93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB5002

 

Introduced 02/05/04, by Jay C. Hoffman

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/21-14   from Ch. 122, par. 21-14

    Amends the School Code with regard to Standard and Master teaching certificates. Provides that for the holder of an Early Childhood or Elementary type of certificate, 50% of the continuing professional development activities included in a certificate renewal plan must be coursework or activities that expand the holder's knowledge and application of best practices in the teaching of reading.


LRB093 19902 NHT 45645 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5002 LRB093 19902 NHT 45645 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 21-14 as follows:
 
6     (105 ILCS 5/21-14)  (from Ch. 122, par. 21-14)
7     Sec. 21-14. Registration and renewal of certificates.
8     (a) A limited four-year certificate or a certificate issued
9 after July 1, 1955, shall be renewable at its expiration or
10 within 60 days thereafter by the county superintendent of
11 schools having supervision and control over the school where
12 the teacher is teaching upon certified evidence of meeting the
13 requirements for renewal as required by this Act and prescribed
14 by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State
15 Teacher Certification Board. An elementary supervisory
16 certificate shall not be renewed at the end of the first
17 four-year period covered by the certificate unless the holder
18 thereof has filed certified evidence with the State Teacher
19 Certification Board that he has a master's degree or that he
20 has earned 8 semester hours of credit in the field of
21 educational administration and supervision in a recognized
22 institution of higher learning. The holder shall continue to
23 earn 8 semester hours of credit each four-year period until
24 such time as he has earned a master's degree.
25     All certificates not renewed or registered as herein
26 provided shall lapse after a period of 5 years from the
27 expiration of the last year of registration. Such certificates
28 may be reinstated for a one year period upon payment of all
29 accumulated registration fees. Such reinstated certificates
30 shall only be renewed: (1) by earning 5 semester hours of
31 credit in a recognized institution of higher learning in the
32 field of professional education or in courses related to the

 

 

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1 holder's contractual teaching duties; or (2) by presenting
2 evidence of holding a valid regular certificate of some other
3 type. Any certificate may be voluntarily surrendered by the
4 certificate holder. A voluntarily surrendered certificate
5 shall be treated as a revoked certificate.
6     (b) When those teaching certificates issued before
7 February 15, 2000 are renewed for the first time after February
8 15, 2000, all such teaching certificates shall be exchanged for
9 Standard Teaching Certificates as provided in subsection (c) of
10 Section 21-2. All Initial and Standard Teaching Certificates,
11 including those issued to persons who previously held teaching
12 certificates issued before February 15, 2000, shall be
13 renewable under the conditions set forth in this subsection
14 (b).
15     Initial Teaching Certificates are nonrenewable and are
16 valid for 4 years of teaching. Standard Teaching Certificates
17 are renewable every 5 years as provided in subsection (c) of
18 Section 21-2 and subsection (c) of this Section. For purposes
19 of this Section, "teaching" is defined as employment and
20 performance of services in an Illinois public or State-operated
21 elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint
22 agreement with a governing body or board of control, in a
23 certificated teaching position, or a charter school operating
24 in compliance with the Charter Schools Law.
25     (c) In compliance with subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of
26 this Code, which provides that a Standard Teaching Certificate
27 may be renewed by the State Teacher Certification Board based
28 upon proof of continuing professional development, the State
29 Board of Education and the State Teacher Certification Board
30 shall jointly:
31         (1) establish a procedure for renewing Standard
32     Teaching Certificates, which shall include but not be
33     limited to annual timelines for the renewal process and the
34     components set forth in subsections (d) through (k) of this
35     Section;
36         (2) establish the standards for certificate renewal;

 

 

