Navigating the Path: Illinois Special Education Teacher Requirements

Special education teachers play a vital role in the education system, providing specialized instruction and support to students with disabilities. These educators not only possess a deep understanding of diverse learning needs but also employ effective teaching strategies to help students achieve their full potential. In Illinois, becoming a certified special education teacher involves specific requirements and pathways. This article outlines the necessary steps and provides information on licensure, educational programs, and professional development opportunities for aspiring and current special education teachers in Illinois.

The Role of a Special Education Teacher

Special educators are exceptional teachers who have a deep understanding of students with disabilities and a repertoire of effective instructional strategies that enable them to help students reach their maximum potential. Beyond instruction, special educators often serve as mentors to other teachers, manage educational teams, coach paraprofessionals, and maintain close communication with parents.

Pathways to Licensure in Illinois

To teach in Illinois, you'll need at least a bachelor's degree and a teaching license. In Illinois, teachers earn a license to teach a specific set of grades and subjects. Your next steps will look different depending on your background. Several pathways to licensure are available in Illinois, catering to individuals with varying educational backgrounds and experiences. These include traditional undergraduate programs, graduate-level programs, and alternative licensure options.

Traditional Route (For Undergraduates): The traditional route toward teaching licensure in Illinois entails completing a bachelor’s degree as well a teacher preparation program in the area you wish to specialize in. Select Illinois institutions offer bachelor’s degree programs in education, special education or other specialized areas covering the coursework required to qualify for licensure. Students in these programs must ensure that they meet other ISBE requirements for Illinois licensure, including student teaching and passing competency exams. Many colleges and universities offer a teacher preparation program that goes along with a degree in education or a teaching subject, like math, history, or art.
Graduate Level Programs (For Graduates): At the graduate level, aspiring special education teachers have several options. They may enroll in a regionally accredited teacher-preparation program that confers an endorsement in the area of special education where they wish to teach. They may also pursue a master’s degree or a doctorate in special education that includes the course requirements for teaching in Illinois special-education classrooms.

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Alternative Licensure: Illinois colleges and universities may offer alternative licensure programs for teachers with bachelor’s degrees and related experience. All the alternative options require that applicants have an undergraduate degree (not necessarily in education), as well as education coursework and passing scores on competency exams. Teachers may be awarded an Educator License With Stipulations with endorsements such as the Alternative Provisional Teacher Endorsement or the Resident Teacher Endorsement. The Alternative Provisional Teacher Endorsement is valid for two years, and for a third year if requirements are met. The Resident Teacher Endorsement is valid for four years (but not after June 30, 2017).
Out-of-State Educators: ISBE’s guidelines for out-of-state applicants indicate that the state will grant reciprocity to people who graduated from comparable, accredited teacher preparation programs outside of Illinois if they hold a valid credential. Candidates must submit certified transcripts, verification forms and letters attesting to teaching experience, which the ISBE uses to determine whether it awards a PEL or an Educator License With Stipulations, which is good for only two years and can be upgraded to a PEL provided that the requirements for the PEL have been met during those two years. Candidates prepared outside of the United States must meet all the same coursework, examination and professional requirements mandated for in-state applicants, and must submit their official transcripts and any related documents to an ISBE-approved source for foreign-credential evaluations.

Pro Tip: If you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree or have vocational work experience, you may be eligible for alternative pathways to licensure that put you in the classroom faster. Licensure-only or Residency Licensure programs can get you licensed to teach without earning an additional degree.

