I. Teaching Certificate Types and Levels
Illinois issues teaching certificates in two broad groups:
- Professional certificates that require formal teacher
education at the college/university level
- Certificates that do not require formal teacher education
preparation
Professional Teaching Certificates
| Early Childhood: |
Valid for teaching children birth to
grade three |
| Elementary: |
Valid for teaching children from kindergarten
through grade nine |
| Secondary: |
Valid for teaching children from grade
six through grade twelve |
Special
|
Valid for teaching children in the subject
specified from kindergarten through grade twelve |
Special/Special Education
|
Valid for teaching children with disabilities
from pre- school to age 21 |
Professional Teaching Certificate Levels
Initial Level: Issued to new teachers and
registered for four years at a time, the Initial Certificate
is valid until four years of teaching have been obtained
and expires on June 30 of the fourth year of experience.
Initial Certificate holders must complete one of the professional
development options for obtaining a Standard Certificate
during the time they hold the Initial Certificate.
Standard Level: Initial Certificate holders
must qualify for the Standard level once they have completed
four years of teaching on an Initial Certificate. Persons
who held four-year standard certificates prior to the
statutory change that took effect in 2000 were issued
new five-year Standard certificates subject to renewal
requirements when they next registered their certificates.
The Standard Certificate is valid for five years and is
renewable at the end of each registration period. Standard
Certificate holders must complete continuing professional
development requirements by the end of each registration
period to renew the certificate for another five-year
period. Once teachers obtain a Standard Certificate, any
subsequent teaching certificates issued to them will also
be Standard level. Teachers from other states with four
years of teaching experience or with a certificate from
another state equivalent to our Standard certificate are
eligible to apply for a Standard Certificate.
Master Level: Valid for 10-year periods,
the Master Certificate is issued to persons who have met
the rigorous standards of the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The renewal requirement for
this certificate is the same as the requirement for the
five-year Standard certificate. There is no application
fee or testing requirement for the Master level certificate.
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