- Teacher Certification
- Procedures for moving from an Initial to Standard Certificate
- Procedures for renewing the Standard/Master Certificate
- Overview of changes to Administrator Certificate renewal
requirements
- Illinois State Board of Education
- Certification information
- Online
Educator Certification System (ECS)
- Professional
Development Provider System (PDP)
- ISBE
Forms
Procedures for Moving from Initial to Standard-Level Certification
Public Act 093-0679 that went into effect June 30, 2004, significantly changed the requirements for
moving from Initial- to Standard-level certification, simplifying the
application process and adding several professional development options.
Teachers submit forms directly to their Regional Office of Education or Local
Professional Development Committee (LPDC) if the employing district and its
exclusive representative, if any, agree to keep the LPDC. Teachers are still
required to complete four years of teaching experience and an eligible
professional development option; however, teachers can now hold the Initial
indefinitely until the four years of experience are completed.
Application Process
Teachers who have four years of teaching experience and have completed one of the professional
development options must:
• Complete ISBE
Form 73-03C, Application for Teaching Certificate, (one
application and fee for each Initial teaching certificate if more than one is
held);
• Complete ISBE Form 73-97, Assurance Statement for Initial to Standard-Level
Teaching Certification, which verifies completion of one of the professional
development options, and submit to the LPDC if applicable;
• Complete ISBE
Form 73-10 Certificate Registration (only one regardless of how
many certificates are held);
• Request statement(s) verifying completion of four years of teaching from
the chief school administrator or designee;
• Submit the application, assurance statement, registration form, statements
verifying teaching experience, and fees to the regional superintendent; and
• Maintain the evidence of completion for the professional development activity
or activities completed in preparation for the possibility of a random audit.
NOTE: Any applications that have already been submitted to the Regional
Office of Education will be processed, and if all requirements have been met the
certificates will be issued.
Professional Development Options (complete one)
•
Advanced education-related degree, earned any time prior to application
• Approved
Induction and Mentoring Program (one-year
program permitted if certified before September 1, 2007, two-year program
required if certified on or after September 1, 2007)
•
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification process
• 12 semester hours of graduate-level coursework towards an advanced, education-related degree
• 12-hour, post-baccalaureate, education-related professional development
certificate issued by an Illinois institution of higher education
• Subsequent Illinois certificate or endorsement
•
Requirements for becoming “highly qualified” in another teaching area for NCLB purposes
•
Exam
• Four semester hours of approved graduate-level coursework in one of the following:
-
Assessment of teaching performance
-
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification preparation
•
Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs)
Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs)
Teachers who choose CPDUs as their professional development option may use X-type CPDUs but are not
required to earn any from this category. (“X-type CPDUs” are earned through
workshops specifically designed for beginning teachers.)
The number of CPDUs is prorated for individuals who held Initial certificates on
August 10, 2002. The CPDUs are prorated based on the number of years of teaching
time remaining on the Initial certificate as of July 1, 2003. For example, a teacher
issued an Initial Certificate in 2000 but who never taught would be required to
meet the full 60-CPDU requirement. A teacher who had already taught two years
would need only 30.
The CPDU requirement for out-of-state teachers with less than four years of
teaching experience on comparable certificates is prorated based on the number
of years left to teach in Illinois.
| Years of teaching experience needed |
Number of CPDUs Required |
| Up to 1 year |
15 |
| More than 1 and up to 2 years |
30 |
| More than 2 and up to 3 years |
45 |
| More than 3 and up to 4 years |
60 |
CREDITABLE CPDU ACTIVITIES
-
Peer review and/or peer coaching
-
Mentoring (mentor or recipient), including consulting teachers in remediation process
- Facilitating parent education programs
- Business, school, or community partnerships
-
Teaching college or university courses
-
Workshops, seminars, conferences, institutes, symposiums (presenting or
attending)
-
Training as reviewer of university teacher-preparation programs
-
Action research and inquiry projects
-
Observing programs or teaching in schools, business, or industry
-
Study groups
-
Work/learn programs or internships
-
Portfolio of teacher and student work
-
Curriculum development or assessment activities
-
Team or department leadership in a school or district
-
Publishing education articles, columns, or books
-
Non-strike related professional association or labor organization service or
activities related to professional development (LPDC/RPDRC) “Four years of teaching
experience” means the equivalent of four years’ full-time employment, i.e.,
eight semesters of full-time teaching on a valid teaching certificate.
