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92_HB1026eng
HB1026 Engrossed LRB9207609NTsb
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
5 Sections 14C-8, 21-1, and 21-2 as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/14C-8) (from Ch. 122, par. 14C-8)
7 Sec. 14C-8. Teacher certification - Qualifications -
8 Issuance of certificates. No person shall be eligible for
9 employment by a school district as a teacher of transitional
10 bilingual education without either (a) holding a valid
11 teaching certificate issued pursuant to Article 21 of this
12 Code and meeting such additional language and course
13 requirements as prescribed by the State Board of Education,
14 in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board,
15 or (b) meeting the requirements set forth in this Section.
16 The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
17 Teacher Certification Board, shall issue certificates valid
18 for teaching in all grades of the common school in
19 transitional bilingual education programs to any person who
20 presents it with satisfactory evidence that he possesses an
21 adequate speaking and reading ability in a language other
22 than English in which transitional bilingual education is
23 offered and communicative skills in English, and possessed
24 within 5 years previous to his or her applying for a
25 certificate under this Section a valid teaching certificate
26 issued by a foreign country, or by a State or possession or
27 territory of the United States, or other evidence of teaching
28 preparation as may be determined to be sufficient by the
29 State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
30 Teacher Certification Board, or holds a degree from an
31 institution of higher learning in a foreign country which the
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1 State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
2 Certification Board, determines to be the equivalent of a
3 bachelor's degree from a recognized institution of higher
4 learning in the United States; provided that any person
5 seeking a certificate under this Section must meet the
6 following additional requirements:
7 (1) Such persons must be in good health;
8 (2) Such persons must be of sound moral character;
9 (3) Such persons must be legally present in the United
10 States and possess legal authorization for employment;
11 (4) Such persons must not be employed to replace any
12 presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be
13 replaced for any reason.
14 Certificates issued issuable pursuant to this Section
15 shall be called transitional bilingual certificates. These
16 certificates are valid for 2 years and may not be renewed
17 more than 3 times for a period of 2 years each, after the
18 2nd, 4th, and 6th year of teaching. A transitional bilingual
19 certificate may not be renewed unless the holder successfully
20 completes a minimum of 9 semester hours of college or
21 university coursework in an approved education program
22 leading to eligibility for an Initial or Standard Teaching
23 Certificate, issued pursuant to Section 21-2 of this Code,
24 during each 2-year validity period of the transitional
25 bilingual certificate. All applications for renewal of a
26 transitional bilingual certificate shall be directed to the
27 State Board of Education and shall contain documentation that
28 the certificate holder has successfully completed the
29 required coursework. issuable only during the 5 years
30 immediately following the effective date of this Act and
31 thereafter for additional periods of one year only upon a
32 determination by the State Board of Education that a school
33 district lacks the number of teachers necessary to comply
34 with the mandatory requirements of Sections 14C-2.1 and 14C-3
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1 of this Article for the establishment and maintenance of
2 programs of transitional bilingual education and said
3 certificates issued by the Certification Board shall be valid
4 for a period of 6 years following their date of issuance and
5 shall not be renewed, except that one renewal for a period of
6 two years may be granted if necessary to permit the holder of
7 a certificate issued under this Section to acquire a teaching
8 certificate pursuant to Article 21 of this Code. Such
9 certificates and the persons to whom they are issued shall be
10 exempt from the provisions of Article 21 of this Code except
11 that Sections 21-12, 21-13, 21-16, 21-17, 21-19, 21-21,
12 21-22, 21-23 and 21-24 shall continue to be applicable to all
13 such certificates and certificate holders.
14 Each holder of a transitional bilingual certificate must
15 develop a plan for satisfying the renewal requirements every
16 2 years, if necessary, and must maintain records of
17 completion of required coursework to document his or her
18 progress. Each school district that employs a holder of a
19 transitional bilingual certificate must (i) review the
20 certificate holder's plan, (ii) monitor the certificate
21 holder's progress made annually, and (iii) retain the
22 documentation provided by the certificate holder. The school
23 district must certify to the State Board of Education that
24 the certificate holder has successfully completed the
25 required coursework. If exceptional circumstances exist, the
26 State Superintendent of Education may grant an additional
27 period of time to fulfill the renewal requirements for one
28 2-year period, as long as the maximum amount of time a
29 certificate is held is 8 years. Eligibility and application
30 for the additional period of time shall be determined in
31 accordance with rules established by the State Board of
32 Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
33 Certification Board. Each school district that employs a
34 holder of a transitional bilingual certificate is encouraged
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1 to provide mentoring by an experienced teacher during the
2 first 2 years that the holder's certificate is valid.
