1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; modifying alternative teacher preparation program 
1.3 	requirements; establishing an alternative teacher preparation grant program; 
1.4 	requiring a report; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
1.5 	Statutes, chapter 122A; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 122A.245.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [122A.2451] ALTERNATIVE TEACHER PREPARATION PROVIDERS 
1.8 	AND PROGRAMS.
1.9 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. (a) "Provider" or "unit" means an eligible entity that seeks 
1.10 	or has obtained approval for an alternative teacher preparation program consistent with this 
1.11 	section.
1.12 	(b) "Program" means content provided by a provider that leads toward licensure in a 
1.13 	specific content area.
1.14 		Subd. 2.Purpose. To provide alternative pathways towards Minnesota teacher licensure 
1.15 	outside of the traditional means, improve ethnic and cultural diversity in the classroom, and 
1.16 	to close the achievement gap, the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board 
1.17 	must approve qualified teacher preparation providers and programs under this section that 
1.18 	are a means to acquire a Tier 2 license under section 122A.181 and prepare for acquiring a 
1.19 	Tier 3 license under section 122A.181.
1.20 		Subd. 3.Eligibility. A school district, charter school, or nonprofit corporation organized 
1.21 	under chapter 317A for an education-related purpose is eligible to participate under this 
1.22 	section. An eligible entity may apply for provider and program approval simultaneously.
2.1 		Subd. 4.Provider approval. An eligible entity must be approved as a provider before 
2.2 	being approved to provide programs towards licensure. The Professional Educator Licensing 
2.3 	and Standards Board must approve eligible entities under subdivision 3 that meet the 
2.4 	following requirements:
2.5 	(1) has evidence and history of fiscal solvency, capacity, and operation;
2.6 	(2) has evidence of necessary infrastructure to provide accurate, timely, and secure data 
2.7 	for the purposes of admission, candidate monitoring, testing, background checks, and license 
2.8 	recommendations;
2.9 	(3) has policies and procedures in place ensuring the security of candidate records under 
2.10 	the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act;
2.11 	(4) has the instructional capacity or ability to obtain the instructional capacity to provide 
2.12 	an adequate instructional phase under subdivision 5; and
2.13 	(5) meets all other board-adopted rules for teacher preparation providers.
2.14 		Subd. 5.Program approval. The board must approve programs offered by approved 
2.15 	providers based on nontraditional criteria. An approved program must have the following 
2.16 	characteristics:
2.17 	(1) an instructional phase that provides intensive preparation and observed classroom 
2.18 	experience that is commensurate with the scope of licensure standards defined under rule, 
2.19 	before the teacher candidate assumes classroom responsibilities;
2.20 	(2) a research-based and results-oriented approach focused on best teaching practices 
2.21 	to increase student proficiency and growth measured against state academic standards;
2.22 	(3) a strategy to combine pedagogy and best teaching practices to better inform teacher 
2.23 	candidates' classroom instruction;
2.24 	(4) provide assessment, supervision, and evaluation of teacher candidates to determine 
2.25 	their specific needs throughout the program, and to support efforts to successfully complete 
2.26 	the program;
2.27 	(5) provide intensive and ongoing professional learning opportunities that accelerate 
2.28 	teacher candidates' professional growth, support student learning, and provide a workplace 
2.29 	orientation, professional staff development, mentoring and peer review, focused on standards 
2.30 	of professional practice and continuous professional growth; and
3.1 	(6) a process to review a candidate's final proficiency of required licensure content 
3.2 	standards that leads to potential candidate recommendation by the provider to the board for 
3.3 	a Tier 3 teaching license under subdivision 8.
3.4 		Subd. 6.Nontraditional means; program instructors. (a) The board must permit 
3.5 	alternative teacher preparation providers and teacher candidates to demonstrate pedagogy 
3.6 	and content standard proficiency in school-based programs and through other nontraditional 
3.7 	means. Nontraditional means may include previous work experiences, teaching experiences, 
3.8 	educator evaluations, industry-recognized certifications, and other essentially equivalent 
3.9 	demonstrations.
3.10 	(b) The board must use nontraditional criteria to determine qualifications of program 
3.11 	instructors, including permitting instructors to hold a baccalaureate degree only.
3.12 		Subd. 7.Program disapproval, suspension. If the board determines that a teacher 
3.13 	preparation provider or licensure program fails to meet or is deficient in any of the 
3.14 	requirements of subdivision 5, it may suspend or revoke the approval of the provider or 
3.15 	program after it notifies the provider of the deficiencies and gives the provider an opportunity 
3.16 	to remedy the deficiencies.
3.17 		Subd. 8.Candidate program completion; teacher licensure. (a) The board must issue 
3.18 	a Tier 3 license to candidates who successfully complete a licensure program with a 
3.19 	recommendation from an approved alternative teacher preparation provider.
3.20 	(b) The board must issue a Tier 4 license to an otherwise qualified teacher candidate 
3.21 	under this section who successfully performs throughout a program under this section, 
3.22 	obtains qualifying scores on applicable board-adopted licensure exams under section 122A.09 
3.23 	and is recommended for licensure under paragraph (a), or successfully demonstrates to the 
3.24 	board qualifications for licensure under this paragraph.
3.25 	(c) A person who successfully completes another state's alternative teacher preparation 
3.26 	licensure program may apply to the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board 
3.27 	for a Tier 3 license.
3.28 		Subd. 9.Reports. (a) An approved alternative teacher preparation provider must report 
3.29 	to the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board on items that are defined in 
3.30 	statute regarding program candidates, completion, and effectiveness or other items that are 
3.31 	required under section 122A.09.
3.32 	(b) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must submit a biennial 
3.33 	report on the alternative teacher preparation program and providers to legislative committees 
4.1 	having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education policy and finance by 
4.2 	January 15 of each odd-numbered year.

