Bill Text: IL HB5057 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Engrossed
Bill Title: Amends the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code. Provides that the State Board of Education shall make available a content area test for applicants seeking a State license to teach in any of grades one through 6. Provides that the test shall include foundational teaching skills and methods that are developmentally and educationally appropriate for students in grades one through 6. Provides that, subject to vendor availability, for all content area tests that include content area questions for college algebra, college statistics, and music theory, contracts entered into after the effective date of the amendatory Act with applicable testing vendors shall allow for questions regarding college algebra, college statistics, and music theory to be removed from the content area test. Provides that if those questions cannot be removed by any available vendors, then, subject to vendor availability, the State Board of Education shall allow for the overall score for the content area test to not include the scores for college algebra, college statistics, and music theory. Provides that the State Board of Education shall allow for the retaking of only the subsections of the test that were failed previously. Provides that the subsections with the highest score each time the content test is taken shall count on the overall score.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 17-2)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-04-24 - Referred to Assignments [HB5057 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HB5057-Engrossed.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section | ||||||
5 | 21B-30 as follows:
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6 | (105 ILCS 5/21B-30) | ||||||
7 | Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing. | ||||||
8 | (a) (Blank). | ||||||
9 | (b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the | ||||||
10 | State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design | ||||||
11 | and implement a system of examinations, which shall be | ||||||
12 | required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These | ||||||
13 | examinations and indicators must be based on national and | ||||||
14 | State professional teaching standards, as determined by the | ||||||
15 | State Board of Education, in consultation with the State | ||||||
16 | Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of | ||||||
17 | Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to | ||||||
18 | implement and administer this Section. | ||||||
19 | (c) (Blank). | ||||||
20 | (c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a | ||||||
21 | paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an | ||||||
22 | applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a | ||||||
23 | paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the |
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1 | endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other | ||||||
2 | requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section | ||||||
3 | 21B-20 other than the higher education requirements. | ||||||
4 | (d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be | ||||||
5 | required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area | ||||||
6 | of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There | ||||||
7 | shall be no exception to this requirement. No candidate shall | ||||||
8 | be allowed to student teach or serve as the teacher of record | ||||||
9 | until he or she has passed the applicable content area test. | ||||||
10 | (d-5) The State Board shall consult with any applicable | ||||||
11 | vendors within 90 days after July 28, 2023 ( the effective date | ||||||
12 | of Public Act 103-402) this amendatory Act of the 103rd | ||||||
13 | General Assembly to develop a plan to transition the test of | ||||||
14 | content area knowledge in the endorsement area of elementary | ||||||
15 | education, grades one through 6, by July 1, 2026 to a content | ||||||
16 | area test that contains testing elements that cover | ||||||
17 | bilingualism, biliteracy, oral language development, | ||||||
18 | foundational literacy skills, and developmentally appropriate | ||||||
19 | higher-order comprehension and on which a valid and reliable | ||||||
20 | language and literacy subscore can be determined. The State | ||||||
21 | Board shall base its rules concerning the passing subscore on | ||||||
22 | the language and literacy portion of the test on the | ||||||
23 | recommended cut-score determined in the formal | ||||||
24 | standard-setting process. Candidates need not achieve a | ||||||
25 | particular subscore in the area of language and literacy. The | ||||||
26 | State Board shall aggregate and publish the number of |
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1 | candidates in each preparation program who take the test and | ||||||
2 | the number who pass the language and literacy portion. | ||||||
3 | (e) (Blank). | ||||||
4 | (e-5) The State Board shall make available a content area | ||||||
5 | test for applicants seeking a State license to teach in any of | ||||||
6 | grades one through 6. The test shall include foundational | ||||||
7 | teaching skills and methods that are developmentally and | ||||||
8 | educationally appropriate for students in grades one through | ||||||
9 | 6. | ||||||
10 | Subject to vendor availability, for all content area tests | ||||||
11 | that include content area questions for college algebra, | ||||||
12 | college statistics, and music theory, contracts entered into | ||||||
