EDUCATOR IMPACT
Individuals currently enrolled in an Illinois
educator preparation program
A test of basic skills is no longer required prior to student teaching or
for licensure.
Individuals who are currently seeking the
Professional Educator License
A test of basic skills is no longer required for licensure.
Individuals enrolling in alternative educator
preparation programs
A test of basic skills is no longer required for admission into alternative
educator preparation programs.
Career and technical educators A test of work prociency (the ACT WorkKeys) will be used for license
renewal for educators issued an ELS-CTE or ELS-CTEP on or after January
1, 2015. Any previously completed tests of basic skills will be honored but not
available for new test attempts.
Transitional bilingual educators A test of basic skills is no longer required for licensure.
Paraprofessionals
The ETS-paraprofessional exam and ACT WorkKeys are no longer options for
obtaining licensure. ISBE is working with lawmakers to reinstate this option.
To whom does this legislation apply? How am I impacted if I fall into one of the groups below?
Frequently Asked Questions
My license is currently decient only for a test of basic skills. Will it be issued now?
Yes! The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will conduct a data run to pull the les of all educators who have decient
licenses and are missing a test of basic skills. Our evaluation team will update each evaluation to remove the test of basic
skills requirement and issue licenses that have no additional requirements missing. Please allow up to a month for your
application to be updated, since the volume of educators needing an update may be very high. You will receive an email
notice telling you to check your ELIS account once an update has been made.
AUGUST 2019
What the Elimination of the
Test of Basic Skills Means
for Educator Licensing
Public Act 101-0220 eliminates the requirement that
teacher candidates pass a test of basic skills to receive
a Professional Educator License. Here’s what you need
to know about how this change affects educator licensing.
PAGE 1 OF 2
What the Elimination of the Test of Basic Skills Means for Educator Licensing
isbe.net/licensure-requirements
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My license is currently deficient for a test of basic
skills AND another licensure requirement (e.g.,
content test, coursework, forms). Will my evaluation
be updated?
Yes, ISBE will conduct a data run to pull the files of all
educators who have deficient licenses and are missing a test
of basic skills. Our evaluation team will update each
evaluation to remove the test of basic skills requirement.
Please allow up to a month for your application to be
updated, since the volume of educators needing an update
may be very high. You will receive an email notice telling you
to check your ELIS account once an update has been made.
All other requirements must be met to receive a license.
Does the legislation only impact applications
submitted after the date the legislation becomes
effective?
No, all applications will be evaluated or re-evaluated under
the new legislation; none will require passage of a test of
basic skills.
Does my application need to meet current
requirements or the requirements in effect at the
time I applied?
All pending applications must meet current requirements for
licensure. You may need to complete additional coursework
or testing prior to receiving your license if
you completed your preparation program and applied for
licensure several years ago.
Do I still need to submit ACT, SAT, or Test of Academic
Proficiency (TAP) scores to ISBE?
No, tests of basic skills, including the ACT, SAT, and TAP, are
no longer required for educator licensure. You do not need
to send any scores to ISBE. Please note that an institution of
higher education may still require test scores for entry into
the institution or education programs; any required scores
should be sent directly to your college or university.
I did not successfully complete a past preparation
program because I needed to pass the test of basic
skills. What are my options now for gaining licensure?
You have two options:
1. You may reach out to your institution of higher education
and request that it again review your qualications and
recommend you for licensure to ISBE; or
2. You may submit an online application for the license you
are seeking to ISBE through your ELIS account.
Is the test of basic skills gone forever or temporarily?
The legislation eliminates the test of basic skills entirely.
I was previously unable to complete student teaching
because I had not yet passed the test of basic skills.
What are my options with this new legislation?
Since a test of basic skills is no longer required for any educator
license, you may begin student teaching without the test and
will not need to pass it for licensure. Please reach out to your
college or university to determine when you can begin your
student teaching experience.
I am already registered to take the ACT or SAT. Since I no
longer need this test, can I be refunded my test
registration fee?
The ACT and SAT are not administered by ISBE; thus, the
agency has no control over fees collected or refunded. Please
explore refund policies on each testing organization’s website
and reach out to the testing entity if you have questions.
Do I still need to pass the edTPA and content tests to
obtain a license?
Yes, candidates for a Professional Educator License still must
pass the edTPA and the content test relevant to
the subject and grade they intend to teach.
The law mentions a refund for edTPA test fees for
teachers in Evidence-Based Funding Tier 1 school
districts. How do I qualify for this refund?
The refund provision is applicable “subject to appropriation,”
which means that refunds will only take place if the Illinois
General Assembly appropriates, or grants, ISBE state money for
the purpose of edTPA refunds. ISBE has not yet received funds
for this purpose. If ISBE does receive this appropriation, the
agency will broadcast the news and how to apply for the refund
through various channels.
Does this law eliminate the test of basic skills as a
licensure option for paraprofessional candidates who do
not hold an associate's degree or higher or a minimum of
60 semester hours of credit?
Yes, however, ISBE is working with the sponsors of the
legislation to introduce a trailer bill this fall to reinstate the
option for paraprofessional candidates to earn the
endorsement through a competency test. Paraprofessional
candidates may proceed with taking the ETS-paraprofessional
exam or ACT WorkKeys with the understanding that ISBE
cannot consider a passing score as a means to obtain the
endorsement until subsequent legislation is enacted.
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AUGUST 2019