1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; establishing a collaborative 
  1.3             pilot program to enhance teacher training 
  1.4             opportunities by directly involving public colleges 
  1.5             and school districts; appropriating money. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [PILOT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE TEACHER TRAINING.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A pilot program is 
  1.9   established to allow Minnesota school districts, in 
  1.10  collaboration with public post-secondary institutions, to offer 
  1.11  undergraduate and graduate teacher training opportunities.  The 
  1.12  program must provide teacher training opportunities that 
  1.13  effectively address the needs of different types of schools, 
  1.14  students, and teachers. 
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY; PROGRAM USES; EMPLOYMENT TERMS.] (a)
  1.16  An applicant under this pilot program must be a school 
  1.17  district.  The program must be used to assist in improving 
  1.18  teacher education by placing teacher education students in 
  1.19  elementary and secondary classrooms under the supervision of a 
  1.20  licensed classroom teacher. 
  1.21     (b) Each school district participating in this program may 
  1.22  select the teacher training model that best promotes 
  1.23  understanding the needs of each educational system or 
  1.24  institution.  For example: 
  1.25     (1) a public school educator may teach courses that assist 
  2.1   in preparing future educators, or take professional development 
  2.2   courses; or 
  2.3      (2) a post-secondary teacher may teach courses at the 
  2.4   school district and mentor student teachers.  Participation is 
  2.5   not limited to one school or institution and may involve other 
  2.6   participants including parent/community groups, teacher 
  2.7   organizations, and business groups.  Participating schools and 
  2.8   institutions are encouraged to develop program components that 
  2.9   engage nontraditional teacher education students. 
  2.10     (c) Temporary placements of teachers made under this 
  2.11  program must not have a negative effect on participants' 
  2.12  salaries, seniority, or other benefits.  Specifically, temporary 
  2.13  placements of teachers may not displace or cause any reduction 
  2.14  in the number of nonovertime hours worked, wages or benefits of 
  2.15  a currently employed teacher.  Notwithstanding Minnesota 
  2.16  Statutes, sections 122A.16 and 123B.02, subdivision 14, a member 
  2.17  of the staff of a post-secondary institution may teach in an 
  2.18  elementary or secondary school or perform a service, agreed upon 
  2.19  under this section, for which a license would otherwise be 
  2.20  required without holding the applicable license.  In addition, a 
  2.21  licensed educator employed by a school district may teach or 
  2.22  perform a service, agreed upon under this section, at a 
  2.23  post-secondary institution without meeting the applicable 
  2.24  qualifications of the post-secondary institution.  A district is 
  2.25  not subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 127A.43, as a result 
  2.26  of entering into an agreement according to this section that 
  2.27  enables a post-secondary educator to teach or provide services 
  2.28  in the district.  All arrangements and details regarding an 
  2.29  exchange must be mutually agreed to by each participating school 
  2.30  district and post-secondary institution before implementing the 
  2.31  exchange and must not violate any term or condition of the 
  2.32  participating school district's collective bargaining agreement. 
  2.33     (d) An educator who held a temporary position or an 
  2.34  exchanged position under this section must be continued in or 
  2.35  restored to the position previously held, or to a position of 
  2.36  like seniority, status, and pay upon return.  Retirement 
  3.1   benefits under an employer-sponsored pension or retirement plan 
  3.2   must not be reduced because of time spent on an exchange or 
  3.3   temporary position under this section. 
  3.4      (e) An educator who is continued in or restored to a 
  3.5   position under paragraph (d): 
  3.6      (1) must be continued or restored without loss of 
  3.7   seniority; and 
  3.8      (2) may participate in insurance or other benefits offered 
  3.9   by the employer under its established rules and practices. 
  3.10     Subd. 3.  [APPLICATION PROCESS.] To participate in this 
  3.11  pilot program, a school district must submit an application to 
  3.12  the commissioner of children, families, and learning in the form 
  3.13  and manner established by the commissioner.  The application 
  3.14  must describe how the applicant will improve teacher education 
  3.15  by providing undergraduate or graduate teacher training 
  3.16  opportunities in order to effectively address the needs of 
  3.17  different types of schools, students, and teachers, and how the 
  3.18  applicant will use technology to implement the program.  The 
  3.19  commissioner may require additional information from an 
  3.20  applicant. 
  3.21     Subd. 4.  [PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS; MONETARY AWARDS.] (a) When 
  3.22  selecting program participants, the commissioner must determine: 
  3.23     (1) whether an applicant has met the requirements of this 
  3.24  section; 
  3.25     (2) whether the location of a program is particularly 
  3.26  suitable for realizing the purpose of this section; 
  3.27     (3) the number of teacher candidates, teachers, and 
  3.28  students who would participate in the program; 
  3.29     (4) the ability of the applicant to demonstrate the 
  3.30  positive effect of the existing program on elementary and 
  3.31  secondary students enrolled in a participating site by using 
  3.32  standardized test scores, the rate at which students pass the 
  3.33  state's reading, math, and writing basic skills tests, or other 
  3.34  valid and reliable assessment measures; 
  3.35     (5) whether public post-secondary institutions and other 
  3.36  organizations representing parents, business interests, and 
  4.1   community groups are integral participants in the proposed 
  4.2   program; and 
  4.3      (6) the ability of the applicant to provide information 
  4.4   about the program to interested school districts and 
  4.5   post-secondary institutions. 
  4.6      (b) The commissioner may select up to five applicants to 
  4.7   participate in this program for the 1999-2000 school year and 
  4.8   later.  Participants must be located throughout the state.  The 
  4.9   commissioner must provide one-time start-up costs of up to 
  4.10  $20,000 per participating site. 
  4.11     Subd. 5.  [POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTION FUNDING.] 
  4.12  Notwithstanding other law to the contrary, and consistent with 
  4.13  subdivision 6, a post-secondary institution participating in 
  4.14  this pilot program must provide the instructional costs of 
  4.15  teacher education students and may charge the students the costs 
  4.16  of tuition. 
  4.17     Subd. 6.  [PARTICIPANTS' FEES.] A school district 
  4.18  participating in this program may charge reasonable fees to 
  4.19  teacher education students placed in an elementary or secondary 
  4.20  classroom to receive teacher training. 
  4.21     Subd. 7.  [EVALUATION.] The commissioner must contract with 
  4.22  an independent qualified expert to evaluate the impact of the 
  4.23  pilot program on teacher efficacy and student performance and 
  4.24  present a report to the commissioner and the education 
  4.25  committees of the legislature by February 15, 2005. 
  4.26     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION; DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, 
  4.27  AND LEARNING.] 
  4.28     Subdivision 1.  [DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND 
  4.29  LEARNING.] The following sum is appropriated from the general 
  4.30  fund to the department of children, families, and learning in 
  4.31  the fiscal year indicated. 
  4.32     Subd. 2.  [START-UP COSTS.] For providing program 
  4.33  participants with start-up costs under section 1: 
  4.34       $  100,000     .....     2000 
  4.35     The commissioner of children, families, and learning must 
  4.36  award $20,000 in one-time start-up costs to independent school 
  5.1   district No. 138, North Branch, if the district meets the 
  5.2   requirements of section 1. 
  5.3      This appropriation is available until June 30, 2001. 
  5.4      Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  5.5      Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.  
  5.6   Section 2 is effective July 1, 1999.