HB 4792 — SCH CD-TEACH EXCELLENC PROGRAM

*LRB10418989LNS32434b* HB4792 104THEngrossed GENERALLRB104 ASSEMBLY18989 StateLNS of32434 Illinoisb andAN 2026ACT HB4792concerning byeducation. Rep.

Laura Faver Dias SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

ILCS 5/21B-70 Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code.

In a provision regarding the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program, changes the definition of "hard-to-staff school" to mean a public school that either (i) is identified as hard-to-staff based on data reported on its school report card or (ii) does not have a school report card but serves a student population in which 30% or more of the student enrollment is considered low-income as determined by the State Board of Education using available enrollment or funding data, and provides that the State Board may not deny public school at which the teacher is employed does not have a schoolhe report card.

LRB104 18989 LNS 32434 b A BILL FOR HB4792 LRB104 18989 LNS 32434 b AN ACT concerning education.

"National Board certified teacher candidate cohort facilitator" means a National Board certified teacher who collaborates to advance the goal of supporting all other HB4792 Engrossed - 2 - LRB104 18989 LNS 32434 b candidate cohorts other than diverse candidate cohorts through the Illinois National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Comprehensive Support System.

HB4792 Engrossed - 3 - LRB104 18989 LNS 32434 b "Qualified educator" means a teacher or school counselor currently employed in a school district who is in the process of obtaining certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or who has completed certification and holds a current Professional Educator License with a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards designation or a retired teacher or school counselor who holds a Professional Educator License with a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards designation.

The State Board of Education shall allocate an amount as annually appropriated by the General Assembly for the Illinois HB4792 Engrossed - 4 - LRB104 18989 LNS 32434 b Teaching Excellence Program for (i) application or re-take fees for each qualified educator seeking to complete certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, to be paid directly to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and (ii) incentives under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (c) for each qualified educator, to be distributed to the respective school district, and incentives under paragraph (5) of subsection (c), to be distributed to the respective school district or directly to the qualified educator.

(2) A maximum of $2,000 toward the application or re-take fee for teachers or school counselors in a school district other than a Tier 1 school district who apply on a HB4792 Engrossed - 5 - LRB104 18989 LNS 32434 b first-come, first-serve basis for National Board certification.

HB4792 Engrossed - 6 - LRB104 18989 LNS 32434 b Funds may also be used for professional development training provided by the National Board Resource Center.

Priority HB4792 Engrossed - 7 - LRB104 18989 LNS 32434 b shall be given to rural or remote candidate cohort facilitators and diverse candidate cohort facilitators.