Initial Certificate

Initial Teaching Certificate (Types 03, 04, 09, & 10)

Registration and Move to Standard

 

Overview

In Illinois, new teachers are issued Initial Teaching Certificates.  A teacher maintains an Initial certificate until that teacher has gained 4 years of full-time teaching experience (or its equivalent).  Teachers who have Initial Certificates need to focus on two components to maintain their certificates:

1. REGISTRATION.  You must keep your certificate REGISTERED.  As a part of the process of obtaining your Initial Certificate, you would have registered your certificate with the county in which you planned to teach or in which you lived.  That registration is valid for a period of 4 fiscal years.  (Note that if you registered prior to July 1, the period up to June 30 counted as the first of those 4 years.)  If you reach the end of the registration period and are not ready to "move to Standard", you will need to re-register your Initial Certificate.  An Initial Certificate may be re-registered indefinitely every 4 years until you move to Standard.


2. MOVE TO STANDARD.  At the end of the school year in which you complete 4 years of full-time teaching experience (or part-time experience equal to 4 years of full-time experience), you are required to apply for a Standard Certificate and register the new Standard Certificate with your county.  You will do this regardless of whether or not you have years left on your Initial Certificate's registration.  In order to move to a Standard Certificate, you must:
   
   
   1. DOCUMENT 4 YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE.  "Four years of teaching experience" means the equivalent of four years of full-time employment on a valid teaching certificate.  Experience does not have to be accumulated through full-time teaching.  For example, a teacher who teaches half-time may accumulate four years of teaching experience over the course of 8 years.  The years do not need to be consecutive.
      
      Time spent teaching or substituting in a public or private school on a valid teaching certificate counts toward the four years of experience.  Teaching in a home school does not.  Teaching on a substitute certificate (Type 39) or a transitional bilingual certificate (Type 29) does not count.
      
      To document your experience, obtain a letter on official school or district letterhead, signed by the chief district administrator, chief school administrator, or their designee, that documents the nature and duration of your teaching.  The original letter must be mailed or delivered to the Regional Office of Education in which you are registered. 
   
   
   2. FULFILL YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENT.   Unlike teachers who have Standard Certificates, your professional development requirement is NOT tied to your registration dates.  Instead, your professional development requirement must be complete at the time you are ready to move to standard (in other words, when you hit your 4 years of experience.)  If it takes you 8 years to accumulate your 4 years of full-time experience, then you have that entire time to fill your professional development requirement.  There are three options for filling your professional development requirement.  Those are explained in a detailed section below.

 

The Three Professional Development Options

There are many ways to fulfill your professional development requirement.  You will want to choose one of the following three "options" as your route:

Option 1: Required Unique Professional Development Activity - You may meet your professional
development obligation by completing any one of the following options:

1. Have earned a Masters Degree or a Doctoral Degree related to education any time prior to applying for the Standard Certificate.  (Yes, if you earned your certification as a part of a Masters program, you CAN use the Masters to fill your requirement.)  [Common.]
2. Have successfully participated in an [state-]approved Induction and Mentoring Program.  For those certified on or after September 1, 2007, this must be a two-year program.  [Common.]
3. Complete the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certificate process.  [Not common, especially for teachers in their first four years.]
4. Earn a subsequent Illinois certificate or endorsement (for which you would not have qualified at the time you earned your initial certificate.)  [Not common, but encouraged when logical.]
5. Have completed the requirements for becoming Highly Qualified in a teachable area for which you were not Highly Qualified at the beginning of this certificate's validity period.  [No longer common, as teacher education programs are now designed to already ensure that you meet HQ criteria when you graduate.]

Option 2: Required Coursework Professional Development Activities - You may meet your professional development obligation by completing any of the following options:

1. Complete 12 semester hours of graduate-level coursework applicable toward an advanced, education-related degree.  [Common, but we recommends that you not enter a graduate program until your third year of teaching to allow you to devote your time fully to your teaching.]
2. Complete a 12-semester-hour, post-baccalaureate, education-related professional development certificate issued by an Illinois institution of higher education.  [Uncommon]

Option 3: Required CPDU Professional Development Activities - Use this option to use a variety of activities (including workshops) to acquire the professional development hours. If using this option, you will need to accumulate 60 CPDU's.

