Wondering how to get a teaching certificate in Illinois? Getting a professional educator license (PEL) requires a combination of coursework, clinical experience, student teaching, and testing. There are endorsements for four main types of teaching certificates in Illinois:
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) offers the licenses above to all Illinois-based educators. Licensure for out-of-state and foreign teachers is offered through reciprocity. Additionally, there are alternative paths to becoming an Illinois certified teacher for those educators not following the traditional licensure path. We will cover all of these options below.
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Teacher certification programs in Illinois are offered through regionally accredited and board-approved degree-granting colleges. Out-of-state colleges offering educator preparation programs must be approved by their state's educational authority and their program must lead to licensure. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) further requires that all educator preparation programs provide participants with in-depth clinical experience and student teaching as a part of the curriculum. The ISBE website lists many in-state and out-of-state colleges that provide approved courses of study for Illinois teaching licenses.
Among the in-state colleges listed is one of Illinois' oldest universities. Chicago State University provides student teaching and clinical and field experiences that align with the ISBE's Illinois teaching license requirements. Their Department of Education offers programs in Bilingual Elementary Education; Career and Technical Education; Early Childhood; Elementary Education; and Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. They also list several options from the College of Arts and Sciences that cover many teacher endorsements. In addition, Chicago State University offers licensure services that assist with program information, transcript review, career advising, and processing applications for licensure and endorsements.
If you are looking for an online option, the University of Phoenix is listed on the ISBE's website as an approved out-of-state program provider. The University of Phoenix offers bachelor's programs in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. They offer Master of Arts programs in Administration and Supervision, Adult Education and Training, Curriculum and Instruction, Elementary Teacher Education, Secondary Teacher Education, and Special Education. They also offer Alternative Pathway certificates and a Doctor of Education program.
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Create AccountTo become a teacher in Illinois, you must first get your professional educator license (PEL). To do this, you must hold a bachelor's degree or higher, complete an approved educator preparation program, and pass the appropriate Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) test. All coursework completed for an Illinois teaching license must have earned a "C" grade or higher. Additionally, some certifications will require a professional license, internship, extra coursework, or teaching/work experience.
Your PEL must have one of the following area endorsements: teaching, special education, school support personnel, or administration. These area endorsements have multiple subject endorsements as well as content-specific endorsements that may be added to your PEL. While some subject endorsements require adding content-specific endorsements, others do not. Endorsements are added to your PEL and generally require the completion of 32 semester hours of coursework, but a combination of experience and coursework equaling 32 semester hours may be substituted with board approval.
If you are seeking an endorsement in teaching or special education, you must have a PEL, hold a bachelor's degree, complete the appropriate endorsement coursework, and take and pass the appropriate content-area assessments. If specializing in a particular subject area, you will need to add additional endorsements to your license. This can be done by taking and passing a content-area assessment. Special education PELs will also need a Learning Behavior Specialist I endorsement which can be added by completing the required coursework and passing the final assessment.
For a school support personnel endorsement, you will need a PEL, a master's degree or higher, completion of the appropriate endorsement coursework (including an internship), and passing the appropriate content-area assessments. A bachelor's degree is required to become a school nurse, but you must also be licensed as a registered professional nurse in Illinois. School social workers must have completed their educator preparation programs in a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Programs for speech-language pathologists will need to be accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
To receive an administrative endorsement, you will need a PEL, a master's degree or higher, completion of the appropriate endorsement coursework, and to take and pass the appropriate content-area assessments. Principal endorsements require four years of relevant experience. All other administrator endorsements require two years.
Individuals seeking initial licensure in Illinois must take and pass the Assessment of Professional Teaching (edTPA) developed by Stanford University. This test is a subject-specific, performance-based test administered by the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS). The table below lists available endorsement areas, the name of the assessment, and the passing score for Illinois.
| Endorsement Area | Assessment | Passing Score |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture Education | Agricultural Education | 39 |
| Business/Marketing/Computer Education | Business Education | 39 |
| Computer Science | Technology and Engineering Education | 39 |
| Dance | K-12 Performing Arts | 39 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts | K-12 Performing Arts | 39 |
| Early Childhood | Early Childhood | 39 |
| Early Childhood Special Education | Special Education | 39 |
| Elementary Education (K-9) | Literacy with Mathematics Task 4 Mathematics with Literacy Task 4 Elementary Literacy Elementary Mathematics Middle Childhood Mathematics Middle Childhood English-Language Arts Middle Childhood Science Middle Childhood History/Social Studies |
45 45 39 39 39 39 39 39 |
| English/Language Arts | Secondary English-Language Arts | 39 |
| English as a New Language | English as an Additional Language | 39 |
| English as a Second Language | English as an Additional Language | 39 |
| Family and Consumer Science - Apparel and Textiles | Family and Consumer Sciences | 39 |
| Family and Consumer Science - Living Environments | Family and Consumer Sciences | 39 |
| Family and Consumer Science - Nutrition, Wellness and Hospitality | Family and Consumer Sciences | 39 |
| Health Education | Health Education | 39 |
| Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS I) | Special Education | 39 |
| Library Information Specialist | School Librarian/Library Specialist | 39 |
| Mathematics | Secondary Mathematics | 39 |
| Middle-Grade Mathematics | Middle Childhood Mathematics | 39 |
| Middle-Grade Literacy/Language Arts | Middle Childhood English-Language Arts | 39 |
| Middle-Grade Science | Middle Childhood Science | 39 |
| Middle-Grade Social Science | Middle Childhood History/Social Studies | 39 |
| Music | K-12 Performing Arts | 39 |
| Physical Education | Physical Education | 39 |
| Science - Biology | Secondary Science | 39 |
| Science - Chemistry | Secondary Science | 39 |
| Science - Earth and Space Science | Secondary Science | 39 |
| Science - Environmental Science | Secondary Science | 39 |
| Science - Physics | Secondary Science | 39 |
| Social Science - Economics | Secondary History /Social Studies | 39 |
| Social Science - Geography | Secondary History /Social Studies | 39 |
| Social Science - History | Secondary History /Social Studies | 39 |
| Social Science - Political Science | Secondary History /Social Studies | 39 |
| Social Science - Psychology | Secondary History /Social Studies | 39 |
| Social Science - Sociology and Anthropology | Secondary History /Social Studies | 39 |
| Special Education | Special Education | 39 |
| Speech Language Pathologist | Special Education | 39 |
| Teacher of Deaf and Hard of Hearing | Special Education | 39 |
| Teacher of Blind and Visually Impaired | Special Education | 39 |
| Technology Education | Technology and Engineering Education | 39 |
| Technology Specialist | Educational Technology Specialist | 39 |
| Visual Arts | Visual Arts | 39 |
| Foreign Languages: Arabic Chinese (Cantonese) Chinese (Mandarin) French German Hebrew Italian Japanese Korean Russian Spanish |
World Language | 35 |
| Latin | Classical Languages | 35 |
Registration for testing is done online through the edTPA website. There is a fee to take the assessments, but there are no fees for changes made to registration. A partial refund will be given to anyone canceling their registration at least 24 hours before the exam.
