Section 26.100  Purpose and Effective Dates of Standards in Subpart A

These standards, together with the standards set forth in Standards for All Illinois Educators (23 Ill. Adm. Code 24) and the standards in this Subpart A, shall apply to the issuance of endorsements in early childhood education on professional educator licenses pursuant to Article 21B of the School Code [105 ILCS 5].  The standards set forth in this Subpart A shall apply both to candidates for an endorsement in early childhood education and to the programs that prepare them.

a)         Approval of any teacher preparation program or course of study in early childhood education pursuant to the State Board's rules for Educator Licensure (23 Ill. Adm. Code 25, Subpart C) shall be based on the congruence of that program's or course's content with the standards identified in this Subpart A.

b)         The examinations required for issuance of an endorsement in early childhood education shall be based on the standards identified in this Subpart A.

c)         Beginning September 1, 2017, no candidate shall be admitted to a program that has not shown alignment to the standards set forth in Sections 26.125, 26.135, and 26.245.  Any candidate who is enrolled in an early childhood education program aligned to the standards set forth in Sections 26.120, 26.130, and 26.240 shall complete the program on or before September 1, 2019 and be entitled (i.e., receive verification by the candidate's institution of higher education that the candidate has completed an approved early childhood education program and has met the testing and experience requirements for licensure) for that endorsement for the early childhood education endorsement by September 1, 2020.  Applicants undergoing the State Board's transcript evaluation process must submit their application for the endorsement by September 1, 2020.

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 14807, effective November 10, 2021)