panel comprised of peers established by the regional superintendent of schools for the geographic area where the certificate holder is employed as an administrator.

(4) If the certificate holder's plan does not conform to the requirements of this subsection (c-10), the reviewer or review panel must notify the certificate holder, who must revise the administrative certificate renewal plan. A certificate holder who is not a regional superintendent of schools may appeal that determination to the regional superintendent of schools for the geographic area where the certificate holder is employed as an administrator. A certificate holder who is a regional superintendent of schools may appeal that determination to the State Superintendent of Education. The regional superintendent of schools or the State Superintendent of Education (or the regional superintendent's or State Superintendent's designee) shall facilitate any modification of the plan, if necessary, to make it acceptable.

(5) A certificate holder may modify his or her administrative certificate renewal plan at any time during the validity period of the administrative certificate through the process outlined in paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection (c-10).

(6) Evidence of completion of the activities in the administrative certificate renewal plan must be submitted to the responsible reviewer or review panel. Before the expiration of the administrative certificate, the certificate holder must request from the responsible reviewer or review panel a signed verification form developed by the State Board of Education confirming that the certificate holder has met the requirements for renewal contained in this Section. A certificate holder who is not a regional superintendent of schools must submit this form to the responsible regional superintendent of schools (or his or her designee) at the time of application for renewal of the certificate. A certificate holder who is a regional superintendent of schools must submit this form for validation to the State Superintendent of Education (or his or her designee) at the time of application for renewal of the certificate.

The certificate holder must complete a verification form developed by the State Board of Education and certify that 100 hours of continuing professional development activities and 5 Administrators' Academy courses have been completed. (7) The regional superintendent of schools shall review and validate the verification form for a certificate holder. Based on compliance with all of the requirements for renewal, the regional superintendent of schools shall forward a recommendation for renewal or non-renewal to the State Superintendent of Education and shall notify the certificate holder of the recommendation. The State Superintendent of Education shall review the recommendation to renew or non-renew and shall notify, in writing, the certificate holder of a decision denying renewal of his or her certificate. Any decision regarding non-renewal of an administrative certificate may be appealed to the State Teacher Certification Board.

The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, shall adopt rules to implement this subsection (c-10).

The regional superintendent of schools shall monitor the process for renewal of administrative certificates established in this subsection (c-10).

(c-15) This subsection (c-15) applies to the first period of an administrative certificate's validity during which the holder becomes subject to the requirements of subsection (c-10) of this Section if the certificate has less than 5 years' validity or has less than 5 years' validity remaining when the certificate holder becomes subject to the requirements of subsection (c-10) of this Section. With respect to this period, the 100 hours of continuing professional development and 5 activities per validity period specified in clause (A) of paragraph (2) of subsection (c-10) of this Section shall instead be deemed to mean 20 hours of continuing professional development and one activity per year of the certificate's validity or remaining validity and the 30 36 continuing professional development hours specified in clause (B) of paragraph (2) of subsection (c-10) of this Section shall instead be deemed to mean completion of at least one course per year of the certificate's validity or remaining validity. Certificate holders who evaluate certified staff must complete a 2-day teacher evaluation course, in addition to the 30 continuing professional development hours. If the certificate has 3 or fewer years of validity or 3 or fewer years of validity remaining, the certificate holder is not subject to the requirements for submission and approval of plans for continuing professional development described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (c-10) of this Section with respect to that period of the certificate's validity.

(c-20) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, shall develop procedures for implementing this Section and shall administer the renewal of administrative certificates. Failure to submit satisfactory evidence of continuing professional education which contributes to promoting the goals of this Section shall result in a loss of administrative certification.

(d) Any limited or life supervisory certificate issued prior to July 1, 1968 shall continue to be valid for all administrative and supervisory positions in the public schools for which it is valid as of that date as long as its holder meets the requirements for registration or renewal as set forth in the statutes or until revoked according to law.

(e) The administrative or supervisory positions for which the certificate shall be valid shall be determined by one or more of 3 endorsements: general supervisory, general administrative and superintendent.

Subject to the provisions of Section 21-1a, endorsements shall be made under conditions set forth in this Section. The State Board of Education shall, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, adopt rules pursuant to the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act, establishing requirements for obtaining administrative certificates where the minimum administrative or supervisory requirements surpass those set forth in this Section.

The State Teacher Certification Board shall file with the State Board of Education a written recommendation when considering additional administrative or supervisory requirements. All additional requirements shall be based upon the requisite knowledge necessary to perform those tasks required by the certificate. The State Board of Education shall in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, establish standards within its rules which shall include the academic and professional requirements necessary for certification. These standards shall at a minimum contain, but not be limited to, those used by the State Board of Education in determining whether additional knowledge will be required. Additionally, the State Board of Education shall in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, establish provisions within its rules whereby any member of the educational community or the public may file a formal written recommendation or inquiry regarding requirements.

(1) Until July 1, 2003, the general supervisory endorsement shall be affixed to the administrative certificate of any holder who has at least 16 semester hours of graduate credit in professional education including 8 semester hours of graduate credit in curriculum and research and who has at least 2 years of full-time teaching experience or school service personnel experience in public schools, schools under the supervision of the Department of Corrections, schools under the administration of the Department of Rehabilitation Services, or nonpublic schools meeting the standards established by the State Superintendent of Education or comparable out-of-state recognition standards approved by the State Superintendent of Education.

Such endorsement shall be required for supervisors, curriculum directors and for such similar and related positions as determined by the State Superintendent of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(2) The general administrative endorsement shall be affixed to the administrative certificate of any holder who has at least 20 semester hours of graduate credit in educational administration and supervision and who has at least 2 years of full-time teaching experience or school service personnel experience in public schools, schools under the supervision of the Department of Corrections, schools under the administration of the Department of Rehabilitation Services, or nonpublic schools meeting the standards established by the State Superintendent of Education or comparable out-of-state recognition standards approved by the State Superintendent of Education.

Such endorsement shall be required for principal, assistant principal, assistant or associate superintendent, junior college dean and for related or similar positions as determined by the State Superintendent of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Act, after January 1, 1990 and until January 1, 1991, any teacher employed by a district subject to Article 34 shall be entitled to receive an administrative certificate with a general administrative endorsement affixed thereto if he or she: (i) had at least 3 years of experience as a certified teacher for such district prior to August 1, 1985; (ii) obtained a Master's degree prior to August 1, 1985; (iii) completed at least 20 hours of graduate credit in education courses (including at least 12 hours in educational administration and supervision) prior to September 1, 1987; and (iv) has received a rating of superior for at least each of the last 5 years. Any person who obtains an administrative certificate with a general administrative endorsement affixed thereto under this paragraph shall not be qualified to serve in any administrative position except assistant principal.

