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1 AN ACT concerning education.


2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3represented in the General Assembly:



4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 
521B-45 as follows:

6 (105 ILCS 5/21B-45)
7 Sec. 21B-45. Professional Educator License renewal. 
8 (a) Individuals holding a Professional Educator License 
9are required to complete the licensure renewal requirements as 
10specified in this Section, unless otherwise provided in this 
11Code.
12 Individuals holding a Professional Educator License shall 
13meet the renewal requirements set forth in this Section, unless 
14otherwise provided in this Code. If an individual holds a 
15license endorsed in more than one area that has different 
16renewal requirements, that individual shall follow the renewal 
17requirements for the position for which he or she spends the 
18majority of his or her time working.
19 (b) All Professional Educator Licenses not renewed as 
20provided in this Section shall lapse on September 1 of that 
21year. Lapsed licenses may be immediately reinstated upon (i) 
22payment by the applicant of a $500 penalty to the State Board 
23of Education or, for individuals holding an Educator License 
 
 
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1with Stipulations with a paraprofessional educator endorsement 
2only, payment by the applicant of a $150 penalty to the State 
3Board of Education or (ii) the demonstration of proficiency by 
4completing 9 semester hours of coursework from a regionally 
5accredited institution of higher education in the content area 
6that most aligns with one or more of the educator's endorsement 
7areas. Any and all back fees, including without limitation 
8registration fees owed from the time of expiration of the 
9license certificate until the date of reinstatement, shall be 
10paid and kept in accordance with the provisions in Article 3 of 
11this Code concerning an institute fund and the provisions in 
12Article 21B of this Code concerning fees and requirements for 
13registration. Licenses not registered in accordance with 
14Section 21B-40 of this Code shall lapse after a period of 6 
15months from the expiration of the last year of registration. An 
16unregistered license is invalid after September 1 for 
17employment and performance of services in an Illinois public or 
18State-operated school or cooperative and in a charter school. 
19Any license or endorsement may be voluntarily surrendered by 
20the license holder. A voluntarily surrendered license, except a 
21substitute teaching license issued under Section 21B-20 of this 
22Code, shall be treated as a revoked license. 

23 (c) From July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014, in order to 
24satisfy the requirements for licensure renewal provided for in 
25this Section, each professional educator licensee with an 
26administrative endorsement who is working in a position 
 
 
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1requiring such endorsement shall complete one Illinois 
2Administrators' Academy course, as described in Article 2 of 
3this Code, per fiscal year.
4 (d) Beginning July 1, 2014, in order to satisfy the 
5requirements for licensure renewal provided for in this 
6Section, each professional educator licensee may create a 
7professional development plan each year. The plan shall address 
8one or more of the endorsements that are required of his or her 
9educator position if the licensee is employed and performing 
10services in an Illinois public or State-operated school or 
11cooperative. If the licensee is employed in a charter school, 
12the plan shall address that endorsement or those endorsements 
13most closely related to his or her educator position. Licensees 
14employed and performing services in any other Illinois schools 
15may participate in the renewal requirements by adhering to the 
16same process.
17 Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the 
18licensee's professional development activities shall align 
19with one or more of the following criteria:
20  (1) activities are of a type that engage participants 
21 over a sustained period of time allowing for analysis, 
22 discovery, and application as they relate to student 
23 learning, social or emotional achievement, or well-being;
24  (2) professional development aligns to the licensee's 
25 performance;
26  (3) outcomes for the activities must relate to student 
 
 
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1 growth or district improvement;
2  (4) activities align to State-approved standards;
and
3  (5) higher education coursework.
4 (e) For each renewal cycle, each professional educator 
5licensee shall engage in professional development activities. 
6Within 60 days after the conclusion of a professional 
7development activity, the licensee shall enter electronically 
8into the Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) the name, 
9date, and location of the activity, the number of professional 
10development hours, and the provider's name. The following 
11provisions shall apply concerning professional development 
12activities:
13  (1) Each licensee shall complete a total of 120 hours 
14 of professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in 
15 order to renew the license, except as otherwise provided in 
16 this Section.
17  (2) Beginning with his or her first full 5-year cycle, 
18 any licensee with an administrative endorsement who is not 
19 working in a position requiring such endorsement shall 
20 complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course, as 
21 described in Article 2 of this Code, in each 5-year renewal 
22 cycle in which the administrative endorsement was held for 
23 at least one year. The Illinois Administrators' Academy 
24 course may count toward the total of 120 hours per 5-year 
25 cycle.
26  (3) Any licensee with an administrative endorsement 
 
