Bill Text: IL SB2243 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall adopt and make available to school districts, by July 1, 2024, a rubric by which districts may evaluate curricula and select and implement evidence-based, culturally inclusive core reading instruction programs, a template to support districts when developing literacy plans, and guidance on practices for effective structures for training and deploying literacy coaches. Requires the State Board of Education to develop and make available training opportunities for educators in teaching reading on or before January 1, 2025. Provides that, in consultation with education stakeholders, the State Board of Education shall develop and adopt a comprehensive literacy plan for the State on or before January 31, 2024. Sets forth requirements for the comprehensive literacy plan. In the Educator Licensure Article of the Code, makes changes concerning educator testing and the requirements for educators trained in other states or countries. Effective immediately.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 34-4)

Status: (Passed) 2023-07-28 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 103-0402 [SB2243 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SB2243-Chaptered.html

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Public Act 103-0402
SB2243 Enrolled LRB103 25644 RJT 51993 b
AN ACT concerning education.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Findings. The General Assembly makes all of the
following findings:
(1) Literacy is not only critical for individuals'
ability to earn income, secure housing, participate in
their health care, support their children's education,
pursue happiness, and navigate the world but also
collectively foundational to our community and democracy.
(2) The World Literacy Foundation found that low
literacy is a major contributor to inequality and
increases the likelihood of poor physical and mental
health, workplace accidents, misuse of medication,
participation in crime, and welfare dependency, all of
which have substantial additional social and economic
costs.
(3) Fifty percent of Illinois' third graders met,
exceeded, or approached learning standards in English
language arts according to the Illinois Assessment of
Readiness with the other half of students not meeting or
partially meeting standards; this represents a 10
percentage-point swing from the 2019 prepandemic rates
when 60% of students met, exceeded, or approached learning

standards.
(4) Thirty-three percent of Illinois' fourth graders
achieved proficient or advanced reading scores on the 2022
National Assessment of Educational Progress with another
29% meeting basic reading proficiency and the remaining
38% scoring below basic reading proficiency.
(5) Research from the Annie E. Casey Institute found
that students who are not proficient readers in third
grade are 4 times more likely not to finish high school; if
those students are from low-income families, they are more
than 6 times more likely not to finish high school.
(6) Research consistently finds that a diverse,
well-trained, and expanding pool of teachers, in
conjunction with curricula responsive to the strengths and
needs of diverse student populations, improves educational
outcomes for all students.
(7) An appropriate curriculum considers the learning
needs of students with their developmental needs and
increases in complexity with every new stage of childhood.
(8) Oral language development is a prerequisite for
reading and writing that is nurtured from birth through
talking, reading, story-telling, singing, nursery rhymes,
and other language exposure and, as younger children
develop, through intentional dialogue with rich
vocabulary, home visiting programs, access to books,
high-quality child care and preschool, and lived

experiences that strengthen students' opportunity to build
oracy skills, vocabulary, and background knowledge,
leading to higher-level cognitive thinking.
(9) Reading builds new neural pathways in the brain as
people, usually children, learn to connect the sounds in
language to letters on a page to the meaning of the text;
however, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to
literacy, as learners will require differentiated
strategies or methods and dosages within different areas
of literacy instruction to meet their individual needs.
(10) Reading, writing, and oracy have a reciprocal
relationship, as each strengthens the other, and students
benefit when their instruction is closely intertwined.
(11) English learners benefit from a comprehensive
literacy approach that recognizes the value of
multilingualism by enveloping all areas of literacy
instruction with a deep focus on oral language development
and encouraging students to make connections between
English and their home language.
(12) Teachers deserve the tools to be knowledgeable
about the cultural practices and language system of the
children they serve, including those children who speak
language variations of English, such as African-American
English (AAE); AAE has a linguistic structure that is a
systematic and rule-governed variation of General American
English.

