93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB4230

 

Introduced 1/27/2004, by Renee Kosel

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21-2   from Ch. 122, par. 21-2

    Amends the Teacher Certification Article of the School Code. With regard to the requirements that a person must complete in order to receive a Standard Certificate, makes changes concerning the induction and mentoring program requirement and the continuing professional development units requirement. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB4230 LRB093 17842 NHT 43523 b

1     AN ACT concerning education.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
5 21-2 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/21-2)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-2)
7     Sec. 21-2. Grades of certificates.
8     (a) All certificates issued under this Article shall be
9 State certificates valid, except as limited in Section 21-1, in
10 every school district coming under the provisions of this Act
11 and shall be limited in time and designated as follows:
12 Provisional vocational certificate, temporary provisional
13 vocational certificate, early childhood certificate,
14 elementary school certificate, special certificate, secondary
15 certificate, school service personnel certificate,
16 administrative certificate, provisional certificate, and
17 substitute certificate. The requirement of student teaching
18 under close and competent supervision for obtaining a teaching
19 certificate may be waived by the State Teacher Certification
20 Board upon presentation to the Board by the teacher of evidence
21 of 5 years successful teaching experience on a valid
22 certificate and graduation from a recognized institution of
23 higher learning with a bachelor's degree.
24     (b) Initial Teaching Certificate. Persons who (1) have
25 completed an approved teacher preparation program, (2) are
26 recommended by an approved teacher preparation program, (3)
27 have successfully completed the Initial Teaching Certification
28 examinations required by the State Board of Education, and (4)
29 have met all other criteria established by the State Board of
30 Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification
31 Board, shall be issued an Initial Teaching Certificate valid
32 for 4 years of teaching, as defined in Section 21-14 of this

 

 

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1 Code. Initial Teaching Certificates shall be issued for
2 categories corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary,
3 Secondary, and Special K-12, with special certification
4 designations for Special Education, Bilingual Education,
5 fundamental learning areas (including Language Arts, Reading,
6 Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Physical Development and
7 Health, Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas
8 designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation
9 with the State Teacher Certification Board.
10     (c) Standard Certificate.
11     (1) Persons who (i) have completed 4 years of teaching, as
12 defined in Section 21-14 of this Code, with an Initial
13 Certificate or an Initial Alternative Teaching Certificate and
14 have met all other criteria established by the State Board of
15 Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification
16 Board, (ii) have completed 4 years of teaching on a valid
17 equivalent certificate in another State or territory of the
18 United States, or have completed 4 years of teaching in a
19 nonpublic Illinois elementary or secondary school with an
20 Initial Certificate or an Initial Alternative Teaching
21 Certificate, and have met all other criteria established by the
22 State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
23 Teacher Certification Board, or (iii) were issued teaching
24 certificates prior to February 15, 2000 and are renewing those
25 certificates after February 15, 2000, shall be issued a
26 Standard Certificate valid for 5 years, which may be renewed
27 thereafter every 5 years by the State Teacher Certification
28 Board based on proof of continuing education or professional
29 development. Beginning July 1, 2003, persons who have completed
30 4 years of teaching, as described in clauses (i) and (ii) of
31 this paragraph (1), have successfully completed the
32 requirements of paragraphs (2) through (4) of this subsection
33 (c), and have met all other criteria established by the State
34 Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
35 Certification Board, shall be issued Standard Certificates.
36 Standard Certificates shall be issued for categories

 

 

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1 corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and
2 Special K-12, with special certification designations for
3 Special Education, Bilingual Education, fundamental learning
4 areas (including Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics, Science,
5 Social Science, Physical Development and Health, Fine Arts, and
6 Foreign Language), and other areas designated by the State
7 Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
8 Certification Board.
9     (2) This paragraph (2) applies only to those persons
10 required to successfully complete the requirements of this
11 paragraph under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). In order
12 to receive a Standard Teaching Certificate, a person must
13 satisfy one of the following requirements, which the person
14 must identify, in writing, as the requirement that the person
15 has chosen to satisfy to the responsible local professional
16 development committee established pursuant to subsection (f)
17 of Section 21-14 of this Code:
18         (A) Completion of a program of induction and mentoring
19     for new teachers that is based upon a specific plan filed
20     with approved by the State Board of Education and , in
21     consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.
22     The plan must describe the role of mentor teachers, the
23     criteria and process for their selection, and how all the
24     following components are to be provided:
25             (i) Assignment of a formally trained mentor
26         teacher to each new teacher for a specified period of
27         time, which shall be established by the employing
28         school or school district but shall be at least one 2
29         school year years in duration, provided that a mentor
30         teacher may not directly or indirectly participate in
31         the evaluation of a new teacher pursuant to Article 24A
32         of this Code or the evaluation procedure of the school.
33             (ii) Formal mentoring for each new teacher.
34             (iii) Support for each new teacher in relation to
35         the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, the
36         content-area standards applicable to the new teacher's

