Changes to Illinois Professional Educator Licenses

7/29/2019 Changes to Illinois Professional Educator Licenses

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Larry Pfeiffer, Regional Superintendent

Interim Assistant Regional Superintendent225 E. Nicholas St. 303 W. Exchange St.

Carlinville, IL 62626 Jerseyville, IL 62052

Phone: (217) 854-4016 Phone: (618) 498-5541

Fax: (217) 854-2032 Fax: (618) 498-5543

Regional Office of Education #40 Serving Calhoun, Greene, Jersey and Macoupin Counties www.roe40.com

*** STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL LICENSING INFORMATION ***

Keep your email address, mailing address and phone number up-to-date in ECS:

www.isbe.net/ECS

(My Profile, Personal Settings; for Email: My Profile, Account Settings).

Visit our website at www.roe40.com/certification for current information and updates.

Professional EducatorLicensing Changes

Effective July 1, 2013Regional Office of Education #40

Special thanks to Regional Office of Education #45 in Monroe & Randolph Counties

for compiling and sharing this information with us.


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Page 2 Professional Educator Licensing Changes


ALLEDUCATORS

What is happening? Changes to Illinois professional educator certification are scheduled to be implemented during the

2012-13 school year. July 1, 2013 is the target date for implementation of the new Illinois licensure system. Educator

Certification System (ECS) is scheduled to be replaced by Educator License Information System (ELIS) on July 1, 2013.

ELIS will not collect or display certificate renewal activities. Access to ECS is scheduled to cease when ELIS begins.

What does that mean to me? We have been told that professional development activities that you have recorded in ECS

will not transfer to ELIS. You will not have access to ECS to retrieve or print out those activities.

What should I do now?

Before June 30, 2013

1. Log on to ECS at www.isbe.net/ECS.2. Update address and phone in My Profile, Personal Settings.3. Update email address in My Profile, Account Settings.4. Click on Professional Development, Activities and print your list of activities. Click on My Credentials, Current

Credentials and print your credentials page.

5. If you are active in an Illinois public school and you have a 2013 renewal date, complete your renewal steps,including payment of registration fees on ECS by June 15, 2013, to ensure completion by June 30, 2013.

6. If you are a 2013 renewal, print your statement of assurance after it is approved and keep a copy in your file.What about renewal requirements for license renewal in 2014 and beyond? The State Board is rewriting renewal

requirements for all educators, to be implemented for the 2013-14 school year. There are no details available at this

time.

Currently there are over 30 types of certificates issued by the Illinois State Board of Education.

On July 1, 2013 all certificates will be converted to one of the following professional educator licenses:

Professional Educator License (PEL) or

Professional Educator License with Stipulations (PELS) orSubstitute License (SUB)

Exchange Examples

Current Certificates Become Licenses after June 30, 2013

Type 03 Elementary with

Middle School Language Arts Endorsement

Professional Educator License

K-5 SCGE (self contained general education)

Middle School Language Arts

Type 03 Elementary

Type 75 General Administrative

Type 10 Reading Specialist


K-5 SCGE

General Administrative

K-12 Reading Specialist

Type 09 Certificate

Social Science-Psychology


Grade 6-12

9-12 Social Science-Psychology

Substitute Substitute License Grade Pre-K to 12

Paraprofessional TASN Professional Educator License with Stipulations Paraprofessional

Paraprofessional TA or TAS State Approval letter


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Phone: (217) 854-4016 Phone: (618) 498-5541

Fax: (217) 854-2032 Fax: (618) 498-5543


GENERAL QUESTIONS FOR EDUCATORS

Are there any changes to the required registration fees for my licenses?Separate registration fees for each license will be required (PEL, PELS, Substitute), but there will be no additional fee to

register the license in another region.

What is the penalty if I decide not to register my certificates?

Any license that has not been renewed within 6 months of the expiration of its last registration will become lapsed and

will require either the payment of a $500 penalty fee or 9 semester hours of content area coursework. This will include

those holding a Professional Educator License, Substitute License or a PELS-Paraprofessional. As of now, the only

lapsed license that will preclude other licenses from being issued is a lapsed PEL.

Will ISBE still be waiving the Basic Skills Test now known as the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) after June 30, 2013

for out of state applicants? Any educator applying after July 1, 2013 (the date of ELIS implementation) will need to

meet any new requirements and Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) will not be waived.What is the timeframe for me to apply for entitlements? Illinois graduates will have until July 31, 2013 to apply for

their licenses. Entitlements will be re-moved from the system on August 1st.