There are 17 CPDU-qualifying activities available to teachers with Initial Certificates (versus 26 for those with Standard Certificates).  Note that you do not have the option to use all of the activities available to your Standard Certificate colleagues.  A full listing of qualifying activities is listed as the last topic on this page.

 

Special Note For Those With Administrative (Type 75) Certificates

While it is usually not recommended, it is possible for you to obtain a Type 75 Certificate and to begin working as an Assistant Principal, Principal, or other administrator position without ever having completed 4 years of teaching.  If this is the case, you will continue to renew your Initial Certificate indefinitely (unless you return to teaching).  If this happens, you will have to track your registrations and renewals carefully, as your Initial Certificate will be on a 4-year cycle and your Type 75 Certificate will be on a 5-year cycle, so that the two will not stay lined up.  See the Certificate Renewal for Administrators page for more information.

 

Using the ECS System to Renew and Register

The ECS database system is the system in which the Illinois State Board of Education maintains records of all of its certified education professionals. One of the benefits of this system, which was implemented in 2006, is the access that it gives educators to maintaining the accuracy of their own records. In ECS, you can:

• Update your personal and contact information.
• Update your academic information.
• Record your professional development activities.
• View your personal professional development requirements, based on your qualifications
  and work history.
• Submit your renewal and registrations online.

 

Click the button below for step-by-step instructions on using the ECS system.

 

To view this document, you will need a program that can read PDF files, such as Acrobat Reader (free download) or Preview.

 

Qualifying CPDU Professional Development Activities

If you choose Option 3 above (to use CPDU's as your means of completing your professional development requirement), you may accumulate those CPDU's through a variety of activities.  These activities are listed below.

 

Activity 01 - [Restricted to Standard Certificate Holders]

 

Activity 02 - Peer Review and Peer Coaching

Description

A process of one-on-one assistance between pairs of teachers that is formally established by agreement between a school district and its teachers or their exclusive representative, in which the participants establish specific goals for the teacher being reviewed and conduct a program of intervention to assist that teacher with particular aspects of his or her teaching that include observation and assessment of the teacher's performance in sessions lasting at least 20 minutes each, discussion of the observations made by the reviewing teacher, and preparation of a written summary by the reviewing teacher.  Peer coaching: A process of one-on-one assistance between pairs of teachers, whether by formal arrangement under the auspices of the employing district or by mutual agreement, in which the participants observe each other's teaching and discuss the observations made.

Required Documentation

1. The school's, district's, or representative's written description or policy;
2. A record of the certificate-holder's assignment and observation schedule; and
3. A log of the observation sessions and other meetings, indicating time spent, dates, and topics of discussion.

CPDU's Awarded

• For Peer Review - if 3 - 5 observations during the semester, 9 CPDU's
• For Peer Review - if 6 or more observations during the semester, 11 CPDU's
• For Peer Coaching - If 3 - 5 observations during the semester, 5 CPDU's
• For Peer Coaching - If 6 or more observations during the semester, 8 CPDU's

 

Activity 03 - Mentor, Consulting Teacher, Recipient, or Remediating Teacher

Description

Mentor: A formally established sequence of sessions lasting no less than one quarter of a school year and involving preparation with the recipient teacher prior to observing that teacher in the classroom; observations; and provision of feedback, suggestions, and techniques to the recipient teacher in response to each period of observation.

Consulting Teacher: Participation in the remediation process, involving assistance in the development of a remediation plan and provision of advice to teacher under remediation; and meetings lasting at least 20 minutes each with the remediating teacher to discuss how to improve teaching skills and successfully complete the remediation plan, to review lesson plans, to conduct demonstrations, or to improve feedback on observations conducted by an administrator; or meetings of the same length with administrator or other personnel to discuss the remediating teacher's progress or classroom observation; or classroom observation of the remediating teacher, including preparation with the remediating teacher prior to the observation, and provision of feedback, suggestions, and techniques to the remediating teacher in response to each period of observation.

