HB1925eng 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1925 Engrossed LRB095 08461 NHT 32039 b

AN ACT concerning education.

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

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 21-10 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/21-10) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-10)

Sec. 21-10. Provisional certificate.

(A) Until July 1, 1972, the State Teacher Certification Board may issue a provisional certificate valid for teaching in elementary, high school or special subject fields subject to the following conditions:

A provisional certificate may be issued to a person who presents certified evidence of having earned a bachelor's degree from a recognized institution of higher learning. The academic and professional courses offered as a basis of the provisional certificate shall be courses approved by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

A certificate earned under this plan may be renewed at the end of each two-year period upon evidence filed with the State Teacher Certification Board that the holder has earned 8 semester hours of credit within the period; provided the requirements for the certificate of the same type issued for the teaching position for which the teacher is employed shall be met by the end of the second renewal period. A second provisional certificate shall not be issued. The credits so earned must be approved by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board and must meet the general pattern for a similar type of certificate issued on the basis of credit. No more than 4 semester hours shall be chosen from elective subjects.

(B) After July 1, 1972, the State Teacher Certification Board may issue a provisional certificate valid for teaching in early childhood, elementary, high school or special subject fields, or for providing service as school service personnel or for administering schools subject to the following conditions: A provisional certificate may be issued to a person who meets the requirements for a regular teaching, school service personnel or administrative certificate in another State and who presents certified evidence of having earned a bachelor's degree from a recognized institution of higher learning. The academic and professional courses offered as a basis of the provisional certificate shall be courses approved by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. A certificate earned under this plan is valid for a period of 2 years and shall not be renewed; however, the individual to whom this certificate is issued shall have passed or shall pass the examinations set forth by the State Board of Education within 9 months of the date of issuance of the provisional certificate. Failure to pass the tests, required in Section 21-1a, shall result in the cancellation of the provisional certificate.

(C) The State Teacher Certification Board may also issue a provisional vocational certificate and a temporary provisional vocational certificate.

(1) The requirements for a provisional vocational certificate shall be determined by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board; provided, the following minimum requirements are met: (a) after July 1, 1972, at least 30 semester hours of credit from a recognized institution of higher learning; and (b) after July 1, 1974, at least 60 semester hours of credit from a recognized institution of higher learning. In addition, an individual who meets the requirements of a part-time provisional teaching certificate for vocational courses is eligible to receive a provisional vocational teacher aide certificate.

(2) The requirements for a temporary provisional vocational certificate shall be determined by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board; provided, the following minimum requirements are met: (a) after July 1, 1973, at least 4,000 hours of work experience in the skill to be certified for teaching; and (b) after July 1, 1975, at least 8,000 hours of work experience in the skill to be certified for teaching. Any certificate issued under the provisions of this paragraph shall expire on June 30 following the date of issue. Renewals may be granted on a yearly basis, but shall not be granted to any person who does not file with the State Teacher Certification Board a transcript showing at least 3 semester hours of credit earned during the previous year in a recognized institution of learning. No such certificate shall be issued except upon certification by the employing board, subject to the approval of the regional superintendent of schools, that no qualified teacher holding a regular certificate or a provisional vocational certificate is available and that actual circumstances and need require such issuance.

The courses or work experience offered as a basis for the issuance of the provisional vocational certificate or the temporary provisional vocational certificate shall be approved by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board.

(D) Until July 1, 1972, the State Teacher Certification Board may also issue a provisional foreign language certificate valid for 4 years for teaching the foreign language named therein in all grades of the common schools and shall be issued to persons who have graduated from a recognized institution of higher learning with not fewer than 120 semester hours of credit and who have met other requirements as determined by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board. If the holder of a provisional foreign language certificate is not a citizen of the United States within 6 years of the date of issuance of the original certificate, such certificate shall be suspended by the regional superintendent of schools of the region in which the holder is engaged to teach and shall not be reinstated until the holder is a citizen of the United States.

(E) Notwithstanding anything in this Act to the contrary, the State Teacher Certification Board shall issue part-time provisional certificates to eligible individuals who are professionals and craftsmen.

The requirements for a part-time provisional teachers certificate shall be determined by the State Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, provided the following minimum requirements are met: 60 semester hours of credit from a recognized institution of higher learning or 4000 hours of work experience in the skill to be certified for teaching.

A part-time provisional certificate may be issued for teaching no more than 2 courses of study for grades 6 through 12.

A part-time provisional teachers certificate shall be valid for 2 years and may be renewed at the end of each 2 year period.

(Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)