13 | after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd | ||||||
14 | General Assembly with applicable testing vendors shall allow | ||||||
15 | for questions regarding college algebra, college statistics, | ||||||
16 | and music theory to be removed from the content area test. If | ||||||
17 | those questions cannot be removed by any available vendors, | ||||||
18 | then, subject to vendor availability, the State Board shall | ||||||
19 | allow for the overall score for the content area test to not | ||||||
20 | include the scores for college algebra, college statistics, | ||||||
21 | and music theory. | ||||||
22 | The State Board shall allow for the retaking of only the | ||||||
23 | subsections of the test that were failed previously. The | ||||||
24 | subsections with the highest score each time the content test | ||||||
25 | is taken shall count on the overall score. | ||||||
26 | (f) Beginning on August 4, 2023 ( the effective date of |
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1 | Public Act 103-488) this amendatory Act of the 103rd General | ||||||
2 | Assembly through August 31, 2025, no candidate completing a | ||||||
3 | teacher preparation program in this State or candidate subject | ||||||
4 | to Section 21B-35 of this Code is required to pass a teacher | ||||||
5 | performance assessment. Except as otherwise provided in this | ||||||
6 | Article, beginning on September 1, 2015 until August 4, 2023 | ||||||
7 | ( the effective date of Public Act 103-488) this amendatory Act | ||||||
8 | of the 103rd General Assembly and beginning again on September | ||||||
9 | 1, 2025, all candidates completing teacher preparation | ||||||
10 | programs in this State and all candidates subject to Section | ||||||
11 | 21B-35 of this Code are required to pass a teacher performance | ||||||
12 | assessment approved by the State Board of Education, in | ||||||
13 | consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure | ||||||
14 | Board. A candidate may not be required to submit test | ||||||
15 | materials by video submission. Subject to appropriation, an | ||||||
16 | individual who holds a Professional Educator License and is | ||||||
17 | employed for a minimum of one school year by a school district | ||||||
18 | designated as Tier 1 under Section 18-8.15 may, after | ||||||
19 | application to the State Board, receive from the State Board a | ||||||
20 | refund for any costs associated with completing the teacher | ||||||
21 | performance assessment under this subsection. | ||||||
22 | (f-5) The Teacher Performance Assessment Task Force is | ||||||
23 | created to evaluate potential performance-based and objective | ||||||
24 | teacher performance assessment systems for implementation | ||||||
25 | across all educator preparation programs in this State, with | ||||||
26 | the intention of ensuring consistency across programs and |
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1 | supporting a thoughtful and well-rounded licensure system. | ||||||
2 | Members appointed to the Task Force must reflect the racial, | ||||||
3 | ethnic, and geographic diversity of this State. The Task Force | ||||||
4 | shall consist of all of the following members: | ||||||
5 | (1) One member of the Senate, appointed by the | ||||||
6 | President of the Senate. | ||||||
7 | (2) One member of the Senate, appointed by the | ||||||
8 | Minority Leader of the Senate. | ||||||
9 | (3) One member of the House of Representatives, | ||||||
10 | appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. | ||||||
11 | (4) One member of the House of Representatives, | ||||||
12 | appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of | ||||||
13 | Representatives. | ||||||
14 | (5) One member who represents a statewide professional | ||||||
15 | teachers' organization, appointed by the State | ||||||
16 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
17 | (6) One member who represents a different statewide | ||||||
18 | professional teachers' organization, appointed by the | ||||||
19 | State Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
20 | (7) One member from a statewide organization | ||||||
21 | representing school principals, appointed by the State | ||||||
22 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
23 | (8) One member from a statewide organization | ||||||
24 | representing regional superintendents of schools, | ||||||
25 | appointed by the State Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
26 | (9) One member from a statewide organization |
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1 | representing school administrators, appointed by the State | ||||||
2 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
3 | (10) One member representing a school district | ||||||
4 | organized under Article 34 of this Code, appointed by the | ||||||
5 | State Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
6 | (11) One member of an association representing rural | ||||||
7 | and small schools, appointed by the State Superintendent | ||||||
8 | of Education. | ||||||
9 | (12) One member representing a suburban school | ||||||
10 | district, appointed by the State Superintendent of | ||||||
11 | Education. | ||||||
12 | (13) One member from a statewide organization | ||||||
13 | representing school districts in the southern suburbs of | ||||||
14 | the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent | ||||||
15 | of Education. | ||||||
16 | (14) One member from a statewide organization | ||||||
17 | representing large unit school districts, appointed by the | ||||||
18 | State Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
19 | (15) One member from a statewide organization | ||||||
