Bill Text: IL HB2898 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Engrossed

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Removes the date (of June 30, 2021) until which a principal endorsement may be affixed to the Professional Educator License of a person who has, among other qualifications, at least 4 total years of experience working in the capacity of school support personnel. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2018-05-25 - Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Tom Demmer [HB2898 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-HB2898-Engrossed.html

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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
21B-25 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/21B-25)
Sec. 21B-25. Endorsement on licenses. All licenses issued
under paragraph (1) of Section 21B-20 of this Code shall be
specifically endorsed by the State Board of Education for each
content area, school support area, and administrative area for
which the holder of the license is qualified. Recognized
institutions approved to offer educator preparation programs
shall be trained to add endorsements to licenses issued to
applicants who meet all of the requirements for the endorsement
or endorsements, including passing any required tests. The
State Superintendent of Education shall randomly audit
institutions to ensure that all rules and standards are being
followed for entitlement or when endorsements are being
recommended.
(1) The State Board of Education, in consultation with
the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall
establish, by rule, the grade level and subject area
endorsements to be added to the Professional Educator

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License. These rules shall outline the requirements for
obtaining each endorsement.
(2) In addition to any and all grade level and content
area endorsements developed by rule, the State Board of
Education, in consultation with the State Educator
Preparation and Licensure Board, shall develop the
requirements for the following endorsements:
(A) General administrative endorsement. A general
administrative endorsement shall be added to a
Professional Educator License, provided that an
approved program has been completed. An individual
holding a general administrative endorsement may work
only as a principal or assistant principal or in a
related or similar position, as determined by the State
Superintendent of Education, in consultation with the
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.
Beginning on September 1, 2014, the general
administrative endorsement shall no longer be issued
except to individuals who completed all coursework
requirements for the receipt of the general
administrative endorsement by September 1, 2014, who
have completed all testing requirements by June 30,
2016, and who apply for the endorsement on or before
June 30, 2016. Individuals who hold a valid and
registered administrative certificate with a general
administrative endorsement issued under Section 21-7.1

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of this Code or a Professional Educator License with a
general administrative endorsement issued prior to
September 1, 2014 and who have served for at least one
full year during the 5 years prior in a position
requiring a general administrative endorsement shall,
upon request to the State Board of Education and
through July 1, 2015, have their respective general
administrative endorsement converted to a principal
endorsement on the Professional Educator License.
Candidates shall not be admitted to an approved general
administrative preparation program after September 1,
2012.
All other individuals holding a valid and
registered administrative certificate with a general
administrative endorsement issued pursuant to Section
21-7.1 of this Code or a general administrative
endorsement on a Professional Educator License issued
prior to September 1, 2014 shall have the general
administrative endorsement converted to a principal
endorsement on a Professional Educator License upon
request to the State Board of Education and by
completing one of the following pathways:
(i) Passage of the State principal assessment
developed by the State Board of Education.
(ii) Through July 1, 2019, completion of an
Illinois Educators' Academy course designated by

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the State Superintendent of Education.
(iii) Completion of a principal preparation
program established and approved pursuant to
Section 21B-60 of this Code and applicable rules.
Individuals who do not choose to convert the
general administrative endorsement on the
administrative certificate issued pursuant to Section
21-7.1 of this Code or on the Professional Educator
License shall continue to be able to serve in any
position previously allowed under paragraph (2) of
subsection (e) of Section 21-7.1 of this Code.
The general administrative endorsement on the
Professional Educator License is available only to
individuals who, prior to September 1, 2014, had such
an endorsement on the administrative certificate
issued pursuant to Section 21-7.1 of this Code or who
already have a Professional Educator License and have
completed a general administrative program and who do
not choose to convert the general administrative
endorsement to a principal endorsement pursuant to the
options in this Section.
(B) Principal endorsement. A principal endorsement
shall be affixed to a Professional Educator License of
any holder who qualifies by having all of the
following:
(i) Successful completion of a principal

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preparation program approved in accordance with
Section 21B-60 of this Code and any applicable
rules.
(ii) At least 4 total years of teaching or,
until June 30, 2021, 4 total years of working in
the capacity of school support personnel in an
Illinois public school or nonpublic school
recognized by the State Board of Education or in an
out-of-state public school or out-of-state
nonpublic school meeting out-of-state recognition
standards comparable to those approved by the
State Superintendent of Education; however, the
State Board of Education, in consultation with the
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board,
shall allow, by rules, for fewer than 4 years of
experience based on meeting standards set forth in
such rules, including without limitation a review
of performance evaluations or other evidence of
demonstrated qualifications.
(iii) A master's degree or higher from a
regionally accredited college or university.
(C) Chief school business official endorsement. A
chief school business official endorsement shall be
affixed to the Professional Educator License of any
holder who qualifies by having a master's degree or
higher, 2 years of full-time administrative experience