(3) The chief school business official endorsement shall be affixed to the administrative certificate of any holder who qualifies by having a Master's degree, two years of administrative experience in school business management, and a minimum of 20 semester hours of graduate credit in a program established by the State Superintendent of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board for the preparation of school business administrators. Such endorsement shall also be affixed to the administrative certificate of any holder who qualifies by having a Master's Degree in Business Administration, Finance or Accounting from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

After June 30, 1977, such endorsement shall be required for any individual first employed as a chief school business official.

(4) The superintendent endorsement shall be affixed to the administrative certificate of any holder who has completed 30 semester hours of graduate credit beyond the master's degree in a program for the preparation of superintendents of schools including 16 semester hours of graduate credit in professional education and who has at least 2 years experience as an administrator or supervisor in the public schools or the State Board of Education or education service regions or in nonpublic schools meeting the standards established by the State Superintendent of Education or comparable out-of-state recognition standards approved by the State Superintendent of Education and holds general supervisory or general administrative endorsement, or who has had 2 years of experience as a supervisor or administrator while holding an all-grade supervisory certificate or a certificate comparable in validity and educational and experience requirements.

After June 30, 1968, such endorsement shall be required for a superintendent of schools, except as provided in the second paragraph of this Section and in Section 34-6.

Any person appointed to the position of superintendent between the effective date of this Act and June 30, 1993 in a school district organized pursuant to Article 32 with an enrollment of at least 20,000 pupils shall be exempt from the provisions of this paragraph (4) until June 30, 1996.

(f) All official interpretations or acts of issuing or denying administrative certificates or endorsements by the State Teacher's Certification Board, State Board of Education or the State Superintendent of Education, from the passage of P.A. 81-1208 on November 8, 1979 through September 24, 1981 are hereby declared valid and legal acts in all respects and further that the purported repeal of the provisions of this Section by P.A. 81-1208 and P.A. 81-1509 is declared null and void.

(Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99; 92-796, eff. 8-10-02.)

(105 ILCS 5/21-9) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-9)

Sec. 21-9. Substitute certificates and substitute teaching.

(a) A substitute teacher's certificate may be issued for teaching in all grades of the common schools. Such certificate may be issued upon request of the regional superintendent of schools of any region in which the teacher is to teach. A substitute teacher's certificate is valid for teaching in the public schools of any county. Such certificate may be issued to persons who either (a) hold a certificate valid for teaching in the common schools as shown on the face of the certificate, (b) hold a bachelor of arts degree from an institution of higher learning accredited by the North Central Association or other comparable regional accrediting association or have been graduated from a recognized institution of higher learning with a bachelor's degree, or (c) have had 2 years of teaching experience and meet such other rules and regulations as may be adopted by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. Such certificate shall expire on June 30 in the fourth year from date of issue. Substitute teacher's certificates are not subject to endorsement as described in Section 21-1b of this Code.

(b) A teacher holding a substitute teacher's certificate may teach only in the place of a certified teacher who is under contract with the employing board and may teach only when no appropriate fully certified teacher is available to teach in a substitute capacity. A teacher holding an early childhood certificate, an elementary certificate, a high school certificate, or a special certificate may also substitute teach in grades K-12 but only in the place of a certified teacher who is under contract with the employing board. A substitute teacher may teach only for a period not to exceed 90 paid school days or 450 paid school hours in any one school district in any one school term. However, for the 2001-2002, 2002-2003, and 2003-2004 school years, a teacher holding an early childhood, elementary, high school, or special certificate may substitute teach for a period not to exceed 120 paid school days or 600 paid school hours in any one school district in any one school term. Where such teaching is partly on a daily and partly on an hourly basis, a school day shall be considered as 5 hours. The teaching limitations imposed by this subsection upon teachers holding substitute certificates shall not apply in any school district operating under Article 34.

(Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99; 92-184, eff. 7-27-01.)

(105 ILCS 5/21-12) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-12)

Sec. 21-12. Printing; Seal; Signature; Credentials. All certificates shall be printed by and bear the signatures of the chairman and of the secretary of the State Teacher Certification Board. Each certificate shall show the integrally printed seal of the State Teacher Certification Board. All college credentials offered as the basis of a certificate shall be presented to the secretary of the State Teacher Certification Board for inspection and approval.

Commencing July 1, 1999, each application for a certificate or evaluation of credentials shall be accompanied by an evaluation fee of $30 payable to the State Superintendent of Education, which is not refundable, except that no application or evaluation fee shall be required for a Master Certificate issued pursuant to subsection (d) of Section 21-2 of this Code. The proceeds of each $30 fee shall be paid into the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund, created under Section 21-1b of this Code; and the moneys in that Fund shall be appropriated and used to provide the technology and other resources necessary for the timely and efficient processing of certification requests.

The State Board of Education and each regional office of education are authorized to charge a service or convenience fee for the use of credit cards for the payment of certification fees. This service or convenience fee may not exceed the amount required by the credit card processing company or vendor that has entered into a contract with the State Board or regional office of education for this purpose, and the fee must be paid to that company or vendor.

When evaluation verifies the requirements for a valid certificate, the applicant shall be issued an entitlement card that may be presented to a regional superintendent of schools for issuance of a certificate.

The applicant shall be notified of any deficiencies.

(Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)

(105 ILCS 5/21-14) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-14)

Sec. 21-14. Registration and renewal of certificates.

(a) A limited four-year certificate or a certificate issued after July 1, 1955, shall be renewable at its expiration or within 60 days thereafter by the county superintendent of schools having supervision and control over the school where the teacher is teaching upon certified evidence of meeting the requirements for renewal as required by this Act and prescribed by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. An elementary supervisory certificate shall not be renewed at the end of the first four-year period covered by the certificate unless the holder thereof has filed certified evidence with the State Teacher Certification Board that he has a master's degree or that he has earned 8 semester hours of credit in the field of educational administration and supervision in a recognized institution of higher learning. The holder shall continue to earn 8 semester hours of credit each four-year period until such time as he has earned a master's degree.

All certificates not renewed or registered as herein provided shall lapse after a period of 5 years from the expiration of the last year of registration. Such certificates may be reinstated for a one year period upon payment of all accumulated registration fees. Such reinstated certificates shall only be renewed: (1) by earning 5 semester hours of credit in a recognized institution of higher learning in the field of professional education or in courses related to the holder's contractual teaching duties; or (2) by presenting evidence of holding a valid regular certificate of some other type. Any certificate may be voluntarily surrendered by the certificate holder. A voluntarily surrendered certificate shall be treated as a revoked certificate.

(b) When those teaching certificates issued before February 15, 2000 are renewed for the first time after February 15, 2000, all such teaching certificates shall be exchanged for Standard Teaching Certificates as provided in subsection (c) of Section 21-2. All Initial and Standard Teaching Certificates, including those issued to persons who previously held teaching certificates issued before February 15, 2000, shall be renewable under the conditions set forth in this subsection (b).

