1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; requiring health and physical 
  1.3             education instruction; including health education in 
  1.4             teacher preparation programs; amending Minnesota 
  1.5             Statutes 1996, sections 120.101, subdivision 6; and 
  1.6             125.05, subdivision 1a. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 120.101, 
  1.9   subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 6.  [CURRICULUM.] (a) Instruction must be provided in 
  1.11  at least the following subject areas:  
  1.12     (1) basic communication skills including reading and 
  1.13  writing, literature, and fine arts; 
  1.14     (2) mathematics and science; 
  1.15     (3) social studies including history, geography, and 
  1.16  government; and 
  1.17     (4) health and physical education.  
  1.18     Instruction, textbooks, and materials must be in the 
  1.19  English language.  Another language may be used pursuant to 
  1.20  sections 126.262 to 126.265. 
  1.21     (b) The state's public schools shall provide all pupils in 
  1.22  kindergarten through grade 10 with a program of health and 
  1.23  physical education, training and instruction, and may provide 
  1.24  pupils in grades 11 and 12 with such a program.  Teachers 
  1.25  licensed in health education, training, and instruction shall 
  1.26  instruct the pupils.  Pupils who are physically or mentally 
  2.1   unable to participate in the regular education program of health 
  2.2   and physical education, training, and instruction must 
  2.3   participate in an appropriately modified program.  A school 
  2.4   shall not require a pupil to undergo a physical or medical 
  2.5   examination or treatment if the pupil's parent or legal guardian 
  2.6   notifies the school in writing that he or she objects to the 
  2.7   examination or treatment. 
  2.8      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 125.05, 
  2.9   subdivision 1a, is amended to read: 
  2.10     Subd. 1a.  [TEACHER AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS.] 
  2.11  (a) The board of teaching shall issue licenses under its 
  2.12  jurisdiction to persons the board finds to be qualified and 
  2.13  competent for their respective positions. 
  2.14     (b) The board shall require a person to successfully 
  2.15  complete an examination of skills in reading, writing, and 
  2.16  mathematics before being granted an initial teaching license to 
  2.17  provide direct instruction to pupils in prekindergarten, 
  2.18  elementary, secondary, or special education programs.  The board 
  2.19  shall require colleges and universities offering a board 
  2.20  approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial 
  2.21  assistance that includes a formal diagnostic component to 
  2.22  persons enrolled in their institution who did not achieve a 
  2.23  qualifying score on the skills examination, including those for 
  2.24  whom English is a second language.  The colleges and 
  2.25  universities must provide assistance in the specific academic 
  2.26  areas of deficiency in which the person did not achieve a 
  2.27  qualifying score.  School districts must provide similar, 
  2.28  appropriate, and timely remedial assistance that includes a 
  2.29  formal diagnostic component and mentoring to those persons 
  2.30  employed by the district who completed their teacher education 
  2.31  program outside the state of Minnesota, received a one-year 
  2.32  license to teach in Minnesota and did not achieve a qualifying 
  2.33  score on the skills examination, including those persons for 
  2.34  whom English is a second language. 
  2.35     (c) A person who has completed an approved teacher 
  2.36  preparation program and obtained a one-year license to teach, 
  3.1   but has not successfully completed the skills examination, may 
  3.2   renew the one-year license for two additional one-year periods.  
  3.3   Each renewal of the one-year license is contingent upon the 
  3.4   licensee: 
  3.5      (1) providing evidence of participating in an approved 
  3.6   remedial assistance program provided by a school district or 
  3.7   post-secondary institution that includes a formal diagnostic 
  3.8   component in the specific areas in which the licensee did not 
  3.9   obtain qualifying scores; and 
  3.10     (2) attempting to successfully complete the skills 
  3.11  examination during the period of each one-year license. 
  3.12     (d) The board of teaching shall grant continuing licenses 
  3.13  only to those persons who have met board criteria for granting a 
  3.14  continuing license, which includes successfully completing the 
  3.15  skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics. 
  3.16     (e) All colleges and universities approved by the board of 
  3.17  teaching to prepare persons for teacher licensure shall include 
  3.18  in their teacher preparation programs a common core of teaching 
  3.19  knowledge and skills to be acquired by all persons recommended 
  3.20  for teacher licensure.  The teacher preparation programs shall 
  3.21  include instruction in health education.  This common core shall 
  3.22  meet the standards developed by the interstate new teacher 
  3.23  assessment and support consortium in its 1992 "model standards 
  3.24  for beginning teacher licensing and development."  Amendments to 
  3.25  standards adopted under this paragraph are covered by chapter 14.
  3.26     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.27     Sections 1 and 2 are effective for the 1997-1998 school 
  3.28  year and thereafter.