2 1.1 The Process of Becoming a Teacher in Illinois

The Illinois State Board of Education website (ISBE, 2020) informed the content shared in Sections 1.1 and 1.2. Requirements can change quickly; therefore, please monitor the ISBE site for changes during your teacher education program.

The requirements for teacher licensure include the following:

1. A bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education
2. Proof of completion of a State Approved Program
3. Student teaching or equivalent experience
4. Completion of coursework* addressing methods of teaching exceptional children, reading methods, content area reading, and methods of teaching English learners
5. Completion of the ed TPA with satisfactory scores on the multiple measures assessed. The ed TPA consists primarily of written reflections, lesson plans, and videotaped classroom experiences to predict effective teaching and potential impact on students in the classroom. Guidelines, resources, and handbooks are available on the edTPA web page.
   1. The edTPA is completed during student teaching. Three to five lesson plans and a video component are required.
   2. The edTPA consists of context, planning, instruction, and assessment. The templates ask for information about a short teaching experience selected by the pre-service teacher.
   3. Test scores must meet Illinois requirements.
6. Completion of the Content Specialty Test for your degree. Under the Tests link on the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) web page, you will find a list of content specialty tests. To gain initial licensure, you must demonstrate mastery of your chosen discipline. Many of these links will indicate the test format, the time the test will take, and study guides for the test.