Initial Teaching Certificates are nonrenewable and are valid for 4 years of teaching, as provided in subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of this Code, and are renewable every 4 years until the person completes 4 years of teaching. If the holder of an Initial Certificate has completed 4 years of teaching but has not completed the requirements set forth in paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code, then the Initial Certificate may be reinstated for one year, during which the requirements must be met. A holder of an Initial Certificate who has not completed 4 years of teaching may continuously register the certificate for additional 4-year periods without penalty. Initial Certificates that are not registered shall lapse consistent with subsection (a) of this Section and may be reinstated only in accordance with subsection (a). Standard Teaching Certificates are renewable every 5 years as provided in subsection (c) of Section 21-2 and subsection (c) of this Section. For purposes of this Section, "teaching" is defined as employment and performance of services in an Illinois public or State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board of control, in a certificated teaching position, or a charter school operating in compliance with the Charter Schools Law.

(c) In compliance with subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code, which provides that a Standard Teaching Certificate may be renewed by the State Teacher Certification Board based upon proof of continuing professional development, the State Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board shall jointly:

(1) establish a procedure for renewing Standard Teaching Certificates, which shall include but not be limited to annual timelines for the renewal process and the components set forth in subsections (d) through (k) of this Section;

(2) establish the standards for certificate renewal;

(3) approve or disapprove the providers of continuing professional development activities;

(4) determine the maximum credit for each category of continuing professional development activities, based upon recommendations submitted by a continuing professional development activity task force, which shall consist of 6 staff members from the State Board of Education, appointed by the State Superintendent of Education, and 6 teacher representatives, 3 of whom are selected by the Illinois Education Association and 3 of whom are selected by the Illinois Federation of Teachers;

(5) designate the type and amount of documentation required to show that continuing professional development activities have been completed; and

(6) provide, on a timely basis to all Illinois teachers, certificate holders, regional superintendents of schools, school districts, and others with an interest in continuing professional development, information about the standards and requirements established pursuant to this subsection (c).

(d) Any Standard Teaching Certificate held by an individual employed and performing services in an Illinois public or State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board of control in a certificated teaching position or a charter school in compliance with the Charter Schools Law must be maintained Valid and Active through certificate renewal activities specified in the certificate renewal procedure established pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, provided that a holder of a Valid and Active certificate who is only employed on either a part-time basis or day-to-day basis as a substitute teacher shall pay only the required registration fee to renew his or her certificate and maintain it as Valid and Active. All other Standard Teaching Certificates held may be maintained as Valid and Exempt through the registration process provided for in the certificate renewal procedure established pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section. A Valid and Exempt certificate must be immediately activated, through procedures developed jointly by the State Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board, upon the certificate holder becoming employed and performing services in an Illinois public or State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board of control in a certificated teaching position or a charter school operating in compliance with the Charter Schools Law. A holder of a Valid and Exempt certificate may activate his or her certificate through procedures provided for in the certificate renewal procedure established pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section.

(e)(1) A Standard Teaching Certificate that has been maintained as Valid and Active for the 5 years of the certificate's validity shall be renewed as Valid and Active upon the certificate holder: (i) completing an advanced degree from an approved institution in an education-related field; (ii) completing at least 8 semester hours of coursework as described in subdivision (B) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (e); (iii) earning at least 24 continuing education units as described in subdivision (C) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (e); (iv) completing the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards process as described in subdivision (D) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (e); or (v) earning 120 continuing professional development units ("CPDU") as described in subdivision (E) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (e). The maximum continuing professional development units for each continuing professional development activity identified in subdivisions (F) through (J) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (e) shall be jointly determined by the State Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board. If, however, the certificate holder has maintained the certificate as Valid and Exempt for a portion of the 5-year period of validity, the number of continuing professional development units needed to renew the certificate as Valid and Active shall be proportionately reduced by the amount of time the certificate was Valid and Exempt. Furthermore, if a certificate holder is employed and performs teaching services on a part-time basis for all or a portion of the certificate's 5-year period of validity, the number of continuing professional development units needed to renew the certificate as Valid and Active shall be reduced by 50% for the amount of time the certificate holder has been employed and performed teaching services on a part-time basis. Part-time shall be defined as less than 50% of the school day or school term.

Notwithstanding any other requirements to the contrary, if a Standard Teaching Certificate has been maintained as Valid and Active for the 5 years of the certificate's validity and the certificate holder has completed his or her certificate renewal plan before July 1, 2002, the certificate shall be renewed as Valid and Active.

(2) Beginning July 1, 2004, in order to satisfy the requirements for continuing professional development provided for in subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code, each Each Valid and Active Standard Teaching Certificate holder shall complete professional development activities develop a certificate renewal plan for satisfying the continuing professional development requirement provided for in subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code. Certificate holders with multiple certificates shall develop a certificate renewal plan that addresses only that address the certificate or those certificates that are required of his or her certificated teaching position, if the certificate holder is employed and performing services in an Illinois public or State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board of control, or that certificate or those certificates most closely related to his or her teaching position, if the certificate holder is employed in a charter school. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (e), the certificate holder's activities must address a certificate renewal plan shall include a minimum of 3 individual improvement goals developed by the certificate holder and shall reflect purposes (A), (B), and (C), or (D) and must may reflect purpose (E) (D) of the following continuing professional development purposes:

(A) Advance both the certificate holder's knowledge and skills as a teacher consistent with the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and the Illinois Content Area Standards in the certificate holder's areas of certification, endorsement, or teaching assignment in order to keep the certificate holder current in those areas.

(B) Develop the certificate holder's knowledge and skills in areas determined to be critical for all Illinois teachers, as defined by the State Board of Education, known as "State priorities".

(C) Address the knowledge, skills, and goals of the certificate holder's local school improvement plan, if the teacher is employed in an Illinois public or State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board of control.

(D) Expand the certificate holder's knowledge and skills in an additional teaching field or toward the acquisition of another teaching certificate, endorsement, or relevant education degree.

(E) Address the needs of serving students with disabilities, including adapting and modifying the general curriculum related to the Illinois Learning Standards to meet the needs of students with disabilities and serving such students in the least restrictive environment. Teachers who hold certificates endorsed for special education must devote at least 50% of their continuing professional development activities to this purpose. Teachers holding other certificates must devote at least 20% of their activities to this purpose. A certificate renewal plan must include a description of how these goals are to be achieved and an explanation of selected continuing professional development activities to be completed, each of which must meet one or more of the continuing professional development purposes specified in this paragraph (2). The plan shall identify potential activities and include projected timelines for those activities that will assure completion of the plan before the expiration of the 5-year validity of the Standard Teaching Certificate. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (e), at least 50% of continuing professional development units must relate to purposes (A) and (B) set forth in this paragraph (2): the advancement of a certificate holder's knowledge and skills as a teacher consistent with the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and the Illinois Content Area Standards in the certificate holder's areas of certification, endorsement, or teaching assignment in order to keep the certificate holder current in those areas and the development of a certificate holder's knowledge and skills in the State priorities that exist at the time the certificate renewal plan is developed.

