Once you hold a Professional Educator License (PEL) or Educator License with Stipulations endorsed in a teaching field, you can add additional content area endorsements. These endorsements can be added at any grade level even if the underlying teaching endorsement on the PEL is a different grade range. The PEL serves as a foundation to which any teaching endorsement can be added after applicable coursework and testing are completed.

Illinois offers full reciprocity for all endorsements listed on a valid, comparable out-of-state license. To add subsequent endorsements to your Professional Educator License (PEL) via reciprocity, please apply for the endorsement in your ELIS account and provide a copy of your valid, comparable out-of-state license.

Early Childhood Education Birth-Grade 2

Endorsement Type	Requirements
Early Childhood	18 semester hours of coursework specific to or inclusive of Early Childhood Education with coursework in each of the following areas: Child Growth and Development Planning and Assessment Methods and Content Pedagogy Literacy Methods Collaborative Relationships with Family or Communities Pass the Early Childhood Education content test (206)

Elementary Education 1-6

Endorsement Type	Requirements
Elementary Education	18 semester hours of coursework specific to or inclusive of Elementary Education with coursework in each of the following areas: Growth and Development Planning and Assessment Methods and Content Pedagogy Literacy Methods Pass the Elementary Education content test (197-200/305)

Middle Grades 5-8

The Middle Grades 5-8 endorsement may be added by passing the content exam and completing 18 semester hours of coursework in the content area.

*All Middle Grades 5-8 endorsements must include a content specific methods coursework within the 18 semester hour content coursework requirement.

Endorsement Type	Requirements
General Science	18 semester hours including a methods* Middle Grade Science (203) test
Language Arts	18 semester hours including a methods* Middle grade Language Arts (201) test
Mathematics	18 semester hours including a methods* Middle Grade Math (202) test
Social Sciences	18 semester hours including a methods* Middle Grade Social Science (204) test

Senior High 9-12

The Senior High 9-12 endorsement may be added by passing the content exam and completing 18 semester hours of coursework in the content area.

Endorsement Type	Requirements
English Language Arts	18 semester hours English Language Arts (111/207) test
Mathematics	18 semester hours Mathematics (208) test
Safety and Driver’s Education	18 semester hours with the following distribution: 3 semester hours in injury prevention or safety 9 semester hours in driver education that include: Driving task analysis (introduction to driver education) Teaching driver education in the classroom Teaching the laboratory portion of the driver education course, including on-street teaching under the supervision of a qualified driver education teacher, advanced driver education, and emergency evasive driving maneuvers 6 semester hours from two of the following areas: First aid Adolescent/young adult psychology Any safety-related issue relevant to driver education Advanced driver education in use of simulation/multiple care programs Health/wellness Care & prevention of injuries Alcohol/drug abuse issues Drivers Education for students with disabilities
Science – Biology	18 semester hours in Biology Science – Biology (105/239) test
Science – Chemistry	18 semester hours in Chemistry Science – Chemistry (106/240) test
Science – Earth & Space	18 semester hours in Earth & Space Science – Earth & Space (108/241) test
Science – Environmental	18 semester hours in Environmental Science – Environmental (112/242) test
Science – Physics	18 semester hours in Physics Science – Physics (116/243) test
Social Science – Economics	18 semester hours in Economics Social Science – Economics (109/244) test
Social Science – Geography	18 semester hours in Geography Social Science – Geography (113/245) test
Social Science – History	18 semester hours in History Social Science – History (114/246) test
Social Science – Political Science	18 semester hours in Political Science Social Science – Political Science (117/247) test
Social Science – Psychology	18 semester hours in Psychology Social Science – Psychology (118/248) test
Social Science – Sociology & Anthropology	18 semester hours in Social & Anthropology Social Science – Social & Anthropology (121/249) test

PEL CTE 5-12

The PEL CTE 5-12 endorsement may be added by passing the content exam and completing 18 semester hours of coursework in the content area.

Endorsement Type	Requirements
Agricultural Education (5-12)	18 semester hours Agricultural Education (170/215) test
Business, Marketing, and Computer Education (5-12)	18 semester hours Business, Marketing, & Computer Education (171/216 test)
Business, Marketing, and Computer Education – Business Computer Programming (5-12)	18 semester hours 9 of the 18 semester hours in Computer Programming Business, Marketing, & Computer Education (171/216 test)
Computer Applications (5-12)	18 semester hours
Computer Science (5-12)	18 semester hours Computer Science (038/205) test
Family and Consumer Science	18 semester hours Family and Consumer Science (172/217) test
Technology Education (Industrial Arts) (5-12)	18 semester hours Technology Education (174/219) test