Which licenses or endorsements on a license will require paying a registration fee after the ex-change? Those

educators holding an Initial teaching certificate that will expire on June 30, 2013, a PELS-Paraprofessional, Provisional

Career and Technical Educator or a SUB license will all be required to register their licenses after June 30, 2013 because

the expiration dates will change to 2018.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS

APPLICATION SUBMISSION WILL BE ELECTRONIC ONLYAfter July 1, 2013, ISBE will no longer accept paper applications. ELIS will replace ECS and will be the one-stop location

for processing applications for licenses and related transactions. The Regional Office of Education will no longer process

payments or applications. All payments will require the use of a credit card. However, our office is still available to help

with any questions you might have about licensure.

PAPER CERTIFICATES

Paper certificates will no longer be issued by the Illinois State Board of Education.

SUBSEQUENT ENDORSEMENT OF DIFFERENT GRADE LEVEL

Until May 1, 2013 those holding a valid secondary teaching certificate may receive a K-12 certificate, endorsed in the

area in which the applicant has completed a major area of specialization, by submit-ting an application and fee and

evidence of having passed the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP), content area test and the Assessment of Professional

Teaching (APT) Test.

TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST ENDORSEMENT CHANGES

After June 30, 2013 an educator applying for a Technology Specialist Endorsement will be required to complete an

approved program. Transcript evaluations will no longer be used in issuance of this designation.


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TEACHERS HOLDING INITIAL CERTIFICATES

Conversion from Initial Teaching Certificate to Illinois Professional Educator License

How will my Initial Teaching Certificate be affected during the conversion?

All Initial certificates will be exchanged for a 5-year license on July 1, 2013. The registration will only be valid for the

balance of the registration period remaining on the current certificate. There are no professional development

requirements for moving from the initial certificate to the Professional Educator License. However, professional

development requirements for renewal of this license will be in effect. All teachers certificates, regardless of level, will

be exchanged for a Professional Educator Teacher License (PEL-Teacher), with no levels such as initial, standard or

master. All licenses will still need to be registered to be valid.

What should I do if I have an initial certificate that expires on June 30, 2013 AND I have NOT achieved 4 years of

teaching experience? Wait until June 30 and renew the new license for 5 years at a cost of $50.00. You will want to

make sure you complete the process before school starts in August, 2013.

What should I do if I have an initial certificate that expires on June 30, 2013 AND I HAVE achieved 4 years of teaching

experience? On July 1, 2013, all Initial Certificates will be exchanged for a new 5-year license for which there is noapplication fee. It is strongly recommended that you do not apply for your Standard certificate (unless it is needed for

current employment) to avoid paying the $75 application fee. All teachers certificates, regardless of level, will be

exchanged for a Professional Educator Teacher License (PEL-Teacher), with no levels such as initial, standard or master.

All licenses will still need to be registered to be valid.

What should I do if I have an initial certificate AND I HAVE achieved 4 years of teaching experience PRIOR to this

school year? Educators in this situation should IMMEDIATELY, apply to move from initial to standard. Your initial

certificate is invalid once you have completed four years of teaching experience. As always, all licenses need to be

registered to be valid. The applicants moving from an Initial to Standard Certificate may have to make a paper

application.

What if there is a delay in the implementation of TEACHER LICENSURE beyond June 30, 2013 and I have completed my

fourth year of teaching during the 2012-2013 school year?

You must be sure you have a Standard Teaching Certificate or a PEL-Teacher License before school starts in the fall of

2013 and that the license or certificate is registered in the region you are teaching.

FOR THOSE HOLDING INITIAL CERTIFICATES THAT EXPIRE IN 2014 AND BEYOND. Your teaching license renewal year will

remain the same as the initial certificate renewal date. Future license renewal requirements are expected to be adjusted

according to new school code, which is being written for legislative action in spring of 2013.

CURRENT ADVICE FOR INITIAL CERTIFICATE HOLDERS. Keep every piece of evidence of completion of professional

development activities you have already completed until further notice. Do not enter new professional development

activities in ECS; that information will not be retained after June 20, 2013. Watch for more to information released fromour office in the spring/summer 2013.

