Public Act 104-0385
 
SB1583 EnrolledLRB104 11977 LNS 22071 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 
3-14.9 and 21B-30 as follows:
 
    (105 ILCS 5/3-14.9)  (from Ch. 122, par. 3-14.9)
    Sec. 3-14.9. Elevation of standard of teaching - 
Improvement of schools. To labor in every practicable way to 
elevate the standard of teaching and improve the condition of 
the common schools of his county. The State Superintendent of 
Education may designate a regional office of education or 
intermediate service center as a learning partner in any 
iteration of the statewide system of support so that services 
are provided to schools that are identified for school 
improvement under (i) the accountability system identified in 
Section 2-3.25a of this Code and (ii) the definition for 
Targeted, Comprehensive, or Intensive under Section 2-3.25d-5 
of this Code. The status of learning partner as designated 
under this Section may be revoked at the State 
Superintendent's sole discretion. 
(Source: Laws 1961, p. 31.)
 
    (105 ILCS 5/21B-30)
    Sec. 21B-30. Educator testing.
    (a) (Blank).
    (b) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the 
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board, shall design 
and implement a system of examinations, which shall be 
required prior to the issuance of educator licenses. These 
examinations and indicators must be based on national and 
State professional teaching standards, as determined by the 
State Board of Education, in consultation with the State 
Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of 
Education may adopt such rules as may be necessary to 
implement and administer this Section.
    (c) (Blank).
    (c-5) The State Board must adopt rules to implement a 
paraprofessional competency test. This test would allow an 
applicant seeking an Educator License with Stipulations with a 
paraprofessional educator endorsement to obtain the 
endorsement if he or she passes the test and meets the other 
requirements of subparagraph (J) of paragraph (2) of Section 
21B-20 other than the higher education requirements. 
    (d) All applicants seeking a State license shall be 
required to pass a test of content area knowledge for each area 
of endorsement for which there is an applicable test. There 
shall be no exception to this requirement. However, 
notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, individuals 
seeking a short-term approval for school support personnel, as 
defined in rules, are not required to take the test of content 
area knowledge prior to the short-term approval being issued. 
    (d-5) The State Board shall consult with any applicable 
vendors within 90 days after July 28, 2023 (the effective date 
of Public Act 103-402) to develop a plan to transition the test 
of content area knowledge in the endorsement area of 
elementary education, grades one through 6, by July 1, 2026 to 
a content area test that contains testing elements that cover 
bilingualism, biliteracy, oral language development, 
foundational literacy skills, and developmentally appropriate 
higher-order comprehension and on which a valid and reliable 
language and literacy subscore can be determined. The State 
Board shall base its rules concerning the passing subscore on 
the language and literacy portion of the test on the 
recommended cut-score determined in the formal 
standard-setting process. Candidates need not achieve a 
particular subscore in the area of language and literacy. The 
State Board shall aggregate and publish the number of 
candidates in each preparation program who take the test and 
the number who pass the language and literacy portion.
    (e) (Blank).
    (f) Beginning on August 4, 2023 (the effective date of 
Public Act 103-488) through August 31, 2025, no candidate 
completing a teacher preparation program in this State or 
candidate subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code is required 
to pass a teacher performance assessment. Except as otherwise 
provided in this Article, beginning on September 1, 2015 until 
August 4, 2023 (the effective date of Public Act 103-488) and 
beginning again on September 1, 2025, all candidates 
completing teacher preparation programs in this State and all 
candidates subject to Section 21B-35 of this Code are required 
to pass a teacher performance assessment approved by the State 
Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator 
Preparation and Licensure Board. A candidate may not be 
required to submit test materials by video submission. Subject 
to appropriation, an individual who holds a Professional 
Educator License and is employed for a minimum of one school 
year by a school district designated as Tier 1 under Section 
18-8.15 may, after application to the State Board, receive 
from the State Board a refund for any costs associated with 
completing the teacher performance assessment under this 
subsection. 
    (f-5) The Teacher Performance Assessment Task Force is 
created to evaluate potential performance-based and objective 
teacher performance assessment systems for implementation 
across all educator preparation programs in this State, with 
the intention of ensuring consistency across programs and 
supporting a thoughtful and well-rounded licensure system. 
Members appointed to the Task Force must reflect the racial, 
ethnic, and geographic diversity of this State. The Task Force 
shall consist of all of the following members:
        (1) One member of the Senate, appointed by the 
    President of the Senate.
        (2) One member of the Senate, appointed by the 
    Minority Leader of the Senate.
        (3) One member of the House of Representatives, 
    appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
        (4) One member of the House of Representatives, 
    appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of 
    Representatives.
        (5) One member who represents a statewide professional 
    teachers' organization, appointed by the State 
    Superintendent of Education.
        (6) One member who represents a different statewide 
    professional teachers' organization, appointed by the 
    State Superintendent of Education.
        (7) One member from a statewide organization 
    representing school principals, appointed by the State 
    Superintendent of Education.
        (8) One member from a statewide organization 
    representing regional superintendents of schools, 
    appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
