Become a Licensed Teacher in Illinois

Yes. If you complete an approved Wisconsin special education teacher preparation program, you can apply to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for a Professional Educator License (PEL) endorsed in Special Education. Illinois's cross-categorical special education credential lines up reasonably well with Wisconsin's. The Illinois early childhood special education credential is structured differently, so it's worth understanding both before you apply. Learn more about Illinois's Special Education Requirements.

Illinois issues its Professional Educator License (PEL) with a Special Education endorsement rather than a separate special education license. The 10 Sped Program's two licensure areas map to Illinois credentials as follows:

• Cross Categorical Special Education (Grades K-12) → Illinois's Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS I) endorsement, a K-22 PEL endorsement covering a broad range of disabilities. TLBS I requires passing the Illinois Learning Behavior Specialist I licensure test.
• Early Childhood Special Education (Birth to Grade 3) → Illinois's Early Childhood Special Education Approval. Unlike Wisconsin's standalone birth-to-grade-3 license, this is an add-on approval only: it can be added only to a PEL that already carries an Early Childhood Education or LBS I endorsement, and it authorizes teaching early childhood special education for children roughly ages 3 through 5. Illinois does not offer a single, standalone early childhood special education license the way Wisconsin does.

In practice, this means a Wisconsin early childhood special education candidate applying to Illinois will need a base PEL endorsement (Early Childhood Education or LBS I) before the Early Childhood Special Education Approval can be added — a two-step credential rather than the one-step license Wisconsin issues.

To qualify for an Illinois PEL with a Special Education endorsement after completing the Educate Pathways program, you should expect to need:

• A bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution.
  • • The 10 Sped Program Administrator will confirm your degree when you apply for the program.
• Completion of a state-approved special education preparation program.
  • 10 Sped is approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and offers early childhood (Birth to Grade 3) and cross-categorical (Grades K-12) special education licensure areas. Given the structural difference described above, the Program Administrator will collaborate with ISBE to determine which Illinois credential path (LBS I alone, or a base PEL endorsement plus the Early Childhood Special Education Approval) fits your preparation.
• Either a copy of a valid, comparable out-of-state teaching license, or — if you do not yet hold one — completion of ISBE Form 80-02, which Educate Pathways submits directly to ISBE on your behalf.
• Passing the Illinois Learning Behavior Specialist I content test.
  • As of January 1, 2026, Illinois requires reciprocity applicants to pass the Illinois content-area test for each endorsement area sought, including the LBS I test, through the Illinois Licensure Testing System, before ISBE will issue the PEL. ISBE has stated that tests from other states, including Praxis, cannot substitute for this, and there is no GPA-based exemption. Wisconsin's own GPA-based content proficiency review and any Praxis scores a candidate holds do not carry over.
• Payment of Illinois's PEL application fee ($150), plus a $60 registration fee once your license is approved.

Illinois has a documented option for this: Educate Pathways completes and submits ISBE Form 80-02 directly to ISBE, verifying that you completed a state-approved program and met its standards. Candidates who qualify this way generally receive a PEL matching the Illinois equivalent of their out-of-state program type, provided ISBE's evaluation doesn't identify testing, coursework, or other deficiencies, which, for early childhood special education candidates in particular, may include the base endorsement and Approval structure described above.

Yes, in some situations. If you have coursework or licensure testing still outstanding, Illinois offers an Educator License with Stipulations (a provisional license valid for one year) that authorizes you to teach while you complete outstanding requirements. If all deficiencies are resolved within one fiscal year, this provisional license can be exchanged for the full Professional Educator License at no additional fee.

Create an account in ISBE's Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS), apply for a PEL, have your official transcript(s) sent directly to ISBE, and either upload a copy of your out-of-state license or arrange for Educate Pathways to submit Form 80-02. ISBE's Professional Educator License Checklist for Out-of-State Applicants walks through each step in detail.

Educate Pathways is designed to help you meet Wisconsin special education licensure requirements while planning to teach in Illinois.

Our personalized support includes:

• Guidance on whether your preparation points toward Illinois's LBS I endorsement, or a base PEL endorsement plus the Early Childhood Special Education Approval
• Help mapping your Wisconsin coursework and field experience to Illinois's credential structure
• Completion of ISBE Form 80-02 documentation for candidates who haven't yet obtained their Wisconsin license
• Documentation of field experience, student teaching, and program completion for your Illinois application

Illinois describes its policy as "full reciprocity": under Part 25 of the Illinois Administrative Code, a valid, comparable out-of-state license must be deemed equivalent to the PEL, and ISBE will consider you for all endorsement areas listed on that license. As of January 1, 2026, reciprocity applicants must also pass the Illinois content-area test for each endorsement area sought — including LBS I — before ISBE issues the PEL, and ISBE has confirmed that out-of-state tests like Praxis cannot substitute, with no GPA-based exemption available. For special education specifically, the cross-categorical match to LBS I works cleanly, but early childhood special education candidates should expect ISBE to evaluate whether their Wisconsin credential supports the base-endorsement-plus-Approval structure Illinois requires, since Illinois doesn't have a single standalone credential to match against.

Educate Pathways programs are designed to prepare candidates for Wisconsin educator licensure and to support candidates who wish to pursue licensure in Illinois. Completion of any Educate Pathways program does not, by itself, guarantee licensure in Illinois. Licensure decisions are made solely by the Illinois State Board of Education, and requirements may change at any time. Applicants are responsible for reviewing the most current Illinois State Board of Education licensure requirements and for submitting all documentation requested by ISBE.

Learn more about current Illinois school job openings on the IASA Illinois Education Job Bank and other statewide educator job boards.