(13) Research shows that direct, systematic,
cumulative, and explicit reading instruction that is
focused on the foundational reading skills of phonemic
awareness, phonics or decoding, spelling or encoding,
vocabulary development that includes morphology, oral
language development, reading fluency, and reading
comprehension that includes syntax and building background
or content knowledge, is highly effective in teaching
young children to read.
(14) High literacy achievement across all demographic
groups is an essential indicator of educational equity
within this State; strengthening early literacy
instruction and support for students in Illinois will pay
dividends in the future by empowering students, providing
them with the skills they will need to graduate, find
fulfilling careers, and be productive members of their
communities and of our democracy.
(15) Ensuring that every child has access to
high-quality, research-aligned, developmentally
appropriate reading instruction implemented using a
comprehensive approach is a foundational component of this
State's public education system and a responsibility
shared among federal, State, and local education agencies.
Section 90. The School Code is amended by adding Section
2-3.196 and by changing Sections 21B-30 and 21B-35 and as

follows:
(105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new)
Sec. 2-3.196. State Board of Education literacy
assistance.
(a) The State Board of Education shall adopt and make
available all of the following to each publicly funded school
district by July 1, 2024:
(1) A rubric by which districts may evaluate curricula
and select and implement evidence-based, culturally
inclusive core reading instruction programs aligned with
the comprehensive literacy plan for the State described in
subsection (c).
(2) A template to support districts when developing
comprehensive, district-wide literacy plans that include
support for special student populations, including, at a
minimum, students with disabilities, multilingual
students, and bidialectal students.
(3) Guidance on evidence-based practices for effective
structures for training and deploying literacy coaches to
support teachers and close opportunity gaps among student
demographic groups.
(b) On or before January 1, 2025, the State Board of
Education shall develop and make available training
opportunities for educators in teaching reading that are
aligned with the comprehensive literacy plan described in

subsection (c) and consistent with State learning standards.
This support may include:
(1) the development of a microcredential or a series
of microcredentials in literacy instruction aligned with
the comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection
(c) to be affixed to educator licenses upon successful
demonstration of the skill or completion of the required
coursework or assessment, or both, or online training
modules on literacy instruction, aligned with the
comprehensive literacy plan described in subsection (c)
and consistent with State learning standards, accepted for
continuing professional development units; and
(2) the creation and dissemination of a tool that
school districts, educators, and the public may use to
evaluate professional development and training programs
related to literacy instruction.
(c) In consultation with education stakeholders, the State
Board of Education shall develop and adopt a comprehensive
literacy plan for the State on or before January 31, 2024. The
comprehensive literacy plan shall consider, without
limitation, evidence-based research and culturally and
linguistically sustaining pedagogical approaches to meet the
needs of all students and shall, at a minimum, do all of the
following:
(1) Consider core instructional literacy practices and
practices related to the unique needs of and support for

specific student populations, including, at a minimum,
students with disabilities, multilingual students, and
bidialectal students, and the resources and support,
including professional learning for teachers, needed to
effectively implement the literacy instruction.
(2) Provide guidance related to screening tools, the
administration of such screening tools, and the
interpretation of the resulting data to identify students
at risk of reading difficulties in grades kindergarten
through 2. This guidance shall outline instances in which
dyslexia screenings and other universal screeners are
appropriate for use with English learners.
(3) Provide guidance related to early literacy
intervention for students in grades kindergarten through 2
for schools to implement with students at risk of reading
difficulties, as well as literacy intervention for
students in grades 3 through 12 demonstrating reading
difficulties.
(4) Consider the impact of second language acquisition
and bilingual education on reading instruction in the
student's native language and English.
(5) Define key terminology, such as "evidence-based".
(6) Contextualize the interaction between elements of
the plan and existing laws and regulations that have
overlapping components, such as a multi-tiered system of
support.