Key Requirements for Licensure

Regardless of the chosen pathway, certain requirements must be met to obtain a Professional Educator License (PEL) with a special education endorsement in Illinois. These typically include:

Bachelor's Degree: A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution is a fundamental requirement.
Teacher Preparation Program: Completion of an approved teacher preparation program with a focus on special education is essential. These programs provide coursework and practical experiences aligned with Illinois' standards for special education teachers.
Student Teaching: A student teaching experience, also known as clinical practice, is a crucial component of teacher preparation programs. This hands-on experience allows aspiring teachers to work under the guidance of experienced educators in real classroom settings. As you work toward your degree, you will take courses in reading instruction, English language learning and special education. At the end of your program, you’ll participate in a student teaching experience.
Competency Exams: Teacher candidates are required to pass specific tests that evaluate your knowledge of teaching and the subject area you wish to teach.
- The first one is, technically, not a test. The EdTPA (Educative Teacher Performance Assessment) aims to ensure that new teachers have the skills they’ll need to be successful in the classroom. It’s not a sit-down exam, but a performance evaluation. A scorer evaluates your EdTPA. Each of the three tasks (planning, instruction, assessment) is broken into five rubrics, for 15 total, and those are scored between 1 and 5.
- Now, for the actual test: The Illinois Licensure Testing System exam. For students seeking licensure in early-childhood special education (newborn to third grade), Test 152 is required. For students seeking licensure in special education, kindergarten through age 21, you’ll take Test 163 on general curriculum, which lasts three hours and costs $99.
Application for Licensure: Apply for your professional educator license online through the Illinois Educator Licensure Information System. Once that’s all been approved, you have to register in the region where you’ll be teaching.

Types of Licenses and Endorsements

The ISBE’s Educator Licensure webpage links to descriptions of the process for obtaining an Illinois teaching license and summaries of the endorsements issued. New teachers apply for the Professional Educator License (PEL), valid for five years, and for endorsements in the areas of concentration for which they have studied, including early childhood, elementary, secondary and special education. This license is renewable provided that continuing education requirements have been met. Professionals who achieve National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification receive the master teacher designation on their license. For information on certification in specific areas of special education, consult the ISBE’s Special Education Certification Information webpage.

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Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS1) Endorsement

The nine-month Special Education Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS1) Endorsement program is designed to prepare currently licensed teachers for new roles as collaborators in specialized instruction and as advocates for students with disabilities. The program addresses the essential knowledge, skills and dispositions required to work with students with both high-incidence and low-incidence disabilities from ages five to 21 in a variety of settings, with an emphasis on helping them succeed in the general education curriculum.

Educators who earn a LBSI endorsement may work as special education teachers in urban and suburban, public and private schools, and private practice and private learning centers provide other career options. A critical shortage of special education teachers makes job opportunities plentiful.

The Special Education (LBSI) Endorsement program leads to a LBSI endorsement from the Illinois State Board of Education, which can be added to an Illinois teaching license (PEL).

The full Special Education (LBSI) endorsement program includes four courses (16 quarter hours) in Literacy and Specialized Instruction; however, students may apply to the Illinois State Board of Education for the LBSI endorsement (usually prior to beginning the program) and then take only the courses for which the state determines they are deficient (this may be fewer than the full number listed as the program’s requirements.) Each course in this program requires 10 hours of field experience that can be completed in the candidates own school or classroom.

Educational Programs in Special Education

Several universities and colleges in Illinois offer programs designed to prepare individuals for careers in special education. These programs vary in their focus and structure, catering to different interests and career goals.

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DePaul University: Courses in the Special Education Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS1) Endorsement program are a subset of courses in the Special Education for Teachers concentration in the Special Education master’s degree program.
Northern Illinois University: Northern Illinois University, located in Dekalb, offers several degree and licensure programs through its Special & Early Education department. Undergraduates can concurrently earn a bachelor’s degree and qualify for licensure or endorsement through the Learning Behavior Specialist I or Visual Disabilities Program. Options for graduate students include master’s degree programs with emphases in Advanced Special Education Practices, Early Childhood Special Education, Learning Behavior Specialist I, Learning Behavior Specialist II and Visual Disabilities. The school also offers graduate licensure and endorsement programs including Assistive Technology Specialist, Behavior Intervention Specialist, Curriculum Adaptation Specialist, Director of Special Education and Multiple Disabilities Specialist, as well as a program awarding a short-term emergency license in Special Education.