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1         (3) approve the providers of continuing professional
2     development activities;
3         (4) determine the maximum credit for each category of
4     continuing professional development activities, based upon
5     recommendations submitted by a continuing professional
6     development activity task force, which shall consist of 6
7     staff members from the State Board of Education, appointed
8     by the State Superintendent of Education, and 6 teacher
9     representatives, 3 of whom are selected by the Illinois
10     Education Association and 3 of whom are selected by the
11     Illinois Federation of Teachers;
12         (5) designate the type and amount of documentation
13     required to show that continuing professional development
14     activities have been completed; and
15         (6) provide, on a timely basis to all Illinois
16     teachers, certificate holders, regional superintendents of
17     schools, school districts, and others with an interest in
18     continuing professional development, information about the
19     standards and requirements established pursuant to this
20     subsection (c).
21     (d) Any Standard Teaching Certificate held by an individual
22 employed and performing services in an Illinois public or
23 State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
24 cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
25 of control in a certificated teaching position or a charter
26 school in compliance with the Charter Schools Law must be
27 maintained Valid and Active through certificate renewal
28 activities specified in the certificate renewal procedure
29 established pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section,
30 provided that a holder of a Valid and Active certificate who is
31 only employed on either a part-time basis or day-to-day basis
32 as a substitute teacher shall pay only the required
33 registration fee to renew his or her certificate and maintain
34 it as Valid and Active. All other Standard Teaching
35 Certificates held may be maintained as Valid and Exempt through
36 the registration process provided for in the certificate

 

 

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1 renewal procedure established pursuant to subsection (c) of
2 this Section. A Valid and Exempt certificate must be
3 immediately activated, through procedures developed jointly by
4 the State Board of Education and the State Teacher
5 Certification Board, upon the certificate holder becoming
6 employed and performing services in an Illinois public or
7 State-operated elementary school, secondary school, or
8 cooperative or joint agreement with a governing body or board
9 of control in a certificated teaching position or a charter
10 school operating in compliance with the Charter Schools Law. A
11 holder of a Valid and Exempt certificate may activate his or
12 her certificate through procedures provided for in the
13 certificate renewal procedure established pursuant to
14 subsection (c) of this Section.
15     (e)(1) A Standard Teaching Certificate that has been
16 maintained as Valid and Active for the 5 years of the
17 certificate's validity shall be renewed as Valid and Active
18 upon the certificate holder: (i) completing an advanced degree
19 from an approved institution in an education-related field;
20 (ii) completing at least 8 semester hours of coursework as
21 described in subdivision (B) of paragraph (3) of this
22 subsection (e); (iii) earning at least 24 continuing education
23 units as described in subdivision (C) of paragraph (3) of this
24 subsection (e); (iv) completing the National Board for
25 Professional Teaching Standards process as described in
26 subdivision (D) of paragraph (3) of this subsection (e); or (v)
27 earning 120 continuing professional development units ("CPDU")
28 as described in subdivision (E) of paragraph (3) of this
29 subsection (e). The maximum continuing professional
30 development units for each continuing professional development
31 activity identified in subdivisions (F) through (J) of
32 paragraph (3) of this subsection (e) shall be jointly
33 determined by the State Board of Education and the State
34 Teacher Certification Board. If, however, the certificate
35 holder has maintained the certificate as Valid and Exempt for a
36 portion of the 5-year period of validity, the number of

 

 

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1 continuing professional development units needed to renew the
2 certificate as Valid and Active shall be proportionately
3 reduced by the amount of time the certificate was Valid and
4 Exempt. Furthermore, if a certificate holder is employed and
5 performs teaching services on a part-time basis for all or a
6 portion of the certificate's 5-year period of validity, the
7 number of continuing professional development units needed to
8 renew the certificate as Valid and Active shall be reduced by
9 50% for the amount of time the certificate holder has been
10 employed and performed teaching services on a part-time basis.
11 Part-time shall be defined as less than 50% of the school day
12 or school term.
13     Notwithstanding any other requirements to the contrary, if
14 a Standard Teaching Certificate has been maintained as Valid
15 and Active for the 5 years of the certificate's validity and
16 the certificate holder has completed his or her certificate
17 renewal plan before July 1, 2002, the certificate shall be
18 renewed as Valid and Active.
19     (2) Each Valid and Active Standard Teaching Certificate
20 holder shall develop a certificate renewal plan for satisfying
21 the continuing professional development requirement provided
22 for in subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code. Certificate
23 holders with multiple certificates shall develop a certificate
24 renewal plan that addresses only that certificate or those
25 certificates that are required of his or her certificated
26 teaching position, if the certificate holder is employed and
27 performing services in an Illinois public or State-operated
28 elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint
29 agreement with a governing body or board of control, or that
30 certificate or those certificates most closely related to his
31 or her teaching position, if the certificate holder is employed
32 in a charter school. Except as otherwise provided in this
33 subsection (e), a certificate renewal plan shall include a
34 minimum of 3 individual improvement goals developed by the
35 certificate holder and shall reflect purposes (A), (B), and (C)
36 and may reflect purpose (D) of the following continuing

