Requirements to Become a Preschool Teacher in Illinois
Preschool teachers in Illinois typically teach general education to students younger than 5. Learn more about what you need to do to become a licensed preschool teacher, including specific degree and exam requirements.
Illinois Preschool Teacher Career Information
Preschool teachers generally teach children before they enter kindergarten. They help young students develop education, language, social, and motor skills through problem-solving, playing, and experimenting. If you are interested in becoming a preschool teacher in Illinois, read below to find out more about the requirements for the professional educator license in early childhood education, such as education and exams.
<table border="1"><tr><td> <b>Education Required</b> </td><td> Bachelor's degree with a state-approved teacher preparation program</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Experience Required</b> </td><td> Student teaching or equivalent</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Exam Requirements</b> </td><td> Basic skills test; ILTS early childhood content exam; edTPA</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>License Renewal Period</b> </td><td> Five years</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>CEU Credits Required for Renewal</b> </td><td> 120 hours of professional development</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Average Salary (2018)</b> </td><td> $31,500*</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Estimated Job Growth (2016-2026)</b> </td><td> 10.2%**</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), **Illinois Department of Employment Security
</i></p><h3 id="section---MeetTheEducationRequirements">Meet the Education Requirements</h3><p>A minimum of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education is required for all prospective preschool teachers. In addition, students must complete a state approved teacher preparation program. Students typically fulfill this requirement by completing an undergraduate degree program with a major in early childhood education. The major includes coursework covering topics such as child development, language literacy, and foundations of early childhood education.
</p><p>All prospective teachers in Illinois must complete coursework that covers four content areas: ESL/bilingual methods, reading methods, cross-categorical special education methods, and reading in the content area. Many students complete this requirement as part of their degree program. Students should check with their program to ensure that they choose the appropriate courses. The Illinois State Board of Education also maintains a list of pre-approved courses on its website.
</p><h3 id="section---CompleteTheRequiredExperience">Complete the Required Experience</h3><p>Before submitting a license application, prospective preschool teachers must complete student teaching experience. This is usually fulfilled as part the teacher preparation program. Students gain experience in planning curriculum, teaching students, and managing a classroom as a student teacher in a local school. Students may also have the opportunity to observe experienced teachers in a classroom setting.
</p><h3 id="section---PassAllRequiredExams">Pass All Required Exams</h3><p>Anyone applying for a professional educator license in Illinois must take a basic skills test. This requirement can be fulfilled by submitting scores form either the SAT or ACT. The minimum passing score for the SAT is 1110 (writing and language score of 26). The ACT's minimum passing score is 22 (writing score of 6). Those applying before June 30, 2019 can choose to submit the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) instead.
</p><p>All applicants must also take the Illinois teacher preparation assessment (edTPA) in Early Childhood once they finish their student teaching fieldwork. The passing score for this exam is 39.
</p><p>Prospective preschool teachers must also successfully complete the ILTS content area exam in Early Childhood Education. This is a computer-based 100 multiple-choice question exam that is offered throughout the year. It coves topics such as child development, language and literacy, curriculum methods, and child assessment. To pass this exam, test takes must receive a minimum score of 240.
</p><h3 id="section---ApplyForYourLicense">Apply For Your License</h3><p>You'll then need to submit proof of your teacher education program, student teaching experience, and passing test scores in order to apply for the professional educator license in early childhood education. With this licensure, you are allowed to teach general education to students from birth to grade 3. The license is valid for five years, and to renew, teachers must complete at least 120 hours of professional development and pay the registration fees. A list of approved professional development provides is administered by The Illinois Board of Education.</p>