 
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1 who is working in a position requiring such endorsement or 
2 an individual with a Teacher Leader endorsement serving in 
3 an administrative capacity at least 50% of the day shall 
4 complete one Illinois Administrators' Academy course, as 
5 described in Article 2 of this Code, each fiscal year in 
6 addition to 100 hours of professional development per 
7 5-year renewal cycle in accordance with this Code. 
8  (4) Any licensee holding a current National Board for 
9 Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) master teacher 
10 designation shall complete a total of 60 hours of 
11 professional development per 5-year renewal cycle in order 
12 to renew the license.
13  (5) Licensees working in a position that does not 
14 require educator licensure or working in a position for 
15 less than 50% for any particular year are considered to be 
16 exempt and shall be required to pay only the registration 
17 fee in order to renew and maintain the validity of the 
18 license.
19  (6) Licensees who are retired and qualify for benefits 
20 from a State retirement system shall notify the State Board 
21 of Education using ELIS, and the license shall be 
22 maintained in retired status. An individual with a license 
23 in retired status shall not be required to complete 
24 professional development activities or pay registration 
25 fees until returning to a position that requires educator 
26 licensure. Upon returning to work in a position that 
 
 
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1 requires the Professional Educator License, the licensee 
2 shall immediately pay a registration fee and complete 
3 renewal requirements for that year. A license in retired 
4 status cannot lapse.
5  (7) For any renewal cycle in which professional 
6 development hours were required, but not fulfilled, the 
7 licensee shall complete any missed hours to total the 
8 minimum professional development hours required in this 
9 Section prior to September 1 of that year. For any fiscal 
10 year or renewal cycle in which an Illinois Administrators' 
11 Academy course was required but not completed, the licensee 
12 shall complete any missed Illinois Administrators' Academy 
13 courses prior to September 1 of that year. The licensee may 
14 complete all deficient hours and Illinois Administrators' 
15 Academy courses while continuing to work in a position that 
16 requires that license until September 1 of that year.
17  (8) Any licensee who has not fulfilled the professional 
18 development renewal requirements set forth in this Section 
19 at the end of any 5-year renewal cycle is ineligible to 
20 register his or her license and may submit an appeal to the 
21 State Superintendent of Education for reinstatement of the 
22 license. 
23  (9) If professional development opportunities were 
24 unavailable to a licensee, proof that opportunities were 
25 unavailable and request for an extension of time beyond 
26 August 31 to complete the renewal requirements may be 
 
 
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1 submitted from April 1 through June 30 of that year to the 
2 State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. If an 
3 extension is approved, the license shall remain valid 
4 during the extension period. 
5  (10) Individuals who hold exempt licenses prior to the 
6 effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General 
7 Assembly shall commence the annual renewal process with the 
8 first scheduled registration due after the effective date 
9 of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly. 
10 (f) At the time of renewal, each licensee shall respond to 
11the required questions under penalty of perjury.
12 (g) The following entities shall be designated as approved 
13to provide professional development activities for the renewal 
14of Professional Educator Licenses:
15  (1) The State Board of Education.
16  (2) Regional offices of education and intermediate 
17 service centers.
18  (3) Illinois professional associations representing 
19 the following groups that are approved by the State 
20 Superintendent of Education:
21   (A) school administrators;
22   (B) principals;
23   (C) school business officials;
24   (D) teachers, including special education 
25 teachers;
26   (E) school boards;
 
 
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1   (F) school districts;
2   (G) parents; and 
3   (H) school service personnel. 
4  (4) Regionally accredited institutions of higher 
5 education that offer Illinois-approved educator 
6 preparation programs.
7  (5) Illinois public school districts, charter schools 
8 authorized under Article 27A of this Code, and joint 
9 educational programs authorized under Article 10 of this 
10 Code for the purposes of providing career and technical 
11 education or special education services.
12  (6) A not-for-profit organization that, as of the 
13 effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General 
14 Assembly, has had or has a grant from or a contract with 
15 the State Board of Education to provide professional 
16 development services in the area of English Language 
17 Learning to Illinois school districts, teachers, or 
18 administrators. 
19  (7) Museums as defined in Section 10 of the Museum 
20 Disposition of Property Act. 
21 (h) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this Section 
22shall make available professional development opportunities 
23that satisfy at least one of the following: 
24  (1) increase the knowledge and skills of school and 
25 district leaders who guide continuous professional 
26 development;
 
