HB 513 — EDUCATION-TECH

HB0513 EngrossedEnrolled LRB098 03331 NHT 33346 b AN ACT concerning education.

The School Code is amended by changing SectionSections 21-5b and 21-5c as follows:

The State Board of Education, in cooperation with one or more not-for-profit organizations in the State that support excellence in teaching, which may be in partnership with a university that offers 4-year baccalaureate and masters degree programs and that is a recognized institution as defined in Section 21B-105 of this Code, may within 30 days after submission by the program sponsor approve a course of study developed by the program HB0513 EngrossedEnrolled - 2 - LRB098 03331 NHT 33346 b sponsor that persons in the program must successfully complete in order to satisfy one criterion for issuance of an alternative certificate under this Section.

Successful completion of the Alternative Teacher Certification program shall be deemed to satisfy any other practice or student HB0513 EngrossedEnrolled - 3 - LRB098 03331 NHT 33346 b teaching and subject matter requirements established by law.

however, this item (4) does not apply with respect to a provisional alternative teaching certificate for teaching in schools HB0513 EngrossedEnrolled - 4 - LRB098 03331 NHT 33346 b situated in a school district that is located in a city having a population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants.

Alternatively, beginning February 15, 2000, at the end of the 4-year validity period, persons who were issued a standard alternative teaching certificate shall be eligible, on the same basis as holders of an Initial Teaching Certificate issued under subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of this Code, to HB0513 EngrossedEnrolled - 5 - LRB098 03331 NHT 33346 b apply for a Standard Teaching Certificate, provided they meet the requirements of subsection (c) of Section 21-2 of this Code and further provided that a person who does not apply for and receive a Standard Teaching Certificate shall be able to teach only in schools situated in a school district that is located in a city having a population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants.

The State Board of Education, in cooperation with the partnership or partnerships establishing such Alternative Teacher Certification programs, shall adopt rules and HB0513 EngrossedEnrolled - 6 - LRB098 03331 NHT 33346 b regulations that are consistent with this Section and that the State Board of Education deems necessary to establish and implement the program.

No one may be admitted to an alternative certification program under this Section after September 1, 2013, and those candidates who are admitted on or before September 1, 2013 must complete the program before January 1, 20162015, except that candidates admitted to an alternative certification program at Governors State University and participants in the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant program must be admitted on or before March 31, 2014, complete their coursework on or before August 31, 2015, and be entitled to certification on or before September 31, 2015.

The alternative certification program at Governors State University shall provide the State Board of Education with the names of the candidates who will be eligible for certification under this exception.

This Section is repealed on January 1, 2016 2015.

(Source:

P.A.

96-862, eff.

1-15-10;

97-607, eff.

8-26-11;

97-702, eff.

6-25-12.) (105 ILCS 5/21-5c) (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2015) Sec.

21-5c.

Alternative route to teacher certification.

The State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, shall establish and implement one or more alternative route to teacher certification programs HB0513 Enrolled - 7 - LRB098 03331 NHT 33346 b under which persons who meet the requirements of and successfully complete the programs established by this Section shall be issued an initial teaching certificate for teaching in schools in this State.

The State Board of Education may approve a course of study that persons in such programs must successfully complete in order to satisfy one criterion for issuance of a certificate under this Section.

The Alternative Route to Teacher Certification programs course of study must include content and skills which have been approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, as meeting the requirement for State teacher certification.

Programs established under this Section shall be known as Alternative Route to Teacher Certification programs.

The programs may be offered by a university that offers 4-year baccalaureate and masters degree programs and that is a recognized institution as defined in Section 21B-105 of this Code, by one or more not-for-profit organizations in the State, or a combination thereof.

The programs shall be comprised of the following 3 phases:

(a) a course of study offered on an intensive basis in education theory, instructional methods, and practice teaching;

(b) the person's assignment to a full-time teaching position for one school year, including the designation of a mentor teacher to advise and assist the person with that teaching assignment;

and (c) a comprehensive assessment of the person's teaching performance by school HB0513 Enrolled - 8 - LRB098 03331 NHT 33346 b officials and program participants and a recommendation by the program sponsor to the State Board of Education that the person be issued an initial teaching certificate.

Successful completion of Alternative Route to Teacher Certification programs shall be deemed to satisfy any other practice or student teaching and subject matter requirements established by law.

A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for one year of teaching in the common schools and not renewable, shall be issued under this Section 21-5c to persons who at the time of applying for the provisional alternative teaching certificate under this Section:

(1) have graduated from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree;

(2) have been employed for a period of at least 5 years in an area requiring application of the individual's education;

(3) have successfully completed the first phase of the Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided in this Section;

and (4) have passed the tests of basic skills and subject matter knowledge required by Section 21-1a.

An initial teaching certificate, valid for teaching in the common schools, shall be issued under Section 21-3 or 21-5 to persons who first complete the requirements for the provisional alternative teaching certificate and who at the time of HB0513 Enrolled - 9 - LRB098 03331 NHT 33346 b applying for an initial teaching certificate have successfully completed the second and third phases of the Alternative Route to Teacher Certification program as provided in this Section.

A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate or an initial teaching certificate earned under this Section shall be treated as a regularly certified teacher for purposes of compensation, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment afforded teachers in the school who are members of a bargaining unit represented by an exclusive bargaining representative, if any.

The State Board of Education may adopt rules and regulations that are consistent with this Section and that the State Board deems necessary to establish and implement the program.

No one may be admitted to an alternative certification program under this Section after September 1, 2013, and those candidates who are admitted on or before September 1, 2013 must complete the program before January 1, 2015, except that candidates admitted to an alternative certification program at Governors State University and participants in the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant program must be admitted on or before March 31, 2014, complete their coursework on or before August 31, 2015, and be entitled to certification on or before September 31, 2015.

The alternative certification program at Governors State University shall provide the State Board of Education with the names of the candidates who will be eligible HB0513 Enrolled - 10 - LRB098 03331 NHT 33346 b for certification under this exception.