1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; requiring school districts to 
  1.3             implement early reading assessment and intervention 
  1.4             methods; providing for reading specialist licensure; 
  1.5             providing for rulemaking; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.6             2000, sections 120B.11, subdivision 2; 122A.06, by 
  1.7             adding a subdivision; 122A.09, subdivision 4; 122A.18, 
  1.8             subdivision 2a, by adding a subdivision; proposing 
  1.9             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 120B.
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 120B.11, 
  1.12  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.13     Subd. 2.  [ADOPTING POLICIES.] (a) A school board shall 
  1.14  adopt annually a written policy that includes the following: 
  1.15     (1) district goals for instruction and curriculum; 
  1.16     (2) a process for evaluating each student's progress toward 
  1.17  meeting graduation standards and identifying the strengths and 
  1.18  weaknesses of instruction and curriculum affecting students' 
  1.19  progress; 
  1.20     (3) a system for periodically reviewing all instruction and 
  1.21  curriculum; 
  1.22     (4) a plan for improving instruction and curriculum; and 
  1.23     (5) an instruction plan that includes education 
  1.24  effectiveness processes developed under section 122A.625 and 
  1.25  integrates instruction, curriculum, and technology; and 
  1.26     (6) a process for screening each student for reading skills 
  1.27  no later than the end of first grade and prescribing 
  2.1   intervention methods or programs for students identified as 
  2.2   needing reading intervention according to section 120B.12. 
  2.3      <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective July 1, 2002. 
  2.4      Sec. 2.  [120B.12] [READING INTERVENTION.] 
  2.5      Subdivision 1.  [LITERACY GOAL.] The legislature seeks to 
  2.6   have Minnesota's children able to read no later than the end of 
  2.7   second grade. 
  2.8      Subd. 2.  [IDENTIFICATION.] For the 2002-2003 school year 
  2.9   and later, each school district shall identify before the end of 
  2.10  first grade students who are at risk of not learning to read 
  2.11  before the end of second grade.  The district must use a locally 
  2.12  adopted assessment method. 
  2.13     Subd. 3.  [INTERVENTION.] For each student identified under 
  2.14  subdivision 2, the district shall provide a reading intervention 
  2.15  method or program to assist the student in reaching the goal of 
  2.16  learning to read no later than the end of second grade.  
  2.17  District intervention methods shall encourage parental 
  2.18  involvement and, where possible, collaboration with appropriate 
  2.19  school and community programs.  Intervention methods may 
  2.20  include, but are not limited to, requiring attendance in summer 
  2.21  school and intensified reading instruction that may require that 
  2.22  the student be removed from the regular classroom for part of 
  2.23  the school day. 
  2.24     Subd. 4.  [STAFF DEVELOPMENT.] Each district shall identify 
  2.25  the staff development needs to ensure that: 
  2.26     (1) elementary teachers are able to implement 
  2.27  comprehensive, scientifically based, and balanced reading 
  2.28  instruction programs that have resulted in improved student 
  2.29  performance; 
  2.30     (2) elementary teachers who are instructing students 
  2.31  identified under subdivision 2 are prepared to teach using the 
  2.32  intervention methods or programs selected by the district for 
  2.33  the identified students; and 
  2.34     (3) all licensed teachers employed by the district have 
  2.35  regular opportunities to improve reading instruction. 
  2.36     Subd. 5.  [COMMISSIONER.] The commissioner shall recommend 
  3.1   to districts multiple assessment tools that will assist 
  3.2   districts and teachers with identifying students under 
  3.3   subdivision 2.  The commissioner shall also make available to 
  3.4   districts examples of nationally recognized and research-based 
  3.5   instructional methods or programs that districts may use to 
  3.6   provide reading intervention according to this section. 
  3.7      <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective July 1, 2002. 
  3.8      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 122A.06, is 
  3.9   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  3.10     Subd. 4.  [COMPREHENSIVE, SCIENTIFICALLY BASED, AND 
  3.11  BALANCED READING INSTRUCTION.] "Comprehensive, scientifically 
  3.12  based, and balanced reading instruction" means instruction and 
  3.13  practice in phonemic awareness, phonics and other word 
  3.14  recognition skills, and guided oral reading for beginning 
  3.15  readers; and extensive silent reading, vocabulary instruction, 
  3.16  comprehensive instruction, and instruction that fosters deep 
  3.17  understanding and higher order thinking for readers of all ages 
  3.18  and proficiency levels. 
  3.19     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 122A.09, 
  3.20  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  3.21     Subd. 4.  [LICENSE AND RULES.] (a) The board must adopt 
  3.22  rules to license public school teachers and interns subject to 
  3.23  chapter 14. 
  3.24     (b) The board must adopt rules requiring a person to 
  3.25  successfully complete a skills examination in reading, writing, 
  3.26  and mathematics as a requirement for initial teacher licensure.  