(7) Focus on a comprehensive range of elements of
literacy, including phonological awareness; decoding
(phonics); encoding (spelling); vocabulary development,
including morphology, oracy, and reading fluency; and
reading comprehension, including syntax and background and
content knowledge.
(105 ILCS 5/21B-30)
Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing.
(a) (Blank).
(b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design
and implement a system of examinations, which shall be
required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These
examinations and indicators must be based on national and
State professional teaching standards, as determined by the
State Board of Education, in consultation with the State
Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of
Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to
implement and administer this Section.
(c) (Blank).
(c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a
paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an
applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a
paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the
endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other

requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section
21B-20 other than the higher education requirements.
(d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be
required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area
of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There
shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall
be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record
until he or she has passed the applicable content area test.
(d-5) The State Board shall consult with any applicable
vendors within 90 days after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly to develop a plan
to transition the test of content area knowledge in the
endorsement area of elementary education, grades one through
6, by July 1, 2026 to a content area test that contains testing
elements that cover bilingualism, biliteracy, oral language
development, foundational literacy skills, and developmentally
appropriate higher-order comprehension and on which a valid
and reliable language and literacy subscore can be determined.
The State Board shall base its rules concerning the passing
subscore on the language and literacy portion of the test on
the recommended cut-score determined in the formal
standard-setting process. Candidates need not achieve a
particular subscore in the area of language and literacy. The
State Board shall aggregate and publish the number of
candidates in each preparation program who take the test and
the number who pass the language and literacy portion.

(e) (Blank).
(f) Except as otherwise provided in this Article,
beginning on September 1, 2015, all candidates completing
teacher preparation programs in this State and all candidates
subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code are required to pass a
teacher performance assessment approved by the State Board of
Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
and Licensure Board. A candidate may not be required to submit
test materials by video submission. Subject to appropriation,
an individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is
employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district
designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after
application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a
refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher
performance assessment under this subsection.
(g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher
performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to
time are designated by the State Board of Education, in
consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing
organization or tests designed by the State Board of
Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation
and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall
assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The
tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no
person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis

of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to
the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The
score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State
Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator
Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be
administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and
place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in
consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure
Board.
The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess
the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of
applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under
subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this
Code in the English language and in the language of the
transitional bilingual education program requested by the
applicant.
(h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the
provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school
district subject to Article 34 of this Code.
(i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the
testing requirements under this Section shall include, without
limitation, provisions governing test selection, test
validation, and determination of a passing score,
administration of the tests, frequency of administration,
applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the
years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special

accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop
such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to
year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.
(Source: P.A. 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. 8-7-19;
101-594, eff. 12-5-19; 102-301, eff. 8-26-21.)
(105 ILCS 5/21B-35)
Sec. 21B-35. Minimum requirements for educators trained in
other states or countries.
(a) Any applicant who has not been entitled by an
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois
institution of higher education applying for a Professional
Educator License endorsed in a teaching field or school
support personnel area must meet the following requirements:
(1) the applicant must:
(A) hold a comparable and valid educator license
or certificate, as defined by rule, with similar grade
level and content area credentials from another state,
with the State Board of Education having the authority
to determine what constitutes similar grade level and
content area credentials from another state;
(B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally
accredited institution of higher education; and
(C) (blank); or
(2) the applicant must:
(A) have completed a state-approved program for

the licensure area sought, including coursework
concerning (i) methods of instruction of the
exceptional child, (ii) methods of reading that align
with all applicable standards set forth in Part 23 of
Title 23 of the Illinois Administrative Code and
reading in the content area, and (iii) instructional
strategies for English learners;
(B) have a bachelor's degree from a regionally
accredited institution of higher education;
(C) have successfully met all Illinois examination
requirements, except that:
(i) (blank);
(ii) an applicant who has successfully
completed a test of content, as defined by rules,
at the time of initial licensure in another state
is not required to complete a test of content; and
(iii) an applicant for a teaching endorsement
who has successfully completed an evidence-based
assessment of teacher effectiveness, as defined by
rules, at the time of initial licensure in another
state is not required to complete an
evidence-based assessment of teacher
effectiveness; and
(D) for an applicant for a teaching endorsement,
have completed student teaching or an equivalent
experience or, for an applicant for a school service