Financial Assistance

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), is the resource for information on financial aid and college planning in Illinois. From their Paying for College page, you can access information on types of financial aid, tips on applying for financial aid, and more. The federal government also offers financial aid. This program is typically eligible for financial aid.

Financial assistance is available, including limited scholarships and grants that cover the full cost of attendance.

Career Opportunities and Job Outlook

A higher-than-average level of need and a relatively high population density make Illinois a prime location for special educators, particularly those who want to work in urban districts in Chicago. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 14.5 percent of the state’s student population is identified as having disabilities, more than the national average of 13 percent.

Illinois employs 20,703 special education teachers, reports Concordia University. The state has 869 school districts containing 4,453 public schools, 39 charter schools and 1,491 private schools.

Finding a Job

Find a job in one of 700+ IEA Affiliated School Districts in Illinois.
Public schools: Chicago Public Schools’ career opportunities webpage provides links to current vacancies.
The Illinois Education Job Bank allows educators to browse openings and refine their searches by position, county and keyword.
Private schools: Located in Glen Ellyn, the Phillip J. Rock Center and School is a service of Project Reach. Its residential school and resource center serve students who are deaf-blind.

Professional Development and Resources

Continuous professional development is crucial for special education teachers to stay updated on best practices and evolving research in the field. Illinois offers various resources and opportunities for professional growth.

Districts and teachers can submit a request for training, technical assistance or conference presentations from the ISBE’s Special Education Division.
The Illinois Service Resource Center provides trainings, onsite support and resources for educators and families working with students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Project CHOICES is an Illinois-based initiative providing on-site learning opportunities for educational professionals interested in adapting curriculum, collaboration, developing community partnerships and using effective instructional practices.
Educator resource guides, professional referrals and training programs are among the offerings of the Illinois Autism Training and Technical Assistance Project.

Illinois Professional Organizations for Special Educators

The state teacher’s union, the Illinois Education Association (IEA), is open to elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty and staff, teachers in training and retired teachers.
The ISBE oversees several advisory boards of interest to special educators and the populations they serve. Among them are the Illinois Advisory Board for Services for Persons Who are Deaf-Blind, the Illinois Interagency Coordination Council, the Illinois Purchase Care Review Board, the Illinois State Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities and the School Health Advisory Committee.

PULSE Program

The PULSE program is designed for special education paraprofessionals with at least 2 years of classroom experience seeking to earn their bachelor’s degree in special education and their Professional Educator’s License (PEL) with a Learning Behavioral Specialist 1 (LBS 1) endorsement. This program is fully online and is designed to specifically meet the educational needs of adult learners and capitalize on your experiences as working paraprofessionals.

To initiate the admission process, submit the pre-application form. All PULSE candidates must receive support from their school district/cooperative to be considered for admission to the program. Following review of your completed pre-application form, an advisor will communicate with you directly.

Special Education, BS

The Special Education, BS is designed to prepare special education teachers for students kindergarten-age 22. An applicant must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 (A = 4.0), a minimum of 50 hours of prior experience with individuals with disabilities, and sophomore or higher standing prior to entering the professional education sequence of the program. A minimum of 125 semester hours of credit is required for graduation.

Students pursuing teacher licensure programs in the College of Education (COE) must meet requirements in a series of sequential gateways. Included in the gateway requirements are successful completion of specified coursework, achievement of appropriate grade point averages, requirements for clinical experiences, and appropriate tests for the licensure area. In order to be recommended for licensure, candidates are required to maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 (A = 4.0). Candidates in teaching licensure programs must maintain a C- or better in ALL content and professional education coursework. Students completing their degree before May 2026 should consult the 2023-2024 Catalog to guide their selection of courses.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum hours required for graduation: 125 hours. Requirements for licensure: Minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.5 (A=4.0); Receive a grade of C- or better in licensure coursework.

Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement. The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.

Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program. This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English.

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