Recipient or Remediating Teacher: A formally established sequence of sessions lasting no less than one quarter of the school year and involving consultation with the mentor or consulting teacher in preparation for the lessons to be observed; teaching under observation of the mentor or consulting teacher; and interaction with the mentor or consulting after each such teaching session to reflect upon the teaching and learning, receive feedback, discuss alternatives and suggestions, and determine how this information will be integrated into the teacher's future work.

Required Documentation

For a mentor, recipient, or remediating teacher:

1. The school's, district's, or institution's written description of its mentoring program or remediation process, including the required number and length of cycles of interaction; and
2. A log of the observation sessions and other meetings, indicating the time spent, dates, and topics of discussion.

For a consulting teacher:

1. The district's written description of its remediation process,
2. A record of assignment as consulting teacher, and
3. A log of the observation sessions and other meetings, indicating those present, the time spent, dates, and topics of discussion.

Notes

• "Meetings" refer only to those meetings not connected to observations by the consulting teacher
• "Observations" refer only to those observations conducted by the consulting teacher

 

CPDU's Awarded

For the Mentor or Recipient

• If 3 - 5 observations during the semester, 9 CPDU's
• If met 6 or more times during the semester, 11 CPDU's

For Consulting Teacher in remediation process

• If 3 - 5 meetings attended during the semester, 6 CPDU's
• If 3 - 5 meetings plus one or more observations during the semester, 9 CPDU's
• If 6 or more meetings attended during the semester, 8 CPDU's
• If 6 or more meetings plus one or more observations during the semester, 11 CPDU's

 

Activity 04 - [Restricted to Standard Certificate Holders]

Activity 05 - [Restricted to Standard Certificate Holders]

 

Activity 06 - Facilitating parent education programs

Description

Arranging for or coordinating presentations in the context of a formally established program consisting of two or more sessions designed to serve parents of the students in a particular school or district by informing or training them in one or more areas related either to their children's achievement or to another need identified in a school improvement plan.  Delivering presentations in the context of a formally established program, consisting of two or more sessions, designed to serve parents of the students in a particular school or district by informing or training them in one or more areas related either to their children's achievement or to another need identified in a school improvement plan (to the extent that such presentations are not part of the instruction routinely delivered as a function of the certificate-holder's assignment.)

Required Documentation

For Coordinating

1. The sponsoring entity's written description of the parent education program; and
2. A statement signed by the administrator or designee responsible for corroborating the individual's assignment as facilitator or coordinator or indicating that he or she performed these duties.

For Making Presentations

1. A written program description indicating that the certificate-holder served as a presenter in the program.

CPDU's Awarded

• For Facilitating: 4 CPDU's per semester or 2 CPDU's per quarter
• For Presenting: 8 CPDU's per semester or 4 CPDU's per quarter

 

Activity 07 - Business, School, or Community Partnerships

Description

Formal or informal exchange of information and resources between a teacher and a business, educational institution, or other entity for the purpose of improving student achievement or responding to a need identified in the school improvement plan.

Required Documentation

1. A written description of the partnership that states its goal(s), identifies the need(s) it is designed to meet, and describes the activities conducted by the certificate-holder; and
2. A copy of the relevant portion of the school improvement plan that includes the specific need(s) identified.

CPDU's Awarded

• If met 3 - 5 times during the semester, 5 CPDU's
• If met 6 or more times during the semester, 8 CPDU's

 

Activity 08 - [Restricted to Standard Certificate Holders]

Activity 09 - [Restricted to Standard Certificate Holders]

 

Activity 10 - Teaching College Courses

Description

Teaching a college-level course in a field related to an individual's certificate(s) and results in the granting of college credit to those enrolled.

Limitation: The same course may be counted only once in a five-year renewal cycle.  A course shall be considered "the same" if its description is the same in different course catalogues issued by the same institution or, for a course offered at more than one institution, if the syllabus for the course is substantially the same.  A course shall not be considered the same as another course if a student may receive credit for successfully completing both.  In cases where two courses appear similar, the certificate-holder wishing to claim CPDU's for both shall be required to demonstrate how the two differ.

Required Documentation

1. A course syllabus, signed contract or agreement or other documentation prepared by the college or university that identifies the certificate holder as the teacher of a particular course.