On your test day, be sure to bring your government-issued identification. The identification must be identical to the name you used to register for the test, and it should include a photograph and your signature. You will be required to submit a digital print or signature before testing. Late arrivals will not be allowed to test.
Prospective educators in Illinois will need to undergo fingerprinting and criminal background checks before employment. The process involves the use of LiveScan equipment to record your prints. Your information will then be cross-checked against official documents from the Illinois State Police, the FBI, the Illinois Sex Offender Registry, and the Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registry. Anyone who is to have contact with students will need to submit to this testing.
The application process for Illinois teacher licensure is done online through the Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) accessible through the ISBE's website. To apply, you will need to create an account in ELIS. From there, you can select "Apply for a New License, Endorsement, or Approval" from the ELIS home screen. Your school will need to send sealed, official transcripts via mail. All other required documents can be submitted via email. You will also need to pay the application fee for your license. You may do this online with a credit card or through the mail with a check or money order.
There is currently a critical shortage of teachers in Illinois, so the Illinois State Board of Education has made provisions for an alternative educator licensure program for teachers. To apply, you must hold a bachelor's degree or higher and pass the appropriate content area test. You will be enrolled in a preparation program that focuses on teaching methods and pedagogical coursework. Upon completion of the coursework, you begin a two-year residency. You will be given an Educator License with Stipulations with an endorsement for Alternative Educator - ELS(APE).
In your first year of residency, you're assigned a teacher mentor and placed in a classroom as a full-time teacher. Before you reach your second year of residency, you must complete all required program coursework. In addition, you must have a recommendation from your program to enter into your second year of residency. During the first semester of your second year, you will need to pass the edTPA. If you meet all program requirements and successfully complete your second year of residency, your ELS(APE) is replaced with a PEL.
If you are an educator seeking an Illinois teaching certificate as an out-of-state candidate, there are several ways you can become licensed. If you possess a valid out-of-state license or certification in the area you are seeking to teach, you may apply with the ISBE. If you are not yet licensed but took an educator preparation program in another state, the program must be deemed comparable to Illinois educator preparation programs. This includes any internship hours that have been completed. All candidates will need to take the appropriate content-area tests.
Foreign teachers wishing to become licensed in Illinois will need to obtain an educator license with a stipulation endorsement for a Visiting International Educator. To do this, you must hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent, have taken a preparation program for the grade level you will be teaching, pass the teacher performance assessment, and pass a test to prove your command of the English language. In addition, you will need to send your translated transcripts to a board-approved evaluation service to determine if you are eligible for an Illinois teaching license. You will also need to undergo fingerprinting and a criminal background check.
The ISBE makes professional development mandatory for Illinois state teacher certification renewals. Educators may earn professional development hours by attending activities or by completing coursework. Approved coursework is offered through institutes of higher education and one semester hour of coursework is equal to 15 professional development hours. Educators submitting coursework for professional development hours will need to upload their transcripts through ELIS.
Teachers, school support personnel, and career and technical educators need to earn 120 professional development hours over five years to renew their licenses. Educational interpreters and interveners for students who are deaf-blind need only 50 hours of professional development to renew their license, while administrators are required to clock 100 hours. Administrators will also need to complete one course at the Illinois Administrators' Academy each fiscal year. Professional certifications or endorsements earned by an educator may decrease their required number of professional development hours.
Right now, all types of teachers are in high demand in the state of Illinois. There are a total of 1.9 million students currently enrolled in 3,849 schools in the Illinois school system. There are a little over 130,000 employed educators to teach them and the ISBE's website lists 4,120 unfilled positions.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median hourly wage for a teacher in Illinois as $22.25 per hour while the Illinois Report Card website lists a $70,705.00 annual salary for teachers. The Illinois Department of Central Management Services administers all Illinois State Employee benefits. They offer health insurance including dental, vision, and life insurance, plus a deferred compensation plan, flexible spending accounts, and a wellness program. Retirement for Illinois teachers is provided through the Illinois Teachers Retirement System (TRS). The TRS offers retirement benefits, a supplemental savings plan to boost your retirement income, retirement health insurance benefits, disability benefits, death benefits, and a retirement service credit program.
Amy Mayers, M.Ed. has taught middle school math for over 7 years. She is a Texas certified teacher for grades 4-12 in mathematics and has passed the TExES Math 4-8 and the TExES Math 7-12. Amy graduated with a B.S. in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Houston and a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of St. Thomas.
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