Mandated Disclosures

NIU provides information about the performance of our teacher candidates on state-mandated licensure tests. We also make available an estimate of the additional costs incurred by candidates as they complete licensure programs. Please find this information below.

Costs of Becoming a Teacher

Obtaining a first professional certificate or license in any profession takes a great deal of training and education. There are some very real costs associated with it as well. Becoming a teacher requires multiple expenditures throughout your program of study, and we want you to be aware of them to help you plan and achieve your goal of becoming a teacher.

The total costs are not trivial, but they are a required part of the overall expense of joining the profession. While we cannot predict all contingencies (having to take a test multiple times, needing more than one criminal background check, etc.), to the best of our ability, these are the estimated costs associated with becoming a teacher in Illinois:

Time Frame	Requirement	Expected Cost
Sophomore Year
	One criminal background check (CBC) (ISBE-mandated)	$65 (average fee, although these fees vary widely)*
	One tuberculosis test (TB test), at University Health Services	$10 (if you opt for your own insurance plan or use student insurance; costs higher if obtained elsewhere)
Junior Year	Illinois State Board of Education, content test (paid to Pearson/NCS)	$135, computer-based administration
	Two criminal background checks (CBC) (ISBE-mandated)	$65 (average fee)/total: $130
	One tuberculosis test (TB test), at University Health Services	$10
Senior Year	Illinois State Board of Education, additional content test for additional endorsement area or second field (paid to Pearson/NCS)	$135, computer-based administration
	One tuberculosis test (TB test), at University Health Services	$10
	Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) (paid to Pearson)	$300
	One criminal background check (CBC) (ISBE-mandated)	$65 (average fee)
	One physical (from provider of your choice)	$30-$70 (average fee)
End of Program	Teaching license registration fee	Once you have graduated and/or completed your program, you will have to pay the ISBE $100 to activate your teaching license.
Total Costs		$1,030 over three years

If you have any questions about these costs, please speak to your program advisor, to the Financial Aid Office, or to the University Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation.

*While we have included four CBCs in our estimates, some programs are structured so that students may be required to have as many as 10, adding an additional $390. All costs for CBCs are estimates only and vary widely by placement sites.

Candidate Performance

CAEP Accountability Measures

Measures 1 and 2: Completer Effectiveness and Satisfaction of Employers

Completer effectiveness and employer satisfaction are measured by performance evaluations of graduates in their first year of employment.

97% of initial and advanced NIU graduates employed in Illinois public schools were rated at proficient or higher by their employers in their first year of teaching.

Performance Evaluation	Demonstrated Teaching Skills/impact on K-12 Students (as first year in-service teachers)
	Initial (Undergraduate)	Advanced (Graduate)
Excellent	28.2%	47.4%
Proficient	68.3%	51.3%

Additionally, more than 85% of all initial program completers strongly agreed that their respective programs prepared them to be educators.

Measure 3: Candidate Competency at Completion

The following number of candidates received endorsements from NIU upon program completion:

PEL Only (1 endorsement)	244
PEL w/Addl Endorsements	110
Grand Total PELs Issued	354
Grand Total Endorsements Linked to Initial PELs	479
Subsequent Endorsements Only	104
Short Term Approvals	39

Candidate competency at completion is measured by performance on state tests.

Candidate Performance on Required Licensure Tests

	First Attempt			Cumulative Attempts
	N	N Pass	% Pass	N	N Pass	% Pass
Statewide	19,440	15,638	80%	20,523	17,666	86%
Northern Illinois University	791	644	81%	852	751	88%

The passing score for all Illinois Content Area Tests is 240. The table below indicates the average scores for candidates at NIU and at the state level.

Program Level	Passing Score	NIU Average	State Average
All	240	261	255
Initial	240	260	254
Advanced	240	263	256

The table below indicates the most recent pass rates on the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) for the state and NIU.

2019-2020 July 2019 – June 2020	**Total Attempts (N)	**Total Attempts Pass Rate	**Best Attempt (N)	**Best Attempt Pass Rate
State	4023	Not Reported	3300	94%
NIU	304	88%	267	95%

**Data from Pearson do not take into account the gubernatorial emergency order (GEO) under COVID-19.

Measure 4: Ability of Completers To Be Hired

Candidate Placement in Illinois Public Schools

Initial Programs: 66.3% placed; 48.6% in high need areas.
Advanced Programs: 87.9% placed; 45.5% in high need areas.

Latest Summary Data for Candidates in Licensure Programs

For specific information regarding each licensure program, please see the Illinois Educator Preparation Profile (IEPP). The IEPP has been developed as a tool for "accountability, continuous improvement, and transparency to strengthen teacher preparation statewide in the long term." To that end, in the IEPP, information is organized across four scored domains: Candidate Selection and Completion; Knowledge and Skills for Teaching; Performance as Classroom Teachers; and Contribution to State Needs. A domain may have up to four indicators, each of which has a minimum standard and a state target on a 100-point scale.

The public portal of the IEPP can be located at: Illinois Educator Preparation Profile (isbe.net).

About

Contact Us

Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation
Williston Hall 320
815-753-0846
TeacherCertification@niu.edu