IV. Endorsement of Teaching Certificates

An endorsement is a statement appearing on a certificate that identifies the specific subjects or grade level that the certificate holder is authorized to teach. It is not mandatory that certificates show all subjects for which a teacher is qualified. Teachers may ask to add additional areas of qualification as endorsements during the course of their careers or they may choose to become qualified in new subjects without obtaining additional endorsements. In either case the teacher is considered qualified in the subjects.

New Endorsement Structure

In July, 2004, a new system of endorsing teaching certificates was implemented. At the secondary level, the new system replaces specific secondary subject endorsements with broad field subject endorsements and allows applicants to use either majors, or 24 semester hours of coursework combined with testing, to meet state requirements. Several fields continue to have special provisions for endorsement. Additionally, persons adding endorsements to their previously issued certificates may use either the new structure or the old structure to obtain endorsements on endorsement applications received through June 30, 2005. Endorsement applications received on and after 7/1/05 will be evaluated by the new requirements. The new secondary (9-12) endorsement requirements meet the NCLB Highly Qualified criteria for subject-area knowledge.

Illinois elementary and secondary certificates must be endorsed at the time of issuance in all subjects for which the holder meets applicable requirements.

• These endorsements are labels of the subjects that the State Board has found the teacher qualified to teach and they may be at various grade levels.
• Teachers are not required to be endorsed in every subject for which they are qualified and they may continue to be placed in assignments where they met previous requirements for the subject, provided the requirements were in effect at the time the teacher met the requirements and held the required certificate.
• Teachers who do not meet the current requirements and who were not qualified for the subject in the past may be assigned to positions at the secondary level for a three-year period by having 24 hours of subject matter content in the area.
• Holders of certificates who later meet requirements for additional endorsements may also have the endorsements added to the certificates.
• Special certificates must be endorsed for the grade level of the certificate upon issuance in the area of specialization, but may later have endorsements added to them at other grade levels.

Endorsements Available Through Completion of an Approved Program

• Until June 30, 2006, universities may recommend students for endorsement based on the requirements in effect prior to July 1, 2004, if the institution feels the students did not have sufficient opportunity to complete new endorsement requirements.
• Individuals who passed the subject-matter knowledge examinations in effect prior to July 1, 2004, and whose test results are still valid may obtain corresponding endorsements under the new system if the individuals have completed a program designed to meet the standards of the new system.
• Individuals who complete pre-2004 requirements but who pass the new content-area tests may be given new endorsements.
• Individuals who complete a program under requirements in effect prior to July 1, 2004, and who also pass a corresponding subject matter examination offered prior to that date will be given endorsements under the system in place prior to July 1, 2004.

Mandatory Requirements for Secondary (9-12) Endorsements through Transcript Evaluation Effective July 1, 2005

Individuals who apply for endorsements on and after July 1, 2005, must comply with the endorsement requirements that became effective July 1, 2004. These endorsements are designed to meet the NCLB requirements for all core academic subjects in that the applicant must either:

• Have a major in the content area, either indicated on the transcript or demonstrated by having a total of 32 semester hours in the content area or
• Pass a content-area test in the endorsement area and have at least 24 semester hours of credit in the content area.

It is important to note the pre-July, 2004, secondary endorsement requirements do not meet the NCLB requirements for highly qualified teachers in that they do not require a test or a major area of concentration. Passing a state examination in each core academic subject, having a major in each subject, having an advanced degree in each subject or an advanced certificate in each subject are the only means by which teachers with secondary certificates issued after June 30, 2002, and teaching at the secondary level can be considered highly qualified.

NOTE: All applications for endorsement in Reading Teacher and Library Information Specialist, under the current 18-semester-hour requirement, must be received prior to July 1, 2006. On July 1, 2006, applicants will be required to meet the new requirements for Reading Teacher and Library Information Specialist that become mandatory as of that date.

The following content areas are exceptions to the above general rules: Sciences, Social Sciences, Foreign Languages, Technology Specialist, Reading Teacher and Reading Specialist, Self Contained General Education, Safety and Driver Education. To view the requirements for the new endorsements, see the section titled "Endorsements for Secondary Subjects Effective July 1, 2004". This section also explains the new requirements to assign teachers to subjects when they do not hold or meet either the new endorsement requirements or the requirements previously in place.

Endorsements at the Middle Grades Level

Most requirements for teaching at the middle grades level were not changed in the new rules for endorsements. The middle grades encompass grades 5-8 for elementary certificates and 6-8 for secondary certificates. All middle grade endorsements require 18 semester hours of credit in content courses, plus six semester hours of credit in courses designed to acquaint the teacher with the special aspects of teaching at that level. These endorsement requirements alone will not make a teacher highly qualified in the core academic areas for NCLB purposes.

Elementary, secondary and special certificates may be endorsed for teaching at the middle grades level. Several subjects, media, reading, mathematics, bilingual and English as a Second Language have a specific distribution of content that must be met before a teacher may obtain these endorsements. For specific requirements see the section titled "Requirements for Endorsement at the Middle Grades Level."

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