Sen. Tom Bennett

Filed: 3/17/2023

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1488

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1488 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing
5Sections 21B-30 and 21B-50 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

 

 

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1Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to
2implement and administer this Section.
3    (c) (Blank).
4    (c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a
5paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an
6applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a
7paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the
8endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other
9requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section
1021B-20 other than the higher education requirements.
11    (d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be
12required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area
13of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There
14shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall
15be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record
16until he or she has passed the applicable content area test.
17    (e) (Blank).
18    (f) Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act
19of the 103rd General Assembly through August 31, 2025, no
20candidate completing a teacher preparation program in this
21State or candidate subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code is
22required to pass a teacher performance assessment. Except as
23otherwise provided in this Article, beginning on September 1,
242015 until the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
25103rd General Assembly and beginning again on September 1,
262025, all candidates completing teacher preparation programs

 

 

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1in this State and all candidates subject to Section 21B-35 of
2this Code are required to pass a teacher performance
3assessment approved by the State Board of Education, in
4consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
5Board. A candidate may not be required to submit test
6materials by video submission. Subject to appropriation, an
7individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is
8employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district
9designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after
10application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a
11refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher
12performance assessment under this subsection.
13    (f-5) The Teacher Performance Assessment Task Force is
14created to evaluate potential teacher performance assessment
15systems for implementation in this State, with the intention
16of supporting a thoughtful and well-rounded licensure system
17that is performance-based and has consistency across programs
18and objectivity. The Task Force shall consist of all of the
19following members:
20        (1) One member of the Senate, appointed by the
21    President of the Senate.
22        (2) One member of the Senate, appointed by the
23    Minority Leader of the Senate.
24        (3) One member of the House of Representatives,
25    appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
26        (4) One member of the House of Representatives,

 

 

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1    appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
2    Representatives.
3        (5) One member who represents a statewide professional
4    teachers' organization, appointed by the State
5    Superintendent of Education.
6        (6) One member who represents a different statewide
7    professional teachers' organization, appointed by the
8    State Superintendent of Education.
9        (7) One member from a statewide organization
10    representing school principals, appointed by the State
11    Superintendent of Education.
12        (8) One member from a statewide organization
13    representing regional superintendents of schools,
14    appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
15        (9) One member from a statewide organization
16    representing school business officials, appointed by the
17    State Superintendent of Education.
18        (10) One member representing a school district
19    organized under Article 34 of this Code, appointed by the
20    State Superintendent of Education.
21        (11) One member of an association representing rural
22    and small schools, appointed by the State Superintendent
23    of Education.
24        (12) One member representing a suburban school
25    district, appointed by the State Superintendent of
26    Education.

 

 

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1        (13) One member from a statewide organization
2    representing school districts in the southern suburbs of
3    the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent
4    of Education.
5        (14) One member from a statewide organization
6    representing large unit school districts, appointed by the
7    State Superintendent of Education.
8        (15) One member from a statewide organization
9    representing school districts in the collar counties of
10    the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent
11    of Education.
12        (16) Three members, each representing a different
13    public university in this State, appointed by the State
14    Superintendent of Education.
15        (17) Three members, each representing a different
16    4-year nonpublic university or college in this State,
17    appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
18        (18) One member of the Board of Higher Education,
19    appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
20        (19) One member representing a statewide policy
21    organization advocating on behalf of multilingual students
22    and families, appointed by the State Superintendent of
23    Education.
24        (20) One member representing a statewide organization
25    focused on research-based education policy to support a
26    school system that prepares all students for college, a

 

 

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1    career, and democratic citizenship, appointed by the State
2    Superintendent of Education.
3        (21) Two members representing an early childhood
4    advocacy organization, appointed by the State
5    Superintendent of Education.
6    Members of the Task Force shall serve without
7compensation. The Task Force shall first meet at the call of
8the State Superintendent of Education, and each subsequent
9meeting shall be called by the chairperson of the Task Force,
10who shall be designated by the State Superintendent of
11Education. The State Board of Education shall provide
12administrative and other support to the Task Force.
13    On or before August 1, 2024, the Task Force shall report on
14its work, including recommendations on a teacher performance
15assessment system in this State, to the State Board of
16Education and the General Assembly. The Task Force is
17dissolved upon submission of this report.
18    (g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher
19performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to
20time are designated by the State Board of Education, in
21consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
22Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing
23organization or tests designed by the State Board of
24Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
25and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall
26assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The

 

 

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1tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no
2person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis
3of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to
4the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The
5score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State
6Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator
7Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be
8administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and
9place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in
10consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
11Board.
12    The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess
13the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of
14applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under
15subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this
16Code in the English language and in the language of the
17transitional bilingual education program requested by the
18applicant.
19    (h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the
20provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school
21district subject to Article 34 of this Code.
22    (i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the
23testing requirements under this Section shall include without
24limitation provisions governing test selection, test
25validation and determination of a passing score,
26administration of the tests, frequency of administration,

 

 

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1applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the
2years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special
3accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop
4such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to
5year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.
6(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19;
7101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 102-301, eff. 8-26-21.)
 