3 An individual who completes 4 years of teaching after
4 receiving a transitional bilingual certificate issued and
5 renewed pursuant to this Section qualifies for a Standard
6 Teaching Certificate, provided that the individual satisfies
7 the requirements for a Standard Certificate established under
8 subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code, including
9 successful completion of the Standard Teaching Certificate
10 Examination beginning July 1, 2003. An individual who so
11 qualifies for a Standard Teaching Certificate without receipt
12 of an Initial Teaching Certificate must successfully complete
13 the Initial Teaching Certification examination established
14 under subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of this Code. A
15 transitional bilingual certificate may not be renewed after
16 the 4th year of teaching unless the certificate holder
17 satisfactorily passes the test of basic skills established
18 under Section 21-1a of this Code before application for a
19 second renewal. After the effective date of this amendatory
20 Act of 1984, an additional renewal for a period to expire
21 August 31, 1985, may be granted. The State Board of Education
22 shall report to the General Assembly on or before January 31,
23 1985 its recommendations for the qualification of teachers of
24 bilingual education and for the qualification of teachers of
25 English as a second language. Said qualification program
26 shall take effect no later than August 31, 1985.
27 Beginning July 1, 2001, the State Board of Education
28 shall implement a test or tests to assess the speaking,
29 reading, writing, and grammar skills of applicants for a
30 certificate issued under this Section in the English language
31 and in the language of the transitional bilingual education
32 program requested by the applicant and shall establish
33 appropriate fees for these tests. The State Board of
34 Education, in consultation with the Certification Board,
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1 shall promulgate rules to implement the required tests,
2 including specific provisions to govern test selection, test
3 validation, determination of a passing score, administration
4 of the test or tests, frequency of administration, applicant
5 fees, identification requirements for test takers, frequency
6 of applicants taking the tests, the years for which a score
7 is valid, waiving tests for individuals who have
8 satisfactorily passed other tests, and the consequences of
9 dishonest conduct in the application for or taking of the
10 tests.
11 If the qualifications of an applicant for a certificate
12 valid for teaching in transitional bilingual education
13 programs in all grades of the common schools do not meet the
14 requirements established for the issuance of that
15 certificate, the Certification Board nevertheless shall issue
16 the applicant a substitute teacher's certificate under
17 Section 21-9 whenever it appears from the face of the
18 application submitted for certification as a teacher of
19 transitional bilingual education and the evidence presented
20 in support thereof that the applicant's qualifications meet
21 the requirements established for the issuance of a
22 certificate under Section 21-9; provided, that if it does not
23 appear from the face of such application and supporting
24 evidence that the applicant is qualified for issuance of a
25 certificate under Section 21-9 the Certification Board shall
26 evaluate the application with reference to the requirements
27 for issuance of certificates under Section 21-9 and shall
28 inform the applicant, at the time it denies the application
29 submitted for certification as a teacher of transitional
30 bilingual education, of the additional qualifications which
31 the applicant must possess in order to meet the requirements
32 established for issuance of (i) a certificate valid for
33 teaching in transitional bilingual education programs in all
34 grades of the common schools and (ii) a substitute teacher's
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1 certificate under Section 21-9.
2 (Source: P.A. 91-370, eff. 7-30-99.)