20 | representing school districts in the collar counties of | ||||||
21 | the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent | ||||||
22 | of Education. | ||||||
23 | (16) Three members, each representing a different | ||||||
24 | public university in this State and each a current member | ||||||
25 | of the faculty of an approved educator preparation | ||||||
26 | program, appointed by the State Superintendent of |
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1 | Education. | ||||||
2 | (17) Three members, each representing a different | ||||||
3 | 4-year nonpublic university or college in this State and | ||||||
4 | each a current member of the faculty of an approved | ||||||
5 | educator preparation program, appointed by the State | ||||||
6 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
7 | (18) One member of the Board of Higher Education, | ||||||
8 | appointed by the State Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
9 | (19) One member representing a statewide policy | ||||||
10 | organization advocating on behalf of multilingual students | ||||||
11 | and families, appointed by the State Superintendent of | ||||||
12 | Education. | ||||||
13 | (20) One member representing a statewide organization | ||||||
14 | focused on research-based education policy to support a | ||||||
15 | school system that prepares all students for college, a | ||||||
16 | career, and democratic citizenship, appointed by the State | ||||||
17 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
18 | (21) Two members representing an early childhood | ||||||
19 | advocacy organization, appointed by the State | ||||||
20 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
21 | (22) One member representing a statewide organization | ||||||
22 | that partners with educator preparation programs and | ||||||
23 | school districts to support the growth and development of | ||||||
24 | preservice teachers, appointed by the State Superintendent | ||||||
25 | of Education. | ||||||
26 | (23) One member representing a statewide organization |
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1 | that advocates for educational equity and racial justice | ||||||
2 | in schools, appointed by the State Superintendent of | ||||||
3 | Education. | ||||||
4 | (24) One member representing a statewide organization | ||||||
5 | that represents school boards, appointed by the State | ||||||
6 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
7 | (25) One member who has, within the last 5 years, | ||||||
8 | served as a cooperating teacher, appointed by the State | ||||||
9 | Superintendent of Education. | ||||||
10 | Members of the Task Force shall serve without | ||||||
11 | compensation. The Task Force shall first meet at the call of | ||||||
12 | the State Superintendent of Education, and each subsequent | ||||||
13 | meeting shall be called by the chairperson of the Task Force, | ||||||
14 | who shall be designated by the State Superintendent of | ||||||
15 | Education. The State Board of Education shall provide | ||||||
16 | administrative and other support to the Task Force. | ||||||
17 | On or before August 1, 2024, the Task Force shall report on | ||||||
18 | its work, including recommendations on a teacher performance | ||||||
19 | assessment system in this State, to the State Board of | ||||||
20 | Education and the General Assembly. The Task Force is | ||||||
21 | dissolved upon submission of this report. | ||||||
22 | (g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher | ||||||
23 | performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to | ||||||
24 | time are designated by the State Board of Education, in | ||||||
25 | consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure | ||||||
26 | Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing |
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1 | organization or tests designed by the State Board of | ||||||
2 | Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation | ||||||
3 | and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall | ||||||
4 | assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The | ||||||
5 | tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no | ||||||
6 | person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis | ||||||
7 | of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to | ||||||
8 | the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The | ||||||
9 | score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State | ||||||
10 | Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator | ||||||
11 | Preparation and Licensure Board. The tests shall be | ||||||
12 | administered not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and | ||||||
13 | place as may be designated by the State Board of Education, in | ||||||
14 | consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure | ||||||
15 | Board. | ||||||
16 | The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess | ||||||
17 | the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of | ||||||
18 | applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under | ||||||
19 | subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this | ||||||
20 | Code in the English language and in the language of the | ||||||
21 | transitional bilingual education program requested by the | ||||||
22 | applicant. | ||||||
23 | (h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the | ||||||
24 | provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school | ||||||
25 | district subject to Article 34 of this Code. | ||||||
26 | (i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the |
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