 

 

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1 professional development purposes:
2         (A) Advance both the certificate holder's knowledge
3     and skills as a teacher consistent with the Illinois
4     Professional Teaching Standards and the Illinois Content
5     Area Standards in the certificate holder's areas of
6     certification, endorsement, or teaching assignment in
7     order to keep the certificate holder current in those
8     areas.
9         (B) Develop the certificate holder's knowledge and
10     skills in areas determined to be critical for all Illinois
11     teachers, as defined by the State Board of Education, known
12     as "State priorities".
13         (C) Address the knowledge, skills, and goals of the
14     certificate holder's local school improvement plan, if the
15     teacher is employed in an Illinois public or State-operated
16     elementary school, secondary school, or cooperative or
17     joint agreement with a governing body or board of control.
18         (D) Expand the certificate holder's knowledge and
19     skills in an additional teaching field or toward the
20     acquisition of another teaching certificate, endorsement,
21     or relevant education degree.
22 A certificate renewal plan must include a description of how
23 these goals are to be achieved and an explanation of selected
24 continuing professional development activities to be
25 completed, each of which must meet one or more of the
26 continuing professional development purposes specified in this
27 paragraph (2). The plan shall identify potential activities and
28 include projected timelines for those activities that will
29 assure completion of the plan before the expiration of the
30 5-year validity of the Standard Teaching Certificate. Except as
31 otherwise provided in this subsection (e), at least 50% of
32 continuing professional development units must relate to
33 purposes (A) and (B) set forth in this paragraph (2): the
34 advancement of a certificate holder's knowledge and skills as a
35 teacher consistent with the Illinois Professional Teaching
36 Standards and the Illinois Content Area Standards in the

 

 

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1 certificate holder's areas of certification, endorsement, or
2 teaching assignment in order to keep the certificate holder
3 current in those areas and the development of a certificate
4 holder's knowledge and skills in the State priorities that
5 exist at the time the certificate renewal plan is developed.
6 For the holder of an Early Childhood or Elementary type of
7 certificate who is developing a certificate renewal plan on or
8 after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd
9 General Assembly, 50% of the continuing professional
10 development activities included in the certificate renewal
11 plan must be coursework or activities that expand the holder's
12 knowledge and application of best practices in the teaching of
13 reading.
14     A speech-language pathologist or audiologist who is
15 licensed under the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and
16 Audiology Practice Act and who has met the continuing education
17 requirements of that Act and the rules promulgated under that
18 Act shall be deemed to have satisfied the continuing
19 professional development requirements established by the State
20 Board of Education and the Teacher Certification Board to renew
21 a Standard Certificate.
22     (3) Continuing professional development activities
23 included in a certificate renewal plan may include, but are not
24 limited to, the following activities:
25         (A) completion of an advanced degree from an approved
26     institution in an education-related field;
27         (B) at least 8 semester hours of coursework in an
28     approved education-related program, of which at least 2
29     semester hours relate to the continuing professional
30     development purpose set forth in purpose (A) of paragraph
31     (2) of this subsection (e), provided that such a plan need
32     not include any other continuing professional development
33     activities nor reflect or contain activities related to the
34     other continuing professional development purposes set
35     forth in paragraph (2) of this subsection (e);
36         (C) continuing education units that satisfy the

 

 

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1     continuing professional development purposes set forth in
2     paragraph (2) of this subsection (e), with each continuing
3     education unit equal to 5 clock hours, provided that a plan
4     that includes at least 24 continuing education units (or
5     120 clock/contact hours) need not include any other
6     continuing professional development activities;
7         (D) completion of the National Board of Professional
8     Teaching Standards ("NBPTS") process, provided that a plan
9     that includes completion of the NBPTS process need not
10     include any other continuing professional development
11     activities nor reflect or contain activities related to the
12     continuing professional development purposes set forth in
13     paragraph (2) of subsection (e) of this Section;
14         (E) completion of 120 continuing professional
15     development units that satisfy the continuing professional
16     development purposes set forth in paragraph (2) of this
17     subsection (e) and may include without limitation the
18     activities identified in subdivisions (F) through (J) of
19     this paragraph (3);
20         (F) collaboration and partnership activities related
21     to improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a
22     teacher, including the following:
23             (i) participating on collaborative planning and
24         professional improvement teams and committees;
25             (ii) peer review and coaching;
26             (iii) mentoring in a formal mentoring program,
27         including service as a consulting teacher
28         participating in a remediation process formulated
29         under Section 24A-5 of this Code;
30             (iv) participating in site-based management or
31         decision making teams, relevant committees, boards, or
32         task forces directly related to school improvement
33         plans;
34             (v) coordinating community resources in schools,
35         if the project is a specific goal of the school
36         improvement plan;

