Illinois Bill Stiffens Testing Rules For Aspiring Teachers

By Sean Cavanagh

The Illinois legislature has approved a proposal that would require most aspiring teachers to pass a basic-skills test before entering colleges' teacher education programs, a standard that could set one of the earliest such deadlines in the country.

Sponsored by Sen. Dan Cronin, a Republican, and other lawmakers, the measure also would make most would-be teachers pass exams in their subject areas before they began student teaching.

After sweeping through the House and the Senate with little resistance and with bipartisan backing, Senate Bill 1953 now awaits the signature of Gov. George Ryan, a Republican, who has not indicated if he...