4.3 	Sec. 2. [122A.2455] ALTERNATIVE TEACHER PREPARATION GRANT 
4.4 	PROGRAM.
4.5 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have 
4.6 	the meanings given them.
4.7 	(b) "Alternative teacher preparation program" means an alternative teacher preparation 
4.8 	program under section 122A.245 or an experimental teacher preparation program under 
4.9 	section 122A.09, subdivision 10.
4.10 	(c) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of education.
4.11 	(d) "Diverse teachers" means teachers that reflect the racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and 
4.12 	linguistic diversity of Minnesota students.
4.13 	(e) "Shortage area" means licensure fields and economic development regions reported 
4.14 	by the commissioner as experiencing a teacher shortage.
4.15 		Subd. 2.Establishment; eligibility. (a) The commissioner, in consultation with the 
4.16 	Board of Teaching, must award grants annually to eligible alternative teacher preparation 
4.17 	programs consistent with this section.
4.18 	(b) To be eligible to receive a competitive grant, an alternative teacher preparation 
4.19 	program must:
4.20 	(1) be approved by the Board of Teaching, or make demonstrable progress towards 
4.21 	obtaining approval from the Board of Teaching;
4.22 	(2) demonstrate a commitment to increasing the number of licensed diverse teachers in 
4.23 	Minnesota public schools; and
4.24 	(3) place successful program participants in shortage areas or public schools where more 
4.25 	than one-half of the pupils are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunch.
4.26 		Subd. 3.Use of grants. (a) An alternative teacher preparation program may use grant 
4.27 	funds received under this section for the following purposes:
4.28 	(1) obtaining unit approval for an alternative teacher preparation program;
4.29 	(2) expanding the scope of an alternative teacher preparation program to licensure areas 
4.30 	identified as shortage areas;
4.31 	(3) recruiting, selecting, and training diverse teachers; and
5.1 	(4) offering participants and graduates opportunities for professional development that 
5.2 	are aligned with the alternative teacher preparation program.
5.3 	(b) An alternative teacher preparation program may use up to three percent of grant 
5.4 	funds received under this section for administrative expenses, including regional management 
5.5 	and operations, development, central support services, and technical support.
5.6 	(c) Funds under this section may be used as a match for nonstate funds.
5.7 		Subd. 4.Report. An alternative teacher program that receives a grant under this section 
5.8 	must submit, within one year of receiving the grant, a report to the commissioner and the 
5.9 	Board of Teaching on the recipient's ability to increase the number of diverse teachers in 
5.10 	Minnesota public schools and fill shortage areas. The report must include disaggregated 
5.11 	data regarding:
5.12 	(1) the race, ethnicity, and gender of teachers that participate in the program and become 
5.13 	licensed after completing the program; and
5.14 	(2) program participant placement.
5.15 		Subd. 5.Application process. (a) For grant approval for fiscal year 2018, an alternative 
5.16 	teacher preparation program or unit seeking approval must submit an application to the 
5.17 	commissioner by August 1, 2017. For grant approval for fiscal year 2019 and later, an 
5.18 	alternative teacher preparation program or a unit seeking approval must submit an application 
5.19 	to the commissioner by January 30 of the fiscal year prior to the fiscal year in which the 
5.20 	program will be implemented. The application must include:
5.21 	(1) a description of the proposed scope of work; and
5.22 	(2) a statement of assurances signed by the alternative teacher preparation program 
5.23 	director or equivalent officer that the proposed program or unit meets the requirements of 
5.24 	subdivision 2, paragraph (b), and will meet the requirements of subdivision 3.
5.25 	(b) The commissioner must review all applications submitted for fiscal year 2018 by 
5.26 	September 1, 2017, and must review all applications submitted for fiscal year 2019 and 
5.27 	later by March 1 of the fiscal year in which the applications are received. The commissioner 
5.28 	must determine whether each application meets the requirements of paragraph (a).
5.29 	(c) The commissioner must give preference to nonprofit organizations that obtained 
5.30 	nonprofit status in Minnesota by January 1, 2017, over other nonprofit organizations.

