1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing for a teacher 
  1.3             training program for qualified professionals; 
  1.4             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.5             chapter 122A. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [122A.245] [TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM FOR 
  1.8   QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [REQUIREMENTS.] (a) As an alternative to 
  1.10  postsecondary teacher preparation programs and alternative 
  1.11  preparation licensing for teachers under section 122A.24, a 
  1.12  teacher training program is established for qualified 
  1.13  professionals to acquire an entrance license.  Providers, 
  1.14  approved by the commissioner under subdivision 3, may offer the 
  1.15  program to train a maximum of 300 teachers per year in the 
  1.16  instructional fields of special education, science, math, 
  1.17  reading, English as a second language, communication arts and 
  1.18  literature, business, world languages, and library and media 
  1.19  specialist. 
  1.20     (b) To participate in the teacher training program, the 
  1.21  applicant must: 
  1.22     (1) have a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year 
  1.23  postsecondary institution; 
  1.24     (2) have an undergraduate major or postbaccalaureate degree 
  1.25  in the subject to be taught or have equivalent academic 
  2.1   qualifications in the subject area in which the applicant is 
  2.2   seeking licensure; 
  2.3      (3) have a minimum of five years of professional employment 
  2.4   in a subject area related to the subject area in which the 
  2.5   applicant is seeking licensure; and 
  2.6      (4) pass a skills exam in reading, writing, and mathematics 
  2.7   under section 122A.18. 
  2.8      (c) Teachers currently teaching under a variance issued by 
  2.9   the Board of Teaching may apply to participate in this program.  
  2.10     Subd. 2.  [PROGRAM.] The teacher training program must 
  2.11  include: 
  2.12     (1) 200 clock hours of intensive training in classroom 
  2.13  management, curriculum, and instruction; and 
  2.14     (2) a minimum of five seminars totaling at least 20 clock 
  2.15  hours during the applicant's first year of teaching. 
  2.16     Subd. 3.  [PROGRAM APPROVAL.] The commissioner must approve 
  2.17  teacher training programs under this section based on criteria 
  2.18  developed by an advisory group appointed by the commissioner.  
  2.19  The advisory group at least must include representatives of the 
  2.20  Board of Teaching, school superintendents, and postsecondary 
  2.21  institutions, including those offering degrees in teaching 
  2.22  preparation.  
  2.23     By January 15, 2005, the commissioner must report to the 
  2.24  legislative committees with responsibility for higher education 
  2.25  on the criteria for teacher training programs developed by the 
  2.26  advisory group under this subdivision. 
  2.27     An approved teacher training program must require program 
  2.28  participants to complete the standards of effective practice for 
  2.29  teachers under Minnesota Rules, part 8710.2000. 
  2.30     Subd. 4.  [PROGRAM DELIVERY.] Postsecondary institutions 
  2.31  and district-created teacher academies, among other entities, 
  2.32  may apply to the commissioner in the form and manner the 
  2.33  commissioner indicates, to deliver a teacher training program 
  2.34  under this section to train a maximum of 300 teachers per year. 
  2.35     Subd. 5.  [ELIGIBILITY LICENSE.] An applicant who 
  2.36  successfully completes the training under subdivision 2, clause 
  3.1   (1), and passes the Praxis II content exam under section 
  3.2   122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (e), may receive a one-year 
  3.3   eligibility license and begin teaching.  During the one-year 
  3.4   eligibility period, the district must assign a teacher who holds 
  3.5   a regular teaching license to mentor the applicant teacher.  The 
  3.6   applicant teacher and teacher mentor must meet at least once 
  3.7   every week. 
  3.8      Subd. 6.  [STANDARD ENTRANCE LICENSE.] The Board of 
  3.9   Teaching must issue a standard entrance license to a training 
  3.10  program licensee who successfully completes the program under 
  3.11  subdivision 2, successfully teaches in a classroom for one 
  3.12  complete school year, passes the Praxis II pedagogy test, and 
  3.13  receives a positive recommendation from the applicant's school 
  3.14  principal or other district or school administrator. 
  3.15     Subd. 7.  [QUALIFIED TEACHER.] A person with a valid 
  3.16  eligibility license under subdivision 5 is a qualified teacher 
  3.17  under section 122A.16. 
  3.18     Subd. 8.  [EVALUATION AND REPORT.] The Office of the 
  3.19  Legislative Auditor must evaluate the program under this section 
  3.20  and report its findings to the education policy and finance 
  3.21  committees in the legislature by February 1, 2008, and each 
  3.22  three years thereafter on February 1.