Requirements for Professional Educator License (PEL) School Support Personnel Endorsements
All school support personnel endorsements require the following:
- A master's degree or higher from regionally accredited institution of higher education (except school nurse)
Proof of a valid, comparable, out of state license
Internship or equivalent experience
- Completion of coursework* addressing methods of teaching exceptional children, reading methods, content area reading, and methods of teaching English language learners (Use ISBE form 80-02S: State Approved Program and Completion of Standards Verification
- School Support Personnel Only)
- Licensure Tests: All test scores are valid indefinitely. View the options below to see the required tests for each area. Click here to register for the tests.
If completing a program at an Illinois institution, please work closely with the institution to ensure their specific requirements/timeframes are met.
School Social Worker - Pre K - Age 21
Tests
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Internship
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- A test of basic skills
- School Social Worker (184)
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1 of the following:
- Internship experience of at least 600 contact hours in a school setting
- One year of work experience on a valid out-of-state license or an educator license with stipulations with a school support personnel endorsement for school social worker.
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Specific Requirements:
- The graduate school of social work must be accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
- 400 hours of field experience supervised by a field instructor holding a master's or higher degree in social work.
School Counselor - Pre K - Age 21
Tests
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Internship
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- A
test of basic skills
- School Counselor (181)
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Completed an internship of at least 600 clock hours (at least one semester in length) with at least 240 hours of direct service work.
If the applicant has at least two years of teaching experience, the internship requirement is reduced to 400 clock hours with at least 240 hours of direct service work.
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Specific Requirements:
- Each applicant for the school support personnel endorsement for school counselor shall hold a master's or higher degree awarded by a regionally accredited institution of higher education in school counseling.
- The following coursework is also required as part of the program: structure, organization, and operation of the educational system, with an emphasis on P-12 schools, growth and development of children and youth, diversity of Illinois students and the laws and programs that have been signed to meet their unique needs, and effective management of the classroom and learning process.
- Completed a supervised counseling practicum of at least 100 clock hours that included at least 40 hours of direct service work.
- Neither the above referenced coursework of practicum are required if the applicant holds a valid out-of-state license in school counseling or an educator license with stipulations endorsed for school counselor and can provide evidence of one year of full-time experience as a school counselor.
School Psychologist - Pre K-Age 21
Tests
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Internship
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- A test of basic skills
- School Psychologist (183)
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- Completed a supervised field experience of at least 250 hours in a school and/or child student center.
- Completed either a one-year, full-time internship, or one year of full-time work experience on a valid out-of-state school psychology certificate or licensure or an Illinois educator license with stipulations with a school support personnel endorsement for school psychologist.
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Specific Requirements:
- Requires a master's degree or higher in school psychology or educational psychology with a specialization in school psychology.
School Nurse - Pre K - Age 21
Tests
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Internship
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- A test of basic skills
- School Nurse (182)
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Completed an internship of at least 300 hours of supervised by a school nurse who holds a school nurse endorsement, has two full school years of experience as a school nurse, and has one full year of experience with his/her current employer;
OR
Completed two years of experience as a school nurse prior to 1972
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Specific Requirements:
- Requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree and a license as a registered professional nurse in Illinois.
Speech-Language Pathologist (non-teaching) - Pre K - Age 21
Tests
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Internship
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- A test of basic skills**
- Speech-Language Pathologist (non-teaching)(154)
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150 hours of supervised, school-based professional experience that consists of activities related to aspects of practice addressed in the content-area standard located in 25.250 and 23 Ill. Adm. Code 28 with respect to:
planning and intervention
the learning environment
service delivery
professional conduct and ethics, and
facilitation and advocacy
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Specific Requirements:
- The preparation program must hold accreditation or "accreditation candidate" by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology of the American Speech Langauge Hearing Association at the time the applicant completed the program (ASHA).
- Must also hold a Speech-Langauge Pathology license issued by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation (IDPR)(may be a temporary license) or a Certificate of Clinical Competency in Speech-Language Pathology from ASHA, and proof of application for the IDPR license.
*To see a list of accepatable courses you may take to fulfill this coursework requirement, click here.**The test of basic skills is only required for the insurance of a PEL. Educators who hold a valid PEL and have already taken a test of basic skills will not be required to take another. If a test of basic skills has already been passed and used for insurance for the PEL, this requirement will be waived. This is only required if a passing score on a test of basic skills was NOT already used for issuance of the PEL.
The following test scores may be accepted for the test of basic skills:
- Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP 400)
- ACT: Prior to 9/1/15 - Composite score of 22 with combined English/Writing score of 19 -OR- 9/1/15 and later - Composite score of 22 with Writing score of 16 - OR - 9/10/16 and later - Composite score of 22 with Writing score of 6
- SAT: Prior to 3/5/16 - Composite score of 1030 (mathematics and critical reading) with a minimum writing score of 450 -OR- 3/5/16 and later - Composite score of 1110 (evidence-based reading and writing + mathematics = 1110 or higher) and a minimum score of 26 on writing and language
- Out-of-state test of basic skills that led to licensure in another state
The information is accurate at this time (note date below). Applicants will be held to the most current statutory and administrative rule requirements.
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