Certification Information for School-based SLPs

Illinois State Board of Education - Educator Certification System (ECS) link: www.isbe.net/certification/default.htm.

Illinois State Board of Education Guide to Requirements for Certification, Endorsement and Assignment of Teachers, School Service Personnel, and Administrators link: Educator Certification Guide.

School Service Personnel (Type 73) Certificate Renewal Implemented July link: School Service Personnel.

ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION AND TESTING DIVISION TESTS REQUIRED FOR CERTIFICATES
September 2006 Link: Test Requirements.

From the Legislative Committee 2005 Report:

STATE ISSUE:  The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Rules for Public Act 1060 have finally been filed. While the law applies to all Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) applying for a Type 73 certificate, the part of the law we are writing about in this report applies only to SLPs who already hold the Illinois license and in many cases have been working in schools with substitute certificates or special “Other Speech-Language” (OSL) authorization.

ISBE will now send information to the Regional Offices of Education, but ISBE staff was not able to tell us prior to the newsletter deadline when this would occur. If you are a licensed SLP who wants to obtain a Type 73 certificate you need to

1. Successfully complete the Illinois Certification tests (Basic Skills Test and the SLP Type 73 test in speech-language pathology (information is available on the ISBE website at www.isbe.net ).

2. Show that you hold a master’s or doctoral degree from an ASHA-approved program

3. Document that you completed a supervised school internship.  If you have not completed a supervised school internship of at least 150 clock hours, request an interim certificate in SLP and serve at least 150 hours in a school setting. Then have your administrative supervisor sign a letter stating you have met the requirement.  

The interim certificate authorizes you to work in the schools while you complete the required 150 hours of school experience. That's a little more than four weeks.  The interim certificate is good for 3 years, but is NOT renewable. You're not a student teacher, you don't need an SLP supervising you, you get paid, but you're not fully credentialed yet. After that 150 hours your building supervisor or her designee writes a letter to ISBE certifying your successful completion of the 150 hours.  The letter has to state in detail how you've demonstrated competence in each of five areas:

A) planning and intervention; 

B) the learning environment;

C) service delivery;

D) professional conduct and ethics; and

E) facilitation and advocacy  

Your principal or her designee can't just list these areas; she has to mention specific activities she's observed you do.  An  ISBE official (currently Felicia Malloy)  reads these letters and decides whether your activities during the 150 hours as described is enough to prove you're competent to work in the schools.

 Type 79 Certification: Legislative Committee Article on Type 79 Certification