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in school business management or 2 years of
university-approved practical experience, and a
minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate credit in a
program approved by the State Board of Education for
the preparation of school business administrators and
by passage of the applicable State tests. The chief
school business official endorsement may also be
affixed to the Professional Educator License of any
holder who qualifies by having a master's degree in
business administration, finance, or accounting and
who completes an additional 6 semester hours of
internship in school business management from a
regionally accredited institution of higher education
and passes the applicable State tests. This
endorsement shall be required for any individual
employed as a chief school business official.
(D) Superintendent endorsement. A superintendent
endorsement shall be affixed to the Professional
Educator License of any holder who has completed a
program approved by the State Board of Education for
the preparation of superintendents of schools, has had
at least 2 years of experience employed full-time in a
general administrative position or as a full-time
principal, director of special education, or chief
school business official in the public schools or in a
State-recognized nonpublic school in which the chief

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administrator is required to have the licensure
necessary to be a principal in a public school in this
State and where a majority of the teachers are required
to have the licensure necessary to be instructors in a
public school in this State, and has passed the
required State tests; or of any holder who has
completed a program that is not an Illinois-approved
educator preparation program at an Illinois
institution of higher education and that has
recognition standards comparable to those approved by
the State Superintendent of Education and holds the
general administrative, principal, or chief school
business official endorsement and who has had 2 years
of experience as a principal, director of special
education, or chief school business official while
holding a valid educator license or certificate
comparable in validity and educational and experience
requirements and has passed the appropriate State
tests, as provided in Section 21B-30 of this Code. The
superintendent endorsement shall allow individuals to
serve only as a superintendent or assistant
superintendent.
(E) Teacher leader endorsement. It shall be the
policy of this State to improve the quality of
instructional leaders by providing a career pathway
for teachers interested in serving in leadership

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roles, but not as principals. The State Board of
Education, in consultation with the State Educator
Preparation and Licensure Board, may issue a teacher
leader endorsement under this subdivision (E). Persons
who meet and successfully complete the requirements of
the endorsement shall be issued a teacher leader
endorsement on the Professional Educator License for
serving in schools in this State. Teacher leaders may
qualify to serve in such positions as department
chairs, coaches, mentors, curriculum and instruction
leaders, or other leadership positions as defined by
the district. The endorsement shall be available to
those teachers who (i) hold a Professional Educator
License, (ii) hold a master's degree or higher from a
regionally accredited institution, (iii) have
completed a program of study that has been approved by
the State Board of Education, in consultation with the
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, and
(iv) have taken coursework in all of the following
areas:
(I) Leadership.
(II) Designing professional development to
meet teaching and learning needs.
(III) Building school culture that focuses on
student learning.
(IV) Using assessments to improve student

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learning and foster school improvement.
(V) Building collaboration with teachers and
stakeholders.
A teacher who meets the requirements set forth in
this Section and holds a teacher leader endorsement may
evaluate teachers pursuant to Section 24A-5 of this
Code, provided that the individual has completed the
evaluation component required by Section 24A-3 of this
Code and a teacher leader is allowed to evaluate
personnel under the respective school district's
collective bargaining agreement.
The State Board of Education, in consultation with
the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board,
may adopt such rules as may be necessary to establish
and implement the teacher leader endorsement program
and to specify the positions for which this endorsement
shall be required.
(F) Special education endorsement. A special
education endorsement in one or more areas shall be
affixed to a Professional Educator License for any
individual that meets those requirements established
by the State Board of Education in rules. Special
education endorsement areas shall include without
limitation the following:
(i) Learning Behavior Specialist I;
(ii) Learning Behavior Specialist II;

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(iii) Speech Language Pathologist;
(iv) Blind or Visually Impaired;
(v) Deaf-Hard of Hearing; and
(vi) Early Childhood Special Education.
Notwithstanding anything in this Code to the contrary,
the State Board of Education, in consultation with the
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may
add additional areas of special education by rule.
(G) School support personnel endorsement. School
support personnel endorsement areas shall include, but
are not limited to, school counselor, marriage and
family therapist, school psychologist, school speech
and language pathologist, school nurse, and school
social worker. This endorsement is for individuals who
are not teachers or administrators, but still require
licensure to work in an instructional support position
in a public or State-operated elementary school,
secondary school, or cooperative or joint agreement
with a governing body or board of control or a charter
school operating in compliance with the Charter
Schools Law. The school support personnel endorsement
shall be affixed to the Professional Educator License
and shall meet all of the requirements established in
any rules adopted to implement this subdivision (G).
The holder of such an endorsement is entitled to all of
the rights and privileges granted holders of any other

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Professional Educator License, including teacher
benefits, compensation, and working conditions.
Beginning on January 1, 2014 and ending on April
30, 2014, a person holding a Professional Educator
License with a school speech and language pathologist
(teaching) endorsement may exchange his or her school
speech and language pathologist (teaching) endorsement
for a school speech and language pathologist
(non-teaching) endorsement through application to the
State Board of Education. There shall be no cost for
this exchange.
(Source: P.A. 98-413, eff. 8-16-13; 98-610, eff. 12-27-13;
98-872, eff. 8-11-14; 98-917, eff. 8-15-14; 98-1147, eff.
12-31-14; 99-58, eff. 7-16-15; 99-623, eff. 7-22-16.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.