A speech-language pathologist or audiologist who is licensed under the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Practice Act and who has met the continuing education requirements of that Act and the rules promulgated under that Act shall be deemed to have satisfied the continuing professional development requirements established by the State Board of Education and the Teacher Certification Board to renew a Standard Certificate.

(3) Continuing professional development activities included in a certificate renewal plan may include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

(A) completion of an advanced degree from an approved institution in an education-related field;

(B) at least 8 semester hours of coursework in an approved education-related program, of which at least 2 semester hours relate to the continuing professional development purpose set forth in purpose (A) of paragraph (2) of this subsection (e), completion of which means no provided that such a plan need not include any other continuing professional development activities are required nor reflect or contain activities related to the other continuing professional development purposes set forth in paragraph (2) of this subsection (e);

(C) continuing education units that satisfy the continuing professional development purposes set forth in paragraph (2) of this subsection (e), with each continuing education unit equal to 5 clock hours, provided that a plan that includes at least 24 continuing education units (or 120 clock/contact hours) need not include any other continuing professional development activities;

(D) completion of the National Board for of Professional Teaching Standards ("NBPTS") process for certification or recertification, completion of which means no provided that a plan that includes completion of the NBPTS process need not include any other continuing professional development activities are required nor reflect or contain activities related to the continuing professional development purposes set forth in paragraph (2) of subsection (e) of this Section;

(E) completion of 120 continuing professional development units that satisfy the continuing professional development purposes set forth in paragraph (2) of this subsection (e) and may include without limitation the activities identified in subdivisions (F) through (J) of this paragraph (3);

(F) collaboration and partnership activities related to improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including the following:

(i) participating on collaborative planning and professional improvement teams and committees;

(ii) peer review and coaching;

(iii) mentoring in a formal mentoring program, including service as a consulting teacher participating in a remediation process formulated under Section 24A-5 of this Code;

(iv) participating in site-based management or decision making teams, relevant committees, boards, or task forces directly related to school improvement plans;

(v) coordinating community resources in schools, if the project is a specific goal of the school improvement plan;

(vi) facilitating parent education programs for a school, school district, or regional office of education directly related to student achievement or school improvement plans;

(vii) participating in business, school, or community partnerships directly related to student achievement or school improvement plans; or

(viii) supervising a student teacher or teacher education candidate in clinical supervision, provided that the supervision may only be counted once during the course of 5 years;

(G) college or university coursework related to improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher as follows:

(i) completing undergraduate or graduate credit earned from a regionally accredited institution in coursework relevant to the certificate area being renewed, including coursework that incorporates induction activities and development of a portfolio of both student and teacher work that provides experience in reflective practices, provided the coursework meets Illinois Professional Teaching Standards or Illinois Content Area Standards and supports the essential characteristics of quality professional development; or

(ii) teaching college or university courses in areas relevant to the certificate area being renewed, provided that the teaching may only be counted once during the course of 5 years;

(H) conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars, and symposiums related to improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher, subject to disapproval of the activity or event by the State Teacher Certification Board acting jointly with the State Board of Education, including the following:

(i) completing non-university credit directly related to student achievement, school improvement plans, or State priorities;

(ii) participating in or presenting at workshops, seminars, conferences, institutes, and symposiums;

(iii) training as external reviewers for Quality Assurance; or

(iv) training as reviewers of university teacher preparation programs. ;

A teacher, however, may not receive credit for conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars, or symposiums that are designed for entertainment, promotional, or commercial purposes or that are solely inspirational or motivational. The State Superintendent of Education and regional superintendents of schools are authorized to review the activities and events provided or to be provided under this subdivision (H) and to investigate complaints regarding those activities and events, and either the State Superintendent of Education or a regional superintendent of schools may recommend that the State Teacher Certification Board and the State Board of Education jointly disapprove those activities and events considered to be inconsistent with this subdivision (H);

(I) other educational experiences related to improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including the following:

(i) participating in action research and inquiry projects;

(ii) observing programs or teaching in schools, related businesses, or industry that is systematic, purposeful, and relevant to certificate renewal;

(iii) traveling related to one's ones teaching assignment, directly related to student achievement or school improvement plans and approved by the regional superintendent of schools or his or her designee at least 30 days prior to the travel experience, provided that the traveling shall not include time spent commuting to destinations where the learning experience will occur;

(iv) participating in study groups related to student achievement or school improvement plans;

(v) serving on a statewide education-related committee, including but not limited to the State Teacher Certification Board, State Board of Education strategic agenda teams, or the State Advisory Council on Education of Children with Disabilities;

(vi) participating in work/learn programs or internships; or

(vii) developing a portfolio of student and teacher work;

(J) professional leadership experiences related to improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including the following:

(i) participating in curriculum development or assessment activities at the school, school district, regional office of education, State, or national level;

(ii) participating in team or department leadership in a school or school district;

(iii) participating on external or internal school or school district review teams;

(iv) publishing educational articles, columns, or books relevant to the certificate area being renewed; or

(v) participating in non-strike related professional association or labor organization service or activities related to professional development; .

(K) receipt of a subsequent Illinois certificate or endorsement pursuant to this Article; or

(L) completion of requirements for meeting the Illinois criteria for becoming "highly qualified" (for purposes of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Public Law 107-110) in an additional teaching area.

(M) Successful completion of 4 semester hours of graduate-level coursework on the assessment of one's own performance in relation to the Illinois Teaching Standards, as described in clause (B) of paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code.

(N) Successful completion of a minimum of 4 semester hours of graduate-level coursework addressing preparation to meet the requirements for certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, as described in clause (C) of paragraph (2) of subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code.

(4) A person must complete the requirements of this subsection (e) before the expiration of his or her Standard Teaching Certificate and must submit assurance to the regional superintendent of schools or, if applicable, a local professional development committee authorized by the regional superintendent to submit recommendations to him or her for this purpose. The statement of assurance shall contain a list of the activities completed, the provider offering each activity, the number of credits earned for each activity, and the purposes to which each activity is attributed. The certificate holder shall maintain the evidence of completion of each activity for at least one certificate renewal cycle. The certificate holder shall affirm under penalty of perjury that he or she has completed the activities listed and will maintain the required evidence of completion. The State Board of Education or the regional superintendent of schools for each region shall conduct random audits of assurance statements and supporting documentation. A certificate renewal plan must initially be approved by the certificate holder's local professional development committee, as provided for in subsection (f) of this Section. If the local professional development committee does not approve the certificate renewal plan, the certificate holder may appeal that determination to the regional professional development review committee, as provided for in paragraph (2) of subsection (g) of this Section. If the regional professional development review committee disagrees with the local professional development committee's determination, the certificate renewal plan shall be deemed approved and the certificate holder may begin satisfying the continuing professional development activities set forth in the plan. If the regional professional development review committee agrees with the local professional development committee's determination, the certificate renewal plan shall be deemed disapproved and shall be returned to the certificate holder to develop a revised certificate renewal plan. In all cases, the regional professional development review committee shall immediately notify both the local professional development committee and the certificate holder of its determination.