Experience does not have to be accumulated through full-time teaching. For
example, a teacher who teaches half-time for a full year could accumulate four
years of teaching over eight school years. The years do not need to be
consecutive.
A valid teaching certificate for this purpose is a certificate equivalent to an
Illinois Master, Standard, Initial or Provisional early childhood, elementary,
secondary, or special certificate. Teaching on a comparable certificate from
another state counts toward the requirement.
Teaching experience is verified by a statement that documents the nature and
duration of the teaching. The statement(s) must be on official school or
district letterhead and signed by the chief school administrator or designee.
Time spent teaching or substituting in public or private schools on a valid
teaching certificate counts towards the four years of experience. Teaching in a
home school or on a substitute certificate (Type 39) or a Transitional Bilingual
(Type 29) does not count.
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Validity of Initial Certificate
Initial teaching certificates become
invalid on June 30 after the fourth year of teaching experience is completed.
Teachers who do not complete the professional development requirements by the
time they have completed their four years of teaching may request reinstatement
for one year and must complete the professional development option by the end of
the reinstatement period. (The certificates of individuals whose registration
expired June 30, 2004, have automatically been reinstated for the 2004-05 school
year.) If the teacher does not meet the requirements by the end of the year of
reinstatement, the certificate is no longer valid and cannot be reissued. The
teacher may apply for an Initial teaching certificate of a different type if he
or she meets the requirements for it. |
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Procedures for Renewing the Standard/Master Certificate Legislation that went into effect June 30, 2004, significantly
changed the requirements for renewing the Standard/Master
certificate, simplifying the application process and adding
several professional development options. Teachers will submit
forms directly to their Regional Office of Education or Local
Professional Development Committee (LPDC) if the employing
district and its exclusive representative, if any, agree to keep
the LPDC. Teachers are still required to complete professional
development.
Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of Public Act 093-0679
Renewal Process
Teachers who are required to maintain their certificates as valid
and active for any part of their validity period must submit the
following:
• ISBE
Form 73-98, Assurance of Completion of Professional Development
for Renewal of Standard/Master Certificates;
• ISBE Form 73-10, Certificate Registration Form; and
• Appropriate registration fee.
Important Changes to Procedures
Teachers are no longer required to:
• create or submit Certificate Renewal Plans,
• submit Claims for Credit, or
• request approval from an LPDC for activities.
Teachers are required to:
• complete creditable professional development activities;
• maintain evidence of completion;
• request approval for travel from their Regional Office of Education, or LPDC, if applicable;
and
• submit assurance statement.
LPDCs ARE NOT REQUIRED.
A district may continue to have an LPDC by agreement between the
teachers’ exclusive representative and the administration. The
LPDC’s function will be to review Statement of Assurance forms at
the end of teachers’ validity cycles and recommend teachers for
renewal.
Teachers in districts that no longer have an LPDC do not need an
LPDC recommendation and must apply for renewal directly to the
Regional Office of Education.
TEACHERS WITH ADVANCED DEGREES OR MASTER CERTIFICATES
Beginning with the certificate holder’s second renewal cycle,
reductions in professional development requirements apply to
teachers who held their degrees or certificates prior to beginning
their second cycle requiring professional development for renewal
as follows:
• Teachers with a master’s degree in an education-related field need
to complete two-thirds of the professional development requirement.
• Teachers with more than one master’s degree, an educational
specialist, or doctorate need to complete one-third of the
professional development requirement.
• Teachers with a Master Certificate obtained as a result of NBPTS
certification need to complete one-third of the professional
development requirement.
Professional Development Options That Meet Requirements for Renewal
Teachers may use one of the following or a combination of college
coursework and CEUs/CPDUs to qualify for renewal of their teaching
certificates:
• Complete advanced degree
• Meet Illinois criteria for becoming highly qualified in another teaching area*
• Complete National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification process
• Earn eight semester hours of college coursework in education-related program
• Earn subsequent Illinois certificate or endorsement*
• Complete four semester hours of graduate coursework in Assessment of Teaching Performance or NBPTS preparation*
• Earn CEUs/CPDUs in activities listed below (For definitions, CPDUs earned, and evidence,
click on Certificate Renewal Update on ISBE's
website at www.isbe.net or see CeRTS.)
