[ Search ] [ PDF text ] [ Legislation ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
92_HB3298
LRB9208242NTsbA
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 adding Section
5 21-28 as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/21-28 new)
7 Sec. 21-28. Paraeducator certificate.
8 (a) The State Board of Education shall jointly
9 establish, with the State Teacher Certification Board, and
10 administer a certification program for paraeducators. A
11 school district, other than a school district organized under
12 Article 34 of this Code, may not hire a person on or after
13 July 1, 2002 to work alongside and under the supervision of a
14 certified teacher or other licensed professional staff member
15 to support and assist in providing instructional and other
16 services to children and their families unless that person is
17 certified as a paraeducator by the State Teacher
18 Certification Board. This prohibition does not apply to a
19 person who, before July 1, 2002 and at the time of
20 application for the job, was employed by the school district
21 in a similar position.
22 (b) Paraeducator certificates shall be classified as
23 follows:
24 (1) The State Board of Education may issue a
25 Paraeducator I Certificate to a person who has completed
26 30 credits of approved study in the form of semester
27 hours, continuing education units, continuing
28 professional development units, or any combination of
29 these. A certified teacher or other licensed
30 professional staff member must directly supervise the
31 instructional and non-instructional duties of a person
-2- LRB9208242NTsbA
1 holding a Paraeducator I Certificate. This certificate
2 holder may assist the certified teacher or other licensed
3 professional staff member in any of the following ways:
4 (A) By reviewing and reinforcing previously
5 introduced learning.
6 (B) By assisting in preparation of
7 instructional and non-instructional materials.
8 (C) By assisting in student supervision.
9 (D) By providing classroom management
10 functions.
11 (2) The State Board of Education may issue a
12 Paraeducator II Certificate to a person who has completed
13 60 credits of approved study in the form of semester
14 hours, continuing education units, continuing
15 professional development units, or any combination of
16 these. A certified teacher or other licensed
17 professional staff member must directly supervise a
18 person holding a Paraeducator II Certificate. This
19 certificate holder may assist the certified teacher or
20 other licensed professional staff member in any of the
21 following ways, in addition to those listed in
22 subdivision (1) of this subsection (b):
23 (A) By introducing new learning, which must be
24 preplanned in collaboration with the certified
25 teacher or other licensed professional staff member.
26 (B) By assisting with student instruction.
27 (C) By assisting with monitoring student
28 assessment.
29 (D) By performing short-term instruction and
30 classroom management activities.
31 (3) The State Board of Education may issue a
32 Paraeducator III Certificate to a person who has
33 completed 90 credits of approved study in the form of
34 semester hours, continuing education units, continuing
-3- LRB9208242NTsbA
1 professional development units, or any combination of
2 these. A certified teacher or other licensed
3 professional staff member must directly supervise a
4 person holding a Paraeducator III Certificate. This
5 certificate holder may assist the certified teacher or
6 other licensed professional staff member in any of the
7 following ways, in addition to those listed in
8 subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection (b):
9 (A) By meeting with the certified teacher or
10 other licensed professional staff member to receive
11 instruction or direction on a regular basis.
12 (B) By assisting the certified teacher or
13 other licensed professional staff member in
14 maintaining the physical integrity of the learning
15 environment.
16 (C) By assisting with parental contact.
17 (D) By supervising and documenting student
18 instruction, behavior, and achievement.
19 (4) The State Board of Education may issue a
20 Paraeducator IV Certificate to a person who has a
21 bachelor's degree. The holder of a Paraeducator IV
22 Certificate may assist a certified teacher or other
23 licensed professional staff member in any of the ways
24 listed in subdivisions (1), (2), and (3) of this
25 subsection (b). This certificate holder must have all of
26 the following abilities:
27 (A) The ability to motivate and assist with
28 non-supervised student instruction.
29 (B) The ability to plan, prepare, and modify
30 lesson plans, demonstrating an awareness of
31 diversity among the children, families, and
32 colleagues with whom the person works.
33 (C) The ability to provide non-supervised
34 individual and group instruction.
-4- LRB9208242NTsbA
1 (D) The ability to use problem solving and
2 other skills to function as an effective member of
3 the instructional team.
4 (c) A paraeducation certificate is valid for 5 years. A
5 person must apply to the State Board of Education through the
6 regional superintendent of schools to receive or renew a
7 paraeducator certificate or to have the certificate
8 reclassified. An initial certificate may not be issued or
9 renewed until the applicant pays a $25 fee to the State Board
10 of Education. A certificate holder must maintain an
11 accumulative portfolio of his or her work in a form
12 determined jointly by the State Teacher Certification Board
13 and the State Board of Education.
14 (d) The State Board of Education shall establish a
15 paraeducator advisory committee consisting of 11 members, 6
16 of whom must be paraeducators. The paraeducator members
17 shall be selected by the Illinois Education Association and
18 the Illinois Federation of Teachers in proportion to each
19 group's paraeducator membership in all school districts,
20 excluding a school district organized under Article 34 of
21 this Code. The committee shall recommend to the State Board
22 of Education (i) guidelines and rules necessary to implement
23 the paraeducator certification program, (ii) guidelines for
24 paraeducator education, and (iii) experience requirements for
25 career advancement.
26 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July
27 1, 2001.