(5) (Blank). A certificate holder who wishes to modify the continuing professional development activities or goals in his or her certificate renewal plan must submit the proposed modifications to his or her local professional development committee for approval prior to engaging in the proposed activities. If the local professional development committee does not approve the proposed modification, the certificate holder may appeal that determination to the regional professional development review committee, as set forth in paragraph (4) of this subsection (e).

(6) (Blank). When a certificate holder changes assignments or school districts during the course of completing a certificate renewal plan, the professional development and continuing education credit earned pursuant to the plan shall transfer to the new assignment or school district and count toward the total requirements. This certificate renewal plan must be reviewed by the appropriate local professional development committee and may be modified to reflect the certificate holder's new work assignment or the school improvement plan of the new school district or school building.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code, a school district is authorized to enter into an agreement with the exclusive bargaining representative, if any, to form a local professional development committee (LPDC). The membership and terms of members of the LPDC may be determined by the agreement. Provisions regarding LPDCs contained in a collective bargaining agreement in existence on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly between a school district and the exclusive bargaining representative shall remain in full force and effect for the term of the agreement, unless terminated by mutual agreement. The LPDC shall make recommendations to the regional superintendent of schools on renewal of teaching certificates. The regional superintendent of schools for each region each school district, charter school, and cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board of control that employs certificated staff, shall establish and implement, in conjunction with its exclusive representative, if any, one or more local professional development committees, as set forth in this subsection (f), which shall perform the following functions:

(1) review recommendations for and approve certificate renewal, if any, received from LPDCs plans and any modifications made to these plans, including transferred plans;

(2) (blank); maintain a file of approved certificate renewal plans;

(3) (blank); monitor certificate holders' progress in completing approved certificate renewal plans, provided that a local professional development committee shall not be required to maintain materials submitted by certificate holders to demonstrate their progress in completing their certificate renewal plans after the committee has reviewed the materials and the credits have been awarded;

(4) (blank); assist in the development of professional development plans based upon needs identified in certificate renewal plans;

(5) determine whether certificate holders have met the requirements for of their certificate renewal plans and notify certificate holders if the decision is not to renew the certificate of its determination;

(6) provide a certificate holder with the opportunity to appeal a recommendation made by a LPDC, if any, not to renew the certificate to the regional professional development review committee address the committee when it has determined that the certificate holder has not met the requirements of his or her certificate renewal plan;

(7) issue and forward recommendations for renewal or nonrenewal of certificate holders' Standard Teaching Certificates to the State Teacher Certification Board appropriate regional superintendent of schools, based upon whether certificate holders have met the requirements of their approved certificate renewal plans, with 30-day written notice of its recommendation provided to the certificate holder prior to forwarding the recommendation to the regional superintendent of schools, provided that if the local professional development committee's recommendation is for certificate nonrenewal, the written notice provided to the certificate holder shall include a return receipt; and

(8) (blank). reconsider its recommendation of certificate nonrenewal, upon request of the certificate holder within 30 days of receipt of written notification that the local professional development committee will make such a recommendation, and forward to the regional superintendent of schools its recommendation within 30 days of receipt of the certificate holder's request.

Each local professional development committee shall consist of at least 3 classroom teachers; one superintendent or chief administrator of the school district, charter school, or cooperative or joint agreement or his or her designee; and one at-large member who shall be either (i) a parent, (ii) a member of the business community, (iii) a community member, or (iv) an administrator, with preference given to an individual chosen from among those persons listed in items (i), (ii), and (iii) in order to secure representation of an interest not already represented on the committee. Except in a school district in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, a local professional development committee shall be responsible for no more than 200 certificate renewal plans annually unless otherwise mutually agreed upon by the school district, charter school, or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or joint agreement and its exclusive representative, if any. If mutually agreed upon by the school district, charter school, or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or joint agreement and its exclusive representative, if any, additional members may be added to a local professional development committee, provided that a majority of members are classroom teachers. Except in a school district in a city having a population exceeding 500,000, if additional members are added to a local professional development committee, the maximum number of certificate renewal plans for which the committee shall annually be responsible may be increased by 50 plans for each additional member, unless otherwise mutually agreed upon by the school district, charter school, or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or joint agreement and its exclusive representative, if any. The school district, charter school, or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or joint agreement and its exclusive representative, if any, shall determine the term of service of the members of a local professional development committee. All individuals selected to serve on local professional development committees must be known to demonstrate the best practices in teaching or their respective field of practice.

The exclusive representative, if any, shall select the classroom teacher members of the local professional development committee. If no exclusive representative exists, then the classroom teacher members of a local professional development committee shall be selected by the classroom teachers that come within the local professional development committee's authority. The school district, charter school, or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or joint agreement shall select the 2 non-classroom teacher members (the superintendent or chief administrator of the school district, charter school, or cooperative or joint agreement or his or her designee and the at-large member) of a local professional development committee. Vacancies in positions on a local professional development committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original selections. The members of a local professional development committee shall select a chairperson. Local professional development committee meetings shall be scheduled so as not to interfere with committee members' regularly scheduled teaching duties, except when otherwise permitted by the policies of or agreed to or approved by the school district, charter school, or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or joint agreement, or its designee.

The board of education or governing board shall convene the first meeting of the local professional development committee. All actions taken by the local professional development committee shall require that a majority of committee members be present, and no committee action may be taken unless 50% or more of those present are teacher members.

The State Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board shall jointly provide local professional development committee members with a training manual, and the members shall certify that they have received and read the manual.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this subsection (f), for a teacher employed and performing services in a nonpublic or State-operated elementary or secondary school, all references to a local professional development committee shall mean the regional superintendent of schools of the regional office of education for the geographic area where the teaching is done.

(g)(1) Each regional superintendent of schools shall review and concur or nonconcur with each recommendation for renewal or nonrenewal of a Standard Teaching Certificate he or she receives from a local professional development committee, if any, or, if a certificate holder appeals the recommendation to the regional professional development review committee, the recommendation for renewal or nonrenewal he or she receives from a regional professional development review committee and, within 14 days of receipt of the recommendation, shall provide the State Teacher Certification Board with verification of the following, if applicable:

(A) the certificate holder has satisfactorily completed professional development and continuing education activities set forth in paragraph (3) of subsection (e) of this Section; a certificate renewal plan was filed and approved by the appropriate local professional development committee;

(B) the certificate holder has submitted the statement of assurance required under paragraph (4) of subsection (e) of this Section, and this statement has been attached to the application for renewal; the professional development and continuing education activities set forth in the approved certificate renewal plan have been satisfactorily completed;

(C) the local professional development committee, if any, has recommended the renewal of the certificate holder's Standard Teaching Certificate and forwarded the recommendation, along with all supporting documentation as jointly required by the State Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board, to the regional superintendent of schools;

(D) the certificate holder has appealed his or her local professional development committee's recommendation of nonrenewal, if any, to the regional professional development review committee and the result of that appeal;

(E) the regional superintendent of schools has concurred or nonconcurred with the local professional development committee's or regional professional development review committee's recommendation, if any, to renew or nonrenew the certificate holder's Standard Teaching Certificate and made a recommendation to that effect; and

(F) the established registration fee for the Standard Teaching Certificate has been paid.