*Indicates new options.
Creditable Activities for CPDUs/CEUs
Regular education teachers using CPDUs/CEUs for all or part of their professional development must have 20% pertaining to serving
students in the least restrictive environment; special education teachers must have 50%.
|
1. Collaborative planning and professional improvement teams |
15. Action research and inquiry projects |
|
2. Peer review and peer coaching |
16. Observing programs or teaching in schools, business, or industry |
|
3. Mentor,
consulting, recipient or remediating teacher |
17. Travel
(requires prior approval of LPDC or Regional Superintendent) |
|
4. Site-based management or decision making teams, boards or task forces |
18. Study groups |
|
5. Coordinating community resources |
19. Statewide education-related committee |
|
6. Facilitating parent education programs |
20. Work-learn programs or internships |
|
7. Business, school, or community partnerships |
21. Portfolio of student and teacher work |
|
8. Supervising a student teacher |
22. Curriculum development or assessment activities |
|
9. College coursework |
23. Team or department leadership |
|
10. Teaching college
or university courses |
24. External or internal school or district review teams |
|
11. Workshops, seminars, conferences, institutes, symposia
(require approved providers) |
25. Publishing education articles, columns or books |
|
12. Presenting at workshops, seminars, conferences, etc. |
26. Non-strike related professional association or union service related to
professional development |
|
13. Training as external reviewers |
27. “Other” activities aligned to one of the above purposes |
|
14. Training as reviewers of university teacher preparation programs |
|
| |
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Important Changes for Professional Development Activities
New legislation made the following changes in approval and crediting of professional development activities:
• No credit may be earned for activities or events that are designed for entertainment, promotional,
or commercial purposes or those that are solely inspirational or motivational.
The State Superintendent of Education or a Regional Superintendent of Education
will investigate complaints and review the activities, which may result in a
recommendation to disapprove them.
• If there is no responsible LPDC, a Regional Superintendent or his/her designee must approve
travel 30 days prior to the travel experience.
• The State Teacher Certification Board and the State Board of Education have the authority to
jointly disapprove professional development activities and events offered by
providers of conferences, workshops, institutes, seminars, symposia, and similar
training activities.
Additional Notes:
Holders of Master Certificates can now qualify for certificate renewal by completing the
NBPTS recertification process.
Holders of Master Certificates in science or social science can teach in any of
the subject areas within those fields, including those taught at an advanced
level.
As part of the rulemaking that will be initiated in response to P.A. 93-679,
ISBE intends to propose elimination of the requirement that teachers prepare a
“reflection statement” about each activity completed.
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Overview of changes to Administrator Certificate
renewal requirements
Effective June 30, 2004, Public Act 093-0679 changed the Administrative certificate renewal
requirements for Illinois public school administrators
who hold positions that require administrative certification. There are no Administrative
certificate renewal requirements for non-public school administrators in
Illinois. The administrative rules will be amended to reflect the changes,
providing details for implementing the new law. Emergency rules will likely be
established in August, with ordinary rulemaking initiated at that time also.Based on these new
changes, public school administrators will no longer be required to:
• create or submit a professional development plan,
• complete activities associated with a plan,
• submit evidence that activities were completed (with the exception of an audit), and
• submit anything to a district or co-op reviewer.
Based on these new changes, public school administrators will be required to:
• complete professional development activities,
• maintain evidence that activities were completed for audit purposes,
• complete a minimum of 30 hours of Administrators’ Academy courses rather than 36,
• complete, if required, the “Introduction to Evaluation of Certified Staff” course and must do
so above and beyond the 30 hours/1 course per year requirement,
• complete a verification form and certify the appropriate amount of continuing professional
development activities and Administrators’ Academies was completed,
• submit the verification form to the Regional Superintendent of Schools, and
• submit evidence that activities were completed if chosen for audit.
The entire certificate renewal process for administrators is conducted electronically on
Educators Certification System (ECS) . ECS is available on-line at
https://sec1.isbe.net/ecs/ .
All public school administrators, who have not already done so, must create a
profile on ECS and use the electronic system to: 1) maintain documentation, 2)
verify completion, and 3) submit a verification form indicating completion of
the renewal requirements.
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