Primary Level Endorsements

Certificates are not usually endorsed at the primary level, since teaching at that level in most subjects requires only an appropriate certificate and formal training in the subjects taught. However, there are some subjects that require 18 hours, or more, to teach at the middle grades and primary level.

Although teachers with middle grades endorsements are automatically qualified in those subjects at the primary level, it is possible a teacher who has the content hours required may wish to have the endorsement at the primary level because they do not have the necessary middle grades pedagogy courses required for a middle grades endorsement.

The primary level is K-4 for elementary certificates and K-3 for early childhood certificates.

We therefore will issue primary level endorsements in the following subjects when the applicant does not have the required middle grades pedagogy coursework. Click on a subject below to view the requirements:

English as a Second Language

Foreign Languages

Bilingual Education

Reading Teacher

Library Information Specialist

Technology Specialist

Except for the middle grades pedagogy courses, the requirements in the content area are identical with those for the middle grades for each subject.

Primary Endorsement for English as a Second Language (ESL)

Persons seeking this endorsement must have a total of 18 semester hours of coursework required below and meet the other requirements:

• A valid professional Illinois teaching certificate.
• ESL clinical experience equal to 100 clock hours or three months teaching experience with ESL students.
• Credits totaling 18 semester hours distributed among the following course areas.
  1. Linguistics
  2. Theoretical Foundations of Teaching ESL
  3. Assessment of the Bilingual Student
  4. Methods and Materials for Teaching ESL
  5. Cross-Cultural Studies for Teaching Limited-English-Proficient Students

Foreign Languages

18 semester hours of content courses in a specific language AND the following two middle school pedagogical courses:

• 3 semester hours of coursework that includes middle-grade philosophy, middle-grade curriculum and instruction, and instructional methods for designing and teaching developmentally appropriate programs (i.e., addressing the cognitive, emotional and physical development of each child) in the middle grades, including content-area (e.g., science, social sciences) reading instruction.
  
• 3 semester hours of coursework, approved by the college of education or other institutional unit governing teacher education that includes educational psychology focusing on the developmental characteristics of early adolescents, the nature and needs of early adolescents, and the role of the middle-grade teacher in assessment, coordination and referral of students to health and social services.

View a list of approved middle school pedagogy courses that fulfill these requirements

Requirements for secondary language endorsements that provides several other options for endorsement. (link to #45)

Primary Endorsement for Bilingual Education

Persons seeking this endorsement must have a total of 18 semester hours of coursework required below and meet the other requirements:

• A valid professional Illinois teacher certificate.
• Bilingual clinical experience totaling 100 clock hours or three months teaching experience in bilingual programs.
• Successful completion of a language examination in the non-English language to be taught.
• Credits totaling 18 semester hours distributed among the following course areas:
  1. Foundations of Bilingual Education
  2. Assessment of Bilingual Students
  3. Methods and Materials for Teaching Limited-English-Proficient Students in Bilingual Programs
  4. Cross-Cultural Studies for Teaching Limited-English-Proficient Students
  5. Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language.

Primary Endorsement for Reading Teacher

The Reading Teacher endorsement is the minimum requirement for anyone assigned to teach reading who is not teaching reading as part of general classroom instruction. Teachers who have the endorsement by June 30, 2006, or meet the endorsement requirements in place through June 30, 2006, are also qualified to provide technical assistance to other teachers and to provide professional development to teachers.

• Pass either the Reading Teacher or Reading Specialist exam and;
• Complete at least 24 semester hours of coursework, including a practicum, through an approved reading teacher program and be recommended for the endorsement by the university OR
• Pass the Reading Teacher or Reading specialist exam and complete 24 hours of credit in reading, including a practicum, distributed through the following areas:
  1. Foundations of reading,
  2. Content-Area Reading,
  3. Assessment and diagnosis of reading problems,
  4. Developmental and remedial reading instruction and support,
  5. Developmental and remedial materials and resources, and
  6. Literature appropriate to students in all grade levels.

Primary Endorsement for Library Information Specialist

Individuals seeking the primary level endorsement in Library Information Specialist will be required to complete either a major in the content area or they must have 24 semester hours of content and pass the content test for Library Information Specialist.

Primary Endorsement for Technology Specialist

Individuals seeking the primary level endorsement for Library Information Specialist must complete 24 semester hours of content and pass the Technology Specialist content test.

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