3 (105 ILCS 5/21-1) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-1)
4 Sec. 21-1. Qualification of teachers. No one may be
5 certified to teach or supervise in the public schools of this
6 State who is not of good character, good health, a citizen of
7 the United States or legally present and authorized for
8 employment, and at least 19 years of age. If the holder of a
9 certificate under this Section is not a citizen of the United
10 States 6 years after the date of the issuance of the original
11 certificate, any certificate held by such person on that date
12 shall be cancelled by the board of education and no other
13 certificate to teach shall be issued to such person until
14 such person is a citizen of the United States. However, the
15 State Superintendent of Education may extend this 6-year time
16 limit for a period of 2 years if the person certifies his or
17 her intention to become a United States citizen and furnishes
18 proof that he or she has filed an application for United
19 States citizenship. Upon the expiration of this extension
20 period, the State Superintendent of Education may grant an
21 additional extension of 2 years upon proof that the person's
22 application for citizenship is pending. If the person is not
23 a United States citizen by the end of this additional
24 extension period, any certificate held by that person at the
25 end of this period shall be cancelled by the board of
26 education and no other certificate may be issued until the
27 person furnishes proof that he or she is a United States
28 citizen.
29 Citizenship is not required for the issuance of a
30 temporary part-time certificate to participants in approved
31 training programs for exchange students as described in
32 Section 21-10.2. A certificate issued under this plan shall
33 expire on June 30 following the date of issue. One renewal
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1 for one year is authorized if the holder remains as an
2 official participant in an approved exchange program.
3 In determining good character under this Section, any
4 felony conviction of the applicant may be taken into
5 consideration, but such a conviction shall not operate as a
6 bar to registration.
7 No person otherwise qualified shall be denied the right
8 to be certified, to receive training for the purpose of
9 becoming a teacher or to engage in practice teaching in any
10 school because of a physical disability including but not
11 limited to visual and hearing disabilities; nor shall any
12 school district refuse to employ a teacher on such grounds,
13 provided that the person is able to carry out the duties of
14 the position for which he applies.
15 No person may be granted or continue to hold a teaching
16 certificate who has knowingly altered or misrepresented his
17 or her teaching qualifications in order to acquire the
18 certificate. Any other certificate held by such person may
19 be suspended or revoked by the State Teacher Certification
20 Board, depending upon the severity of the alteration or
21 misrepresentation.
22 No one may teach or supervise in the public schools nor
23 receive for teaching or supervising any part of any public
24 school fund, who does not hold a certificate of qualification
25 granted by the State Board of Education or by the State
26 Teacher Certification Board and a regional superintendent of
27 schools as hereinafter provided, or by the board of education
28 of a city having a population exceeding 500,000 inhabitants
29 except as provided in Section 34-6 and in Section 10-22.34 or
30 Section 10-22.34b. However, the provisions of this Article do
31 not apply to a member of the armed forces who is employed as
32 a teacher of subjects in the Reserve Officer's Training Corps
33 of any school. Sections 21-2 through 21-24 do not apply to
34 cities having a population exceeding 500,000 inhabitants,
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1 until July 1, 1988.
2 Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
3 board of education of any school district may grant to a
4 teacher of the district a leave of absence with full pay for
5 a period of not more than one year to permit such teacher to
6 teach in a foreign state under the provisions of the Exchange
7 Teacher Program established under Public Law 584, 79th
8 Congress, and Public Law 402, 80th Congress, as amended. The
9 school board granting such leave of absence may employ with
10 or without pay a national of the foreign state wherein the
11 teacher on leave of absence will teach, if the national is
12 qualified to teach in that foreign state, and if that
13 national will teach in a grade level similar to the one which
14 was taught in such foreign state. The State Board of
15 Education shall promulgate and enforce such reasonable rules
16 as may be necessary to effectuate this paragraph.
17 (Source: P.A. 88-189; 89-159, eff. 1-1-96; 89-397, eff.
18 8-20-95; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96.)
19 (105 ILCS 5/21-2) (from Ch. 122, par. 21-2)
20 Sec. 21-2. Grades of certificates.
21 (a) Until February 15, 2000, all certificates issued
22 under this Article shall be State certificates valid, except
23 as limited in Section 21-1, in every school district coming
24 under the provisions of this Act and shall be limited in time
25 and designated as follows: Provisional vocational
26 certificate, temporary provisional vocational certificate,
27 early childhood certificate, elementary school certificate,
28 special certificate, high school certificate, school service
29 personnel certificate, administrative certificate,
30 provisional certificate, and substitute certificate. The
31 requirement of student teaching under close and competent
32 supervision for obtaining a teaching certificate may be
33 waived by the State Teacher Certification Board upon
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1 presentation to the Board by the teacher of evidence of 5
2 years successful teaching experience on a valid certificate
3 and graduation from a recognized institution of higher
4 learning with a bachelor's degree with not less than 120
5 semester hours and a minimum of 16 semester hours in
6 professional education.
