Illinois Educator Licensure Updates

1. Illinois Educator Licensure Updates Presented by Shirley Bloom, Director of Educator Licensure North Cook ISC January 28, 2016

2. A Disclaimer From ISBE INFORMATION RELEASE: “From ISBE INFORMATION RELEASE: “While new legislation and administrative rules lay groundwork for the licensure system, many specifics still need to be determined, so not all questions can be answered at this time. It is better to delay a response to a question than to provide an incorrect answer. Therefore, the State Board of Education, the Regional Offices of Education, and professional associations and unions will provide information on an ongoing basis as additional legislation and administrative rules are promulgated.” While new legislation and administrative rules lay groundwork for the licensure system, many specifics still need to be determined, so not all questions can be answered at this time. It is better to delay a response to a question than to provide an incorrect answer. Therefore, the State Board of Education, the Regional Offices of Education, and professional associations and unions will provide information on an ongoing basis as additional legislation and administrative rules are promulgated.”

3. It Used to Be Simple • Certification Requirements • Elementary: 1958, 1977, 2004 • Junior High / Middle School: 1958, 1971, 1996, 1997, 2004 • Secondary: 1958, 1962, 1964, 1971, 1977, 1991, 2004 • Endorsements • First Issued: 1986 • Became a Requirement: 2004 • Once Qualified / Always Qualified

4. Changes Beginning 2000 through August 2011 • Three Tiered System: Initial, Standard, Master • Dozens of Types of Certificates • Corey H. • NCLB • Highly Qualified • Reporting • HOUSSE for Veteran Teachers (Once Qualified / Always Qualified) • Mandatory Reading Endorsement Requirements • Testing

5. Major Changes • February 1, 2012 – No Grade Below a “C” • ACT Plus Writing or SAT can be used in Lieu of Test Of Academic Proficiency • Public Act 97-0607 – Licensure Act - August 2012 • Licenses Lapse if not Registered for 6 Months (Effective Immediately) • Effective July 1, 2013 • All Certificates Convert to Licenses • All Licenses Valid for 5 Years • Elimination of Some Types of Licenses • Principal Requirements • General Administrative Endorsements Through August 31, 2014 • Cannot be a Principal on a Provisional GA • NBPTS/Master Teaching Assignability • Additional Coursework Required (SpEd, Reading, ESL / Bilingual) • Coursework Can be Embedded for Illinois Grads

6. Out-of-State • No Principal Endorsements • Must Pass Basic Skills and Content before Provisional License Issued • Minimum Requirements and Valid Out-of-State License • Provisional’s valid for Two Fiscal Years • Must Remove All Deficiencies Within One Calendar Year • Additional Required Coursework Must be Stand-Alone • If Not Removed, Will Be Required to Re-apply • EdTPA • Required for Out-of-State Beginning July 1, 2015 • Required for In-State Beginning September 1, 2015 • Student Teaching Completed Prior to September 1, 2015

7. More Major Changes • Public Act 98-0610 – Effective July 1, 2014 • License Renewal Requirements • Activities to Be Entered Within 60 Days Beginning July 1, 2015 • Approved Providers Defined • Approved Provider Responsibilities • Sub-contractors for PD • Additional Lapse Date of September 1

8. Changes Made to Try and Fix Issues • Public Act 99-0058 – Licensure Changes – Effective July 16, 2015 • Educator License with Stipulations – Provisional ELS PEDU (Begin 7/1/15) • Minimum Requirements and Valid Out-of-State • Valid for 1 Fiscal Year • Will be Automatically Extended for 1 Year IF: • Basic Skills Passed • Content Test Passed • Can be Renewed (2 Years) if Not Held a Teaching Position in a Public or Non-Public School • EdTPA requirement • Evaluation Valid for 2 Full Fiscal Years for Licenses and Endorsements

9. Changes Made to Try to Fix Issues (Cont.) • Additional Coursework Can be Embedded (Rather than Stand-Alone) • Basic Skills Test Waived if Taken for Out-of-State License • edTPA Waived if Taken Out-of-State (Comparable Score) • edTPA Waived With 3 Years of Teaching Plus Proficient on Evaluation • Can Request that a Current Evaluation for a PEL be Expired Out • Will still have the ELS PEDU for the Validity Period • Will need to Reapply, pay fee and Meet New Requirements • Advantageous If: • University will Sign off on Basic Skills and Coursework • Has Three Years of Teaching Experience and Proficient on Evaluation to waive edTPA

