1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; exempting teachers of 
  1.3             oral/aural deaf education from the requirements for 
  1.4             American sign language; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.5             1998, section 122A.28; Laws 1993, chapter 224, article 
  1.6             3, section 32, as amended. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 122A.28, is 
  1.9   amended to read: 
  1.10     122A.28 [TEACHERS OF DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING STUDENTS; 
  1.11  LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS.] 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [K-12 LICENSE TO TEACH DEAF AND 
  1.13  HARD-OF-HEARING STUDENTS.] The board of teaching must review and 
  1.14  determine appropriate licensure requirements for a candidate for 
  1.15  a license or an applicant for a continuing license to teach deaf 
  1.16  and hard-of-hearing students in prekindergarten through grade 12.
  1.17  In addition to other requirements, a candidate must demonstrate 
  1.18  the minimum level of proficiency in American sign language as 
  1.19  determined by the board.  
  1.20     Subd. 2.  [LICENSURE FOR TEACHING ORAL/AURAL DEAF EDUCATION 
  1.21  PROGRAMS.] (a) The board of teaching shall adopt a separate 
  1.22  licensure rule for a candidate for a license or an applicant for 
  1.23  a continuing license to teach in oral/aural deaf education 
  1.24  programs or to provide services, including itinerant oral/aural 
  1.25  deaf education services, to deaf and hard-of-hearing students in 
  1.26  prekindergarten through grade 12. 
  2.1      (b) The board shall design rule requirements for teaching 
  2.2   oral/aural deaf education in collaboration with representatives 
  2.3   of parents and educators of deaf and hard-of-hearing students, 
  2.4   post-secondary programs preparing teachers of deaf and 
  2.5   hard-of-hearing students, and the department of children, 
  2.6   families, and learning. 
  2.7      (c) Rule requirements for teaching oral/aural deaf 
  2.8   education shall reflect best practice research in oral/aural 
  2.9   deaf education.  Advanced competencies in teaching deaf and 
  2.10  hard-of-hearing students through oral/aural modes shall be 
  2.11  included. 
  2.12     (d) Licensure requirements for teachers of oral/aural deaf 
  2.13  education must include minimum competency in American sign 
  2.14  language, but are not subject to the guidelines established in 
  2.15  Laws 1993, chapter 224, article 3, section 32, as amended by 
  2.16  Laws 1998, chapter 398, article 2, section 47.  The signed 
  2.17  communication proficiency interview shall not be required for 
  2.18  teachers licensed to teach deaf and hard-of-hearing students 
  2.19  through oral/aural deaf education methods. 
  2.20     (e) Requirements for teachers of oral/aural deaf education 
  2.21  shall include appropriate continuing education requirements for 
  2.22  renewing this licensure. 
  2.23     Sec. 2.  Laws 1993, chapter 224, article 3, section 32, as 
  2.24  amended by Laws 1998, chapter 398, article 2, section 47, is 
  2.25  amended to read: 
  2.26     Sec. 32.  [ASL GUIDELINES.] 
  2.27     (a) In determining appropriate licensure requirements for 
  2.28  teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students under Minnesota 
  2.29  Statutes, section 125.189 122A.28, subdivision 1, the board of 
  2.30  teaching shall develop the requirements according to the 
  2.31  guidelines described in this section. 
  2.32     (b) Each teacher must complete the American sign language 
  2.33  sign communication proficiency interview or a comparable 
  2.34  American sign language evaluation that the board of teaching, 
  2.35  the Minnesota association of deaf citizens, and the Minnesota 
  2.36  council for the hearing impaired accept as a means for 
  3.1   establishing the teacher's baseline level of American sign 
  3.2   language skills.  A teacher shall not be charged for this 
  3.3   evaluation. 
  3.4      (c) Each teacher must complete 60 continuing education 
  3.5   credits in American sign language, American sign language 
  3.6   linguistics, or deaf culture for every 120 continuing education 
  3.7   credits the teacher is required to complete to renew a teaching 
  3.8   license. 
  3.9      (d) In order to obtain an initial license to teach deaf and 
  3.10  hard of hearing students, or to apply for a Minnesota teaching 
  3.11  license, after being licensed to teach in another state, a 
  3.12  person must demonstrate in the sign communication proficiency 
  3.13  interview an intermediate plus level of proficiency in American 
  3.14  sign language. 
  3.15     (e) Each teacher applying to renew a teaching license must 
  3.16  take the American sign language sign communication proficiency 
  3.17  interview or a comparable American sign language evaluation 
  3.18  every five years until the teacher demonstrates a minimum, or 
  3.19  survival plus, level of proficiency in American sign language. 
  3.20     (f) A teacher working directly with students whose primary 
  3.21  language is American sign language should demonstrate at least 
  3.22  an advanced level of proficiency in American sign language.  The 
  3.23  board should not consider a minimum, or survival plus, level of 
  3.24  proficiency adequate for providing direct instruction to 
  3.25  students whose primary language is American sign language. 
  3.26     (g) To renew a teaching license, a teacher must comply with 
  3.27  paragraphs (c) and (e) in addition to other applicable board 
  3.28  requirements.  A teacher's ability to demonstrate a minimum, or 
  3.29  survival plus, level of proficiency in American sign language is 
  3.30  not a condition for renewing the teacher's license. 
  3.31     (h) A teacher who demonstrates an increased proficiency in 
  3.32  American sign language skill in the American sign language sign 
  3.33  communication proficiency interview or a comparable American 
  3.34  sign language evaluation shall receive credit toward completing 
  3.35  the requirements of paragraph (c).  The number of continuing 
  3.36  education credits the teacher receives is based on the teacher's 
  4.1   increased level of proficiency from the teacher's baseline level:
  4.2      (1) 35 continuing education credits for demonstrating an 
  4.3   intermediate level of proficiency; 
  4.4      (2) 40 continuing education credits for demonstrating an 
  4.5   intermediate plus level of proficiency; 
  4.6      (3) 45 continuing education credits for demonstrating an 
  4.7   advanced level of proficiency; 
  4.8      (4) 50 continuing education credits for demonstrating an 
  4.9   advanced plus level of proficiency; 
  4.10     (5) 55 continuing education credits for demonstrating a 
  4.11  superior level of proficiency; and 
  4.12     (6) 60 continuing education credits for demonstrating a 
  4.13  superior plus level of proficiency. 
  4.14     (i) This section shall not apply to teachers of oral/aural 
  4.15  deaf education.