To serve as a paraprofessional an individual must hold either:
- A valid Illinois teaching license (Professional Educator License), or
- A valid Illinois substitute teaching license (must have a BA degree in any subject), or
- A valid Illinois paraprofessional license
- A valid Short-Term Approval
If you are eligible for a teaching or substitute license, the District encourages you to obtain that license as it allows you the most flexibility in terms of being able to serve as a paraprofessional, substitute or teacher in the district.
If you are not eligible for a teaching or substitute license, then you must meet the following requirements to obtain your paraprofessional license or approval:
- Have 60 semester hours of college credit, or
- Associates degree or higher, or
- A High School diploma or GED AND passed the ETS Paraprofessional Assessment, or
- A High School diploma or GED AND passed the ACT WorkKeys assessments
To apply for a paraprofessional license you will need to use ELIS, the online licensure system with the IL State Board of Education (ISBE).
Transcripts, diploma/GED, or Assessment results should be sent to our regional office of education in Des Plaines (North Cook Intermediate Service Center – NCISC) to the attention of:
Izabela Kuczek
1001 East Touhy Ave., Suite 200
Des Plaines, IL 60018
If you have any questions about certification, please contact North Cook ISC at 847-824-8300 or visit www.ncisc.org.