Content Area Standards for Educators
In fulfillment of its goal to provide quality education that is Second to None for all Illinois children, the State Board of Education has adopted a standards-led approach to teaching and learning.
The development of the Illinois professional education standards for teachers, school support personnel, and administrators is the result of more than four years of collaborative work by hundreds of educators and citizens throughout Illinois. The State Board gratefully acknowledges the important contribution of all who gave their time, effort, and expertise to this project.
The Illinois professional education standards establish the
- framework for the improvement of teaching and learning;
- foundation for the design of educator preparation programs at colleges and universities;
- criteria for the approval of preparation programs at colleges and universities;
- basis for state licensure tests;
- guidelines for the induction of novice teachers; and
- foundation for ongoing professional development.
This document includes the Content-Area Standards for Educators that define the knowledge and skills teachers, school support personnel, and administrators must demonstrate in their specific subject areas and professional roles to ensure that Illinois students meet or exceed the expectations defined by the Illinois Learning Standards. In addition to the content-area standards, all teachers are expected to meet the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and the Social and Emotional Learning Standards. Social and Emotional Learning Standards and the Educational Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC 2008, adopted by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration.
The standards are effective as rules of the State Board of Education and are recorded in the administrative rules.
The Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) test, which is required for teacher licensure in Illinois, assesses applicants’ knowledge of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. Testing information can be found at http://www.isbe.net/licensure/html/testing.htm.