HF 744

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 02/24/2025 05:48 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to education; modifying professional development requirements for Read
Act implementation; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.123,
subdivision 5.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.123, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

Professional development.

(a) A district must provide training from a menu
of approved evidence-based training programs to the following teachers and staff by July
1, 2026:

(1) reading intervention teachers working with students in kindergarten through grade
12;

(2) all classroom teachers of students in kindergarten through grade 3 and children in
prekindergarten programs;

(3) special education teachers;

(4) curriculum directors;

(5) instructional support staff, contractors, and volunteers who assist in providing Tier
2 interventions;

(6) employees who select literacy instructional materials for a district; and

(7) teachers licensed to teach English to multilingual learners.

(b) A district must provide training from a menu of approved evidence-based training
programs to the following teachers by July 1, 2027:

(1) teachers who provide reading instruction to students in grades 4 to 12; and

(2) teachers who provide instruction to students in a state-approved alternative program.

(c) The commissioner of education may grant a district an extension to the deadlines in
this subdivision.

(d) Training provided by a department-approved certified trained facilitator may satisfy
the professional development requirements under this subdivision.

(e) For the 2024-2025 new text begin and 2025-2026 new text end school deleted text begin year deleted text end new text begin years new text end only, the hours of instruction
requirement under section 120A.41 for students in an elementary school, as defined in
section 120A.05, subdivision 9, is reduced by 5-1/2 hours for a district that enters into an
agreement with the exclusive representative of the teachers that requires teachers to receive
at least 5-1/2 hours of approved evidence-based training required under this subdivision,
on a day when other students in the district receive instruction. If a charter school's teachers
are not represented by an exclusive representative, the charter school may reduce the number
of instructional hours for students in an elementary school, as defined in section 120A.05,
subdivision 9, by 5-1/2 hours after consulting with its teachers in order to provide teachers
with at least 5-1/2 hours of evidence-based training required under this subdivision on a
day when other students receive instruction.