CPDU's Awarded

• 20 CPDU's (Once per cycle per course)

 

Activity 11 - N/A

Activity 11 is no longer in use.

 

Activity 12 - Workshops, Seminars, Conferences, Institutes, Symposia

Description

Attending and participating in a conference, workshop, institute, seminar, symposium, or other similar training event that addresses educational concerns and is organized by an approved provider.

Required Documentation

If Held in Illinois

1. ISBE Form 77-21 issued by the provider at the conclusion of the session or event; and
2. Program prepared by the entity sponsoring or conducting the event that indicates the topics covered and the length of time devoted to each.

For out-of-state training activities that do not target Illinois teachers

1. A program or agenda with the sessions you attended marked.

CPDU's Awarded

• 1 CPDU for each hour of participation

 

Activity 13 - Presenting at Workshops, Seminars, Conferences, Institutes, Symposia

Description

Making a presentation at a conference, workshop, institute, seminar, symposium, or other similar event whose goal is the improvement of teaching skills and knowledge.

Required Documentation

1. The program prepared by the entity sponsoring or conducting the event, identifying the certificate-holder as a presenter in a topic area relevant to his or her certification or teaching assignment.

CPDU's Awarded

• First time making the presentation, 8 CPDU's
• Subsequent times making the presentation, 3 CPDU's

 

Activity 14 - [Restricted to Standard Certificate Holders]

 

Activity 15 - [Training for] Review Team for Accreditation of Institution of Higher Education

Description

Participation in a complete training sequence regarding the process used by the State Board in approving teacher preparation programs or accrediting teacher preparation institutions.

Required Documentation

1. Certificate of completion issued by ISBE.

CPDU's Awarded

• First training sequence completed, 10 CPDU's
• Subsequent training (limited to one per cycle), 5 CPDU's

 

Activity 16 - Action Research and Inquiry Projects

Description

Conducting a teacher-developed study at least one quarter of the school year in length that is based upon a written protocol identifying the aspect of education that will be investigated, the approach to be used, and the desired or expected outcome of the project.

Required Documentation

1. The written protocol; and
2. A written summary of the inquiry and its results that describes what the certificate-holder has learned and identifies the implications of the experience for the individual's future teaching.

CPDU's Awarded

• For a project involving one's own class, 8 CPDU's
• For a project involving others' classes, 11 CPDU's

 

Activity 17 - Observing Programs or Teaching in Schools, Business, or Industry

Description

Observing programs or teaching in schools, related businesses, or industry that is systematic, purposeful, and relevant to certificate renewal.  Engaging in a series of observations, either of teaching performed by others or of work activity directly related to the certificate-holder's area(s) of certification.

Required Documentation

1. A description of the observations prepared by the certificate-holder, including work to be observed, the purpose for which the observations were to be conducted, the frequency and length of the periods of observation, what was learned, and how the information will be used in the individual's future teaching.

CPDU's Awarded

• 5 CPDU's per semester or 2.5 CPDU's per quarter.

 

Activity 18 - [Restricted to Standard Certificate Holders]

 

Activity 19 - Study Groups

Description

Attendance at and participation in no fewer than two-thirds of the meetings of a group that investigates one or more aspects of education in a series of regular, structured, collaborative interactions with a view to improve the members' practice or related outcomes among their students.

Required Documentation

1. A written statement of purpose for the group; 
2. A list of the group's members; and
3. Summaries of the meetings showing attendance by the individual who claims CPDU's for the activity.

CPDU's Awarded

• If attended 3 - 5 meetings during the semester, 6 CPDU's
• If attended 6 or more times during the semester, 8 CPDU's

 

Activity 20 - [Restricted to Standard Certificate Holders]

Activity 21 - Work/Learn Programs or Internships

Description

Participation in a structured program that pairs the certificate-holder with an employer or other entity under whose auspices the certificate-holder can acquire knowledge or skills for use in his or her future teaching or position.

Required Documentation

1. A signed letter from the employer or other entity verifying the nature of the program or internship and stating the length and frequency of the certificate-holder's direct contact with other individuals from whose knowledge or experience he or she was to benefit.

