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| Public Act 102-0301 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning education.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | ||||
21B-30 as follows:
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(105 ILCS 5/21B-30)
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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. | ||
(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.
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(Source: P.A. 100-596, eff. 7-1-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18; | ||
100-932, eff. 8-17-18; 101-81, eff. 7-12-19; 101-220, eff. | ||
8-7-19; 101-594, eff. 12-5-19.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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