Requirements for Specific Teacher Certificates
Certification | College of Education

Early Childhood Certificate (Type 04 - Birth through grade 3)

Individuals who wish to teach in a preschool program or a general classroom from preschool through grade 3 must meet the general requirements for certification and:

• complete an approved early childhood education program, including 32 semester hours in early childhood education or a major in early childhood education as otherwise defined by the institution,
• pass the early childhood education content-area test, and
• pass the early childhood Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT).

Individuals who wish to teach special education in preschool (birth through age 6, excluding kindergarten) must hold either a preschool education certificate or a Special P-21 certificate that has been endorsed for learning behavior specialist I, and they must complete coursework that has been approved by ISBE for a letter of preschool special education.approval. Roosevelt University College of Education, Early Childhood Education program requires four courses in addition to SPED 319/419, Exceptional Children and Youth.

These courses are:

For undergraduate students:

• ECHD 305: Assessment in Early Childhood Education
• ECHD 309: Child, Family, and Community
• ECHD 334: Language Development
• ECHD 382: Early Childhood Special Education Methods

For graduate students:

• ECHD 405: Assessment in Early Childhood Education
• ECHD 409: Child, Family, and Community
• ECHD 434: Language Development
• ECHD 482: Early Childhood Special Education Methods

Elementary Certificate (Type 03 - Grades K-9)

Individuals who wish to teach in a general classroom from kindergarten through grade 9 must meet the general requirements for certification and

• complete an approved elementary education program,
• pass the elementary education content-area test, and
• pass the elementary education Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT)

Elementary certificate holders who wish to teach in a departmentalized middle grades setting (grades 5-8) must also hold a middle grade endorsement or otherwise meet the middle grades teaching requirements. See separate section on middle grade requirements.

Secondary Certificate (Type 09 - Grades 6-12)

Candidates for a secondary certificate must meet the general requirements for certification, complete an approved secondary education program, including 32 semester hours in the endorsement area or a major as otherwise defined by the institution,

• pass the content-area test(s) for the area(s) of specialization, and
• pass the secondary education Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT).

Secondary certificate holders may teach in grades 6-12 only in the area(s) of endorsement. Endorsement areas include the original area of specialization for the certificate ( e.g ., secondary mathematics) and any additional endorsements subsequently earned by meeting the relevant requirements ( e.g., secondary English language arts).

Secondary certificate holders who wish to teach in a departmentalized middle grades setting (grades 5-8) must also hold a middle grade endorsement or otherwise meet the middle grades teaching requirements. See separate section on middle grade requirements.

Note: secondary certificate holders may not teach in grade 5, even with the middle grades endorsement.

Special Preschool through Age 21 Certificate (Type 10)

The Special P-21 certificate is used exclusively for special education. Each candidate for this certificate must meet the general requirements for certification and

• complete an approved special education program, including 32 semester hours in the field or a major as otherwise defined by the institution,
• pass the content-area test(s) for the area(s) of specialization, and
• pass the Special K-12 Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT)
• pass the Special Education General Curriculum (SEGC) test

Special Education certification is guided by special rules commonly known as the "Transition Rules."

Candidates are urged to discuss the requirements for teaching
special education with an advisor in the College of Education, Special Education Department at 847-619-8831, a Regional Office of Education, or the State Board of Education.