10. Changes Made to Try and Fix Issues (Cont.) • Ability to get a Provisional Principal Endorsement • Ability to get a Provisional Superintendent Endorsement • New ELS CSBO Endorsement • Renewable if PD completed • Additional Coursework not Required • General Administrative Endorsements Through June 30, 2016 • If All Coursework was Completed by August 31, 2014 • In State or Out-of-State • Complete all Testing Requirements by June 30, 2016 • Make Application by June 30, 2016

11. Professional Development • Added PD Approved Providers • State Agencies • State Commissions • Public Community Colleges • Out-of-State Universities Still Not Approved Providers • Out of State coursework can be approved by school district or ROE/ISC, educator needs to be issued Evidence of Completion form • PD No Longer Needs to Be Entered Within 60 Days of Completion

12. Recap – Provisional Applications • Prior to July 1, 2015 • Valid 2 full fiscal years • Tests completed before issuance of provisional • Need required stand alone coursework in mandated areas • All deficiencies needed to be completed within one year from issuance of ELS-PEDU or need to reapply • Beginning July 1, 2015 • Out of state license and 15 hours of content coursework needed for issuance • Valid for one fiscal year and tests must be completed within one fiscal year then valid for additional fiscal year • Basic skill test waived if required for out of state license • Mandated coursework can now be embedded in other courses • If not employed on provisional can be renewed for additional 2 fiscal years to complete edTPA if needed

13. Additional Changes – Administrative Rules 2015 • Added Back: • Short Term Emergency Endorsement for Special Education. Apply on ELIS and complete ISBE Form 73-86 Requirements same as previous: • Completion of a course in survey of exceptional children and at least one of the other areas required under 23 Ill. Adm. Code 226.810(b) • Enrolled in program leading to issuance of LBSI endorsement that can be completed in 3 years plus 1 semester • Authorization to Employ Educator in a Position Otherwise Unfilled. Apply on ELIS and complete ISBE Form 73-96 Requirements same as previous: • Must have 9 semester hours of content area coursework completed • Must be enrolled in courses leading to issuance of endorsement and must be completed in 3 years • If Authorization being used for middle school courses must be completed by 01/31/2018

14. Additional Changes – Administrative Rules Fall 2015 (cont.) • PARAPROFESSIONAL, ELS PARA’s – 1.630 High School Diploma or High School Transcript No Longer Required with 60 Semester Hours • SUBSTITUTE TEACHER– 1.790 Anyone Who Holds ANY type of License, Who also has a Bachelor’s Degree can be Employed as Substitute Teacher Includes ELS PARA’s and CTE’s • TESTS All Tests, Except Basic Skills, Valid for 10 years The Test of Basic Skills is Valid Indefinitely

15. Red Flag / Unintended Consequences • Provisional Educator’s Issued Prior to July 1, 2015 • If Required to Re-Apply will now need the edTPA • edTPA Requires Videotaping in the Classroom • They Cannot Renew Their ELS PEDU • They Can Use Three Years of Teaching Experience and Proficient on Evaluation; OR • They Will Enroll in Another Student Teaching Portion of an Illinois Prep Program • Not Aware of ANY Illinois Universities Allowing this Option

16. Important Information • ‘Every Student Succeeds Act’ Replaced ‘No Child Left Behind’ • Effective December, 2015 • No Longer Requires Adequate Yearly Progress • Relies Upon Comprehensive State-Designed Systems to Improve the Capacity of States to Identify and Support their Struggling Schools • In Schools where Subgroups are Persistently Underperforming, School Districts will be required to Make Targeted Interventions and Supports to Narrow Student Achievement Gaps • Statewide Assessments Remain Part of the Law • Strikes Out Highly Qualified

17. What’s Next????? • Elementary Teachers: Section 1.710, 25.97 • Beginning No Later than September 1, 2017 • Grades 1-6 • Can Add Primary Math and Reading Endorsements • Middle Grade Teachers: Section 1.720, 25.99 • Beginning No Later Than February 1, 2018 • Grades 5-8 • Endorsement requirements will be 24 Hours Plus the Content Test • Will Not Be Able to Add Middle School Endorsements Unless the Educator Already Holds a Middle School Endorsement in a Subject Area • Possible New Legislation This Spring

18. Resources • Rules / Waivers: http://isbe.net/rules/default.htm • Rules Currently In Effect: http://isbe.net/rules/archive/default.htm • Part 1: Public School Evaluation, Recognition and Supervision • Part 25: Licensure • Part 226: Special Education • Part 228: Transitional Bilingual Education • Proposed Rules and Amendments: http://isbe.net/rules/proposed/default.htm • Illinois Licensure, Endorsement and Approval Requirements (Revised October 30, 2015): http://isbe.net/licensure/requirements/endsmt_struct.pdf • Illinois Licensure Testing System: http://www.il.nesinc.com/ • edTPA: http://www.edtpa.com/