 

 

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1             (vi) facilitating parent education programs for a
2         school, school district, or regional office of
3         education directly related to student achievement or
4         school improvement plans;
5             (vii) participating in business, school, or
6         community partnerships directly related to student
7         achievement or school improvement plans; or
8             (viii) supervising a student teacher or teacher
9         education candidate in clinical supervision, provided
10         that the supervision may only be counted once during
11         the course of 5 years;
12         (G) college or university coursework related to
13     improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher
14     as follows:
15             (i) completing undergraduate or graduate credit
16         earned from a regionally accredited institution in
17         coursework relevant to the certificate area being
18         renewed, including coursework that incorporates
19         induction activities and development of a portfolio of
20         both student and teacher work that provides experience
21         in reflective practices, provided the coursework meets
22         Illinois Professional Teaching Standards or Illinois
23         Content Area Standards and supports the essential
24         characteristics of quality professional development;
25         or
26             (ii) teaching college or university courses in
27         areas relevant to the certificate area being renewed,
28         provided that the teaching may only be counted once
29         during the course of 5 years;
30         (H) conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars, and
31     symposiums related to improving the teacher's knowledge
32     and skills as a teacher, including the following:
33             (i) completing non-university credit directly
34         related to student achievement, school improvement
35         plans, or State priorities;
36             (ii) participating in or presenting at workshops,

 

 

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1         seminars, conferences, institutes, and symposiums;
2             (iii) training as external reviewers for Quality
3         Assurance; or
4             (iv) training as reviewers of university teacher
5         preparation programs;
6         (I) other educational experiences related to improving
7     the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher, including
8     the following:
9             (i) participating in action research and inquiry
10         projects;
11             (ii) observing programs or teaching in schools,
12         related businesses, or industry that is systematic,
13         purposeful, and relevant to certificate renewal;
14             (iii) traveling related to ones teaching
15         assignment, directly related to student achievement or
16         school improvement plans and approved at least 30 days
17         prior to the travel experience, provided that the
18         traveling shall not include time spent commuting to
19         destinations where the learning experience will occur;
20             (iv) participating in study groups related to
21         student achievement or school improvement plans;
22             (v) serving on a statewide education-related
23         committee, including but not limited to the State
24         Teacher Certification Board, State Board of Education
25         strategic agenda teams, or the State Advisory Council
26         on Education of Children with Disabilities;
27             (vi) participating in work/learn programs or
28         internships; or
29             (vii) developing a portfolio of student and
30         teacher work;
31         (J) professional leadership experiences related to
32     improving the teacher's knowledge and skills as a teacher,
33     including 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

 

 

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1         level;
2             (ii) participating in team or department
3         leadership in a school or school district;
4             (iii) participating on external or internal school
5         or school district review teams;
6             (iv) publishing educational articles, columns, or
7         books relevant to the certificate area being renewed;
8         or
9             (v) participating in non-strike related
10         professional association or labor organization service
11         or activities related to professional development.
12     (4) A certificate renewal plan must initially be approved
13 by the certificate holder's local professional development
14 committee, as provided for in subsection (f) of this Section.
15 If the local professional development committee does not
16 approve the certificate renewal plan, the certificate holder
17 may appeal that determination to the regional professional
18 development review committee, as provided for in paragraph (2)
19 of subsection (g) of this Section. If the regional professional
20 development review committee disagrees with the local
21 professional development committee's determination, the
22 certificate renewal plan shall be deemed approved and the
23 certificate holder may begin satisfying the continuing
24 professional development activities set forth in the plan. If
25 the regional professional development review committee agrees
26 with the local professional development committee's
27 determination, the certificate renewal plan shall be deemed
28 disapproved and shall be returned to the certificate holder to
29 develop a revised certificate renewal plan. In all cases, the
30 regional professional development review committee shall
31 immediately notify both the local professional development
32 committee and the certificate holder of its determination.
33     (5) A certificate holder who wishes to modify the
34 continuing professional development activities or goals in his
35 or her certificate renewal plan must submit the proposed
36 modifications to his or her local professional development

