State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Senate Amendment 001 ]

91_SB0282

 
                                               LRB9101647NTsb

 1        AN ACT to amend  the  School  Code  by  changing  Section
 2    21-5c.

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

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

 7        (105 ILCS 5/21-5c)
 8        Sec.  21-5c.  Alternative route to teacher certification.
 9    The State Board of Education, in consultation with the  State
10    Teacher Certification Board, shall establish and implement an
11    alternative  route  to  teacher  certification  program under
12    which persons who meet the requirements of  and  successfully
13    complete  the  program  established  by this Section shall be
14    issued  an  initial  teaching  certificate  for  teaching  in
15    schools in this State. The State  Board  of  Education  shall
16    approve  a  course  of study that persons in the program must
17    successfully complete in order to satisfy one  criterion  for
18    issuance  of  a certificate under this Section.  The Teachers
19    for  Illinois  Alternative  Route  to  Teacher  Certification
20    program course of study must include the current content  and
21    skills  contained in a university's current courses for State
22    certification which have been approved by the State Board  of
23    Education,   in   consultation   with   the   State   Teacher
24    Certification  Board,  as  the  requirement for State teacher
25    certification.
26        The program established under this Section shall be known
27    as the Teachers for Illinois  Alternative  Route  to  Teacher
28    Certification   program.   The  program  may  be  offered  in
29    conjunction with one or more not-for-profit organizations  in
30    the State.  The program shall be comprised of the following 4
31      3  phases:  (a)  field work experience with students before
 
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 1    being assigned to a classroom as an intern; (b)  professional
 2    education   coursework  that  is  comparable  to  traditional
 3    approved teacher education programs and  completed  during  a
 4    minimum of 2 summers and one academic year; (c) a minimum one
 5    year,  full-time  teaching  internship  with a reduced salary
 6    from the school district, with the district paying the  costs
 7    of   mentoring   and   tuition  to  the  teacher  preparation
 8    institution during the academic year; and  (d)  a  course  of
 9    study  offered  on  an  intensive  basis in education theory,
10    instructional  methods,  and  practice  teaching;   (b)   the
11    person's  assignment to a full-time teaching position for one
12    school year, including the designation of a mentor teacher to
13    advise and assist the person with that  teaching  assignment;
14    and  (c)  a comprehensive performance-based assessment of the
15    person's teaching performance by school officials and program
16    participants and  a  recommendation  by  the  institution  of
17    higher  education  to  the  State Board of Education that the
18    person be issued an initial teaching certificate.  Coursework
19    may  be  applied  towards  a  master's  degree   program   in
20    education.    Successful   completion  of  the  Teachers  for
21    Illinois Alternative Route to Teacher  Certification  program
22    shall  be  deemed  to  satisfy  any other practice or student
23    teaching and subject matter requirements established by law.
24        A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for
25    one year of teaching in the common schools and not renewable,
26    shall be issued under this Section 21-5c to  persons  who  at
27    the time of applying for the provisional alternative teaching
28    certificate under this Section:
29             (1)  have  graduated  from  an accredited college or
30        university with a bachelor's degree;
31             (2)  have been employed for a period of at  least  5
32        years   of   professional  work  experience  in  an  area
33        requiring application of the individual's education;
34             (3)  have successfully completed the first phase  of
 
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 1        the    Teachers    for   Illinois   Alternative   Teacher
 2        Certification program as provided in this Section; and
 3             (4)  have passed  the  tests  of  basic  skills  and
 4        subject matter knowledge required by Section 21-1a.
 5        An  initial  teaching  certificate, valid for teaching in
 6    the common schools, shall be issued  under  Section  21-3  or
 7    21-5  to  persons who first complete the requirements for the
 8    provisional alternative teaching certificate and who  at  the
 9    time  of  applying  for  an initial teaching certificate have
10    successfully completed the  second,  and  third,  and  fourth
11    phases  of  the  Teachers  for  Illinois Alternative Route to
12    Teacher Certification program as provided in this Section.
13        A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate
14    or an initial teaching certificate earned under this  Section
15    shall  be  treated  as  a  regularly  certified  teacher  for
16    purposes  of  compensation,  benefits,  and  other  terms and
17    conditions of employment afforded teachers in the school  who
18    are  members of a bargaining unit represented by an exclusive
19    bargaining representative, if any.
20        The  State  Board  of  Education  may  adopt  rules   and
21    regulations  that  are  consistent with this Section and that
22    the State Board deems necessary to  establish  and  implement
23    the program.
24    (Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98.)

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