More than two dozen classroom paraprofessionals and long-term substitutes in rural and small-town school districts throughout the northwest corner of the state are embarking on a tuition-free path to becoming special education teachers.

The Northern Illinois University College of Education’s Licensed Educator Accelerated Pathway (LEAP) program is launching this fall, funded through a federal grant provided by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, and in collaboration with Highland, Illinois Valley and Sauk Valley community colleges as well as multiple school boards and regional offices of education.

Northwest Illinois Rural and Small-Town LEAP seeks to alleviate a growing problem for that traditionally underserved region, where more than 700 of its most vulnerable children attend school daily in classrooms without adult instructors able to meet their special needs.

And that gap is growing: According to 2024 estimates, more than 100 full-time special education teaching positions went unfilled in that area – double the estimate from just two years earlier.

“Putting qualified teachers in these schools and in the lives of those students is more than our responsibility – it’s an imperative,” Mary Earick, dean of the NIU College of Education, said.

“Consequently, I was thrilled to learn about this initiative when I arrived in DeKalb this summer, especially because it works toward one of my leading goals and priorities: building thriving communities anchored by, and centered on, wellness for all. Education is critical to that,” Earick said. “as is making our teacher preparation programs accessible.”

Laurie Elish-Piper, who currently serves as NIU’s executive vice president and provost, was dean of the College of Education when the grant application was submitted.

“Having been on the ground floor of this work, I am acutely aware of the significance of finding and funding innovative and impactful ways to expand the teacher workforce and to grow and nurture those educators from within their hometowns and local schools. They love the places they live, they understand what’s important to the community, and they want to stay and make a positive difference,” Elish-Piper said

“Knowing that Sen. Durbin and our colleagues in K-12 and in the community college sector share that conviction and that urgency is encouraging,” she said. “We have come together with an enduring goal – educating children to carry our communities forward into the future – and I’m excited to watch these Northwest Illinois Rural and Small-Town LEAP students earn their degrees.”

Not only are these future teachers earning their licensure, but they are in a degree program that includes the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and skills through prior learning assessment to receive credit for relevant employment experiences in schools and classrooms.

Spanning five semesters and ending in May 2027, and designed for working adults, the coursework includes in-person and online sessions. Clinical placement hours are embedded in their daily roles as paraprofessionals.

By the fall of 2027, the then-graduates will start their careers as fully licensed special education teachers with a preparation specific to serving their hometown communities.

“LEAP has always been a true win-win opportunity for both the candidates participating and for the school districts and communities,” Jason Klein, senior director of Learning Partnerships for the NIU College of Education and the university’s Center for P-20 Engagement, said.

“The Northwest Illinois Rural and Small-Town LEAP takes that to another level as we collaborate across many school districts, multiple regional offices of education, and multiple community colleges,” Klein said. “This type of cross-organization collaboration is key to expanding such programs to other regions.”

NIU’s LEAP program, part of the College of Education’s PLEDGE (Partnering to Lead and Empower District-Grown Educators) initiative, is already a K-12 success story in two of the state’s three largest districts: the Rockford Public Schools and School District U-46.

Both are part of PLEDGE’s strong and fruitful history of teaming with school districts, community colleges and other external partners to prepare educators at a time of high demand and often-short supply, already producing 239 graduates via multiple off-campus avenues.

This Northwest Illinois iteration represents one of the first collaborations with rural and small-town districts – and demonstrates the possibilities for such communities when they come together to confront the teacher shortage despite limited funding.

Determining the eligibility of districts in the region came early in the process.

Klein examined federal data from the Institute for Educational Statistics along with Illinois-based classifications of “rural,” “town,” “suburban” and “urban.” Only those districts within the first two categories were considered.

Candidates in northwest Illinois already have significant postsecondary credit, typically an associate degree; desire to become full-time teachers with all of its challenges and rewards; are responsible for paying only application and graduation fees and buying textbooks; and agree to attend class and complete coursework while continuing to work as paraprofessionals throughout the five semesters.

The three community colleges – strategically located throughout the Northwest Illinois Rural and Small-Town LEAP service region to offer manageable commute times – have agreed to provide space for in-person classes, Klein said.

Meanwhile, the districts that employ these future teachers are committed to furnishing the candidates with devices to support their studies and professional work while also funding coverage for up to 10 substitute teacher days per year per participant for clinical experiences in different settings than their day-to-day roles.

Students are employees of Bureau Valley CUSD 340, Lena Winslow CUSD 202, Mendota Township HS 280, Oregon CUSD 220, Ottawa Township HS 140, Putnam County CUSD 535, River Ridge 210, Sterling CUSD 5, Streator Township HS 40, Wallace CCSD 195, Warren CUSD 205, West Carroll CUSD 314 and Regional Office of Education #33.

Stephanie Baker, who grew up in Freeport and worked as a teacher in the region prior to becoming a faculty member at NIU, is serving as Northwest Illinois LEAP program coordinator.

Baker is an associate professor in the NIU Department of Special and Early Education, a faculty teaching mentor with NIU’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning and a 2021 recipient of the university’s Excellence in Online Teaching Award.