HF 1340

1st Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 01:48am

A bill for an act
relating to education; creating an alternative teacher preparation program and a
resident teacher license for qualified nontraditional candidates; proposing coding
for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 122A.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [122A.245] ALTERNATIVE TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM
AND RESIDENT TEACHER LICENSE FOR QUALIFIED NONTRADITIONAL
CANDIDATES.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Requirements. new text end

new text begin (a) A teacher preparation program that is an
alternative to a postsecondary teacher preparation program and to the preparation program
under section 122A.24 and a two-year resident teacher license, which may be renewed
one time by a resident teacher in good standing, are established as a means of acquiring
a standard entrance license. Either (i) a college or university with a board-approved
alternative teacher preparation program or (ii) a nonprofit corporation formed for an
education-related purpose and subject to chapter 317A that, in partnership with a college
or university with an approved teacher preparation program, develops a board-approved
alternative preparation program leading to a standard entrance license may offer this
program in any instructional field. The Board of Teaching must ensure that this program
serves to enhance any efforts by the state or a school district to reduce or eliminate the
academic achievement gap among identified categories of students.
new text end

new text begin (b) To participate in this program, a candidate must:
new text end

new text begin (1) have a bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 grade point average or, at the
board's discretion, demonstrate at least ten years of relevant successful professional
experience;
new text end

new text begin (2) pass the reading, writing, and mathematics skills examination under section
122A.18; and
new text end

new text begin (3) obtain qualifying scores on board-approved content area and pedagogy tests.
new text end

new text begin (c) The board may waive the minimum grade point average requirement in paragraph
(b), clause (1), for candidates with a grade point average of 2.75 or higher.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Characteristics. new text end

new text begin An alternative teacher preparation program offered by an
eligible college or university or nonprofit corporation under this section must include:
new text end

new text begin (1) a minimum 200-hour instructional phase that provides intensive preparation for
the resident teacher before that person assumes classroom responsibilities;
new text end

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

new text begin (3) strategies to combine pedagogy and best teaching practices to better inform
teachers' classroom instruction;
new text end

new text begin (4) assessment, supervision, and evaluation of the program participant to determine
the participant's specific needs throughout the program and to support the participant
in successfully completing the program;
new text end

new text begin (5) formal instruction and intensive peer coaching during the school year that
provide structured guidance and regular ongoing support;
new text end

new text begin (6) high quality, sustained, intensive, and classroom-embedded staff development
opportunities conducted by a resident mentor or by a mentorship team that may include
school administrators, teachers, and postsecondary faculty members and are directed at
improving student learning and achievement; and
new text end

new text begin (7) a requirement that program participants demonstrate satisfactory progress toward
receiving from the Board of Teaching a standard entrance license at the time the person's
resident teacher license finally expires.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Program approval. new text end

new text begin 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.
The board must permit licensure candidates to demonstrate licensure competencies in
school-based settings and through other nontraditional licensure pathways.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Reissued resident teacher license; approval for standard entrance
license. new text end

new text begin A resident mentor or mentorship team under subdivision 2, clause (6), must
evaluate the performance of the resident teacher and submit to the board an evaluation
report recommending whether or not to reissue the person a resident teacher license or
to issue the resident teacher a standard entrance license.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Standard entrance license. new text end

new text begin The Board of Teaching must issue a standard
entrance license to a resident teacher under this section who successfully performs
throughout the program and is recommended for licensure under subdivision 4.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Qualified teacher. new text end

new text begin A person with a valid resident teacher license under
this section is the teacher of record and a qualified teacher within the meaning of section
122A.16.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2009-2010 school year and
later.
new text end