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATORS

Professional Educator License with Stipulations with a Provisional Career and Technical Educator Endorsement

replaces the Temporary Provisional Vocational Certificate and may be issued to an applicant who has a minimum of

8,000 hours of work experience in the skill for which the applicant is seeking the endorsement. Each employing school

board and regional office must provide written verification that no qualified teacher holding a Professional License or an

Educator License with Stipulations with a career and technical educator endorsement is available, and circumstances

require such issuance.


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Phone: (217) 854-4016 Phone: (618) 498-5541

Fax: (217) 854-2032 Fax: (618) 498-5543


CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATORS (CONTINUED)

This endorsement is valid until June 30 immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued and may be

renewed only one time for 5 years if the person passes the Basic Skills Test now known as the Test of Academic

Proficiency (TAP) and has completed a minimum of 20 semester hours from a regionally accredited institution. This new

endorsement may be renewed only one time (which would give the holder a total of 10 years) if they pass a Test of

Academic Proficiency (TAP) and complete 20 semester hours of college coursework.

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATOR ENDORSEMENT CHANGES

A Career and Technical Educator Endorsement will replace a Provisional Vocational Certificate and will require 60

semester hours of college coursework and 2,000 hours of work experience. This endorsement is valid until June 30

immediately following 5 years of the endorsement being issued. Professional development is required and future

applicants will need to pass the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) test.

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS

Conversion from Substitute Teaching Certificates to Substitute License (SUB)

Will my Substitute Certificate automatically change to a Substitute License?

Valid Type 39 Illinois Substitute Certificates will automatically become renewable Illinois Substitute Licenses with a five-

year validity period.

How will this affect my Substitute Certificate renewal? All Type 39 Substitute Certificates that are valid on the date of

conversion will become Substitute Licenses that expire on 6/30/2018. The holder will pay additional registration feesfrom the current expiration year to 2018. Registration will be completed in Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS)

formerly known as the Educator Certification System (ECS).

So, even though my Substitute Certificate would normally expire prior to 2018, the new expiration will be on June 30,

2018 and how do I calculate the additional registration fees that are due? Anticipated additional registration fee

calculation: the difference between current expiration date and 2018 times $10 per year.

TYPE 39EXPIRES YEARS REMAINING PAYMENT ON ELIS REGISTRATION WILL LAPSE IF NOT PAID BY:

2013 2018-2013=5 $50 BY 01/01/14 JANUARY 1,2014

2014 2018-2014=4 $40 BY 06/30/14 JANUARY 1,2015

2015 2018-2015=3 $30 BY 06/30/15 JANUARY 1,20162016 2018-2016=2 $20 BY 06/30/16 JANUARY 1,2017

What if I do not register my Substitute License (SUB)? Our understanding as of this time is that an unregistered

Substitute License will lapse if not registered in the required timeframe and you will have to pay $500 or take 9 semester

hours of college credit in content area coursework to reinstate the lapsed license.

Will I be required to pay additional registration fees in each county in which I would like to substitute teach? A

registration fee is paid to the Regional Office of Education in the first county in which the license is registered. A

Substitute License holder will no longer be required to pay a registration fee in each region.


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SUBSTITUTETEACHERS (CONTINUED)

Will there be additional requirements that will need to be met at my first renewal? For the first renewalof a Substitute

License, the holder of the license will have to take and pass the Test of Academic Proficiency #400, Reading, Writing,

English, and Mathematics. For information on the test, log in to the Illinois Licensure Testing System at

www.il.nesinc.com. The first year the test will be required for renewal is 2018. Additional registration fees can be paid

any time prior to 2016.

If I have a lapsed Teaching Certificate will I be able to apply for a Substitute License (SUB)? If an educator has a

teaching, school service or administrative certificate or license that has lapsed, a Substitute Certificate can be issued

until June 30, 2013. After July 1, 2013 a Substitute License (SUB) will not be issued after licensure begins, the existing

Substitute License will be renewable in 2018.

If I have both a Teaching Certificate and a Substitute Teaching Certificate do I need to keep my Substitute Certificate

registered and valid? If an educator holds a valid PEL registered with the region in which he/she teaches, a Substitute

License is not needed to substitute teach in that region.

EDUCATORS WITH OUT OF STATE TEACHING CERTIFICATES

Educators prepared by an out-of-state institution who hold a valid, comparable out-of-state certificate or license

will need to have completed the Illinois Basic Skills Test now known as the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) and

content test as a requirement to receive a PELS. After July 1, 2013 the Basic Skills Test now known as the Test of

Academic Proficiency (TAP) will no longer be waived.

