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​​Educator Licensure Approval Requirements​

 Adaptive PE 226.850

Physical Education that has been modified to be appropriate for individuals with disabilities.

Requirements
  • An Illinois license with a PE endorsement for any grade range
  • ISBE Form 73-42: Request for Approval of Other Special Education Personnel
    • Officials from your school district must sign this form before it is submitted to ISBE.
Years Valid
District Specific

Limitations

Renewable?

 Bilingual Special Education 226.800(f)
Requirements

To qualify for this approval, you must meet all of the requirements in ONE of the following four options:

  • Option 1:
    • Hold an Illinois teaching license endorsed in a special education teaching field or a license with a special education approval
    • Complete the language proficiency assessment in the target language
    • Complete a theoretical foundations of bilingual/ESL education course
    • Complete a bilingual methods course
    • Complete an assessment of the bilingual student course
  • Option 2:
    • Hold a license endorsed in early childhood, elementary, secondary, or special education and an endorsement to teach bilingual education
    • Complete a course addressing characteristics of exceptional children
    • Complete a course addressing cross-categorical special education methods
    • Complete a course addressing psychological diagnosis for exceptional students
  • Option 3:
    • Hold a license with a transitional bilingual educator endorsement and have two years of successful teaching experience
    • Complete a course addressing characteristics of exceptional children
    • Complete a course addressing cross-categorical special education methods
    • Complete a survey of exceptional children course
    • Complete theoretical foundations of bilingual/ESL education course
    • Complete an assessment of the bilingual student course
  • Option 4:
    • Hold a license endorsed in a school support personnel area (School Counselor, School Social Worker, School Psychologist, or Speech Language Pathologist)
    • Successfully complete the bilingual language exam
    • Complete an assessment of the bilingual student course
Years Valid
The life of the PEL

Limitations

Renewable?

 Cued Speech Interpreter (Oral Transliteration) 25.550

This approval allows the holder to serve students with hearing loss.

Requirements
  • ONE of the following:
    • Have completed 60 semester hours of college credit from one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education
    • Hold an associate degree issued by a regionally accredited institution of higher education
    • Have achieved a passing score on the ParaPro test (offered by Educational Testing Service [ETS]) and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent
    • Have achieved a passing score on the written examination administered by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent
Years Valid
5

Limitations 

Renewable?
If PD Requirements have been met (50 clock hours of PD 25.550(c))

 Early Childhood Special Education 226.810(f)

This approval enables the holder to teach special education in Pre-Kindergarten.

Requirements
  • Hold an Illinois license endorsed in early childhood self-contained general education or LBS I (PK-21).
  • Complete coursework in the following four areas:
    • Early childhood special education assessment
    • Methods of instruction in early childhood special education
    • Development of language in the young child
    • Child, family, and community relationships
Years Valid
The life of the PEL

Limitations 

Renewable?
​

 English as a Second Language Special Education

Requirements

To qualify for this approval, you must meet the requirements in ONE of the following three options:

  • Option 1:
    • Hold a license endorsed in a special education teaching field or a license with a special education approval
    • Complete a theoretical foundations of bilingual/ESL education course
    • Complete an ESL methods course
    • Complete a bilingual assessment course
  • Option 2:
    • Hold a license endorsed in early childhood, elementary, secondary, or special education and ESL
    • Complete a course addressing characteristics of exceptional children
    • Complete a course addressing cross-categorical special education methods
    • Complete a course addressing psychological diagnosis for exceptional students
  • Option 3:
    • Hold a license endorsed in school support personnel (except school nurse)
    • Complete a bilingual assessment course
Years Valid
Life of the PEL

Limitations 

Renewable?

 Interim Sign Language Interpreter 25.550(a)(4)

When you apply for the 5 year sign language interpreter approval and you have not met the full requirements, you may qualify for an interim approval. This approval serves as a temporary approval until other requirements are met.

Requirements
  • ONE of the following:
    • Complete 60 semester hours of college credit from one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education
    • Hold an associate degree issued by a regionally accredited institution of higher education
    • Achieve a passing score on the ParaPro test (offered by Educational Testing Service [ETS]) and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent
    • Achieve a passing score on the written examination administered by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent
  • Attain a rating of level 3.0 on the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA)
Years Valid
2 Fiscal Year (June 30 immediately following two years of it being issued)

Limitations 
Before this approval expires, you should fulfill the requirements needed for the full sign language interpreter approval. This approval is not available to individuals who held initial approval issued prior to June 30, 2013

Renewable?
No

 Interveners for Students who are Deaf-Blind Approval

This approval allows the intervener to serve students with Deaf-Blindness.