Special

Endorsement Type	Requirements
Bilingual Education	18 semester hours of credit with coursework in each of the following areas: Foundations of bilingual education Assessment of bilingual students Methods and materials for teaching limited-English-proficient students in bilingual programs (this is a bilingual methods course) Cross-cultural studies for teaching limited-English-proficient students Methods and materials for teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) Elective (an additional bilingual or ESL course) 100 clock hours (or 3 months teaching experience) in a bilingual setting Degree completed in target language or Target Language Proficiency test passed.
English as a Second Language (ESL)	18 semester hours of credit with coursework in each of the following areas: Linguistics Theoretical foundations of teaching ESL Assessment of the bilingual student Methods and materials for teaching ESL Cross-cultural studies for teaching limited-English proficient students Elective (an additional ESL or bilingual course) 100 clock hours (or 3 months teaching experience) in an ESL setting
Dance	18 semester hours Dance (140/209) test
Drama/Theatre Arts	18 semester hours Drama/Theatre Arts (141/210) test
English as a New Language	18 semester hours English as a New Language (125/250) test
Foreign Language	18 semester hours Applicable foreign language test
Gifted Education Specialist	Hold an Illinois professional educator license endorsed in a teaching field Present evidence of two years of teaching experience on the Illinois professional educator license or a comparable out-of-state license involving the education of gifted students Hold a master's degree or higher awarded by a regionally accredited institution of higher education Complete a state-approved K-12 gifted education specialist program at a regionally-accredited institution of higher education (use form 73-05G to verify program completion) Includes clinical experiences with five or more students in both PK- grade 8 AND grades 9-12, and work with at least one student enrolled in PK-grade 8 and one student enrolled in grades 9-12. Pass the Gifted Specialist content test (312)
Gifted Education Teacher	18 semester hours of credit with coursework in each of the following areas: characteristics of the field of gifted education as it pertains to gifted children, including their cognitive, creative and affective development the wide range of ways in which a child is gifted; issues and practices in identifying and serving gifted children; and the manner in which assessment data shape decisions about identification, learning progress and outcomes theoretical and research-based data necessary for the development of programs, curriculum and instructional sequences for gifted children, especially those serving gifted students from diverse populations A Practicum Gifted Education (NES) (312) test
Health Education	18 semester hours Health Education (142/211) test
Library Information Specialist	18 semester hours Library Information Specialist (175/220) test
Music	18 semester hours Music (143/212) test
Physical Education	18 semester hours Physical Education (144/213) test
Reading Teacher	18 semester hours of credit with coursework in each of the following areas: Foundations of reading Content area reading Assessment and diagnosis of reading problems Developmental and remedial reading instruction, support, materials and resources Literature appropriate to students across all grade ranges Reading practicum Reading Teacher (177) or Reading Teacher (222) test
Reading Specialist	Hold a Illinois professional educator license endorsed in a teacher field Present evidence of two years of full-time teaching experience either on the Illinois professional educator license or on a comparable out-of-state license Hold a master's degree or higher from a regionally-accredited institution of higher education Complete a K-12 reading specialist preparation program from Illinois or out of state (use ISBE form 80-02 to verify program completion) Pass the Reading Specialist (176/221) content test
Technology Specialist	18 semester hours and Technology Specialist Test (178/223)
Visual Arts	18 semester hours Visual Arts (145/214) test

Supervisory Endorsements

Endorsement Type	Requirements
Supervisory Endorsements	Hold an Illinois license endorsement in one of the following: Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBSI PK-21 or K-21) Teacher of Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired (BPS PK-21 or K-21) Teacher of Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH PK-21 or K-21) Speech Language Pathologist (SLP PK-21 or K-21) Early Childhood Special Education (ECS3 B-3) School Support Personnel (School Social Worker, School Nurse, School Counselor, School Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist Non-Teaching. Complete a minimum of 8 semester hours of graduate professional education coursework in the following areas: Supervision of Personnel Administration and Organization of Schools

Endorsement Type

Requirements

Supervisory Endorsements

Hold an Illinois license endorsement in one of the following:
- Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBSI PK-21 or K-21)
- Teacher of Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired (BPS PK-21 or K-21)
- Teacher of Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH PK-21 or K-21)
- Speech Language Pathologist (SLP PK-21 or K-21)
- Early Childhood Special Education (ECS3 B-3)
- School Support Personnel (School Social Worker, School Nurse, School Counselor, School Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist Non-Teaching.
Complete a minimum of 8 semester hours of graduate professional education coursework in the following areas:
- Supervision of Personnel
- Administration and Organization of Schools

All grades for the endorsement coursework must be "C-" or higher, and coursework must be at the 100-level or higher from a regionally accredited college or university.
All test scores are valid indefinitely.

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Resources

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Early Childhood Education Birth-Grade 2

Elementary Education 1-6

Middle Grades 5-8

Senior High 9-12

PEL CTE 5-12

Special

Supervisory Endorsements

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Contact Information