CPDU's Awarded

• If 1 - 10 contact hours, 5 CPDU's
• If 11 - 20 contact hours, 8 CPDU's
• If 21 or more contact hours, 11 CPDU's

 

Activity 22 - Curriculum Development or Assessment Activities

Description

Participating in curriculum development or assessment activities at the school, school district, regional office of education, state, or national level.  Assisting in the planning, development, or refinement of curriculum or assessments, or in their alignment with applicable standards; the activity must be one sanctioned or structured either by the employing school or district or by a statewide, national, or international educational agency or organization.  Requires participation in no fewer than two-thirds of the working sessions of any group for which CPDU's are claimed.

Required Documentation

1. Membership list and meeting summaries showing the certificate-holder's presence and participation; and
2. The product of the group's work, such as a curriculum guide or new assessment.

CPDU's Awarded

• If attended 3 - 5 meetings during the semester, 8 CPDU's
• If attended 6 or more times during the semester, 11 CPDU's

 

Activity 23 - Team or Department Leadership

Description

Service in a position of leadership established by a school or district as part of its formal structure and lasting no less than one semester; limited to those activities that relate to instruction in the area of assignment; shall not include tasks unrelated to teaching knowledge, skills, performance, or competence..

Required Documentation

1. Job description or other document created by the district or the administrator responsible for assigning a leadership role to the incumbent that is specific in terms of responsibilities to be carried out within particular periods of time relative to the instructional goals of the department, school, or district.

CPDU's Awarded

• 5 CPDU's per semester

 

Activity 24 - [Restricted to Standard Certificate Holders]

 

Activity 25 - Publishing Education Articles, Columns, or Books

Description

Publishing educational articles, columns, or books relevant to the certificate area being renewed.  Writing about educational research, experiences, issues, approaches, systems, or another topic that is related to the effective practice of teaching.  In cases of multiple authorship, the CPDU's earned will be divided among the authors as they agree, provided that no more than 100% of the available CPDU's will be awarded for any publication.

Required Documentation

1. A copy of each item published, showing the date, publication, and publisher.
2. In the case of an artistic work or other creative endeavor such as development of a curriculum unit or software package, the copyright shall serve as the evidence of "publication."

CPDU's Awarded

• If a technical or research book, 40 CPDU's
• If an other type of book, 20 CPDU's
• If a book with multiple authors, 15 CPDU's divided among the authors
• If a chapter in a book or article in a refereed journal, 15 CPDU's
• If a state-wide column, 8 CPDU's
• If a local column, 5 CPDU's

 

Activity 26 - Non-Strike-Related Professional Association or Union Service (LPDC/RPDRC)

Description

Participating in non-strike-related professional association or labor organization service or activities related to professional development.  Service on local professional development committees, regional professional development review committees (including service by certificate-holders in districts without exclusive representatives) or other bodies constituted by professional associations or labor organizations for specific purposes related to the profession of teaching.  Requires formal selection by the organization.  Examples include positions on committees planning for or formulating educational or professional policies, standards, and structures.  Activities related to the operations or functioning of the professional association or labor organization shall not be eligible.

Required Documentation

1. A written description of the position or activity; and
2. If the purpose of the activity includes the preparation of a tangible product, a copy of that product.

CPDU's Awarded

• If attended 3 - 5 meetings during the semester, 8 CPDU's
• If attended 6 or more times during the semester, 11 CPDU's

 

Activity 27 - Portfolio of Student and Teacher Work

Description

Portfolio of student and teacher work.  Preparation of at least five portfolio "artifacts" or "entries", each of which relates to a different assignment.

Required Documentation

1. Samples of at least three students' work that responds to the specified assignment; and
2. A written analysis prepared by the certificate holder that describes:
   1. The assignment to which the work responds and the teacher's goal(s) for that assignment
   2. The instructional strategies and materials used and the reasons for their selection
   3. What the students' work reveals about whether the teacher's goal(s) for the assignment were met
   4. The successful and less-than-successful elements of the assignment and changes the teacher might make in the assignment or in his or her teaching in order to reach the specified instructional goal(s).

CPDU's Awarded

• 15 CPDU's