If At the same time the regional superintendent of schools provides the State Teacher Certification Board with the notice required by this subsection (g) includes a recommendation of certificate nonrenewal, then, at the same time the regional superintendent of schools provides the State Teacher Certification Board with the notice, he or she shall also notify the certificate holder in writing, by certified mail, return receipt requested, that this notice has been provided to the State Teacher Certification Board, provided that if the notice provided by the regional superintendent of schools to the State Teacher Certification Board includes a recommendation of certificate nonrenewal, the written notice provided to the certificate holder shall be by certified mail, return receipt requested.

(2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to appeal his or her local professional development committee's recommendation of nonrenewal, if any, to the regional professional development review committee, within 14 days of receipt of notice that the recommendation has been sent to the regional superintendent of schools. Each regional superintendent of schools shall establish a regional professional development review committee or committees for the purpose of advising the regional superintendent of schools, upon request, and handling certificate holder appeals. This committee shall consist of at least 4 classroom teachers, one non-administrative certificated educational employee, 2 administrators, and one at-large member who shall be either (i) a parent, (ii) a member of the business community, (iii) a community member, or (iv) an administrator, with preference given to an individual chosen from among those persons listed in items (i), (ii), and (iii) in order to secure representation of an interest not already represented on the committee. The teacher and non-administrative certificated educational employee members of the review committee shall be selected by their exclusive representative, if any, and the administrators and at-large member shall be selected by the regional superintendent of schools. A regional superintendent of schools may add additional members to the committee, provided that the same proportion of teachers to administrators and at-large members on the committee is maintained. Any additional teacher and non-administrative certificated educational employee members shall be selected by their exclusive representative, if any. Vacancies in positions on a regional professional development review committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original selections. Committee members shall serve staggered 3-year terms. All individuals selected to serve on regional professional development review committees must be known to demonstrate the best practices in teaching or their respective field of practice.

The exclusive representative responsible for choosing the individuals that serve on a regional professional development review committee shall notify each school district, charter school, or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or joint agreement employing the individuals chosen to serve and provide their names to the appropriate regional superintendent of schools. Regional professional development review committee meetings shall be scheduled so as not to interfere with the committee members' regularly scheduled teaching duties, except when otherwise permitted by the policies of or agreed to or approved by the school district, charter school, or governing body or board of control of a cooperative or joint agreement, or its designee, provided that the school district, charter school, or governing body or board of control shall not unreasonably withhold permission for a committee member to attend regional professional development review committee meetings.

In a city having a population exceeding 500,000 that does not have a regional office of education, one or more separate regional professional development review committees shall be established as mutually agreed upon by the board of education of the school district organized under Article 34 of this Code and the exclusive representative. The composition of each committee shall be the same as for a regional professional development review committee, except that members of the committee shall be jointly appointed by the board of education and the exclusive representative. All other provisions of this Section concerning regional professional development review committees shall apply to these committees.

The regional professional development review committee may require information in addition to that received from a certificate holder's local professional development committee or request that the certificate holder appear before it, shall either concur or nonconcur with a local professional development committee's recommendation of nonrenewal, and shall forward to the regional superintendent of schools its recommendation of renewal or nonrenewal. All actions taken by the regional professional development review committee shall require a quorum and be by a simple majority of those present and voting. A record of all votes shall be maintained. The committee shall have 45 days from receipt of a certificate holder's appeal to make its recommendation to the regional superintendent of schools.

The State Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board shall jointly provide regional professional development review committee members with a training manual, and the members shall be required to attend one training seminar sponsored jointly by the State Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board.

(h)(1) The State Teacher Certification Board shall review the regional superintendent of schools' recommendations to renew or nonrenew Standard Teaching Certificates and notify certificate holders in writing whether their certificates have been renewed or nonrenewed within 90 days of receipt of the recommendations, unless a certificate holder has appealed a regional superintendent of schools' recommendation of nonrenewal, as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection (h). The State Teacher Certification Board shall verify that the certificate holder has met the renewal criteria set forth in paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of this Section.

(2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to appeal a regional superintendent of school's recommendation to nonrenew his or her Standard Teaching Certificate to the State Teacher Certification Board, within 14 days of receipt of notice that the decision has been sent to the State Teacher Certification Board, which shall hold an appeal hearing within 60 days of receipt of the appeal. When such an appeal is taken, the certificate holder's Standard Teaching Certificate shall continue to be valid until the appeal is finally determined. The State Teacher Certification Board shall review the regional superintendent of school's recommendation, the regional professional development review committee's recommendation, if any, and the local professional development committee's recommendation, if any, and all relevant documentation to verify whether the certificate holder has met the renewal criteria set forth in paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of this Section. The State Teacher Certification Board may request that the certificate holder appear before it. All actions taken by the State Teacher Certification Board shall require a quorum and be by a simple majority of those present and voting. A record of all votes shall be maintained. The State Teacher Certification Board shall notify the certificate holder in writing, within 7 days of completing the review, whether his or her Standard Teaching Certificate has been renewed or nonrenewed, provided that if the State Teacher Certification Board determines to nonrenew a certificate, the written notice provided to the certificate holder shall be by certified mail, return receipt requested. All certificate renewal or nonrenewal decisions of the State Teacher Certification Board are final and subject to administrative review, as set forth in Section 21-24 of this Code.

(i) Holders of Master Teaching Certificates shall meet the same requirements and follow the same procedures as holders of Standard Teaching Certificates, except that their renewal cycle shall be as set forth in subsection (d) of Section 21-2 of this Code and their renewal requirements shall be subject to paragraph (8) of subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code.

A holder of a teaching certificate endorsed as a speech-language pathologist who has been granted the Certificate of Clinical Competence by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association may renew his or her Standard Teaching Certificate pursuant to the 10-year renewal cycle set forth in subsection (d) of Section 21-2 of this Code.

(j) Holders of Valid and Exempt Standard and Master Teaching Certificates who are not employed and performing services in an Illinois public or State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board of control, in a certificated teaching position, may voluntarily activate their certificates through by developing and submitting a certificate renewal plan to the regional superintendent of schools of the regional office of education for the geographic area where their teaching is done, who, or whose designee, shall approve the plan and serve as the certificate holder's local professional development committee. These certificate holders shall follow the same renewal criteria and procedures as all other Standard and Master Teaching Certificate holders, except that their continuing professional development activities need not plans shall not be required to reflect or address the knowledge, skills, and goals of a local school improvement plan.

