FAQS
Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS)
What is ELIS and how do I access it?
ELIS stands for Educator Licensure Information System and it is
the database for teaching licenses through the Illinois State Board of
Education.
ELIS allows you to:
- View credentials
- Renew, reinstate or register your existing educator license
- Apply for licenses, endorsements or approvals
- Enter in professional development activities
- Update your personal information including contact information
To Set-up a New Account on ELIS (Educator Licensure Information System):
1. Go to the Illinois State Board of Education website: https://www.isbe.net
2. Click Systems
Quick Links from top of page.
3. Click
ELIS:
Educator Licensure Information Systems
4. Under
EDUCATOR
ACCESS, click Login to your ELIS account.
5. Click CLICK
HERE FOR FIRST TIME ACCESS TO THE ELIS SYSTEM. This will direct
you to create an IWAS for Educators account to access ELIS and view your
credentials. After creating your account, you will be able to log in to
ELIS anytime to access your information.
After completion of setting up your account:
- A window should read – Welcome to your personal IWAS for Educators account.
- Click Continue. ELIS
will launch.
I don't remember my ELIS username. What do I do?
- Go to the ELIS Log In page on
the ISBE website.
- Click Find Login/Password.
- Follow the instructions from there.
If you are still having issues, call the ROE office
at 618-825-3900 and we can give you your ELIS username.
I don't remember my ELIS password. What do I do?
- Go to the ELIS Log In page on
the ISBE website.
- Click Find Login/Password.
- Follow the instructions from there.
(Password information will be emailed to the email address your account is
listed under. If you no longer have access to that email address, you
will need to call ISBE at 217-557-6763 or email ISBE at help@isbe.net.
If you are still having issues, call ISBE at 217-557-6763
or email ISBE at help@isbe.net.
The ROE is not able to reset your account password.
How do I change my name, address, phone number or email address in
ELIS?
To change your name:
- Complete the 73-71 licensure
update form.
- Email the form to jhicks@sccroe50.org randell@sccroe50.org
or dwillett@sccroe50.org
You will need to submit a form of documentation (current drivers license or
marriage license/divorce papers) for a name change.
To change your address, phone number, and email address:
You can change your
address, phone number, and email address on ELIS. Simply click the editing icon
(pencil) and select edit educator.
Getting Started With Licensure
Can I become a substitute teacher without a bachelors degree?
Yes!
In order to substitute teach without a bachelors degree you will need to obtain
a Short Term Substitute License (STS) through the Illinois State Board of
Education (ISBE). At this time, Illinois is offering an STS for those who
have an Associate's Degree or at least 60 college credit hours (100 level or
higher). This will allow you to substitute teach in the state of
Illinois. You can only substitute teach for a teacher for no more than 5
consecutive days with a STS.
I want to go back to school be become a teacher. How do I do this?
To become a licensed teacher in the state of Illinois you will
need to complete a full or focused education program by a regionally accredited
college or university. If you already hold a college bachelors degree or
higher, this does not necessarily mean you need to obtain another bachelors
degree. This is dependent on the college or university you attend as to
how they will get you to the point of entitlement of a teaching license. Seek additional
information from the college or university you are interested in
attending.
Can I obtain my initial teaching
license through an online program and transfer it to Illinois?
Yes, as long as the online school is a regionally
accredited school and the program leads to full licensure in the home
state of the school, you can transfer the license to Illinois.
Once you are ready to transfer your out of state teaching license to an
Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL), follow these steps:
NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT USE GOOGLE
CHROME AS YOUR BROWSER.
- Submit an online application for a PEL on the Illinois State
Board of Education (ISBE) ELIS site. There is a $150
fee.
If you do not already have an ELIS (Educator License Information
System) account:
- Go to the Illinois State
Board of Education ELIS Log in page
- Click CLICK HERE
FOR FIRST TIME ACCESS TO THE ELIS SYSTEM.
This will direct you to create an IWAS for Educators account to access ELIS and
view your credentials. After creating your account, you will be able to
log in to ELIS anytime to access your information.
- Send official college transcripts* to ROE 50 at jhicks@sccroe50.org randell@sccroe50.org
or dwillett@sccroe50.org or
mail to:
Regional Office of Education #50
1000 South Illinois Street
Belleville, IL 62220
*College transcripts:
- If emailed, all transcripts need to come directly from a clearinghouse
designated by the respective University.
- If mailed, all transcripts must be in a sealed envelope directly from the
University or you can drop off sealed transcripts if you physically have them.
If you drop them off you must make an appointment on our website www.sccroe50.org.
Upon issuance of the license by the Illinois State Board of
Education, your license must be registered with our #50 region. This can be
done once your license is Issued on your ELIS account and no
longer Pending Review. There is a $60 fee to register your license.
- In your ELIS account,
select the registration link in the action center box on the home page and
follow the prompt.
- Choose Region #50 St. Clair County.
If your license is already registered with another region, you will not need to pay any additional fees
to register with region #50. Click register in another region and choose #50
St. Clair County.
Is there a way for me to become a Paraprofessional if I do not
have any college coursework?