 
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1  (2) improve the learning of students;
2  (3) organize adults into learning communities whose 
3 goals are aligned with those of the school and district;
4  (4) deepen educator's content knowledge;
5  (5) provide educators with research-based 
6 instructional strategies to assist students in meeting 
7 rigorous academic standards;
8  (6) prepare educators to appropriately use various 
9 types of classroom assessments;
10  (7) use learning strategies appropriate to the 
11 intended goals;
12  (8) provide educators with the knowledge and skills to 
13 collaborate; or
14  (9) prepare educators to apply research to 
15 decision-making.
16 (i) Approved providers under subsection (g) of this Section 
17shall do the following:
18  (1) align professional development activities to the 
19 State-approved national standards for professional 
20 learning;
21  (2) meet the professional development criteria for 
22 Illinois licensure renewal;
23  (3) produce a rationale for the activity that explains 
24 how it aligns to State standards and identify the 
25 assessment for determining the expected impact on student 
26 learning or school improvement;
 
 
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1  (4) maintain original documentation for completion of 
2 activities; and
3  (5) provide license holders with evidence of 
4 completion of activities.
5 (j) The State Board of Education shall conduct annual 
6audits of approved providers, except for school districts, 
7which shall be audited by regional offices of education and 
8intermediate service centers. The State Board of Education 
9shall complete random audits of licensees.
10  (1) Approved providers shall annually submit to the 
11 State Board of Education a list of subcontractors used for 
12 delivery of professional development activities for which 
13 renewal credit was issued and other information as defined 
14 by rule.
15  (2) Approved providers shall annually submit data to 
16 the State Board of Education demonstrating how the 
17 professional development activities impacted one or more 
18 of the following:
19   (A) educator and student growth in regards to 
20 content knowledge or skills, or both;
21   (B) educator and student social and emotional 
22 growth; or
23   (C) alignment to district or school improvement 
24 plans.
25  (3) The State Superintendent of Education shall review 
26 the annual data collected by the State Board of Education, 
 
 
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1 regional offices of education, and intermediate service 
2 centers in audits to determine if the approved provider has 
3 met the criteria and should continue to be an approved 
4 provider or if further action should be taken as provided 
5 in rules.
6 (k) Registration fees shall be paid for the next renewal 
7cycle between April 1 and June 30 in the last year of each 
85-year renewal cycle using ELIS. If all required professional 
9development hours for the renewal cycle have been completed and 
10entered by the licensee, the licensee shall pay the 
11registration fees for the next cycle using a form of credit or 
12debit card. 
13 (l) Beginning July 1, 2014, any professional educator 
14licensee endorsed for school support personnel who is employed 
15and performing services in Illinois public schools and who 
16holds an active and current professional license issued by the 
17Department of Financial and Professional Regulation related to 
18the endorsement areas on the Professional Educator License 
19shall be deemed to have satisfied the continuing professional 
20development requirements provided for in this Section. Such 
21individuals shall be required to pay only registration fees to 
22renew the Professional Educator License. An individual who does 
23not hold a license issued by the Department of Financial and 
24Professional Regulation shall complete professional 
25development requirements for the renewal of a Professional 
26Educator License provided for in this Section.
 
 
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1 (m) Appeals to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure 
2Board
must be made within 30 days after receipt of notice from 
3the State Superintendent of Education that a license will not 
4be renewed based upon failure to complete the requirements of 
5this Section. A licensee may appeal that decision to the State 
6Educator Preparation and Licensure Board in a manner prescribed 
7by rule.
8  (1) Each appeal shall state the reasons why the State 
9 Superintendent's decision should be reversed and shall be 
10 sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the 
11 State Board of Education.
12  (2) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board 
13 shall review each appeal regarding renewal of a license 
14 within 90 days after receiving the appeal in order to 
15 determine whether the licensee has met the requirements of 
16 this Section. The State Educator Preparation and Licensure 
17 Board may hold an appeal hearing or may make its 
18 determination based upon the record of review, which shall 
19 consist of the following:
20   (A) the regional superintendent of education's 
21 rationale for recommending nonrenewal of the license, 
22 if applicable;
23   (B) any evidence submitted to the State 
24 Superintendent along with the individual's electronic 
25 statement of assurance for renewal; and
26   (C) the State Superintendent's rationale for 
 
 
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1 nonrenewal of the license.
2  (3) The State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board 
3 shall notify the licensee of its decision regarding license 
4 renewal by certified mail, return receipt requested, no 
5 later than 30 days after reaching a decision. Upon receipt 
6 of notification of renewal, the licensee, using ELIS, shall 
7 pay the applicable registration fee for the next cycle 
8 using a form of credit or debit card.
9 (n) The State Board of Education may adopt rules as may be 
10necessary to implement this Section.
11(Source: P.A. 97-607, eff. 8-26-11; 98-610, eff. 12-27-13; 
1298-1147, eff. 12-31-14.)


13 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
14becoming law.