personnel endorsement, have completed an internship or
an equivalent experience.
(b) In order to receive a Professional Educator License
endorsed in a teaching field or school support personnel area,
applicants trained in another country must meet all of the
following requirements:
(1) Have completed a comparable education program in
another country.
(2) Have had transcripts evaluated by an evaluation
service approved by the State Superintendent of Education.
(3) Have a degree comparable to a degree from a
regionally accredited institution of higher education.
(4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards
concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional
child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all
applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of
the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the
content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for
English learners.
(5) (Blank).
(6) (Blank).
(7) Have successfully met all State licensure
examination requirements. Applicants who have successfully
completed a test of content, as defined by rules, at the
time of initial licensure in another country shall not be
required to complete a test of content. Applicants for a

teaching endorsement who have successfully completed an
evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness, as
defined by rules, at the time of initial licensure in
another country shall not be required to complete an
evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness.
(8) Have completed student teaching or an equivalent
experience.
(9) (Blank).
(b-5) All applicants who have not been entitled by an
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois
institution of higher education and applicants trained in
another country applying for a Professional Educator License
endorsed for principal or superintendent must hold a master's
degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher
education and hold a comparable and valid educator license or
certificate with similar grade level and subject matter
credentials, with the State Board of Education having the
authority to determine what constitutes similar grade level
and subject matter credentials from another state, or must
meet all of the following requirements:
(1) Have completed an educator preparation program
approved by another state or comparable educator program
in another country leading to the receipt of a license or
certificate for the Illinois endorsement sought.
(2) Have successfully met all State licensure
examination requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of

this Code. Applicants who have successfully completed a
test of content, as defined by rules, at the time of
initial licensure in another state or country shall not be
required to complete a test of content.
(2.5) Have completed an internship, as defined by
rule.
(3) (Blank).
(4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards
concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional
child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all
applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of
the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the
content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for
English learners.
(4.5) (Blank).
(5) Have completed a master's degree.
(6) Have successfully completed teaching, school
support, or administrative experience as defined by rule.
(b-7) All applicants who have not been entitled by an
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois
institution of higher education applying for a Professional
Educator License endorsed for Director of Special Education
must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited
institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and
valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level
and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of

Education having the authority to determine what constitutes
similar grade level and subject matter credentials from
another state, or must meet all of the following requirements:
(1) Have completed a master's degree.
(2) Have 2 years of full-time experience providing
special education services.
(3) Have successfully completed all examination
requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.
Applicants who have successfully completed a test of
content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial
licensure in another state or country shall not be
required to complete a test of content.
(4) Have completed coursework aligned to standards
concerning (i) methods of instruction of the exceptional
child, (ii) methods of reading that align with all
applicable standards set forth in Part 26 of Title 23 of
the Illinois Administrative Code and reading in the
content area, and (iii) instructional strategies for
English learners.
(b-10) All applicants who have not been entitled by an
Illinois-approved educator preparation program at an Illinois
institution of higher education applying for a Professional
Educator License endorsed for chief school business official
must hold a master's degree from a regionally accredited
institution of higher education and must hold a comparable and
valid educator license or certificate with similar grade level

and subject matter credentials, with the State Board of
Education having the authority to determine what constitutes
similar grade level and subject matter credentials from
another state, or must meet all of the following requirements:
(1) Have completed a master's degree in school
business management, finance, or accounting.
(2) Have successfully completed an internship in
school business management or have 2 years of experience
as a school business administrator.
(3) Have successfully met all State examination
requirements, as required by Section 21B-30 of this Code.
Applicants who have successfully completed a test of
content, as identified by rules, at the time of initial
licensure in another state or country shall not be
required to complete a test of content.
(4) Have completed modules aligned to standards
concerning methods of instruction of the exceptional
child, methods of reading and reading in the content area,
and instructional strategies for English learners.
(c) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, may adopt such
rules as may be necessary to implement this Section.
(Source: P.A. 101-220, eff. 8-7-19; 101-643, eff. 6-18-20;
102-539, eff. 8-20-21.)