5.31 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

6.1 	Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION; ALTERNATIVE TEACHER PREPARATION 
6.2 	PROGRAM GRANTS.
 6.3 		Subdivision 1.Commissioner of education. The sums indicated in this section are 
6.4 	appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of education for the fiscal years 
6.5 	designated.
6.6 		Subd. 2.Grants. (a) For alternative teacher preparation grants under Minnesota Statutes, 
6.7 	section 122A.2455:

6.8		$
	1,000,000
	.....
	2018
	
6.9		$
	1,000,000
	.....
	2019
	
6.10 	(b) The base funding for grants is $2,000,000.
6.11 	(c) This appropriation is available until expended.
6.12 	(d) The commissioner may use up to three percent of the appropriation amount for 
6.13 	administrative expenses of the department.

6.14 	Sec. 4.  REPEALER.
 6.15 	Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 122A.245, is repealed.

APPENDIX 

Repealed Minnesota Statutes: S1756-1 

122A.245 ALTERNATIVE TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM AND PRELIMINARY TEACHER LICENSE.Subdivision 1.Requirements. 
(a) To improve academic excellence, improve ethnic and cultural diversity in the classroom, and close the academic achievement gap, the Board of Teaching must approve qualified teacher preparation programs under this section that are a means to acquire a two-year preliminary teacher license, which the board may renew one time for an additional one-year term, and to prepare for acquiring a professional five-year license. The following entities are eligible to participate under this section: 

(1) a school district, charter school, or nonprofit corporation organized under chapter 317A for an education-related purpose that forms a partnership with a college or university that has a board-approved alternative teacher preparation program; or 

(2) a school district or charter school, after consulting with a college or university with a board-approved teacher preparation program, that forms a partnership with a nonprofit corporation organized under chapter 317A for an education-related purpose that has a board-approved teacher preparation program. 

(b) Before becoming a teacher of record, a candidate must: 

(1) have a bachelor's degree with a 3.0 or higher grade point average unless the board waives the grade point average requirement based on board-adopted criteria adopted by January 1, 2016; 

(2) demonstrate a passing score on a board-adopted reading, writing, and mathematics skills examination under section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (b); and 

(3) obtain qualifying scores on applicable board-approved rigorous content area and pedagogy examinations under section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (e). 

