Section 25.99  Endorsement for the Middle Grades (Grades 5 through 8)

The requirements set forth in this Section apply to the receipt of a middle grade endorsement issued for grade 5 through grade 8.

a)         A subject-specific endorsement for the middle grades of 5 through 8 shall be affixed to a PEL. 

b)         Each candidate for a PEL endorsed for the middle grades shall complete the requirements set forth in Section 25.25.  As applicable to the specific middle-grades subject area of the endorsement, an Illinois approved program shall include the following:

1)         for a middle-grades math endorsement, 18 hours of math content, which shall include three hours of content-specific methods focused on the middle grades;

2)         for a middle-grades literacy endorsement, 18 hours of literacy content, which shall include three hours of content-specific methods focused on the middle grades;

3)         for a middle-grades science endorsement, 18 hours of science content (including three hours of content-specific methods focused on the middle grades) to include coursework in each of the following areas:

A)        physical sciences;

B)        life sciences; and

C)        earth and space sciences; or

4)         for a middle-grades social science endorsement, 18 hours of social science content (including three hours of content-specific methods focused on the middle grades) to include coursework in each of the following areas, in relation to Illinois, the United States, and the world:

A)        history;

B)        geography;

C)        civics and government; and

D)        economics.

c)         Each individual enrolled in an Illinois-approved program shall complete field experiences and student teaching, as required by Section 25.620.

d)         An individual who holds a valid PEL with an ECE, elementary education, middle-grades, secondary, or special teaching endorsement shall receive a content-specific middle grades endorsement if that individual has successfully completed 18 semester hours of college-level coursework addressing each of the following areas specific to or inclusive of the middle grades and by demonstrating attainment of the relevant standards by passing the test required by Section 25.720:

1)         content-specific methods; and

2)         content coursework specific to the content area sought.

e)        A licensee holding the middle-grades endorsement instead of the elementary education endorsement on the PEL may teach in grades 5 or 6 in a self-contained general education setting if the licensee has a minimum of six semester hours of coursework in each content area to be taught for which the licensee does not hold a content-area endorsement issued under subsection (a).

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 12973, effective July 13, 2022)