PEL PELS

3 semester hours Methods of Instruction of the exceptional child

in Cross-Categorical Special EducationTest of Academic Proficiency (TAP) Test

6 semester hours in reading methods and reading content Content Area Test, LBS1 Endorsement requires 2 tests

3 semester hours in instructional strategies for ELL Minimum 15 hours of coursework in content areaTest of Academic Proficiency (TAP) A PELS endorsed as a provisional educator is valid until June 30immediately following 2 full school years of the license being

issued, during which any remaining testing and course-work

deficiencies must be met.

Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) Test

Content Area Test(s)

What if I apply for the PEL and do not meet the requirements? Unlike the current application process where a

provisional certificate would have been issued; after June 30, 2013 applicants will need to submit a separate

application for a PELS. Application fees will not transfer as they did previously.

PARAPROFESSIONALS

What is a Professional Educator License with Stipulations (PELS-Paraprofessional)? It is the license you need to be

a teachers aide/teaching assistant/paraprofessional in an Illinois public school. Illinois is replacing its certification

system with a licensure system. If you hold a TAS-N (Highly Qualified) teacher aide/paraprofessional (federal)

approval, you will automatically receive the Professional Educator License with Stipulations (PELS-Paraprofessional)

on 6/30/2013.

Do I have to take classes or earn CPDUs like teachers do to renew my license? There are no professional

development requirements for renewal for holders of PELS-Paraprofessional.
http://www.il.nesinc.com/http://www.il.nesinc.com/http://www.il.nesinc.com/


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Phone: (217) 854-4016 Phone: (618) 498-5541

Fax: (217) 854-2032 Fax: (618) 498-5543


PARAPROFESSIONALS (CONTINUED)

Do I have to pay anything for this license? You will not pay an application fee if you hold a TAS-N approval on

6/30/2013. You will pay a $50.00 registration fee plus a $1.75 credit card processing fee to cover 7/1/2013 through

6/30/2018.

When is my registration fee due? Your registration fee of $50.00 must be paid before the PELS-Paraprofessional

license will be valid, so you should pay between July 1, 2013 and the start of the school year. You mustregister

your PELS-Paraprofessional within 6 months or it will lapse.

In 2018 what will I have to do to renew my Professional Educator License with Stipulations (PELS -

Paraprofessional)? You will pay the registration fee for the next 5 years ($50.00) on ELIS at www.isbe.net; then

your next renewal will be 2023.

What happens if I have TA or TAS (state), but not TAS-N? You will receive a TAS approval and will be able to work

in non-Title I positions or a non Title I school district. This approval will not expire and does not need to be

registered. TAS approvals will still be issued after 6/30/2013.

How do I qualify for a TAS-N (federal) approval?

The most common avenues to earn a TAS-N approval are having completed 60 semester hours of college credit or

an Associates Degree at a regionally accredited institution of higher education or providing evidence of earning the

ACT WorkKeys "Proficiency Certificate for Teacher Assistants". Please refer to the following link for complete

information on paraprofessional requirements.

http://www.isbe.net/certification/pdf/paraprofessionalrequirements.pdf.

What happens if I hold a PEL, SUB and a PELS-Paraprofessional, will I have to register them all? The only license

you will want to register is the PEL. As of right now, the Illinois State Board of Education is investigating

how to manage the other lapsed licenses should they not be registered after the transition.
http://www.isbe.net/certification/pdf/paraprofessionalrequirements.pdfhttp://www.isbe.net/certification/pdf/paraprofessionalrequirements.pdfhttp://www.isbe.net/certification/pdf/paraprofessionalrequirements.pdf


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We know that the changes required will take some time to work through.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at Regional Office of Education #40 withany questions or concerns that you may have.

We will do our best to assist you and find answers to questions that you may

have.

Need additional information?

ROE Websitewww.roe40.com/certification

Carlinville (217) 854-4016 or Jerseyville (618) 498-5541

ISBE Website

www.isbe.net/certification/default.htm
http://www.roe40.com/certificationhttp://www.roe40.com/certificationhttp://www.isbe.net/certification/default.htmhttp://www.isbe.net/certification/default.htmhttp://www.isbe.net/certification/default.htmhttp://www.roe40.com/certification

Changes to Illinois Professional Educator Licenses

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