(c) The Board of Teaching must issue a two-year preliminary teacher license to a person who enrolls in an alternative teacher preparation program. 

Subd. 2.Characteristics. 
An alternative teacher preparation program under this section must include: 

(1) a minimum 200-hour instructional phase that provides intensive preparation and student teaching before the teacher candidate assumes classroom responsibilities; 

(2) a research-based and results-oriented approach focused on best teaching practices to increase student proficiency and growth measured against state academic standards; 

(3) strategies to combine pedagogy and best teaching practices to better inform teacher candidates' classroom instruction; 

(4) assessment, supervision, and evaluation of teacher candidates to determine their specific needs throughout the program and to support their efforts to successfully complete the program; 

(5) intensive, ongoing, and multiyear professional learning opportunities that accelerate teacher candidates' professional growth, support student learning, and provide a workplace orientation, professional staff development, and mentoring and peer review focused on standards of professional practice and continuous professional growth; and 

(6) a requirement that teacher candidates demonstrate to the local site team under subdivision 5 satisfactory progress toward acquiring professional five-year teaching licenses from the Board of Teaching. 

Subd. 3.Program approval; disapproval. 
(a) The Board of Teaching must approve alternative teacher preparation programs under this section based on board-adopted criteria that reflect best practices for alternative teacher preparation programs, consistent with this section. 

(b) The board must permit teacher candidates to demonstrate mastery of pedagogy and content standards in school-based settings and through other nontraditional means. "Nontraditional means" must include a portfolio of previous experiences, teaching experience, educator evaluations, certifications marking the completion of education training programs, and essentially equivalent demonstrations. 

(c) The board must use nontraditional criteria to determine the qualifications of program instructors. 

(d) The board may permit instructors to hold a baccalaureate degree only. 

(e) If the Board of Teaching determines that a teacher preparation program under this section does not meet the requirements of this section, it may revoke its approval of the program after it notifies the program provider of any deficiencies and gives the program provider an opportunity to remedy the deficiencies. 

Subd. 4.Employment conditions. 
Where applicable, teacher candidates with a preliminary teacher license under this section are members of the local employee organization representing teachers and subject to the terms of the local collective bargaining agreement between the exclusive representative of the teachers and the school board. A collective bargaining agreement between a school board and the exclusive representative of the teachers must not prevent or restrict or otherwise interfere with a school district's ability to employ a teacher prepared under this section. 

Subd. 5.Approval for professional five-year license. 
A school board or its designee must appoint members to a local site team that includes teachers, school administrators, and postsecondary faculty under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (1), or staff of a participating nonprofit corporation under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2), to evaluate the performance of the teacher candidate. The evaluation must be consistent with board-adopted performance measures, use the Minnesota state standards of effective practice and subject matter content standards for teachers established in Minnesota Rules, and include a report to the board recommending whether or not to issue the teacher candidate a professional five-year teaching license. 

Subd. 6.Applicants trained in other states. 
A person who successfully completes another state's alternative teacher preparation program, consistent with section 122A.23, may apply to the Board of Teaching for an initial professional one-year teaching license or a professional five-year teaching license. 

Subd. 7.Professional five-year license. 
The Board of Teaching must issue a professional five-year teaching license to an otherwise qualified teacher candidate under this section who successfully performs throughout a program under this section, obtains qualifying scores on applicable board-adopted rigorous skills, pedagogy, and content area examinations under section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraphs (a) and (e), and is recommended for licensure under subdivision 5 or successfully demonstrates to the board qualifications for licensure under subdivision 6. 

Subd. 8. Qualified teacher. 
A person holding a valid limited-term license under this section is a qualified teacher and the teacher of record under section 122A.16. 

Subd. 9.Exchange of best practices. 
By July 31 in an even-numbered year, approved alternative preparation program providers, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Private College Council, and the Department of Education must exchange information about best practices and educational innovations. 

Subd. 10.Reports. 
The Board of Teaching must submit an interim report on the efficacy of this program to the policy and finance committees of the legislature with jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education by February 15, 2013, and a final report by February 15, 2015.