        (9) One member from a statewide organization 
    representing school administrators, appointed by the State 
    Superintendent of Education.
        (10) One member representing a school district 
    organized under Article 34 of this Code, appointed by the 
    State Superintendent of Education.
        (11) One member of an association representing rural 
    and small schools, appointed by the State Superintendent 
    of Education.
        (12) One member representing a suburban school 
    district, appointed by the State Superintendent of 
    Education.
        (13) One member from a statewide organization 
    representing school districts in the southern suburbs of 
    the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent 
    of Education.
        (14) One member from a statewide organization 
    representing large unit school districts, appointed by the 
    State Superintendent of Education.
        (15) One member from a statewide organization 
    representing school districts in the collar counties of 
    the City of Chicago, appointed by the State Superintendent 
    of Education.
        (16) Three members, each representing a different 
    public university in this State and each a current member 
    of the faculty of an approved educator preparation 
    program, appointed by the State Superintendent of 
    Education.
        (17) Three members, each representing a different 
    4-year nonpublic university or college in this State and 
    each a current member of the faculty of an approved 
    educator preparation program, appointed by the State 
    Superintendent of Education.
        (18) One member of the Board of Higher Education, 
    appointed by the State Superintendent of Education.
        (19) One member representing a statewide policy 
    organization advocating on behalf of multilingual students 
    and families, appointed by the State Superintendent of 
    Education.
        (20) One member representing a statewide organization 
    focused on research-based education policy to support a 
    school system that prepares all students for college, a 
    career, and democratic citizenship, appointed by the State 
    Superintendent of Education.
        (21) Two members representing an early childhood 
    advocacy organization, appointed by the State 
    Superintendent of Education.
        (22) One member representing a statewide organization 
    that partners with educator preparation programs and 
    school districts to support the growth and development of 
    preservice teachers, appointed by the State Superintendent 
    of Education. 
        (23) One member representing a statewide organization 
    that advocates for educational equity and racial justice 
    in schools, appointed by the State Superintendent of 
    Education.
        (24) One member representing a statewide organization 
    that represents school boards, appointed by the State 
    Superintendent of Education.
        (25) One member who has, within the last 5 years, 
    served as a cooperating teacher, appointed by the State 
    Superintendent of Education. 
    Members of the Task Force shall serve without 
compensation. The Task Force shall first meet at the call of 
the State Superintendent of Education, and each subsequent 
meeting shall be called by the chairperson of the Task Force, 
who shall be designated by the State Superintendent of 
Education. The State Board of Education shall provide 
administrative and other support to the Task Force.
    On or before October 31, 2024, the Task Force shall report 
on its work, including recommendations on a teacher 
performance assessment system in this State, to the State 
Board of Education and the General Assembly. The Task Force is 
dissolved upon submission of this report. 
    (g) The content area knowledge test and the teacher 
performance assessment shall be the tests that from time to 
time are designated by the State Board of Education, in 
consultation with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure 
Board, and may be tests prepared by an educational testing 
organization or tests designed by the State Board of 
Education, in consultation with the State Educator Preparation 
and Licensure Board. The test of content area knowledge shall 
assess content knowledge in a specific subject field. The 
tests must be designed to be racially neutral to ensure that no 
person taking the tests is discriminated against on the basis 
of race, color, national origin, or other factors unrelated to 
the person's ability to perform as a licensed employee. The 
score required to pass the tests shall be fixed by the State 
Board of Education, in consultation with the State Educator 
Preparation and Licensure Board. The State Board of 
Education's rules for scoring the content area knowledge test 
may include scoring and retaking of each test section 
separately and independently. The tests shall be administered 
not fewer than 3 times a year at such time and place as may be 
designated by the State Board of Education, in consultation 
with the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board. 
    The State Board shall implement a test or tests to assess 
the speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills of 
applicants for an endorsement or a license issued under 
subdivision (G) of paragraph (2) of Section 21B-20 of this 
Code in the English language and in the language of the 
transitional bilingual education program requested by the 
applicant. 
    (h) Except as provided in Section 34-6 of this Code, the 
provisions of this Section shall apply equally in any school 
district subject to Article 34 of this Code.
    (i) The rules developed to implement and enforce the 
testing requirements under this Section shall include, without 
limitation, provisions governing test selection, test 
validation, and determination of a passing score, 
administration of the tests, frequency of administration, 
applicant fees, frequency of applicants taking the tests, the 
years for which a score is valid, and appropriate special 
accommodations. The State Board of Education shall develop 
such rules as may be needed to ensure uniformity from year to 
year in the level of difficulty for each form of an assessment.
(Source: P.A. 102-301, eff. 8-26-21; 103-402, eff. 7-28-23; 
103-488, eff. 8-4-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24; 103-780, eff. 
8-2-24; 103-811, eff. 8-9-24; 103-846, eff. 8-9-24.)