HOW DO I APPLY FOR THE LICENSE/APPROVAL?
An ELS-Para License or Short Term Para Educator Approval is applied for in the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS), which can be accessed here within a Firefox (18.0 or above) web browser system.
WHERE TO SEND DOCUMENTS:
While the system recommends that you have your official transcripts showing college coursework, the ParaPro assessment/WorkKeys score report(s), and high school diploma/transcript or GED certificate sent to ISBE in Springfield, we strongly suggest that you send your documents to the Kane County Regional Office of Education (ROE) instead.
NOTE: If you have foreign credentials, you need to have them evaluated by a professional evaluation company. Please select one from the ISBE Foreign Credential Services Sources document
KANE COUNTY ROE CONTACT INFORMATION
Option 1 - Electronic
Option 2 - US Postal Services
- 28 N. First St., Geneva, IL 60134
You may also contact the Kane County ROE at (630) 232-5955 to reach their Licensure Department for further assistance with your application.
WHERE CAN I COMPLETE THE PARAPRO ASSESSMENT OR WORKKEYS EXAMS?
Testing only needs to be completed if you do not have the college coursework required to obtain the ELS-PARA license. NOTE: These exams are not required for the Short-Term Para Educator Approval
ETS ParaPro Assessment ($65)
- A passing score of 460 is required to qualify for the license.
- For more information or to find a study guide for the ETS ParaPro assessment, please visit the ETS WEBSITE
- The nearest testing center for this exam is the Kane County Regional Office of Education. Please contact them for additional information.
WorkKeys Exam ($50)
- A score of 4 or higher on the Applied Mathematics/Math and Reading for Information/Workplace Documents is required to qualify for the license.
- For more information about the WorkKeys exam, please visit the ACT WEBSITE
- The nearest testing center for this exam is Elgin Community College. Please contact them for additional information.
WHAT IF I HAVE A PENDING POSITION?
Because this license/approval can take a few weeks to issue, if an administrator within the district is interested in hiring you, we can request a RUSH on your evaluation for the license (ELS-PARA) or Short-Term Para Educator Approval.
- This RUSH can only be sent after you apply for the license/approval in ELIS and have submitted all of the required documentation to the ROE.
- After we request a RUSH, it can take up to a week for the license to be issued. ISBE will send you an automated email when the license/approval has been issued, but we strongly recommend that you check your ELIS account periodically for updates.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MY LICENSE ISSUES?
Once your ELS-PARA License has been issued, you will then need to register it in Kane County (31-KANE ROE) so that your license will be considered valid for employment within our district. For assistance with completing this process, please see the HOW-TO GUIDE.
NOTE:
- The initial registration fee for your license will be $30.00 (fee for current school year and 5 additional years).
- Subsequent renewal/registration fees will be $25.00.
**The District will reimburse employees required to hold the state paraprofessional license the licensing and renewal fee. The employee will be required to submit for reimbursement with the necessary proof that the license was granted or renewed and that the employee paid the required fee, within the previous ninety (90) days.
