Public Act 102-0711

HB4798 Enrolled LRB102 25240 CMG 34512 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

21B-20 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/21B-20)

Sec. 21B-20. Types of licenses. The State Board of

Education shall implement a system of educator licensure,

whereby individuals employed in school districts who are

required to be licensed must have one of the following

licenses: (i) a professional educator license; (ii) an

educator license with stipulations; (iii) a substitute

teaching license; or (iv) until June 30, 2023, a short-term

substitute teaching license. References in law regarding

individuals certified or certificated or required to be

certified or certificated under Article 21 of this Code shall

also include individuals licensed or required to be licensed

under this Article. The first year of all licenses ends on June

30 following one full year of the license being issued.

The State Board of Education, in consultation with the

State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such

rules as may be necessary to govern the requirements for

licenses and endorsements under this Section.

(1) Professional Educator License. Persons who (i)

have successfully completed an approved educator

preparation program and are recommended for licensure by

the Illinois institution offering the educator preparation

program, (ii) have successfully completed the required

testing under Section 21B-30 of this Code, (iii) have

successfully completed coursework on the psychology of,

the identification of, and the methods of instruction for

the exceptional child, including without limitation

children with learning disabilities, (iv) have

successfully completed coursework in methods of reading

and reading in the content area, and (v) have met all other

criteria established by rule of the State Board of

Education shall be issued a Professional Educator License.

All Professional Educator Licenses are valid until June 30

immediately following 5 years of the license being issued.

The Professional Educator License shall be endorsed with

specific areas and grade levels in which the individual is

eligible to practice. For an early childhood education

endorsement, an individual may satisfy the student

teaching requirement of his or her early childhood teacher

preparation program through placement in a setting with

children from birth through grade 2, and the individual

may be paid and receive credit while student teaching. The

student teaching experience must meet the requirements of

and be approved by the individual's early childhood

teacher preparation program.

Individuals can receive subsequent endorsements on the

Professional Educator License. Subsequent endorsements

shall require a minimum of 24 semester hours of coursework

in the endorsement area and passage of the applicable

content area test, unless otherwise specified by rule.

(2) Educator License with Stipulations. An Educator

License with Stipulations shall be issued an endorsement

that limits the license holder to one particular position

or does not require completion of an approved educator

program or both.

An individual with an Educator License with

Stipulations must not be employed by a school district or

any other entity to replace any presently employed teacher

who otherwise would not be replaced for any reason.

An Educator License with Stipulations may be issued

with the following endorsements:

(A) (Blank).

(B) Alternative provisional educator. An

alternative provisional educator endorsement on an

Educator License with Stipulations may be issued to an

applicant who, at the time of applying for the

endorsement, has done all of the following:

(i) Graduated from a regionally accredited

college or university with a minimum of a

bachelor's degree.

(ii) Successfully completed the first phase of

the Alternative Educator Licensure Program for

Teachers, as described in Section 21B-50 of this

Code.

(iii) Passed a content area test, as required

under Section 21B-30 of this Code.

The alternative provisional educator endorsement is

valid for 2 years of teaching and may be renewed for a

third year by an individual meeting the requirements set

forth in Section 21B-50 of this Code.

(C) Alternative provisional superintendent. An

alternative provisional superintendent endorsement on

an Educator License with Stipulations entitles the

holder to serve only as a superintendent or assistant

superintendent in a school district's central office.

This endorsement may only be issued to an applicant

who, at the time of applying for the endorsement, has

done all of the following:

(i) Graduated from a regionally accredited

college or university with a minimum of a master's

degree in a management field other than education.

(ii) Been employed for a period of at least 5

years in a management level position in a field

other than education.

(iii) Successfully completed the first phase

of an alternative route to superintendent

endorsement program, as provided in Section 21B-55

of this Code.

(iv) Passed a content area test required under

Section 21B-30 of this Code.

The endorsement is valid for 2 fiscal years in

order to complete one full year of serving as a

superintendent or assistant superintendent.

(D) (Blank).

(E) Career and technical educator. A career and

technical educator endorsement on an Educator License

with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who

has a minimum of 60 semester hours of coursework from a

regionally accredited institution of higher education

or an accredited trade and technical institution and

has a minimum of 2,000 hours of experience outside of

education in each area to be taught.

The career and technical educator endorsement on

an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until

June 30 immediately following 5 years of the

endorsement being issued and may be renewed.

An individual who holds a valid career and

technical educator endorsement on an Educator License

with Stipulations but does not hold a bachelor's

degree may substitute teach in career and technical

education classrooms.

(F) Part-time provisional career and technical

educator or provisional career and technical educator.