To become a Paraprofessional you need at least 60 hours of
college coursework (100 level or higher) or an Associate's Degree. If you
have not completed those requirements you are still eligible to become a
Paraprofessional by successfully completing the Applied Math and WorkPlace
Documents tests through WorkKeys.
To become a Paraprofessional without the prior college coursework, follow these
steps:
- Submit an online application for a Paraprofessional on the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)
ELIS site. There is a $50 fee.
If you do not already have an ELIS (Educator License Information
System) account:
- Go to the Illinois State Board of Education
ELIS Log in page
- Click CLICK HERE FOR FIRST TIME ACCESS TO
THE ELIS SYSTEM. This will direct you to create an IWAS
for Educators account to access ELIS and view your credentials.
After creating your account, you will be able to log in to ELIS anytime to
access your information.
- Provide proof of graduating from high school or completing a GED by
submitting a copy of your high school transcript, diploma or GED certificate to
the ROE at jhicks@sccroe50.org randell@sccroe50.org
or dwillett@sccroe50.org,
by fax 618-825-3999, or bring it into the office. You will need to make an
appointment if you are dropping it off at the office on our website www.sccroe50.org.
- Schedule to take the Applied Math and WorkPlace Documents test through
WorkKeys. The Monroe-Randolph Regional Office of Education is an approved
WorkKeys testing site. Register Here.
Lapsed and Out of State License/License Renewal
I have an out of state license. How do I get my Illinois
teaching license?
At this time, Illinois offers full reciprocity, which means in
order to get an Illinois teaching license, you need only a valid, comparable
out of state license and your official college transcripts.
To get a Professional Educator License (PEL) in Illinois,
follow these steps:
NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT USE GOOGLE
CHROME AS YOUR BROWSER.
- Submit an online application for a PEL on the Illinois State
Board of Education (ISBE) ELIS site. There is a $150
fee.
If you do not already have an ELIS (Educator License Information
System) account:
- Go to the Illinois State
Board of Education ELIS Log in page
- Click CLICK HERE
FOR FIRST TIME ACCESS TO THE ELIS SYSTEM.
This will direct you to create an IWAS for Educators account to access ELIS and
view your credentials. After creating your account, you will be able to
log in to ELIS anytime to access your information.
- Send out of state teaching license and official college transcripts* to
ROE 50 at jhicks@sccroe50.org randell@sccroe50.org
or dwillett@sccroe50.org or
mail to:
Regional Office of Education #50
1000 South Illinois Street
Belleville, IL 62220
*College transcripts:
- If emailed, all transcripts need to come directly from a clearinghouse
designated by the respective University.
- If mailed, all transcripts must be in a sealed envelope directly from the
University or you can drop off sealed transcripts if you physically have them.
If you drop them off you must make an appointment on our website www.sccroe50.org.
Upon issuance of the license by the Illinois State Board of
Education, your license must be registered with our #50 region. This can be
done once your license is Issued on your ELIS account and no
longer Pending Review. There is a $60 fee to register your license.
- In your ELIS account,
select the registration link in the action center box on the home page and follow
the prompt.
- Choose Region #50 St. Clair County.
If your license is already registered with another region, you will not need to pay any additional fees
to register with region #50. Click register in another region and choose #50
St. Clair County.
I have an Illinois license that is already registered in another
region. What do I need to do to register in St. Clair County?
- Log into your ELIS account.
- Under Credentials, click “Register in another Region”
- Scroll down until you see #50 St. Clair County.
(There is no fee to register in additional counties.)
I let my teaching license lapse. How do I get it reinstated?
In order to reinstate a lapsed teaching license, you need to
fulfill any Professional Development requirements in place at the time your
license lapsed. To access this information, log in to your ELIS account to view outstanding PD requirements. Also, check
out the PD opportunities available through ROE #50 on our website www.sccroe50.org and
TeachIllinois.
Once that is complete, there are
two options in reinstating a lapsed license:
1. Apply for reinstatement through your ELIS
account and submit an
official transcript* showing 9 applicable college credit hours within the last
5 years. Please notify the ROE when choosing this step once you have submitted
your transcripts. We can rush the evaluation to get the PEL issued quicker.
2. Apply for reinstatement through your ELIS
account and pay a $500
penalty fee through ELIS. Once choosing this option on ELIS, it will
take you through the steps to reinstate your License.
Once your license is reinstated, you will need to
pay your back registration fees for ROE #50 St. Clair County, in addition to
the registration fees to re-register for the next 5 years. If you would like to
register with additional regions you can do so at no additional cost.
------
*Official college transcripts can be emailed to the
ROE at jhicks@sccroe50.org randell@sccroe50.org or dwillett@sccroe50.org or mailed to:
Regional Office of Education #50
1000 South Illinois Street
Belleville, IL 62220
College transcripts:
- If emailed, all transcripts need to come directly
from a clearinghouse designated by the respective University.
- If mailed, all transcripts must be in a sealed
envelope directly from the University or you can drop off sealed transcripts if
you physically have them. If you drop them off you must make an appointment on
our website www.sccroe50.org.
