Educator Certification
Renewal of School Service Personnel Certificates
Effective July 1, 2008, Illinois implemented renewal requirements for individuals who are employed in positions requiring School Service Personnel certificates in Illinois public schools. (If you are not employed in an Illinois public school or employed in a public school as a substitute on a part-time basis or a day-to-day basis, you are only required to pay the registration fee to renew your certificate.)
On or after September 1 of the final year of your validity cycle, you submit a “Statement of Assurance” listing sufficient professional development to cover the timeframe you were employed during the validity cycle. Once that Statement is approved by your Regional Superintendent and the State Teacher Certification Board (as opposed to the State Board of Education), you may reregister with your Regional Office of Education for the next validity cycle.
Anyone required to complete renewal should read the overview of the process to have a more thorough understanding of the renewal requirements.
Professional Development Options
The professional development options are as follows:
- complete the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification process;
- accrue 80 Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs);
- hold an active license issued by the State as a clinical professional counselor, a professional counselor, a clinical social worker, a social worker, or a speech-language pathologist;
- hold national certification as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist from the National School Psychology Certification Board;
- hold national certification as a National Certified School Nurse from the National Board for Certification of School Nurses;
- hold national certification as a National Certified Counselor or National Certified School Counselor from the National Board for Certified Counselors; or
- hold a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Note: CEUs and School Service Personnel Certificates
What paperwork will I need?
You submit the Statement of Assurance using the online system ECS (Educator Certification System). Please note that ECS is being modified to accept professional development for the School Service Personnel certificate and will likely be available in November 2008, which will allow sufficient time for submittal for those whose registration expires June 2009.
Registration can be paid once the Statement is approved by clicking on the link “Register Certificates” in ECS or by mailing the paper registration form and fee to your Regional Office of Education.
What if I have questions?
Regional Superintendents are locally elected officials who administer Regional Offices of Education that are grouped by county or counties throughout Illinois. Regional Offices are not entities of the State Board. Regional Superintendents make recommendations for renewal, register certificates, accept applications for certificates and endorsements, among other responsibilities. If you have questions or wish to submit certification documents, please contact the Regional Office that serves the school or district in the area where you are employed or if you are not currently employed, the area where you live. Educators who no longer live in Illinois register or apply through the Regional Office that last registered their certificates. The State Board is currently serving as the Regional Superintendent for City of Chicago only.
