HF 1224

1st Engrossment - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/09/2023 08:22pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; making changes to tiered licensure; providing for temporary
eligibility for licensure; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022,
sections 122A.182, subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision; 122A.183, subdivision
2, by adding a subdivision; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 122A.182,
subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 122A.182, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Requirements.

(a) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards
Board must approve a request from a district or charter school to issue a Tier 2 license in a
specified content area to a candidate if:

(1) the candidate meets the educational or professional requirements in paragraph (b)
or (c);

(2) the candidate:

(i) has completed deleted text begin the coursework required under subdivision 2 deleted text end new text begin a state-approved teacher Next
preparation program new text end ;

(ii) is enrolled in a Minnesota-approved Previous teacher Next preparation program; or

(iii) has a master's degree in the specified content area; and

(3) the district or charter school demonstrates that a criminal background check under
section 122A.18, subdivision 8, has been completed on the candidate.

(b) A candidate for a Tier 2 license must have a bachelor's degree to teach a class outside
a career and technical education or career pathways course of study.

(c) A candidate for a Tier 2 license must have one of the following credentials in a
relevant content area to teach a class or course in a career and technical education or career
pathways course of study:

(1) an associate's degree;

(2) a professional certification; or

(3) five years of relevant work experience.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 122A.182, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 2a. new text end

new text begin Temporary eligibility for renewal. new text end

new text begin For the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and
2025-2026 school years only, the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board
must approve an application to renew a Tier 2 license for an applicant that met the Tier 2
requirements in effect at the time the first Tier 2 license was issued. Nothing in this
subdivision modifies the renewal requirements in subdivision 3.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 122A.183, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Coursework.

A candidate for a Tier 3 license must meet the coursework
requirement by demonstrating one of the following:

(1) completion of a Minnesota-approved Previous teacher Next preparation program;

(2) completion of a state-approved Previous teacher Next preparation program that includes field-specific
student teaching equivalent to field-specific student teaching in Minnesota-approved Previous teacher Next
preparation programs. The field-specific student teaching requirement does not apply to a
candidate that has two years of teaching experience;

(3) submission of a content-specific licensure portfolio; new text begin or
new text end

(4) a professional teaching license from another state, evidence that the candidate's
license is in good standing, and two years of teaching experience deleted text begin ; or
deleted text end

deleted text begin (5) three years of teaching experience under a Tier 2 license and evidence of summative
Previous teacher Next evaluations that did not result in placing or otherwise keeping the Previous teacher Next on an
improvement process pursuant to section 122A.40, subdivision 8, or section 122A.41,
subdivision 5 deleted text end .

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 122A.183, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 2a. new text end

new text begin Temporary eligibility. new text end

new text begin A candidate for a Tier 3 license may meet the
coursework requirement under subdivision 2 if the candidate demonstrates three years of
teaching experience under a Tier 2 license and evidence of summative Previous teacher Next evaluations
that did not result in placing or otherwise keeping the Previous teacher Next on an improvement process
pursuant to section 122A.40, subdivision 8, or section 122A.41, subdivision 5. This
subdivision expires on December 31, 2026.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. new text end

new text begin The sums
indicated in this section are appropriated from the general fund to the Professional Educator
Licensing and Standards Board for the fiscal years designated. Any balance in the first year
does not cancel but is available in the second year.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Pathway preparation grants. new text end

new text begin (a) For grants to support teachers holding a Tier
2 license and seeking a Tier 3 license:
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 400,000 new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2024 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 400,000 new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2025 new text end

new text begin (b) The following are eligible for grants under this subdivision:
new text end

new text begin (1) school districts;
new text end

new text begin (2) charter schools;
new text end

new text begin (3) service cooperatives; and
new text end

new text begin (4) partnerships between one or more Previous teacher Next preparation providers, school districts, or
charter schools.
new text end

new text begin (c) Grant funds must be used to support teachers holding a Tier 2 license and seeking a
Tier 3 license through completion of a Previous teacher Next preparation program or the licensure via
portfolio process. A grant recipient must provide teachers holding a Tier 2 license with
professional development, mentorship, and coursework aligned to state standards for Previous teacher Next
licensure.
new text end

new text begin (d) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board may collaborate with the
Department of Education and the Office of Higher Education to administer the grant program.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Licensure via portfolio online platform. new text end

new text begin To complete the licensure via portfolio
online platform to streamline the portfolio submission and review process:
new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 50,000 new text end

new text begin ..... new text end

new text begin 2024 new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Alternative pathways support position. new text end

new text begin To fund a new position at the
Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board to support candidates through
alternative pathway programs, including the licensure via portfolio process and to support
districts, charter schools, and educational cooperatives to become alternative preparation
providers:
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 150,000 new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2024 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 150,000 new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2025 new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin REPEALER.
new text end

new text begin Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 122A.182, subdivision 2, new text end new text begin is repealed.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2024.
new text end

APPENDIX

Repealed Minnesota Statutes: H1224-1

122A.182 TIER 2 LICENSE.

Subd. 2.

Coursework.

(a) A candidate for a Tier 2 license must meet the coursework requirement by demonstrating completion of two of the following:

(1) at least eight upper division or graduate-level credits in the relevant content area;

(2) field-specific methods of training, including coursework;

(3) at least two years of teaching experience in a similar content area in any state, as determined by the board;

(4) a passing score on the pedagogy and content exams under section 122A.185; or

(5) completion of a state-approved Previous teacher preparation program.

(b) For purposes of paragraph (a), "upper division" means classes normally taken at the junior or senior level of college which require substantial knowledge and skill in the field. Candidates must identify the upper division credits that fulfill the requirement in paragraph (a), clause (1).