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School of Education - University of Wisconsin-Madison
B150 Education Building - 1000 Bascom Mall - Madison, WI 53706
Monday - Friday 7:45- 4:30 ~ 608-262-1755

 

 

Procedures for Illinois Teacher Certification for

Newly Certified WI Applicants

 

 

(Information taken from Illinois State Board of Education: Guide to Requirements for Certification, Endorsement, and Assignment of Teachers, School Service Personnel, and Administrators; July 2005) (also available in .pdf version)

 

*Page numbers (i.e., (p. 4, 6)) refer to pages this information can be found on in the .pdf version of the Guide to Requirements… document

**Comments made in red are made by EPCS

 

 

Certificate Types:

Elementary (K-9), Secondary (6-12), Special (K-12), Early Childhood (Birth – Grade 3) (p. 4, 6)*

 

(http://www.isbe.net/certification/requirements/types.htm)

 

 

Professional Teaching Certificate Level:

Initial Level – “Issued to new teachers and registered for four years at a time, the Initial Certificate is valid until four years of teaching have been obtained and expires on June 30 of the fourth year of experience.” (p. 6)

 

(http://www.isbe.net/certification/requirements/types.htm)

 

 

Obtaining a First Illinois Professional Certificate:

“Persons from other states may demonstrate they have met the requirement by presenting either: 1) a valid certificate from another state that is comparable to the type they seek in Illinois, or 2) by presenting a State-Approved Program Verification form (73-05) signed by the recommending institution’s designated authority and bearing the college seal that shows the student is prepared for the same type of certificate sought in Illinois.” (p. 7)

 

(http://www.isbe.net/certification/requirements/first_certificate.htm)

 

 

Transcript Evaluation:

“Transcript evaluation is available only to persons who either have completed an approved program in another state or who hold another state’s certificate comparable to the certificate they seek in Illinois. Applicants submit their application and official transcripts to the Illinois State Board of Education where the staff reviews the application, the applicant’s courses, and previous teaching experience to determine if the applicant meets minimum requirements for a certificate.” (p. 9)

 

  • Applicants for Transcript Evaluation (p. 10)
    • Complete the application form appropriate for the type of certificate sought: 73-03C, Application for Teaching Certificate
    • Go to the ECS (Educator's Certification System) website (https://secqa1.isbe.net/ecs/) and file the application electronically using a credit card (Applying using ECS seems like the easiest route for out-of-state applicants.)**
      OR
    • File the application with your regional superintendent of schools with the $30 application fee in the form directed by the regional superintendent. Include the following:
      • Official transcripts of all your work showing your degree and major
      • Either a completed State Approved Program Verification from (73-05) or a copy of your state’s current valid certificate
      • A letter of teaching experience signed by your district superintendent or other authorized district official

(When you get hired in a district, you will apply and send the necessary forms to that district’s regional superintendent. The district you are hired in will help you with the necessary paperwork and guide you through the process.)** 

 

(http://www.isbe.net/certification/requirements/first_certificate.htm)

 

“Illinois ’ law requires that all certificates must be registered with a regional superintendent of schools.  Certificates may be registered at a regional superintendent’s office or they may be registered on-line on our ECS system using a credit card.”  (p. 67)

 

 

Tests Required for Certificates: (p. 32)

Teaching Certificates:

Initial or Standard – Early Childhood-Type 04; Elementary-Type 03; Secondary-Type 09; Special Certificate-Type 10

Tests Required:

Basic Skills Test

  • Required prior to issuance of certificate

Content Test

  • The appropriate test of content knowledge is required prior to issuance of the certificate

Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT)

  • Individuals who apply for one of the above certificates on or after October 2003 are required to take the APT prior to issuance of any of these certificates
  • There are four levels of this test, one for each certificate type: Early Childhood (birth to grade 3), Elementary (K-9), Secondary (6-12), Special (K-12, P-21)

 

Illinois Certification Testing System (ICTS) (http://www.icts.nesinc.com/): This site includes the ICTS Registration Bulletin and study guides as well as information about registering for the ICTS, test dates, etc.

 

Read more about Requirements to Take Tests as Out-of-State Applicants (p. 34) (http://www.isbe.state.il.us/certification/requirements/testing.htm)

 

 

*Page numbers (i.e., (p. 4)) refer to pages this information can be found on in the .pdf version of the Guide to Requirements… document

**Comments made in red are made by EPCS

 

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