About
The purpose of the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) is to help identify, for licensure purposes, candidates who have demonstrated the level of knowledge required to perform satisfactorily in their fields of specialization.
The ILTS is aligned with state and national standards for educator preparation.
The ILTS consists of criterion-referenced, objective-based tests designed to measure a candidate's knowledge and skills in relation to an established standard rather than in relation to the performance of other candidates.
The involvement of public school teachers and educator preparation faculty is critical to the success of the ILTS program. Please help us maintain high-quality education in Illinois public schools. Get involved now!
Illinois State Board of Education encourages your participation.
Participants will:
- receive substitute reimbursement for their school (public school educators only);
- have the opportunity for professional growth and work in collaboration with educators in their field;
- be reimbursed for their travel and meal expenses; and
- be provided with hotel accommodations, if necessary.
Development
The development process may include the following activities:
If you become involved in any of the above activities, you may be asked to participate in one or more committees.
Test Fields Under Development
Review the list of test fields currently being developed. If you are currently certified and practicing in one or more of these fields, or preparing educator candidates in one of more of these fields, then we encourage your participation!
Reimbursement
General Information
These guidelines apply to individuals who attend Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Evaluation Systems group of Pearson test development conferences/meetings for the ILTS program.
Additional reimbursement instructions will be made available before each conference/meeting.
Completed forms should be submitted to Evaluation Systems as soon as possible after the conference to ensure reimbursement in four to six weeks.
Please send all correspondence regarding these policies to EvaluationSystemsCRG@pearson.com.
Please note: The Internal Revenue Service requires Evaluation Systems to have a social security number for all conference participants receiving expense reimbursements.
Substitute Teacher
During the school year (contract days), ISBE will reimburse a public school educator's school district for the cost of a substitute teacher.
Substitute reimbursement forms with additional instructions are distributed at each meeting.
Please note that payment will be sent directly to the committee member's designated school/district office.
Lodging
Hotel accommodations are available for those residing 50 or more miles from the meeting location, for those who are unable to travel due to adverse weather conditions, or as otherwise approved by Evaluation Systems. Hotel accommodations will be directly billed to Evaluation Systems. Although committee members will not be charged for their rooms, they will need to leave a deposit or credit card number at check-in to cover incidental expenses.
Travel
Evaluation Systems will reimburse personal automobile use at the federal mileage rate, roundtrip ground transportation, or airfare. Evaluation Systems requires prior approval for car rental and airfare expenses. Parking and toll expenses will also be reimbursed.
Meals
Depending on the conference agenda, a continental breakfast and lunch may be provided on the day of the conference. For meals that are not provided as a part of the meeting, a per diem reimbursement of $25 will be provided.
Your Reimbursement
Your expense reimbursement will be sent within approximately four to six weeks upon receipt of your correctly completed expense statement(s) and if you have submitted the following:
- W–9 form
Please note that a new W–9 form should be completed and returned for each test development conference that you attend. This policy is in place to ensure that there is no delay in processing your reimbursement check.
FAQs
Yes, you could be involved in the following types of test development activities:
- Content Validation Survey/Job Analysis Survey. As a public school educator or as a higher education faculty member you may be selected to participate in a survey to verify that the test objectives are related to the job.
- Field Testing. If you are a faculty member in an educator preparation program, you may be asked to assist in field testing the draft test items for your field by encouraging your students to participate. Participating in the field test will allow students to preview the types of items that may be on the actual ILTS tests.
Apply
Please complete an online application form to be considered for ILTS test development opportunities. Upon receipt, your application will be reviewed by Illinois Board of Education (ISBE) and the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson. If your qualifications match an opening, you will be sent an e-mail invitation. If all committees are full, we will keep your application on file for future use.
Nominate
Nominate your colleagues for consideration in serving on a Content Advisory Committee or the Content Bias Review Committee.
Spread the Word
Share with school administrators. Share this information with district-level human resource personnel, school principals, administrators, subject-area coordinators, and supervisors who may be able to nominate exemplary educators to participate in test development activities.
Share with college personnel. Share this information with college deans, educator preparation personnel, faculty in arts and sciences, and others who may be able to nominate exemplary educators to participate in test development activities.