 

 

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1 committee for approval prior to engaging in the proposed
2 activities. If the local professional development committee
3 does not approve the proposed modification, the certificate
4 holder may appeal that determination to the regional
5 professional development review committee, as set forth in
6 paragraph (4) of this subsection (e).
7     (6) When a certificate holder changes assignments or school
8 districts during the course of completing a certificate renewal
9 plan, the professional development and continuing education
10 credit earned pursuant to the plan shall transfer to the new
11 assignment or school district and count toward the total
12 requirements. This certificate renewal plan must be reviewed by
13 the appropriate local professional development committee and
14 may be modified to reflect the certificate holder's new work
15 assignment or the school improvement plan of the new school
16 district or school building.
17     (f) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code, each
18 school district, charter school, and cooperative or joint
19 agreement with a governing body or board of control that
20 employs certificated staff, shall establish and implement, in
21 conjunction with its exclusive representative, if any, one or
22 more local professional development committees, as set forth in
23 this subsection (f), which shall perform the following
24 functions:
25         (1) review and approve certificate renewal plans and
26     any modifications made to these plans, including
27     transferred plans;
28         (2) maintain a file of approved certificate renewal
29     plans;
30         (3) monitor certificate holders' progress in
31     completing approved certificate renewal plans, provided
32     that a local professional development committee shall not
33     be required to maintain materials submitted by certificate
34     holders to demonstrate their progress in completing their
35     certificate renewal plans after the committee has reviewed
36     the materials and the credits have been awarded;

 

 

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1         (4) assist in the development of professional
2     development plans based upon needs identified in
3     certificate renewal plans;
4         (5) determine whether certificate holders have met the
5     requirements of their certificate renewal plans and notify
6     certificate holders of its determination;
7         (6) provide a certificate holder with the opportunity
8     to address the committee when it has determined that the
9     certificate holder has not met the requirements of his or
10     her certificate renewal plan;
11         (7) issue and forward recommendations for renewal or
12     nonrenewal of certificate holders' Standard Teaching
13     Certificates to the appropriate regional superintendent of
14     schools, based upon whether certificate holders have met
15     the requirements of their approved certificate renewal
16     plans, with 30-day written notice of its recommendation
17     provided to the certificate holder prior to forwarding the
18     recommendation to the regional superintendent of schools,
19     provided that if the local professional development
20     committee's recommendation is for certificate nonrenewal,
21     the written notice provided to the certificate holder shall
22     include a return receipt; and
23         (8) reconsider its recommendation of certificate
24     nonrenewal, upon request of the certificate holder within
25     30 days of receipt of written notification that the local
26     professional development committee will make such a
27     recommendation, and forward to the regional superintendent
28     of schools its recommendation within 30 days of receipt of
29     the certificate holder's request.
30     Each local professional development committee shall
31 consist of at least 3 classroom teachers; one superintendent or
32 chief administrator of the school district, charter school, or
33 cooperative or joint agreement or his or her designee; and one
34 at-large member who shall be either (i) a parent, (ii) a member
35 of the business community, (iii) a community member, or (iv) an
36 administrator, with preference given to an individual chosen

 

 

