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| Public Act 095-0270 |
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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 | ||||
21-5b as follows:
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(105 ILCS 5/21-5b)
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Sec. 21-5b. Alternative certification. The State Board of | ||||
Education, in
consultation with the State Teacher | ||||
Certification Board, shall
establish and implement an | ||||
alternative certification program under which
persons who meet | ||||
the requirements of and successfully complete the program
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established by this Section shall be issued an alternative | ||||
teaching certificate
for teaching in the schools. The program | ||||
shall be
limited to not more than 260 new participants during | ||||
each year that the program
is in effect. The State Board of | ||||
Education, in cooperation with a partnership
formed with a | ||||
university that offers 4-year baccalaureate and masters degree
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programs and that is a recognized institution as defined in | ||||
Section 21-21 and
one or more
not-for-profit
organizations in | ||||
the State which support excellence in teaching, shall within
30 | ||||
days after submission by the partnership approve
a course of | ||||
study developed by the partnership that persons
in the program | ||||
must successfully complete in order to satisfy one
criterion | ||||
for issuance of an alternative certificate under this Section.
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The Alternative Teacher Certification program course of study | ||
must include the
current content and skills contained in the | ||
university's current courses for
State certification which | ||
have been approved by the State Board of Education,
in | ||
consultation with the State Teacher Certification Board, as the | ||
requirement
for State teacher certification.
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The alternative certification program established under | ||
this Section shall be
known as the Alternative Teacher | ||
Certification program. The Alternative
Teacher Certification | ||
Program shall be offered by the submitting partnership
and may | ||
be offered in conjunction with one or more not-for-profit
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organizations in the State which support excellence in | ||
teaching. The program
shall be
comprised of the following 3 | ||
phases: (a) the first phase is the
course of study offered on | ||
an intensive basis in education theory,
instructional methods, | ||
and
practice
teaching; (b) the second phase is the person's | ||
assignment to a full-time
teaching position for one school | ||
year; and (c) the third phase is a
comprehensive assessment of | ||
the person's teaching performance by school
officials and the | ||
partnership participants
and a recommendation by the partner | ||
institution of higher education to the
State Board of Education | ||
that the person be issued a standard alternative
teaching | ||
certificate. Successful completion of the Alternative Teacher
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Certification program shall be deemed to satisfy any other
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practice or student teaching and subject matter requirements | ||
established by
law.
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A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for | ||
one year of
teaching
in the common schools and not renewable, | ||
shall be issued under this Section
21-5b to persons who at the | ||
time of applying for the provisional alternative
teaching | ||
certificate under this Section:
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(1) have graduated from an accredited college or | ||
university with a
bachelor's degree;
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(2) have successfully completed the first phase of the | ||
Alternative Teacher
Certification program as provided in | ||
this Section;
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(3) have passed the tests of basic skills and subject | ||
matter knowledge
required by Section
21-1a; and
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(4) (i) have been employed for a period of at least 5 | ||
years in an area
requiring application of the individual's | ||
education or (ii) have attained at least a cumulative grade | ||
average of a "B" if the individual is assigned either to a | ||
school district that has not met the annual measurable | ||
objective for highly qualified teachers required by the | ||
Illinois Revised Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) Plan or to | ||
a school district whose data filed with the State Board of | ||
Education indicates that the district's poor and minority | ||
students are taught by teachers who are not highly | ||
qualified at a higher rate than other students; however, | ||
this item (4)
requirement
does not apply with respect to a | ||
provisional alternative teaching certificate
for
teaching | ||
in schools situated in a school district that is located in | ||
a city
having a
population in excess of 500,000 | ||
inhabitants. Assignment may be made under clause (ii) of | ||
this item (4) only if the district superintendent and the | ||
exclusive bargaining representative of the district's | ||
teachers, if any, jointly agree to permit the assignment.
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A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate | ||
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.
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Until February 15, 2000, a standard alternative teaching | ||
certificate,
valid for 4 years for teaching
in the schools and | ||
renewable as provided in
Section 21-14, shall be
issued under | ||
this Section 21-5b to persons who first complete the | ||
requirements
for the provisional alternative teaching | ||
certificate
and who at the time of applying for a standard | ||
alternative teaching certificate
under this Section have | ||
successfully completed the second and third phases of
the | ||
Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided in this | ||
Section.
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 | ||
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
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only in
schools situated in a school district that is located | ||
in a city having a
population in excess
of 500,000 inhabitants.
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Beginning February 15, 2000, persons who have completed the | ||
requirements for
a
standard alternative teaching certificate | ||
under this Section shall be issued an
Initial
Alternative | ||
Teaching Certificate valid for 4 years of teaching and not
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renewable. At the end of the 4-year validity period, these | ||
persons shall be
eligible, on the same
basis as
holders of an | ||
Initial Teaching Certificate issued under subsection (b) of
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Section 21-2 of
this Code, to apply for a Standard Teaching | ||
Certificate, provided they meet the
requirements of subsection | ||
(c) of Section 21-2.
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This alternative certification program shall be | ||
implemented so that the first
provisional alternative teaching | ||
certificates issued under this Section are
effective upon the | ||
commencement of the 1997-1998 academic year and the first
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standard alternative teaching certificates issued under this | ||
Section are
effective upon the commencement of the 1998-1999 | ||
academic year.
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The State Board of Education, in cooperation with the | ||
partnership
establishing the Alternative Teacher Certification | ||
program, shall adopt rules
and regulations that are consistent | ||
with this Section and that the State Board
of Education deems | ||
necessary to establish and implement the program.
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(Source: P.A. 91-609, eff. 1-1-00.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law. | ||