7 (b) Initial Teaching Certificate. Beginning February
8 15, 2000, persons who (1) have completed an approved teacher
9 preparation program, (2) are recommended by an approved
10 teacher preparation program, (3) have successfully completed
11 the Initial Teaching Certification examinations required by
12 the State Board of Education, and (4) have met all other
13 criteria established by the State Board of Education in
14 consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board,
15 shall be issued an Initial Teaching Certificate valid for 4
16 years of teaching, as defined in Section 21-14 of this Code.
17 Initial Teaching Certificates shall be issued for categories
18 corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and
19 Special K-12, with special certification designations for
20 Special Education, Bilingual Education, fundamental learning
21 areas (including Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics,
22 Science, Social Science, Physical Development and Health,
23 Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas designated
24 by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the
25 State Teacher Certification Board.
26 (c) Standard Certificate. Beginning February 15, 2000,
27 persons who (1) have completed 4 years of teaching, as
28 defined in Section 21-14 of this Code, with an Initial
29 Certificate or an Initial Alternative Teaching Certificate
30 and have met all other criteria established by the State
31 Board of Education in consultation with the State Teacher
32 Certification Board, (2) have completed 4 years of teaching
33 on a valid equivalent certificate in another State or
34 territory of the United States, have completed 4 years of
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1 teaching on a valid certificate issued pursuant to Section
2 14C-8 of this Code, or have completed 4 years of teaching in
3 a nonpublic Illinois elementary or secondary school with an
4 Initial Certificate or an Initial Alternative Teaching
5 Certificate, and have met all other criteria established by
6 the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
7 Teacher Certification Board, or (3) were issued teaching
8 certificates prior to February 15, 2000 and are renewing
9 those certificates after February 15, 2000, shall be issued a
10 Standard Certificate valid for 5 years, which may be renewed
11 thereafter every 5 years by the State Teacher Certification
12 Board based on proof of continuing education or professional
13 development. Beginning July 1, 2003, persons who have
14 completed 4 years of teaching, as described in clauses (1)
15 and (2) of this subsection (c), have successfully completed
16 the Standard Teaching Certificate Examinations, and have met
17 all other criteria established by the State Board of
18 Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
19 Certification Board, shall be issued Standard Certificates.
20 Standard Certificates shall be issued for categories
21 corresponding to Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and
22 Special K-12, with special certification designations for
23 Special Education, Bilingual Education, fundamental learning
24 areas (including Language Arts, Reading, Mathematics,
25 Science, Social Science, Physical Development and Health,
26 Fine Arts, and Foreign Language), and other areas designated
27 by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the
28 State Teacher Certification Board.
29 (d) Master Certificate. Beginning February 15, 2000,
30 persons who have successfully achieved National Board
31 certification through the National Board for Professional
32 Teaching Standards shall be issued a Master Certificate,
33 valid for 10 years and renewable thereafter every 10 years
34 through compliance with requirements set forth by the State
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1 Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
2 Certification Board. However, each teacher who holds a Master
3 Certificate shall be eligible for a teaching position in this
4 State in the areas for which he or she holds a Master
5 Certificate without satisfying any other requirements of this
6 Code, except for those requirements pertaining to criminal
7 background checks. A teacher who holds a Master Certificate
8 shall be deemed to meet State certification renewal
9 requirements in the area or areas for which he or she holds a
10 Master Certificate for the 10-year term of the teacher's
11 Master Certificate.
12 (Source: P.A. 90-548, eff. 1-1-98; 90-653, eff. 7-29-98;
13 90-811, eff. 1-26-99; 91-102, eff. 7-12-99; 91-606, eff.
14 8-16-99; 91-609, eff. 1-1-00; revised 10-7-99.)
15 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
16 becoming law.
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