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1 from among those persons listed in items (i), (ii), and (iii)
2 in order to secure representation of an interest not already
3 represented on the committee. Except in a school district in a
4 city having a population exceeding 500,000, a local
5 professional development committee shall be responsible for no
6 more than 200 certificate renewal plans annually unless
7 otherwise mutually agreed upon by the school district, charter
8 school, or governing body or board of control of a cooperative
9 or joint agreement and its exclusive representative, if any. If
10 mutually agreed upon by the school district, charter school, or
11 governing body or board of control of a cooperative or joint
12 agreement and its exclusive representative, if any, additional
13 members may be added to a local professional development
14 committee, provided that a majority of members are classroom
15 teachers. Except in a school district in a city having a
16 population exceeding 500,000, if additional members are added
17 to a local professional development committee, the maximum
18 number of certificate renewal plans for which the committee
19 shall annually be responsible may be increased by 50 plans for
20 each additional member, unless otherwise mutually agreed upon
21 by the school district, charter school, or governing body or
22 board of control of a cooperative or joint agreement and its
23 exclusive representative, if any. The school district, charter
24 school, or governing body or board of control of a cooperative
25 or joint agreement and its exclusive representative, if any,
26 shall determine the term of service of the members of a local
27 professional development committee. All individuals selected
28 to serve on local professional development committees must be
29 known to demonstrate the best practices in teaching or their
30 respective field of practice.
31     The exclusive representative, if any, shall select the
32 classroom teacher members of the local professional
33 development committee. If no exclusive representative exists,
34 then the classroom teacher members of a local professional
35 development committee shall be selected by the classroom
36 teachers that come within the local professional development

 

 

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1 committee's authority. The school district, charter school, or
2 governing body or board of control of a cooperative or joint
3 agreement shall select the 2 non-classroom teacher members (the
4 superintendent or chief administrator of the school district,
5 charter school, or cooperative or joint agreement or his or her
6 designee and the at-large member) of a local professional
7 development committee. Vacancies in positions on a local
8 professional development committee shall be filled in the same
9 manner as the original selections. The members of a local
10 professional development committee shall select a chairperson.
11 Local professional development committee meetings shall be
12 scheduled so as not to interfere with committee members'
13 regularly scheduled teaching duties, except when otherwise
14 permitted by the policies of or agreed to or approved by the
15 school district, charter school, or governing body or board of
16 control of a cooperative or joint agreement, or its designee.
17     The board of education or governing board shall convene the
18 first meeting of the local professional development committee.
19 All actions taken by the local professional development
20 committee shall require that a majority of committee members be
21 present, and no committee action may be taken unless 50% or
22 more of those present are teacher members.
23     The State Board of Education and the State Teacher
24 Certification Board shall jointly provide local professional
25 development committee members with a training manual, and the
26 members shall certify that they have received and read the
27 manual.
28     Notwithstanding any other provisions of this subsection
29 (f), for a teacher employed and performing services in a
30 nonpublic or State-operated elementary or secondary school,
31 all references to a local professional development committee
32 shall mean the regional superintendent of schools of the
33 regional office of education for the geographic area where the
34 teaching is done.
35     (g)(1) Each regional superintendent of schools shall
36 review and concur or nonconcur with each recommendation for

 

 

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1 renewal or nonrenewal of a Standard Teaching Certificate he or
2 she receives from a local professional development committee
3 or, if a certificate holder appeals the recommendation to the
4 regional professional development review committee, the
5 recommendation for renewal or nonrenewal he or she receives
6 from a regional professional development review committee and,
7 within 14 days of receipt of the recommendation, shall provide
8 the State Teacher Certification Board with verification of the
9 following, if applicable:
10         (A) a certificate renewal plan was filed and approved
11     by the appropriate local professional development
12     committee;
13         (B) the professional development and continuing
14     education activities set forth in the approved certificate
15     renewal plan have been satisfactorily completed;
16         (C) the local professional development committee has
17     recommended the renewal of the certificate holder's
18     Standard Teaching Certificate and forwarded the
19     recommendation, along with all supporting documentation as
20     jointly required by the State Board of Education and the
21     State Teacher Certification Board, to the regional
22     superintendent of schools;
23         (D) the certificate holder has appealed his or her
24     local professional development committee's recommendation
25     of nonrenewal to the regional professional development
26     review committee and the result of that appeal;
27         (E) the regional superintendent of schools has
28     concurred or nonconcurred with the local professional
29     development committee's or regional professional
30     development review committee's recommendation to renew or
31     nonrenew the certificate holder's Standard Teaching
32     Certificate and made a recommendation to that effect; and
33         (F) the established registration fee for the Standard
34     Teaching Certificate has been paid.
35 At the same time the regional superintendent of schools
36 provides the State Teacher Certification Board with the notice

 

 