 

 

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1         area of certification, and any applicable local school
2         improvement and professional development plans.
3             (iv) Professional development specifically
4         designed to foster the growth of each new teacher's
5         knowledge and skills.
6             (v) Formative assessment that is based on the
7         Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and designed
8         to provide feedback to the new teacher and
9         opportunities for reflection on his or her
10         performance, which must not be used directly or
11         indirectly in any evaluation of a new teacher pursuant
12         to Article 24A of this Code or the evaluation procedure
13         of the school and which must include the activities
14         specified in clauses (B)(i), (B)(ii), and (B)(iii) of
15         this paragraph (2).
16             (vi) Assignment of responsibility for coordination
17         of the induction and mentoring program within each
18         school district participating in the program.
19         (B) Successful completion of 4 semester hours of
20     graduate-level coursework on the assessment of one's own
21     performance in relation to the Illinois Professional
22     Teaching Standards. The coursework must be approved by the
23     State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
24     Teacher Certification Board; must be offered either by an
25     institution of higher education, by such an institution in
26     partnership with a teachers' association or union or with a
27     regional office of education, or by another entity
28     authorized to issue college credit; and must include
29     demonstration of performance through all of the following
30     activities for each of the Illinois Professional Teaching
31     Standards:
32             (i) Observation, by the course instructor or
33         another experienced teacher, of the new teacher's
34         classroom practice (the observation may be recorded
35         for later viewing) for the purpose of identifying and
36         describing how the new teacher made content meaningful

 

 

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1         for students; how the teacher motivated individuals
2         and the group and created an environment conducive to
3         positive social interactions, active learning, and
4         self-motivation; what instructional strategies the
5         teacher used to encourage students' development of
6         critical thinking, problem solving, and performance;
7         how the teacher communicated using written, verbal,
8         nonverbal, and visual communication techniques; and
9         how the teacher maintained standards of professional
10         conduct and provided leadership to improve students'
11         learning.
12             (ii) Review and analysis, by the course instructor
13         or another experienced teacher, of written
14         documentation (i.e., lesson plans, assignments,
15         assessment instruments, and samples of students' work)
16         prepared by the new teacher for at least 2 lessons. The
17         documentation must provide evidence of classroom
18         performance related to Illinois Professional Teaching
19         Standards 1 through 9, with an emphasis on how the
20         teacher used his or her understanding of students,
21         assessment data, and subject matter to decide on
22         learning goals; how the teacher designed or selected
23         activities and instructional materials and aligned
24         instruction to the relevant Illinois Learning
25         Standards; how the teacher adapted or modified
26         curriculum to meet individual students' needs; and how
27         the teacher sequenced instruction and designed or
28         selected student assessment strategies.
29             (iii) Demonstration of professional expertise on
30         the part of the new teacher in reflecting on his or her
31         practice, which was observed under clause (B)(i) of
32         this paragraph (2) and documented under clause (B)(ii)
33         of this paragraph (2), in terms of teaching strengths,
34         weaknesses, and implications for improvement according
35         to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards.
36         (C) Successful completion of a minimum of 4 semester

 

 

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1     hours of graduate-level coursework addressing preparation
2     to meet the requirements for certification by the National
3     Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The
4     coursework must be approved by the State Board of
5     Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
6     Certification Board, and must be offered either by an
7     institution of higher education, by such an institution in
8     partnership with a teachers' association or union or with a
9     regional office of education, or by another entity
10     authorized to issue college credit. The course must address
11     the 5 NBPTS Core Propositions and relevant standards
12     through such means as the following:
13             (i) Observation, by the course instructor or
14         another experienced teacher, of the new teacher's
15         classroom practice (the observation may be recorded
16         for later viewing) for the purpose of identifying and
17         describing how the new teacher made content meaningful
18         for students; how the teacher motivated individuals
19         and the group and created an environment conducive to
20         positive social interactions, active learning, and
21         self-motivation; what instructional strategies the
22         teacher used to encourage students' development of
23         critical thinking, problem solving, and performance;
24         how the teacher communicated using written, verbal,
25         nonverbal, and visual communication techniques; and
26         how the teacher maintained standards of professional
27         conduct and provided leadership to improve students'
28         learning.
29             (ii) Review and analysis, by the course instructor
30         or another experienced teacher, of written
31         documentation (i.e., lesson plans, assignments,
32         assessment instruments, and samples of students' work)
33         prepared by the new teacher for at least 2 lessons. The
34         documentation must provide evidence of classroom
35         performance, including how the teacher used his or her
36         understanding of students, assessment data, and