A part-time provisional career and technical educator

endorsement or a provisional career and technical

educator endorsement on an Educator License with

Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who has a

minimum of 8,000 hours of work experience in the skill

for which the applicant is seeking the endorsement. It

is the responsibility of each employing school board

and regional office of education to provide

verification, in writing, to the State Superintendent

of Education at the time the application is submitted

that no qualified teacher holding a Professional

Educator License or an Educator License with

Stipulations with a career and technical educator

endorsement is available and that actual circumstances

require such issuance.

The provisional career and technical educator

endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations

is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years

of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed for

5 years.

A part-time provisional career and technical

educator endorsement on an Educator License with

Stipulations may be issued for teaching no more than 2

courses of study for grades 6 through 12. The

part-time provisional career and technical educator

endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations

is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years

of the endorsement being issued and may be renewed for

5 years if the individual makes application for

renewal.

An individual who holds a provisional or part-time

provisional career and technical educator endorsement

on an Educator License with Stipulations but does not

hold a bachelor's degree may substitute teach in

career and technical education classrooms.

(G) Transitional bilingual educator. A

transitional bilingual educator endorsement on an

Educator License with Stipulations may be issued for

the purpose of providing instruction in accordance

with Article 14C of this Code to an applicant who

provides satisfactory evidence that he or she meets

all of the following requirements:

(i) Possesses adequate speaking, reading, and

writing ability in the language other than English

in which transitional bilingual education is

offered.

(ii) Has the ability to successfully

communicate in English.

(iii) Either possessed, within 5 years

previous to his or her applying for a transitional

bilingual educator endorsement, a valid and

comparable teaching certificate or comparable

authorization issued by a foreign country or holds

a degree from an institution of higher learning in

a foreign country that the State Educator

Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be

the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a

regionally accredited institution of higher

learning in the United States.

A transitional bilingual educator endorsement

shall be valid for prekindergarten through grade 12,

is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years

of the endorsement being issued, and shall not be

renewed.

Persons holding a transitional bilingual educator

endorsement shall not be employed to replace any

presently employed teacher who otherwise would not be

replaced for any reason.

(H) Language endorsement. In an effort to

alleviate the shortage of teachers speaking a language

other than English in the public schools, an

individual who holds an Educator License with

Stipulations may also apply for a language

endorsement, provided that the applicant provides

satisfactory evidence that he or she meets all of the

following requirements:

(i) Holds a transitional bilingual

endorsement.

(ii) Has demonstrated proficiency in the

language for which the endorsement is to be issued

by passing the applicable language content test

required by the State Board of Education.

(iii) Holds a bachelor's degree or higher from

a regionally accredited institution of higher

education or, for individuals educated in a

country other than the United States, holds a

degree from an institution of higher learning in a

foreign country that the State Educator

Preparation and Licensure Board determines to be

the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from a

regionally accredited institution of higher

learning in the United States.

(iv) (Blank).

A language endorsement on an Educator License with

Stipulations is valid for prekindergarten through

grade 12 for the same validity period as the

individual's transitional bilingual educator

endorsement on the Educator License with Stipulations

and shall not be renewed.

(I) Visiting international educator. A visiting

international educator endorsement on an Educator

License with Stipulations may be issued to an

individual who is being recruited by a particular

school district that conducts formal recruitment

programs outside of the United States to secure the

services of qualified teachers and who meets all of

the following requirements:

(i) Holds the equivalent of a minimum of a

bachelor's degree issued in the United States.

(ii) Has been prepared as a teacher at the

grade level for which he or she will be employed.

(iii) Has adequate content knowledge in the

subject to be taught.

(iv) Has an adequate command of the English

language.

A holder of a visiting international educator

endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations

shall be permitted to teach in bilingual education

programs in the language that was the medium of

instruction in his or her teacher preparation program,

provided that he or she passes the English Language

Proficiency Examination or another test of writing

skills in English identified by the State Board of

Education, in consultation with the State Educator

Preparation and Licensure Board.

A visiting international educator endorsement on

an Educator License with Stipulations is valid for 5

years and shall not be renewed.

(J) Paraprofessional educator. A paraprofessional

educator endorsement on an Educator License with

Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who holds a

high school diploma or its recognized equivalent and

either holds an associate's degree or a minimum of 60

semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited

institution of higher education or has passed a

paraprofessional competency test under subsection

(c-5) of Section 21B-30. The paraprofessional educator

endorsement is valid until June 30 immediately

following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and

may be renewed through application and payment of the

appropriate fee, as required under Section 21B-40 of

this Code. An individual who holds only a

paraprofessional educator endorsement is not subject

to additional requirements in order to renew the

endorsement.

(K) Chief school business official. A chief school

business official endorsement on an Educator License

with Stipulations may be issued to an applicant who

qualifies by having a master's degree or higher, 2

years of full-time administrative experience 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, including an applicable

content area test.

The chief school business official endorsement may

also be affixed to the Educator License with

Stipulations of any holder who qualifies by having a

master's degree in business administration, finance,

accounting, or public administration 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, including an applicable

content area test. This endorsement shall be required

for any individual employed as a chief school business

official.