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1 required by this subsection (g), he or she shall also notify
2 the certificate holder in writing that this notice has been
3 provided to the State Teacher Certification Board, provided
4 that if the notice provided by the regional superintendent of
5 schools to the State Teacher Certification Board includes a
6 recommendation of certificate nonrenewal, the written notice
7 provided to the certificate holder shall be by certified mail,
8 return receipt requested.
9     (2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to appeal
10 his or her local professional development committee's
11 recommendation of nonrenewal to the regional professional
12 development review committee, within 14 days of receipt of
13 notice that the recommendation has been sent to the regional
14 superintendent of schools. Each regional superintendent of
15 schools shall establish a regional professional development
16 review committee or committees for the purpose of advising the
17 regional superintendent of schools, upon request, and handling
18 certificate holder appeals. This committee shall consist of at
19 least 4 classroom teachers, one non-administrative
20 certificated educational employee, 2 administrators, and one
21 at-large member who shall be either (i) a parent, (ii) a member
22 of the business community, (iii) a community member, or (iv) an
23 administrator, with preference given to an individual chosen
24 from among those persons listed in items (i), (ii), and (iii)
25 in order to secure representation of an interest not already
26 represented on the committee. The teacher and
27 non-administrative certificated educational employee members
28 of the review committee shall be selected by their exclusive
29 representative, if any, and the administrators and at-large
30 member shall be selected by the regional superintendent of
31 schools. A regional superintendent of schools may add
32 additional members to the committee, provided that the same
33 proportion of teachers to administrators and at-large members
34 on the committee is maintained. Any additional teacher and
35 non-administrative certificated educational employee members
36 shall be selected by their exclusive representative, if any.

 

 

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1 Vacancies in positions on a regional professional development
2 review committee shall be filled in the same manner as the
3 original selections. Committee members shall serve staggered
4 3-year terms. All individuals selected to serve on regional
5 professional development review committees must be known to
6 demonstrate the best practices in teaching or their respective
7 field of practice.
8     The exclusive representative responsible for choosing the
9 individuals that serve on a regional professional development
10 review committee shall notify each school district, charter
11 school, or governing body or board of control of a cooperative
12 or joint agreement employing the individuals chosen to serve
13 and provide their names to the appropriate regional
14 superintendent of schools. Regional professional development
15 review committee meetings shall be scheduled so as not to
16 interfere with the committee members' regularly scheduled
17 teaching duties, except when otherwise permitted by the
18 policies of or agreed to or approved by the school district,
19 charter school, or governing body or board of control of a
20 cooperative or joint agreement, or its designee, provided that
21 the school district, charter school, or governing body or board
22 of control shall not unreasonably withhold permission for a
23 committee member to attend regional professional development
24 review committee meetings.
25     In a city having a population exceeding 500,000 that does
26 not have a regional office of education, one or more separate
27 regional professional development review committees shall be
28 established as mutually agreed upon by the board of education
29 of the school district organized under Article 34 of this Code
30 and the exclusive representative. The composition of each
31 committee shall be the same as for a regional professional
32 development review committee, except that members of the
33 committee shall be jointly appointed by the board of education
34 and the exclusive representative. All other provisions of this
35 Section concerning regional professional development review
36 committees shall apply to these committees.

 

 

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1     The regional professional development review committee may
2 require information in addition to that received from a
3 certificate holder's local professional development committee
4 or request that the certificate holder appear before it, shall
5 either concur or nonconcur with a local professional
6 development committee's recommendation of nonrenewal, and
7 shall forward to the regional superintendent of schools its
8 recommendation of renewal or nonrenewal. All actions taken by
9 the regional professional development review committee shall
10 require a quorum and be by a simple majority of those present
11 and voting. A record of all votes shall be maintained. The
12 committee shall have 45 days from receipt of a certificate
13 holder's appeal to make its recommendation to the regional
14 superintendent of schools.
15     The State Board of Education and the State Teacher
16 Certification Board shall jointly provide regional
17 professional development review committee members with a
18 training manual, and the members shall be required to attend
19 one training seminar sponsored jointly by the State Board of
20 Education and the State Teacher Certification Board.
21     (h)(1) The State Teacher Certification Board shall review
22 the regional superintendent of schools' recommendations to
23 renew or nonrenew Standard Teaching Certificates and notify
24 certificate holders in writing whether their certificates have
25 been renewed or nonrenewed within 90 days of receipt of the
26 recommendations, unless a certificate holder has appealed a
27 regional superintendent of schools' recommendation of
28 nonrenewal, as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection
29 (h). The State Teacher Certification Board shall verify that
30 the certificate holder has met the renewal criteria set forth
31 in paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of this Section.
32     (2) Each certificate holder shall have the right to appeal
33 a regional superintendent of school's recommendation to
34 nonrenew his or her Standard Teaching Certificate to the State
35 Teacher Certification Board, within 14 days of receipt of
36 notice that the decision has been sent to the State Teacher