 

 

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1         subject matter to decide on learning goals; how the
2         teacher designed or selected activities and
3         instructional materials and aligned instruction to the
4         relevant Illinois Learning Standards; how the teacher
5         adapted or modified curriculum to meet individual
6         students' needs; and how the teacher sequenced
7         instruction and designed or selected student
8         assessment strategies.
9             (iii) Demonstration of professional expertise on
10         the part of the new teacher in reflecting on his or her
11         practice, which was observed under clause (C)(i) of
12         this paragraph (2) and documented under clause (C)(ii)
13         of this paragraph (2), in terms of teaching strengths,
14         weaknesses, and implications for improvement.
15         (D) Receipt of an advanced degree from an accredited
16     institution of higher education in an education-related
17     field, provided that at least 8 semester hours of the
18     coursework completed count toward a degree, certificate,
19     or endorsement in a teaching field.
20         (E) Accumulation of 60 continuing professional
21     development units (CPDUs), earned by completing selected
22     activities that comply with paragraph paragraphs (3) and
23     (4) of this subsection (c). However, for an individual who
24     holds an Initial Teaching Certificate on the effective date
25     of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, the
26     number of CPDUs shall be reduced to reflect the teaching
27     time remaining on the Initial Teaching Certificate.
28         (F) Completion of a nationally normed,
29     performance-based assessment, if made available by the
30     State Board of Education in consultation with the State
31     Teacher Certification Board, provided that the cost to the
32     person shall not exceed the cost of the coursework
33     described in clause (B) of this paragraph (2).
34     (3) (Blank). This paragraph (3) applies only to those
35 persons required to successfully complete the requirements of
36 this paragraph under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). At

 

 

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1 least one-half the CPDUs a person must accrue in order to
2 qualify for a Standard Teaching Certificate must be earned
3 through completion of coursework, workshops, seminars,
4 conferences, and other similar training events that are
5 pre-approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation
6 with the State Teacher Certification Board, for the purpose of
7 reflection on teaching practices in order to address all of the
8 Illinois Professional Teaching Standards necessary to obtain a
9 Standard Teaching Certificate. These activities must meet all
10 of the following requirements:
11         (A) Each activity must be designed to advance a
12     person's knowledge and skills in relation to one or more of
13     the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards or in
14     relation to the content-area standards applicable to the
15     teacher's field of certification.
16         (B) Taken together, the activities completed must
17     address each of the Illinois Professional Teaching
18     Standards as provided in clauses (B)(i), (B)(ii), and
19     (B)(iii) of paragraph (2) of this subsection (c).
20         (C) Each activity must be provided by an entity
21     approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation
22     with the State Teacher Certification Board, for this
23     purpose.
24         (D) Each activity, integral to its successful
25     completion, must require participants to demonstrate the
26     degree to which they have acquired new knowledge or skills,
27     such as through performance, through preparation of a
28     written product, through assembling samples of students'
29     or teachers' work, or by some other means that is
30     appropriate to the subject matter of the activity.
31         (E) One CPDU shall be available for each hour of direct
32     participation by a holder of an Initial Teaching
33     Certificate in a qualifying activity. An activity may be
34     attributed to more than one of the Illinois Professional
35     Teaching Standards, but credit for any activity shall be
36     counted only once.

 

 

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1     (4) This paragraph (4) applies only to those persons
2 required to successfully complete the requirements of this
3 paragraph under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c). The
4 balance of the CPDUs a person must accrue in order to qualify
5 for a Standard Teaching Certificate, in combination with those
6 earned pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection (c), may be
7 chosen from among the following, provided that each activity is
8 designed to advance a person's knowledge and skills in relation
9 to one or more of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards
10 or in relation to the content-area standards applicable to the
11 teacher's field of certification an activity listed in clause
12 (C) of this paragraph (4) shall be creditable only if its
13 provider is approved for this purpose by the State Board of
14 Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
15 Certification Board:
16         (A) Collaboration and partnership activities related
17     to improving a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher,
18     including all of the following:
19             (i) Peer review and coaching.
20             (ii) Mentoring in a formal mentoring program,
21         including service as a consulting teacher
22         participating in a remediation process formulated
23         under Section 24A-5 of this Code.
24             (iii) Facilitating parent education programs
25         directly related to student achievement for a school,
26         school district, or regional office of education.
27             (iv) Participating in business, school, or
28         community partnerships directly related to student
29         achievement.
30         (B) Teaching college or university courses in areas
31     relevant to a teacher's field of certification, provided
32     that the teaching may only be counted once during the
33     course of 4 years.
34         (C) Conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars, and
35     symposiums related to improving a person's knowledge and
36     skills as a teacher, including all of the following:

