Requirements for Certification

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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Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street
Springfield, IL 62777