8    (105 ILCS 5/21B-50)
9    Sec. 21B-50. Alternative Educator Licensure Program.
10    (a) There is established an alternative educator licensure
11program, to be known as the Alternative Educator Licensure
12Program for Teachers.
13    (b) The Alternative Educator Licensure Program for
14Teachers may be offered by a recognized institution approved
15to offer educator preparation programs by the State Board of
16Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
17and Licensure Board.
18    The program shall be comprised of 4 phases:
19        (1) A course of study that at a minimum includes
20    instructional planning; instructional strategies,
21    including special education, reading, and English language
22    learning; classroom management; and the assessment of
23    students and use of data to drive instruction.
24        (2) A year of residency, which is a candidate's
25    assignment to a full-time teaching position or as a

 

 

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1    co-teacher for one full school year. An individual must
2    hold an Educator License with Stipulations with an
3    alternative provisional educator endorsement in order to
4    enter the residency and must complete additional program
5    requirements that address required State and national
6    standards, pass the State Board's teacher performance
7    assessment, if required under Section 21B-30, no later
8    than the end of the first semester of the second year of
9    residency, as required under phase (3) of this subsection
10    (b), and be recommended by the principal or qualified
11    equivalent of a principal, as required under subsection
12    (d) of this Section, and the program coordinator to
13    continue with the second year of the residency.
14        (3) A second year of residency, which shall include
15    the candidate's assignment to a full-time teaching
16    position for one school year. The candidate must be
17    assigned an experienced teacher to act as a mentor and
18    coach the candidate through the second year of residency.
19        (4) A comprehensive assessment of the candidate's
20    teaching effectiveness, as evaluated by the principal or
21    qualified equivalent of a principal, as required under
22    subsection (d) of this Section, and the program
23    coordinator, at the end of the second year of residency.
24    If there is disagreement between the 2 evaluators about
25    the candidate's teaching effectiveness, the candidate may
26    complete one additional year of residency teaching under a

 

 

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1    professional development plan developed by the principal
2    or qualified equivalent and the preparation program. At
3    the completion of the third year, a candidate must have
4    positive evaluations and a recommendation for full
5    licensure from both the principal or qualified equivalent
6    and the program coordinator or no Professional Educator
7    License shall be issued.
8    Successful completion of the program shall be deemed to
9satisfy any other practice or student teaching and content
10matter requirements established by law.
11    (c) An alternative provisional educator endorsement on an
12Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 2 years of
13teaching in the public schools, including without limitation a
14preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this
15Code or charter school, or in a State-recognized nonpublic
16school in which the chief administrator is required to have
17the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public school in
18this State and in which a majority of the teachers are required
19to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a public
20school in this State, but may be renewed for a third year if
21needed to complete the Alternative Educator Licensure Program
22for Teachers. The endorsement shall be issued only once to an
23individual who meets all of the following requirements:
24        (1) Has graduated from a regionally accredited college
25    or university with a bachelor's degree or higher.
26        (2) (Blank).

 

 

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1        (3) Has completed a major in the content area if
2    seeking a middle or secondary level endorsement or, if
3    seeking an early childhood, elementary, or special
4    education endorsement, has completed a major in the
5    content area of reading, English/language arts,
6    mathematics, or one of the sciences. If the individual
7    does not have a major in a content area for any level of
8    teaching, he or she must submit transcripts to the State
9    Board of Education to be reviewed for equivalency.
10        (4) Has successfully completed phase (1) of subsection
11    (b) of this Section.
12        (5) Has passed a content area test required for the
13    specific endorsement for admission into the program, as
14    required under Section 21B-30 of this Code.
15    A candidate possessing the alternative provisional
16educator endorsement may receive a salary, benefits, and any
17other terms of employment offered to teachers in the school
18who are members of an exclusive bargaining representative, if
19any, but a school is not required to provide these benefits
20during the years of residency if the candidate is serving only
21as a co-teacher. If the candidate is serving as the teacher of
22record, the candidate must receive a salary, benefits, and any
23other terms of employment. Residency experiences must not be
24counted towards tenure.
25    (d) The recognized institution offering the Alternative
26Educator Licensure Program for Teachers must partner with a

 

 

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1school district, including without limitation a preschool
2educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code or
3charter school, or a State-recognized, nonpublic school in
4this State in which the chief administrator is required to
5have the licensure necessary to be a principal in a public
6school in this State and in which a majority of the teachers
7are required to have the licensure necessary to be instructors
8in a public school in this State. A recognized institution
9that partners with a public school district administering a
10preschool educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this
11Code must require a principal to recommend or evaluate
12candidates in the program. A recognized institution that
13partners with an eligible entity administering a preschool
14educational program under Section 2-3.71 of this Code and that
15is not a public school district must require a principal or
16qualified equivalent of a principal to recommend or evaluate
17candidates in the program. The program presented for approval
18by the State Board of Education must demonstrate the supports
19that are to be provided to assist the provisional teacher
20during the 2-year residency period. These supports must
21provide additional contact hours with mentors during the first
22year of residency.
23    (e) Upon completion of the 4 phases outlined in subsection
24(b) of this Section and all assessments required under Section
2521B-30 of this Code, an individual shall receive a
26Professional Educator License.

 

 

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1    (f) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
2State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such
3rules as may be necessary to establish and implement the
4Alternative Educator Licensure Program for Teachers.
5(Source: P.A. 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-822, eff. 1-1-19;
6101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-570, eff. 8-23-19; 101-643, eff.
76-18-20; 101-654, eff. 3-8-21.)
 
8    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
9becoming law.".