  3.27  Such rules must require college and universities offering a 
  3.28  board approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial 
  3.29  assistance to persons who did not achieve a qualifying score on 
  3.30  the skills examination, including those for whom English is a 
  3.31  second language. 
  3.32     (c) The board must adopt rules to approve teacher 
  3.33  preparation programs.  The board, upon the request of a 
  3.34  post-secondary student preparing for teacher licensure or a 
  3.35  licensed graduate of a teacher preparation program, shall assist 
  3.36  in resolving a dispute between the person and a post-secondary 
  4.1   institution providing a teacher preparation program when the 
  4.2   dispute involves an institution's recommendation for licensure 
  4.3   affecting the person or the person's credentials.  At the 
  4.4   board's discretion, assistance may include the application of 
  4.5   chapter 14. 
  4.6      (d) The board must provide the leadership and shall adopt 
  4.7   rules for the redesign of teacher education programs to 
  4.8   implement a research based, results-oriented curriculum that 
  4.9   focuses on the skills teachers need in order to be effective.  
  4.10  The board shall implement new systems of teacher preparation 
  4.11  program evaluation to assure program effectiveness based on 
  4.12  proficiency of graduates in demonstrating attainment of program 
  4.13  outcomes. 
  4.14     (e) The board must adopt rules requiring successful 
  4.15  completion of an examination of general pedagogical knowledge 
  4.16  and examinations of licensure-specific teaching skills.  The 
  4.17  rules shall be effective on the dates determined by the board, 
  4.18  but not later than September 1, 2001. 
  4.19     (f) The board must adopt rules requiring teacher educators 
  4.20  to work directly with elementary or secondary school teachers in 
  4.21  elementary or secondary schools to obtain periodic exposure to 
  4.22  the elementary or secondary teaching environment. 
  4.23     (g) The board must grant licenses to interns and to 
  4.24  candidates for initial licenses. 
  4.25     (h) The board must design and implement an assessment 
  4.26  system which requires a candidate for an initial license and 
  4.27  first continuing license to demonstrate the abilities necessary 
  4.28  to perform selected, representative teaching tasks at 
  4.29  appropriate levels. 
  4.30     (i) The board must receive recommendations from local 
  4.31  committees as established by the board for the renewal of 
  4.32  teaching licenses. 
  4.33     (j) The board must grant life licenses to those who qualify 
  4.34  according to requirements established by the board, and suspend 
  4.35  or revoke licenses pursuant to sections 122A.20 and 214.10.  The 
  4.36  board must not establish any expiration date for application for 
  5.1   life licenses.  
  5.2      (k) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed 
  5.3   teachers who are renewing their continuing license to include in 
  5.4   their renewal requirements further preparation in the areas of 
  5.5   using positive behavior interventions and in accommodating, 
  5.6   modifying, and adapting curricula, materials, and strategies to 
  5.7   appropriately meet the needs of individual students and ensure 
  5.8   adequate progress toward the state's graduation rule.  The rules 
  5.9   adopted under this paragraph apply to teachers who renew their 
  5.10  licenses in year 2001 and later. 
  5.11     (l) In adopting rules to license public school teachers who 
  5.12  provide health-related services for disabled children, the board 
  5.13  shall adopt rules consistent with license or registration 
  5.14  requirements of the commissioner of health and the 
  5.15  health-related boards who license personnel who perform similar 
  5.16  services outside of the school. 
  5.17     (m) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed 
  5.18  teachers who are renewing their continuing licenses to include 
  5.19  in their renewal requirements further preparation in the 
  5.20  application of comprehensive, scientifically based, and balanced 
  5.21  reading instruction programs. 
  5.22     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective for teachers 
  5.23  who renew their licenses in year 2004 and later. 
  5.24     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 122A.18, 
  5.25  subdivision 2a, is amended to read: 
  5.26     Subd. 2a.  [READING STRATEGIES.] (a) All colleges and 
  5.27  universities approved by the board of teaching to prepare 
  5.28  persons for classroom teacher licensure must include in their 
  5.29  teacher preparation programs reading best practices that enable 
  5.30  classroom teacher licensure candidates to know how to teach 
  5.31  reading, such as phonics or other research-based best practices. 
  5.32     (b) Board-approved teacher preparation programs for 
  5.33  teachers of elementary education must require instruction in the 
  5.34  application of comprehensive, scientifically based, and balanced 
  5.35  reading instruction programs. 
  5.36     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective for candidates 
  6.1   for initial licensure in year 2004 and later. 
  6.2      Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 122A.18, is 
  6.3   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  6.4      Subd. 2b.  [READING SPECIALIST.] Not later than July 1, 
  6.5   2002, the board of teaching must adopt rules providing for the 
  6.6   licensure of teachers of reading.