(k) (Blank). Each school district, charter school, or cooperative or joint agreement shall be paid an annual amount of not less than $1,000, as determined by a formula based on the number of Standard Teaching and Master Teaching Certificate holders, subject to renewal and established by rule, not to exceed $1,000,000 annually for all school districts, charter schools, and cooperatives or joint agreements, for administrative costs associated with conducting the meetings of the local professional development committee, as determined in consultation with the committee. Each regional office of education shall receive $2,000 annually to pay school districts, charter schools, or cooperatives or joint agreements for costs, as defined by rule, incurred in staff attendance at regional professional development review committee meetings and the training seminar required under paragraph (2) of subsection (g) of this Section.

(l) (Blank). The State Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board shall jointly contract with an independent party to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the certificate renewal system pursuant to this Section. The first report of this evaluation shall be presented to the General Assembly on January 1, 2005 and on January 1 of every third year thereafter.

(m) The changes made to this Section by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly that affect renewal of Standard and Master Certificates shall apply to those persons who hold Standard or Master Certificates on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly and shall be given effect upon renewal of those certificates.

(Source: P.A. 92-510, eff. 6-1-02; 92-796, eff. 8-10-02; 93-81, eff. 7-2-03.)

(105 ILCS 5/21-16) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-16)

Sec. 21-16. Fees - Requirement for registration.

(a) Until February 15, 2000, every applicant when issued a certificate shall pay to the regional superintendent of schools a fee of $1, which shall be paid into the institute fund. Every certificate issued under the provisions of this Act shall be registered annually or, at the option of the holder of the certificate, once every 3 years. The regional superintendent of schools having supervision and control over the school where the teaching is done shall register the certificate before the holder begins to teach, otherwise it shall be registered in any county in the State of Illinois; and one fee of $4 per year for registration or renewal of one or more certificates which have been issued to the same holder shall be paid into the institute fund.

Until February 15, 2000, requirements for registration of any certificate limited in time shall include evidence of professional growth defined as successful teaching experience since last registration of certificate, attendance at professional meetings, membership in professional organizations, additional credits earned in recognized teacher-training institutions, travel specifically for educational experience, reading of professional books and periodicals, filing all reports as required by the regional superintendent of schools and the State Superintendent of Education or such other professional experience or combination of experiences as are presented by the teacher and are approved by the State Superintendent of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. A duplicate certificate may be issued to the holder of a valid life certificate or valid certificate limited in time by the State Superintendent of Education; however, it shall only be issued upon request of a regional superintendent of schools and upon payment to the regional superintendent of schools who requests such duplicate a fee of $4.

(b) Beginning February 15, 2000, all persons who are issued Standard Teaching Certificates pursuant to clause (ii) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 21-2 and all persons who renew Standard Teaching Certificates shall pay a $25 fee for registration of all certificates held. All persons who are issued Standard Teaching Certificates under clause (i) of paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of Section 21-2 and all other applicants for Standard Teaching Certificates shall pay an original application fee, pursuant to Section 21-12, and a $25 fee for registration of all certificates held. These certificates shall be registered and the registration fee paid once every 5 years. Standard Teaching Certificate applicants and holders shall not be required to pay any other registration fees for issuance or renewal of their certificates, except as provided in Section 21-17 of this Code. Beginning February 15, 2000, Master Teaching Certificates shall be issued and renewed upon payment by the applicant or certificate holder of a $50 fee for registration of all certificates held. These certificates shall be registered and the fee paid once every 10 years. Master Teaching Certificate applicants and holders shall not be required to pay any other application or registration fees for issuance or renewal of their certificates, except as provided in Section 21-17 of this Code. All other certificates issued under the provisions of this Code shall be registered for the validity period of the certificate at the rate of $5 per year for the total number of years for which the certificate is valid for registration of all certificates held, or for a maximum of 5 years for life certificates. The regional superintendent of schools having supervision and control over the school where the teaching is done shall register the certificate before the holder begins to teach, otherwise it shall be registered in any county in the State of Illinois. Each holder shall pay the appropriate registration fee to the regional superintendent of schools. The regional superintendent of schools shall deposit the registration fees into the institute fund. Any certificate holder who teaches in more than one educational service region shall register the certificate or certificates in all regions where the teaching is done, but shall be required to pay one registration fee for all certificates held, provided holders of certificates issued pursuant to Section 21-9 of this Code shall be required to pay one registration fee, in each educational service region in which his or her certificate or certificates are registered, for all certificates held.

A duplicate certificate may be issued to the holder of a valid life certificate or valid certificate limited in time by the State Superintendent of Education; however, it shall only be issued upon request of a regional superintendent of schools and upon payment to the regional superintendent of schools who requests the duplicate a fee of $4, which shall be deposited into the institute fund.

The State Board of Education and each regional office of education are authorized to charge a service or convenience fee for the use of credit cards for the payment of certification fees. This service or convenience fee may not exceed the amount required by the credit card processing company or vendor that has entered into a contract with the State Board or regional office of education for this purpose, and the fee must be paid to that company or vendor.

(Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99; 92-796, eff. 8-10-02.)

(105 ILCS 5/21-17) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-17)

Sec. 21-17. Fee and duplicate certificate. A duplicate certificate shall be issued by the State Superintendent of Education when requested by the regional superintendent of schools as provided in Section 21-16. The request for a duplicate certificate shall be accompanied by a fee of $4, which shall be deposited into the Teacher Certificate Fee Revolving Fund.

The State Board of Education and each regional office of education are authorized to charge a service or convenience fee for the use of credit cards for the payment of certification fees. This service or convenience fee may not exceed the amount required by the credit card processing company or vendor that has entered into a contract with the State Board or regional office of education for this purpose, and the fee must be paid to that company or vendor.

(Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99.)

(105 ILCS 5/21-18) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-18)

Sec. 21-18. Registration of life certificate-Fee.

The holder of any life certificate, while he continues to teach, shall annually before entering upon his duties, present his certificate or proper evidence thereof to the regional county superintendent of schools for registration and pay a fee of $2, which fee shall be paid into the institute fund.

The State Board of Education and each regional office of education are authorized to charge a service or convenience fee for the use of credit cards for the payment of certification fees. This service or convenience fee may not exceed the amount required by the credit card processing company or vendor that has entered into a contract with the State Board or regional office of education for this purpose, and the fee must be paid to that company or vendor.

(Source: Laws 1961, p. 31.)

(105 ILCS 5/21-23) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-23)

Sec. 21-23. Suspension or revocation of certificate.

