102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4293

 

Introduced 1/5/2022, by Rep. Thomas M. Bennett

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21B-30

    Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. With regard to licensure candidates being required to pass a teacher performance assessment, provides that a candidate may not be required to submit test materials by video or audio submission (rather than by video submission). Instead of a video or audio submission, provides that a candidate may submit a written letter approved and signed by (i) the principal of the school in which the candidate completed student teaching, (ii) the supervising licensed educator overseeing the candidate's classroom experience, and (iii) the candidate's academic advisor at the candidate's educator preparation program stating that the candidate meets the requirements to pass the teacher performance assessment. Provides that the submission of a written letter by a candidate does not waive the requirement that the candidate pass a teacher performance assessment approved by the State Board of Education. Requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, to develop a standard form to be used by a candidate in the submission of the written letter. Effective July 1, 2022.


LRB102 22589 CMG 31731 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4293LRB102 22589 CMG 31731 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
521B-30 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/21B-30)
7    Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing.
8    (a) (Blank).
9    (b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
10State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design
11and implement a system of examinations, which shall be
12required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These
13examinations and indicators must be based on national and
14State professional teaching standards, as determined by the
15State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
16Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of
17Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to
18implement and administer this Section.
19    (c) (Blank).
20    (c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a
21paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an
22applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a
23paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the

 

 

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1endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other
2requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section
321B-20 other than the higher education requirements.
4    (d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be
5required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area
6of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There
7shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall
8be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record
9until he or she has passed the applicable content area test.
10    (e) (Blank).
11    (f) Except as otherwise provided in this Article,
12beginning on September 1, 2015, all candidates completing
13teacher preparation programs in this State and all candidates
14subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code are required to pass a
15teacher performance assessment approved by the State Board of
16Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
17and Licensure Board. A candidate may not be required to submit
18test materials by video or audio submission. Instead of a
19video or audio submission, a candidate may submit a written
20letter that states that the candidate meets the requirements
21to pass the teacher performance assessment and that is
22approved and signed by (i) the principal of the school in which
23the candidate completed student teaching, (ii) the supervising
24licensed educator overseeing the candidate's classroom
25experience, and (iii) the candidate's academic advisor at the
26candidate's educator preparation program; however, the

 

 

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1submission of a written letter by a candidate does not waive
2the requirement that the candidate pass a teacher performance
3assessment approved by the State Board of Education under this
4subsection (f). The State Board of Education, in consultation
5with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall
6develop a standard form to be used by a candidate in the
7submission of the written letter. Subject to appropriation, an
8individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is
9employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district
10designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after
11application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a
12refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher
13performance assessment under this subsection.
14    (g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher
15performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to
16time are designated by the State Board of Education, in
17consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
18Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing
19organization or tests designed by the State Board of
20Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
21and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall
22assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The
23tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no
24person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis
25of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to
26the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The

 

 

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1score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State
2Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator
3Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be
4administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and
5place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in
6consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
7Board.
8    The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess
9the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of
10applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under
11subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this
12Code in the English language and in the language of the
13transitional bilingual education program requested by the
14applicant.
15    (h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the
16provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school
17district subject to Article 34 of this Code.
18    (i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the
19testing requirements under this Section shall include without
20limitation provisions governing test selection, test
21validation and determination of a passing score,
22administration of the tests, frequency of administration,
23applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the
24years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special
25accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop
26such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to

 

 

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1year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.
2(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19;
3101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 102-301, eff. 8-26-21.)
 
4    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
52022.