I didn't work in the last five years and now it will not let me
renew my teaching license. What do I do?
If you were not working in an Illinois public school classroom within
the last five years you do not have required PD hours to complete for those
given years. However, in order to make this reflect in ELIS and allow you
to renew your license, you will need to log in to your ELIS account
and change your PD employment status to exempt for the respective years.
To update PD Employment Status:
- Click on the editing icon (pencil) to update your PD Employment Status to exempt.
- Click finish to
save changes.
After making this update your PD requirements should automatically
update. If they do not, log out of your ELIS account and log back in to
see the updated information.
Then, you can move into renewing your license in your ELIS account.
Professional Development &
Endorsements
How many PD hours do I need in order
to renew my license?
ISBE requires 24 hours of PD every year you are working in an
Illinois Public School as a classroom teacher. You are exempted from the PD
requirement if you are working out of state, working at a Private or Parochial
School, or are not working as the classroom teacher in a public school (i.e.
working as a Paraprofessional or Substitute Teacher).
To view specific hours for your License, log in to your ELIS account Profile
and click on PD status.
I want to add an endorsement to my Illinois teaching license. How
do I do that?
Per ISBE's
Subsequent Teaching Endorsements page, once you hold a
Professional Educator License (PEL) or Educator License with Stipulations
endorsed in a teaching field, you can add additional content area endorsements.
These endorsements can be added at any grade level even if the underlying
teaching endorsement on the PEL is a different grade range, with the
appropriate coursework and content test. The PEL serves as a foundation to
which any teaching endorsement can be added after applicable coursework and
testing are completed.
Illinois offers full reciprocity for all endorsements listed on a valid,
comparable out-of-state license. To add subsequent endorsements to your
Professional Educator License (PEL) via reciprocity, please apply for the
endorsement in your ELIS account and provide a copy of your valid, comparable
out-of-state license.
Steps to add endorsements in ELIS:
NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT USE GOOGLE
CHROME AS YOUR BROWSER.
- Before applying for additional endorsements, verify that all your
transcripts* have been added to your ELIS account.
- If all transcripts are up to date in your ELIS account
click on Actions > Apply for Endorsements. Continue through to
complete the process of adding an endorsement. Fees apply for each
endorsement added.
* To have transcripts updated, send official college transcripts to
ROE 50 at jhicks@sccroe50.org randell@sccroe50.org
or dwillett@sccroe50.org or
mail to:
Regional Office of Education #50
1000 South Illinois Street
Belleville, IL 62220
College transcripts:
- If emailed, all transcripts need to come directly from a clearinghouse
designated by the respective University.
- If mailed, all transcripts must be in a sealed envelope directly from the
University or you can drop off sealed transcripts if you physically have them.
If you drop them off you must make an appointment on our website www.sccroe50.org.
I have a teaching license endorsed in LBS 1 prek-21. Can I
teach early childhood special education?
You must hold the Early Childhood Special Education approval or
the Early Childhood Special Education Endorsement in order to teach Early
Childhood Special Education. If you do not hold one of those two options,
you must apply for the Approval through your ELIS account.
Once you applied through ELIS, send official transcripts* to the ROE as proof
of completed course.
Requirements include:
- Hold an Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) endorsed in teaching.
- Completed coursework in the following areas:
Early childhood special education assessment
Methods of instruction in early childhood special education
Development of language in the young child
Child, family and community relationships
To learn more about this Approval visit ISBE's Approval
page.
- Send official college transcripts* to the ROE at jhicks@sccroe50.org randell@sccroe50.org
or dwillett@sccroe50.org
or mail to:
Regional Office of Education #50
1000 South Illinois Street
Belleville, IL 62220
*College transcripts:
- If emailed, all transcripts need to come directly
from a clearinghouse designated by the respective University.
- If mailed, all transcripts must be in a sealed
envelope directly from the University or you can drop off sealed transcripts if
you physically have them. If you drop them off you must make an appointment on
our website www.sccroe50.org.
Retirement & Licensure
I'm retired. Do I need to keep renewing my license?
If you are retired you do not need to renew your teaching
license unless you plan to return to the classroom. If you choose not to
renew and then decide to return to teaching, substitute or be a
paraprofessional after your license cycle has expired, you are subject to fees
and requirements of a lapsed teaching license.
Is there a fee to renew my license if I’m retired?
There is no fee to renew your teaching license if your PD Status
in your ELIS account
is listed as retired.
In order to make this reflect in ELIS and allow you to renew your License at no
charge, you will need to log in to your ELIS account and
change your PD Employment Status to retired for the respective
years.
To update PD Employment Status:
- Click on the editing icon (pencil) to update your
PD employment status to retired.
- Click finish to
save changes.
After making this update your PD requirements
should automatically update. If they do not, log out of your ELIS account
and log back in to see the updated information.
Then, you can move into renewing your license in
your ELIS account.
If I am retiring within my current teaching license cycle, do I
need to do PD?
If you are retiring within your 5 year teaching license cycle,
you will only be expected to fulfill the PD requirements for the time you are
teaching.