The chief school business official endorsement on

an Educator License with Stipulations is valid until

June 30 immediately following 5 years of the

endorsement being issued and may be renewed if the

license holder completes renewal requirements as

required for individuals who hold a Professional

Educator License endorsed for chief school business

official under Section 21B-45 of this Code and such

rules as may be adopted by the State Board of

Education.

The State Board of Education shall adopt any rules

necessary to implement Public Act 100-288.

(L) Provisional in-state educator. A provisional

in-state educator endorsement on an Educator License

with Stipulations may be issued to a candidate who has

completed an Illinois-approved educator preparation

program at an Illinois institution of higher education

and who has not successfully completed an

evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness but

who meets all of the following requirements:

(i) Holds at least a bachelor's degree.

(ii) Has completed an approved educator

preparation program at an Illinois institution.

(iii) Has passed an applicable content area

test, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.

(iv) Has attempted an evidence-based

assessment of teacher effectiveness and received a

minimum score on that assessment, as established

by the State Board of Education in consultation

with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure

Board.

A provisional in-state educator endorsement on an

Educator License with Stipulations is valid for one

full fiscal year after the date of issuance and may not

be renewed.

(M) (Blank).

(N) Specialized services. A specialized services

endorsement on an Educator License with Stipulations

may be issued as defined and specified by rule.

(3) Substitute Teaching License. A Substitute Teaching

License may be issued to qualified applicants for

substitute teaching in all grades of the public schools,

prekindergarten through grade 12. Substitute Teaching

Licenses are not eligible for endorsements. Applicants for

a Substitute Teaching License must hold a bachelor's

degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution

of higher education or must be enrolled in an approved

educator preparation program in this State and have earned

at least 90 credit hours.

Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for 5 years.

Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for substitute

teaching in every county of this State. If an individual

has had his or her Professional Educator License or

Educator License with Stipulations suspended or revoked,

then that individual is not eligible to obtain a

Substitute Teaching License.

A substitute teacher may only teach in the place of a

licensed teacher who is under contract with the employing

board. If, however, there is no licensed teacher under

contract because of an emergency situation, then a

district may employ a substitute teacher for no longer

than 30 calendar days per each vacant position in the

district if the district notifies the appropriate regional

office of education within 5 business days after the

employment of the substitute teacher in the emergency

situation. An emergency situation is one in which an

unforeseen vacancy has occurred and (i) a teacher is

unable to fulfill his or her contractual duties or (ii)

teacher capacity needs of the district exceed previous

indications, and the district is actively engaged in

advertising to hire a fully licensed teacher for the

vacant position.

There is no limit on the number of days that a

substitute teacher may teach in a single school district,

provided that no substitute teacher may teach for longer

than 90 school days for any one licensed teacher under

contract in the same school year. A substitute teacher who

holds a Professional Educator License or Educator License

with Stipulations shall not teach for more than 120 school

days for any one licensed teacher under contract in the

same school year. The limitations in this paragraph (3) on

the number of days a substitute teacher may be employed do

not apply to any school district operating under Article

34 of this Code.

A school district may not require an individual who

holds a valid Professional Educator License or Educator

License with Stipulations to seek or hold a Substitute

Teaching License to teach as a substitute teacher.

(4) Short-Term Substitute Teaching License. Beginning

on July 1, 2018 and until June 30, 2023, the State Board of

Education may issue a Short-Term Substitute Teaching

License. A Short-Term Substitute Teaching License may be

issued to a qualified applicant for substitute teaching in

all grades of the public schools, prekindergarten through

grade 12. Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are not

eligible for endorsements. Applicants for a Short-Term

Substitute Teaching License must hold an associate's

degree or have completed at least 60 credit hours from a

regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Short-Term Substitute Teaching Licenses are valid for

substitute teaching in every county of this State. If an

individual has had his or her Professional Educator

License or Educator License with Stipulations suspended or

revoked, then that individual is not eligible to obtain a

Short-Term Substitute Teaching License.

The provisions of Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 of this

Code apply to short-term substitute teachers.

An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching

License may teach no more than 5 consecutive days per

licensed teacher who is under contract. For teacher

absences lasting 6 or more days per licensed teacher who

is under contract, a school district may not hire an

individual holding a Short-Term Substitute Teaching

License. An individual holding a Short-Term Substitute

Teaching License must complete the training program under

Section 10-20.67 or 34-18.60 of this Code to be eligible

to teach at a public school. This paragraph (4) is

inoperative on and after July 1, 2023.

(Source: P.A. 100-8, eff. 7-1-17; 100-13, eff. 7-1-17;

100-288, eff. 8-24-17; 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-821, eff.

9-3-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220,

eff. 8-7-19; 101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20.)