NCLB ACT and Illinois

Illinois Criteria for Highly Qualified Teachers

There have been a number of inquiries from students regarding the Illinois requirements to be considered highly qualified. This become particularly important for those who complete our ELE certification program and wish to teach in a middle school.

http://isbe.net/nclb/pdfs/highly_qualified_teacher_criteria.pdf is the URL for the ISBE information about this issue.

The Illinois criteria for meeting the NCLB requirements for highly qualified teachers were adopted on June 17, 2003.
According to the definition set forth in NCLB, teachers are considered to be highly qualified if they [a] have a bachelor's degree; [b] have full State certification/licensure; and [c] have demonstrated subject-matter competence in the area[s] taught.
The Elementary/Middle Grades Test - This is a new name for the Illinois Certification System Elementary Test. The name change is designed to more accurately reflect the content of the test and the range of grades covered.
Criteria for New Teachers to be Considered Highly Qualified
- Elementary Grades K-4 - Teaching Assignment - primary responsibility for teaching content in the core academic subjects in a self-contained classroom.
  
  OPTIONS to be considered highly qualified
  - hold Elementary Certificate [Type 03] that is endorsed for self-contained general education and pass the Elementary/Middle Grades Test.
  - hold Elementary Certificate [Type 03] that is endorsed for self-contained general education and hold a National Board Certificate as a Middle Childhood Generalist
- Middle Grades 5-8 - Teaching Assignment - primary responsibility for teaching content in the core academic subjects in a middle grades setting whether self-contained or departmentalized.
  
  OPTIONS to be considered highly qualified
- - hold Elementary Certificate [Type 03] and pass the Elementary/Middle Grades Test
  - hold Elementary Certificate [Type 03] and a middle grades endorsement or the coursework equivalent, and pass the Elementary/Middle Grades Test
  - hold a Secondary Certificate [Type 09] and meet one of the following options
  - - past the content-area test for each area of teaching responsibility [applicable only for grades 6-8] This only applies to those with a secondary certificate not to those with an elementary/middle grades certificate.
    - have a major or coursework equivalent to a major
    - have a graduate degree or advanced certification
      
      [e.g., NBPTS] in each area of teaching responsibility
      [applicable only for grades 6-8]
    - Pass the Elementary/Middle Grades Test.