Requirements
  • ONE of the following:
    • Have completed 60 semester hours of college credit from one or more regionally accredited institution(s) of higher education
    • Hold and associate degree issued by a regionally accredited institution of higher education AND
      Have achieved a passing score on the ParaPro test (offered by educational Testing Services [ETS])
  • Hold a National Intervener Credential/Certificate AND a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent
Years Valid
5

Limitations 

Renewable?
May be renewed if professional development requirements are met.

 Short-Term Approval for Teachers at All Grade Levels
Requirements
  • Hold a valid Professional Educator License (PEL).
  • ONE of the following:
    • Official transcripts showing completion of 9 hours of coursework in the subject area to be taught
    • A passing score on the corresponding Illinois Content Area Test
Years Valid

3 Fiscal Years

Limitations 

Educator must be working towards the requirements for the corresponding endorsement during validity period. Can be granted outside of the current grade range.

Not available for special education positions or Safety and Driver’s Education.

Renewable?

No​​​

 Short-Term Emergency 25.48

This approval allows the holder to serve K-12 students with the following disabilities, regardless of the teaching license held: learning disabilities, social emotional disorders, mental retardation, physical disabilities, autism, and traumatic brain injuries.

Requir​ements
  • Hold an Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) or an Educator License with Stipulations (ELS) endorsed in a teaching field.
  • ISBE Form 73-86
    • Your school district and regional superintendent must sign the form before it is sent to ISBE.
  • Documentation to be provided by the applicant:
    • Official transcripts showing completion of coursework in survey of exceptional children and at least one of the other three areas of coursework required for the LBS I approval
    • Educator’s plan of study identifying enrollment in an educator preparation institution and coursework to be completed to qualify for the LBSI approval or endorsement within the three-year validity period of the short-term emergency approval
  • Documentation to be provided by the employing district (public or non-public)
    • Description of the disabilities, type of classes, and age ranges of the population to be served by the candidate
    • Description of supervision, including the name, IEIN (Illinois Educator Identification Number), and the position title of the supervisor— The supervisor must hold a or b:
      1. general administrative, superintendent, or principal and LBS I (PK-21) endorsement
      2. an LBS I (PK-21) supervisory endorsement or the Director of Special Education endorsement
    • Description of the district’s efforts to locate a fully qualified individual for the position
Years Valid

3 Fiscal Years/3 years beginning with the next academic term

Limitations 

Before this approval expires, the educator should obtain the LBSI PK-21 endorsement.
If you already hold an LBSI endorsement or approval, you may apply for this approval to expand your grade range. Will not be issued after July 1, 2020.

Renewable?

No​​​​​

 Sign Language Interpreter 25.550

This approval allows the holder to serve students with hearing loss.

Requirements
  • ONE of the following:
    • Have completed 60 semester hours of college credit from one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education
    • Hold an associate degree issued by a regionally accredited institution of higher education
    • Have achieved a passing score on the ParaPro test (offered by Educational Testing Service [ETS]) and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent
    • Have achieved a passing score on the written examination administered by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent
  • ONE of the following:
    • Attained a rating of Level 3.5 or above on the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA)
    • Maintained a valid certification from the RID
    • Maintained a valid Illinois Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (IL BEI) Basic Certification or higher issued by the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission
Years Valid
5

Limitations 

Renewable?
Yes, if professional development requirements are met (50 clock hours of PD 25.550(c) and renewed between April 1 and June 30 of renewal cycle).

 Teacher Coordinator 226.800(d)
Requirements
  • Hold a license endorsed in PK-21 special education or LBSI grades 6-12 (secondary education LBSI)
  • Complete coursework addressing career and technical programming for students with disabilities
  • Complete ONE of the following:
    • A course in guidance and counseling
    • A course in career and technical education
    • One year of cumulative work experience outside the field of education
Years Valid
The life of the PEL

Limitations 

Renewable?

 Career and Technical Coordinator 226.800(c)
Requirements
  • Have two years of teaching experience
  • Hold a license endorsed for LBSI PK-21 or secondary education
  • Have completed at least 16 semester hours of college coursework, which shall at least include each of the areas identified in subsections (A) through (D) and may include one or more of the areas identified in subsections (E) through (H) of this section:
    1. Survey of the exceptional child.
    2. Diagnosis of, and characteristics of the student with, all the disabilities encompassed by the Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBSI) credential
    3. Adaptations or modifications of the general curriculum to meet the needs of students with disabilities encompassed by the LBSI credential
    4. Career and technical programming for students with disabilities
    5. Methods appropriate for teaching children with all disabilities encompassed by the LBSI credential
    6. Guidance and counseling
    7. Educational and psychological diagnosis
    8. Career and technical education
Years Valid
The life of the PEL

Limitations 
Renewable?

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