 

 

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1             (i) Completing non-university credit directly
2         related to student achievement, the Illinois
3         Professional Teaching Standards, or content-area
4         standards.
5             (ii) Participating in or presenting at workshops,
6         seminars, conferences, institutes, and symposiums.
7             (iii) Training as external reviewers for the State
8         Board of Education.
9             (iv) Training as reviewers of university teacher
10         preparation programs.
11     An activity listed in this clause (C) shall be creditable
12     only if its provider is approved for this purpose by the
13     State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
14     Teacher Certification Board.
15         (D) Other educational experiences related to improving
16     a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including all
17     of the following:
18             (i) Participating in action research and inquiry
19         projects.
20             (ii) Observing programs or teaching in schools,
21         related businesses, or industry that is systematic,
22         purposeful, and relevant to a teacher's field of
23         certification.
24             (iii) Participating in study groups related to
25         student achievement, the Illinois Professional
26         Teaching Standards, or content-area standards.
27             (iv) Participating in work/learn programs or
28         internships.
29             (v) Developing a portfolio of students' and
30         teacher's work.
31         (E) Professional leadership experiences related to
32     improving a person's knowledge and skills as a teacher,
33     including all of the following:
34             (i) Participating in curriculum development or
35     assessment activities at the school, school district,
36     regional office of education, State, or national level.

 

 

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1             (ii) Participating in team or department
2         leadership in a school or school district.
3             (iii) Participating on external or internal school
4         or school district review teams.
5             (iv) Publishing educational articles, columns, or
6         books relevant to a teacher's field of certification.
7             (v) Participating in non-strike related activities
8         of a professional association or labor organization
9         that are related to professional development.
10     (5) A person must complete his or her chosen requirement
11 under paragraph (2) of this subsection (c) before the
12 expiration of his or her Initial Teaching Certificate and must
13 submit evidence of having done so to the local professional
14 development committee. Within 30 days after receipt of a
15 person's evidence of completion, the local professional
16 development committee shall forward the evidence of completion
17 to the responsible regional superintendent of schools along
18 with the local professional development committee's
19 recommendation, based on that evidence, as to whether the
20 person is eligible to receive a Standard Teaching Certificate.
21 The local professional development committee shall provide a
22 copy of this recommendation to the affected person.
23     The regional superintendent of schools shall review the
24 evidence of completion submitted by a person and, based upon
25 compliance with all of the requirements for receipt of a
26 Standard Teaching Certificate, shall forward to the State Board
27 of Education a recommendation for issuance or non-issuance. The
28 regional superintendent of schools shall notify the affected
29 person of the recommendation forwarded.
30     Upon review of a regional superintendent of school's
31 recommendations, the State Board of Education shall issue
32 Standard Teaching Certificates to those who qualify and shall
33 notify a person, in writing, of a decision denying a Standard
34 Teaching Certificate. Any decision denying issuance of a
35 Standard Teaching Certificate to a person may be appealed to
36 the State Teacher Certification Board.

 

 

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1     (6) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
2 State Teacher Certification Board, may adopt rules to implement
3 this subsection (c) and may periodically evaluate any of the
4 methods of qualifying for a Standard Teaching Certificate
5 described in this subsection (c).
6     (d) Master Certificate. Persons who have successfully
7 achieved National Board certification through the National
8 Board for Professional Teaching Standards shall be issued a
9 Master Certificate, valid for 10 years and renewable thereafter
10 every 10 years through compliance with requirements set forth
11 by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
12 Teacher Certification Board. However, each teacher who holds a
13 Master Certificate shall be eligible for a teaching position in
14 this State in the areas for which he or she holds a Master
15 Certificate without satisfying any other requirements of this
16 Code, except for those requirements pertaining to criminal
17 background checks. A teacher who holds a Master Certificate
18 shall be deemed to meet State certification renewal
19 requirements in the area or areas for which he or she holds a
20 Master Certificate for the 10-year term of the teacher's Master
21 Certificate.
22 (Source: P.A. 91-102, eff. 7-12-99; 91-606, eff. 8-16-99;
23 91-609, eff. 1-1-00; 92-16, eff. 6-28-01; 92-796, eff.
24 8-10-02.)
 
25     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
26 becoming law.