edTPA for Illinois

Candidates applying for initial licensure in Illinois on or after July 1, 2015 (if educator preparation program was completed at an out-of-state institution) or September 1, 2015 (if the educator preparation program was completed in Illinois and student teaching was completed September 1, 2015 or later), are required to take and pass an evidence-based assessment of teacher effectiveness. edTPA has been approved to satisfy this requirement for licensure.

Additionally, the ISBE has established an edTPA passing standard plan which includes state approved cut scores. If a candidate completed the teacher performance assessment as part of an educator preparation program in another state, and received a passing score in that state, Illinois will honor the score as passing in Illinois. If the other state has not established a threshold for passing, the individual will need to meet the cut score established in Illinois.

Beginning January 30, 2018, teacher candidates in Illinois will be prompted to enter their Illinois Educator Identification Number (IEIN) upon edTPA registration. The IEIN is a unique number assigned to each individual by the Illinois State Board of Education when his/her ELIS account is created. To access ELIS or to create an account, please visit the Illinois State Board of Education link opens in a new window.

Illinois candidates who wish to submit an alternative to video evidence should review the information on Alternative to Video Evidence for Illinois Candidates: Options and Instructions.

For more information about edTPA in Illinois, visit the Illinois State Board of Education link opens in a new window.

Assessment Areas for Illinois

Assessment Areas and Passing Scores for Illinois

edTPA is offered in the following assessment areas for Illinois. Candidates should confirm assessment selection with their advisor or the ISBE before registering.

Illinois Initial Teaching Endorsement Area edTPA Handbook Illinois Passing Score
Agriculture Education Agricultural Education 39
Business/Marketing/Computer Education Business Education 39
Computer Science Technology and Engineering Education 39
Dance K–12 Performing Arts 39
Drama/Theatre Arts K–12 Performing Arts 39
Early Childhood Early Childhood 39
Early Childhood Special Education Special Education 39
Elementary Education (K-9) Elementary Education: Literacy with Mathematics Task 4 45
Elementary Education: Mathematics with Literacy Task 4 45
Elementary Literacy 39
Elementary Mathematics 39
Middle Childhood Mathematics 39
Middle Childhood English-Language Arts 39
Middle Childhood Science 39
Middle Childhood History/Social Studies 39
English/Language Arts Secondary English-Language Arts 39
English as a New Language English as an Additional Language 39
English as a Second Language English as an Additional Language 39
Family and Consumer Science—Apparel and Textiles Family and Consumer Sciences 39
Family and Consumer Science—Living Environments Family and Consumer Sciences 39
Family and Consumer Science—Nutrition, Wellness and Hospitality Family and Consumer Sciences 39
Health Education Health Education 39
Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS I) Special Education 39
Library Information Specialist School Librarian/Library Specialist 39
Mathematics Secondary Mathematics 39
Middle Grade Mathematics Middle Childhood Mathematics 39
Middle Grade Literacy/Language Arts Middle Childhood English-Language Arts 39
Middle Grade Science Middle Childhood Science 39
Middle Grade Social Science Middle Childhood History/Social Studies 39
Music K–12 Performing Arts 39
Physical Education Physical Education 39
Science - Biology Secondary Science 39
Science - Chemistry Secondary Science 39
Science - Earth and Space Science Secondary Science 39
Science - Environmental Science Secondary Science 39
Science - Physics Secondary Science 39
Social Science - Economics Secondary History /Social Studies 39
Social Scienc - Geography Secondary History /Social Studies 39
Social Science - History Secondary History /Social Studies 39
Social Science - Political Science Secondary History /Social Studies 39
Social Science - Psychology Secondary History /Social Studies 39
Social Science - Sociology and Anthropology Secondary History /Social Studies 39
Special Education Special Education 39
Speech Language Pathologist Special Education 39
Teacher of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Special Education 39
Teacher of Blind and Visually Impaired Special Education 39
Technology Education Technology and Engineering Education 39
Technology Specialist Educational Technology Specialist 39
Visual Arts Visual Arts 39
Foreign Languages:
Arabic
Chinese (Cantonese)
Chinese (Mandarin)
French
German
Hebrew
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Russian
Spanish 		World Language 35
Latin Classical Languages 35

Alternative Arrangements

Effective August 6, 2021, Illinois teacher candidates may not be required to submit test materials by video submission. For guidance and instructions for submitting an alternative to video evidence, please contact edTPAEPPSupport@pearson.com.

Passing Score Plan for Illinois

The Illinois State Board of Education has established an edTPA cutscore plan that includes a "ramping up" over 5 years, beginning in September 2015 and ending with September 2019.

UPDATE: At the November 22, 2019, meeting, the Illinois State Board of Education made a decision to keep the 2018–2019 cutscores as the approved cutscores for the state-established passing standard.

table with the cutscore date ranges, for 13, 15, and 18 rubric fields
Date Range Passing Score,
13-Rubric Fields		 Passing Score,
15-Rubric Fields		 Passing Score,
18-Rubric Fields
9/1/2015–8/31/2016 31 35 41
9/1/2016–8/31/2017 31 35 41
9/1/2017–8/31/2018 33 37 43
9/1/2018 and beyond 35 39 45

Illinois candidates who do not meet the Illinois approved performance requirement may retake the assessment by choosing one of the edTPA retake options available. Candidates should consult with their faculty advisor before proceeding with a retake and can find important information in Guidelines for edTPA Retake Decision-making and Support PDF. Before registering, candidates should review the Instructions for edTPA Retake PDF document for guidance on registration and submission requirements. Note: The edTPA Score Confirmation Service is not available for Illinois candidates.

Your handbook selection should be aligned with your clinical experience. Please call or contact your state office of educator licensing for specific details.

Illinois State Department of Education link opens in a new window

For additional information regarding edTPA state policies, please review state participation information at edtpa.org link opens in a new window.

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