 

 

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1 Certification Board, which shall hold an appeal hearing within
2 60 days of receipt of the appeal. When such an appeal is taken,
3 the certificate holder's Standard Teaching Certificate shall
4 continue to be valid until the appeal is finally determined.
5 The State Teacher Certification Board shall review the regional
6 superintendent of school's recommendation, the regional
7 professional development review committee's recommendation, if
8 any, and the local professional development committee's
9 recommendation and all relevant documentation to verify
10 whether the certificate holder has met the renewal criteria set
11 forth in paragraph (1) of subsection (g) of this Section. The
12 State Teacher Certification Board may request that the
13 certificate holder appear before it. All actions taken by the
14 State Teacher Certification Board shall require a quorum and be
15 by a simple majority of those present and voting. A record of
16 all votes shall be maintained. The State Teacher Certification
17 Board shall notify the certificate holder in writing, within 7
18 days of completing the review, whether his or her Standard
19 Teaching Certificate has been renewed or nonrenewed, provided
20 that if the State Teacher Certification Board determines to
21 nonrenew a certificate, the written notice provided to the
22 certificate holder shall be by certified mail, return receipt
23 requested. All certificate renewal or nonrenewal decisions of
24 the State Teacher Certification Board are final and subject to
25 administrative review, as set forth in Section 21-24 of this
26 Code.
27     (i) Holders of Master Teaching Certificates shall meet the
28 same requirements and follow the same procedures as holders of
29 Standard Teaching Certificates, except that their renewal
30 cycle shall be as set forth in subsection (d) of Section 21-2
31 of this Code.
32     A holder of a teaching certificate endorsed as a
33 speech-language pathologist who has been granted the
34 Certificate of Clinical Competence by the American
35 Speech-Language Hearing Association may renew his or her
36 Standard Teaching Certificate pursuant to the 10-year renewal

 

 

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1 cycle set forth in subsection (d) of Section 21-2 of this Code.
2     (j) Holders of Valid and Exempt Standard and Master
3 Teaching Certificates who are not employed and performing
4 services in an Illinois public or State-operated elementary
5 school, secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement
6 with a governing body or board of control, in a certificated
7 teaching position, may voluntarily activate their certificates
8 by developing and submitting a certificate renewal plan to the
9 regional superintendent of schools of the regional office of
10 education for the geographic area where their teaching is done,
11 who, or whose designee, shall approve the plan and serve as the
12 certificate holder's local professional development committee.
13 These certificate holders shall follow the same renewal
14 criteria and procedures as all other Standard and Master
15 Teaching Certificate holders, except that their continuing
16 professional development plans shall not be required to reflect
17 or address the knowledge, skills, and goals of a local school
18 improvement plan.
19     (k) Each school district, charter school, or cooperative or
20 joint agreement shall be paid an annual amount of not less than
21 $1,000, as determined by a formula based on the number of
22 Standard Teaching and Master Teaching Certificate holders,
23 subject to renewal and established by rule, not to exceed
24 $1,000,000 annually for all school districts, charter schools,
25 and cooperatives or joint agreements, for administrative costs
26 associated with conducting the meetings of the local
27 professional development committee, as determined in
28 consultation with the committee. Each regional office of
29 education shall receive $2,000 annually to pay school
30 districts, charter schools, or cooperatives or joint
31 agreements for costs, as defined by rule, incurred in staff
32 attendance at regional professional development review
33 committee meetings and the training seminar required under
34 paragraph (2) of subsection (g) of this Section.
35     (l) The State Board of Education and the State Teacher
36 Certification Board shall jointly contract with an independent

 

 

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1 party to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the certificate
2 renewal system pursuant to this Section. The first report of
3 this evaluation shall be presented to the General Assembly on
4 January 1, 2005 and on January 1 of every third year
5 thereafter.
6 (Source: P.A. 92-510, eff. 6-1-02; 92-796, eff. 8-10-02; 93-81,
7 eff. 7-2-03.)