Reading Teacher Endorsement in Illinois
If you're already certified to teach in Illinois, you can add an endorsement to your license to focus on educating students in reading. The requirements are outlined in the article below.
Illinois Reading Teacher Career Overview
Reading teachers in Illinois design lessons and instruct students in order to improve their reading comprehension and literacy skills. However, in Illinois, you can't only become certified to teach reading; you must already have a professional educator license in the state in an approved teaching field; then you can add reading teaching as a subsequent endorsement to your existing license. You'll just need to complete some extra requirements to become a reading teacher.
<table border="1"><tr><td> Education/Experience Required </td><td> Bachelor's degree and teacher preparation program approved by the state; specific reading coursework</td></tr>
<tr><td> Exams Required </td><td> ILTS Reading Teaching exam (177) or Reading Specialist exam (176)</td></tr>
<tr><td> License Validity Period </td><td> Five years</td></tr>
<tr><td>Requirements for Renewal</td><td> 120 professional development hours</td></tr>
<tr><td> Mean Salary for Illinois Teachers (2018)* </td><td> $31,500 (preschool); $55,660 (kindergarten); $62,140 (elementary school); $63,860 (middle school); $72,370 (high school)</td></tr>
<tr><td> Estimated Job Growth for Teachers Nationwide (2016-2026)* </td><td> 10% (preschool); 7% (kindergarten and elementary school); 8% (middle and high school)</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
</i></p><h3 id="section---PrerequisitesForEarningAReadingTeacherEndorsement">Prerequisites for Earning a Reading Teacher Endorsement</h3><p>A reading teacher endorsement in Illinois requires you to already have an Illinois teaching license. Receiving an Illinois teaching license requires the completion of a bachelor's degree, a state-approved teacher preparation program and licensing exams. Once teachers have a professional educator license, they can complete requirements to add the reading teacher endorsement. In general, Illinois only allows subsequent endorsements in the same grade level as the existing teaching license. However, since the reading teacher endorsement is for PreK- Grade 12, educators may have a teaching license for any grade level.
</p><h3 id="section---RequiredCourseworkToBecomeAReadingTeacher">Required Coursework to Become a Reading Teacher</h3><p>A teacher must complete 24 credit hours of coursework, at an undergraduate or graduate level, with coursework in specific reading topics. These topics include the foundations of reading, content area reading, recognizing reading problems, instruction, and resources for developmental and remedial reading and literature for different grade levels. It also must include a reading practicum.
</p><p>Teachers can complete this coursework through a state-approved reading teacher preparation program (a list of institutions with state-approved teacher preparation programs is available on the Illinois State Board of Education website). However, they can also complete the coursework at any regionally accredited college or university.
</p><h3 id="section---ReadingTeacherLicensingTest">Reading Teacher Licensing Test</h3><p>Another requirement to earn a reading teacher endorsement is to pass the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) Reading Teaching exam (177). Or, you can pass the Reading Specialist exam (176) to receive a reading teacher endorsement; however, understand that a reading specialist endorsement is a separate endorsement that requires additional coursework and preparation.
</p><p>The ILTS Reading Teaching exam covers language and literacy development, reading instruction, how to assess students' reading skills and address challenges and more. The passing score is 240 and the exam costs $122 as of 2019.
</p><p>Note that Illinois is in the process of changing the reading teacher exam, and as of 2019 is planning to switch to a new exam (ILTS test 222) in summer 2020.
</p><h3 id="section---AddingAReadingEndorsementToYourTeachingLicense">Adding a Reading Endorsement to Your Teaching License</h3><p>Once you complete the required coursework and pass the ILTS exam, apply to add the reading teaching endorsement to your professional educator license through the online Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS), which is where you apply for your original teaching certificate. You'll be asked to provide a transcript with proof of coursework. Once the endorsement is added, you'll just need to continue to pay the $10 per year to register your teaching license and renew it every five years with 120 professional development hours.</p>