(a) Any certificate issued pursuant to this Article, including but not limited to any administrative certificate or endorsement, may be suspended for a period not to exceed one calendar year by the regional superintendent or for a period not to exceed 5 calendar years by the State Superintendent of Education upon evidence of immorality, a condition of health detrimental to the welfare of pupils, incompetency, unprofessional conduct, the neglect of any professional duty, willful failure to report an instance of suspected child abuse or neglect as required by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, failure to establish satisfactory repayment on an educational loan guaranteed by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, or other just cause. Unprofessional conduct shall include refusal to attend or participate in, institutes, teachers' meetings, professional readings, or to meet other reasonable requirements of the regional superintendent or State Superintendent of Education. Unprofessional conduct also includes conduct that violates the standards, ethics, or rules applicable to the security, administration, monitoring, or scoring of, or the reporting of scores from, any assessment test or the Prairie State Achievement Examination administered under Section 2-3.64 or that is known or intended to produce or report manipulated or artificial, rather than actual, assessment or achievement results or gains from the administration of those tests or examinations. It shall also include neglect or unnecessary delay in making of statistical and other reports required by school officers. The regional superintendent or State Superintendent of Education shall upon receipt of evidence of immorality, a condition of health detrimental to the welfare of pupils, incompetency, unprofessional conduct, the neglect of any professional duty or other just cause serve written notice to the individual and afford the individual opportunity for a hearing prior to suspension. If a hearing is requested within 10 days of notice of opportunity for hearing it shall act as a stay of proceedings not to exceed 30 days, unless the individual requests a delay. In such an instance, the stay of proceedings must be continued for another 30 days. No certificate shall be suspended until the teacher has an opportunity for a hearing at the educational service region. When a certificate is suspended, the right of appeal shall lie to the State Teacher Certification Board. When an appeal is taken within 10 days after notice of suspension it shall act as a stay of proceedings not to exceed 120 60 days. If a certificate is suspended for a period greater than one year, the State Superintendent of Education shall review the suspension prior to the expiration of that period to determine whether the cause for the suspension has been remedied or continues to exist. Upon determining that the cause for suspension has not abated, the State Superintendent of Education may order that the suspension be continued for an appropriate period. Nothing in this Section prohibits the continuance of such a suspension for an indefinite period if the State Superintendent determines that the cause for the suspension remains unabated. Any certificate may be revoked for the same reasons as for suspension by the State Superintendent of Education. No certificate shall be revoked until the teacher has an opportunity for a hearing before the State Teacher Certification Board, which hearing must be held within 120 60 days from the date the appeal is taken, unless the State Teacher Certification Board requests a delay. In such an instance, the stay of the revocation proceedings must be continued until the completion of the proceedings.

The State Board may refuse to issue or may suspend the certificate of any person who fails to file a return, or to pay the tax, penalty or interest shown in a filed return, or to pay any final assessment of tax, penalty or interest, as required by any tax Act administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue, until such time as the requirements of any such tax Act are satisfied.

(b) Any certificate issued pursuant to this Article may be suspended for an appropriate length of time as determined by either the regional superintendent or State Superintendent of Education upon evidence that the holder of the certificate has been named as a perpetrator in an indicated report filed pursuant to the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, approved June 26, 1975, as amended, and upon proof by clear and convincing evidence that the licensee has caused a child to be an abused child or neglected child as defined in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.

The regional superintendent or State Superintendent of Education shall, upon receipt of evidence that the certificate holder has been named a perpetrator in any indicated report, serve written notice to the individual and afford the individual opportunity for a hearing prior to suspension. If a hearing is requested within 10 days of notice of opportunity for hearing, it shall act as a stay of proceedings not to exceed 30 days, unless the individual requests a delay. In such an instance, the stay of proceedings must be continued for another 30 days. No certificate shall be suspended until the teacher has an opportunity for a hearing at the educational service region. When a certificate is suspended, the right of appeal shall lie to the State Teacher Certification Board. When an appeal is taken within 10 days after notice of suspension it shall act as a stay of proceedings not to exceed 120 60 days. The State Superintendent may revoke any certificate upon proof at hearing by clear and convincing evidence that the certificate holder has caused a child to be an abused child or neglected child as defined in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. No certificate shall be revoked until the teacher has an opportunity for a hearing before the State Teacher Certification Board, which hearing must be held within 120 60 days from the date the appeal is taken, unless the teacher or the hearing officer appointed by the State Teacher Certification Board requests a delay. In such an instance, the stay of the revocation proceedings must be continued until the completion of the proceedings.

(c) The State Superintendent of Education or a person designated by him shall have the power to administer oaths to witnesses at any hearing conducted before the State Teacher Certification Board pursuant to this Section. The State Superintendent of Education or a person designated by him is authorized to subpoena and bring before the State Teacher Certification Board any person in this State and to take testimony either orally or by deposition or by exhibit, with the same fees and mileage and in the same manner as prescribed by law in judicial proceedings in the civil cases in circuit courts of this State.

Any circuit court, upon the application of the State Superintendent of Education, may, by order duly entered, require the attendance of witnesses and the production of relevant books and papers at any hearing the State Superintendent of Education is authorized to conduct pursuant to this Section, and the court may compel obedience to its orders by proceedings for contempt.

(d) As used in this Section, "teacher" means any school district employee regularly required to be certified, as provided in this Article, in order to teach or supervise in the public schools.

(Source: P.A. 89-610, eff. 8-6-96.)

Section 20. The School Construction Law is amended by changing Sections 5-30 and 5-40 and adding Section 5-57 as follows:

(105 ILCS 230/5-30)

Sec. 5-30. Priority of school construction projects. The State Board of Education shall develop standards for the determination of priority needs concerning school construction projects based upon approved district facilities plans. Such standards shall call for prioritization based on the degree of need and project type in the following order:

(1) Replacement or reconstruction of school buildings destroyed or damaged by flood, tornado, fire, earthquake, or other disasters, either man-made or produced by nature;

(2) Projects designed to alleviate a shortage of classrooms due to population growth or to replace aging school buildings;

(3) Projects resulting from interdistrict reorganization of school districts contingent on local referenda;

(4) Replacement or reconstruction of school facilities determined to be severe and continuing health or life safety hazards;

(5) Alterations necessary to provide accessibility for qualified individuals with disabilities; and

(6) Other unique solutions to facility needs.

The State Board of Education may not make any material changes to the standards in effect on May 18, 2004, unless the State Board of Education is specifically authorized by law.

(Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98.)

(105 ILCS 230/5-40)

Sec. 5-40. Supervision of school construction projects. The Capital Development Board shall exercise general supervision over school construction projects financed pursuant to this Article. School districts, however, must be allowed to choose the architect and engineer for their school construction projects, and no project may be disapproved by the State Board of Education or the Capital Development Board solely due to a school district's selection of an architect or engineer.

(Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98.)

(105 ILCS 230/5-57 new)

Sec. 5-57. Administration of powers; no changes. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the Capital Development Board may not make any material changes in the administration of its powers granted under this Law from how it administered those powers on May 18, 2004, unless specifically authorized by law.

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding Section 8.28 as follows:

(30 ILCS 805/8.28 new)

Sec. 8.28. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.

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