HF 1973

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/19/2015 04:54pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; recruiting, educating, and licensing underrepresented
student populations to teach in elementary and secondary schools and to work
with young children; providing a tax credit for expenses related to completing a
teacher preparation program; providing grants; appropriating money; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.09, subdivision 4; proposing coding for
new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 122A; 290.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.09, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

License and rules.

(a) The board must adopt rules to license public school
teachers and interns subject to chapter 14.

(b) The board must adopt rules requiring a person to pass a skills examination in
reading, writing, and mathematics or attain either a composite score composed of the
average of the scores in English and writing, reading, and mathematics on the ACT
Plus Writing recommended by the board, or an equivalent composite score composed
of the average of the scores in critical reading, mathematics, and writing on the SAT
recommended by the board, as a requirement for initial teacher licensure, except that the
board may issue up to two temporary, one-year teaching licenses to an otherwise qualified
candidate who has not yet passed the skills exam or attained the requisite composite score
on the ACT Plus Writing or SAT. Such rules must require college and universities offering
a board-approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial assistance to persons
who did not achieve a qualifying score on the skills examination or attain the requisite
composite score on the ACT Plus Writing or SAT, including those for whom English is
a second language. The requirement to pass a reading, writing, and mathematics skills
examination or attain the requisite composite score on the ACT Plus Writing or SAT does
not apply to nonnative English speakers, as verified by qualified Minnesota school district
personnel or Minnesota higher education faculty, who, after meeting the content and
pedagogy requirements under this subdivision, apply for a teaching license to provide direct
instruction in their native language or world language instruction under section 120B.022,
subdivision 1. A teacher candidate's official ACT Plus Writing or SAT composite score
report to the board must not be more than ten years old at the time of licensure.

(c) The board must adopt rules to approve teacher preparation programs. The board,
upon the request of a postsecondary student preparing for teacher licensure or a licensed
graduate of a teacher preparation program, shall assist in resolving a dispute between the
person and a postsecondary institution providing a teacher preparation program when the
dispute involves an institution's recommendation for licensure affecting the person or the
person's credentials. At the board's discretion, assistance may include the application
of chapter 14.

(d) The board must provide the leadership and adopt rules for the redesign of teacher
education programs to implement a research based, results-oriented curriculum that
focuses on the skills teachers need in order to be effective. The board shall implement new
systems of teacher preparation program evaluation to assure program effectiveness based
on proficiency of graduates in demonstrating attainment of program outcomes. Teacher
preparation programs including alternative teacher preparation programs under section
122A.245, among other programs, must include a content-specific, board-approved,
performance-based assessment that measures teacher candidates in three areas: planning
for instruction and assessment; engaging students and supporting learning; and assessing
student learning. The board's redesign rules must include creating flexible, specialized
teaching licenses, credentials, and other endorsement forms to increase students'
participation in language immersion programs, world language instruction, career
development opportunities, work-based learning, early college courses and careers, career
and technical programs, Montessori schools, and project and place-based learning, among
other career and college ready learning offerings.

(e) The board must adopt rules requiring candidates for initial licenses to pass an
examination of general pedagogical knowledge and examinations of licensure-specific
teaching skills. The rules shall be effective by September 1, 2001. The rules under this
paragraph also must require candidates for initial licenses to teach prekindergarten or
elementary students to pass, as part of the examination of licensure-specific teaching
skills, test items assessing the candidates' knowledge, skill, and ability in comprehensive,
scientifically based reading instruction under section 122A.06, subdivision 4, and their
knowledge and understanding of the foundations of reading development, the development
of reading comprehension, and reading assessment and instruction, and their ability to
integrate that knowledge and understanding.

(f) The board must adopt rules requiring teacher educators to work directly with
elementary or secondary school teachers in elementary or secondary schools to obtain
periodic exposure to the elementary or secondary teaching environment.

(g) The board must grant licenses to interns and to candidates for initial licenses
based on appropriate professional competencies that are aligned with the board's licensing
system and students' diverse learning needs. All teacher candidates must have preparation
in English language development and content instruction for English learners in order to be
able to effectively instruct the English learners in their classrooms. The board must include
these licenses in a statewide differentiated licensing system that creates new leadership
roles for successful experienced teachers premised on a collaborative professional culture
dedicated to meeting students' diverse learning needs in the 21st century, recognizes the
importance of cultural and linguistic competencies, including the ability to teach and
communicate in culturally competent and aware ways, and formalizes mentoring and
induction for newly licensed teachers provided through a teacher support framework.

(h) The board must design and implement an assessment system which requires a
candidate for an initial license and first continuing license to demonstrate the abilities
necessary to perform selected, representative teaching tasks at appropriate levels.

(i) The board must receive recommendations from local committees as established
by the board for the renewal of teaching licenses. The board must require licensed teachers
who are renewing a continuing license to include in the renewal requirements further
preparation in English language development and specially designed content instruction
in English for English learners.

(j) The board must grant life licenses to those who qualify according to requirements
established by the board, and suspend or revoke licenses pursuant to sections 122A.20 and
214.10. The board must not establish any expiration date for application for life licenses.

(k) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further preparation in
the areas of using positive behavior interventions and in accommodating, modifying, and
adapting curricula, materials, and strategies to appropriately meet the needs of individual
students and ensure adequate progress toward the state's graduation rule.

(l) In adopting rules to license public school teachers who provide health-related
services for disabled children, the board shall adopt rules consistent with license or
registration requirements of the commissioner of health and the health-related boards who
license personnel who perform similar services outside of the school.

(m) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further reading
preparation, consistent with section 122A.06, subdivision 4. The rules do not take effect
until they are approved by law. Teachers who do not provide direct instruction including, at
least, counselors, school psychologists, school nurses, school social workers, audiovisual
directors and coordinators, and recreation personnel are exempt from this section.

(n) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further preparation,
first, in understanding the key warning signs of early-onset mental illness in children
and adolescents and then, during subsequent licensure renewal periods, preparation may
include providing a more in-depth understanding of students' mental illness trauma,
accommodations for students' mental illness, parents' role in addressing students' mental
illness, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, autism, the requirements of section 125A.0942
governing restrictive procedures, and de-escalation methods, among other similar topics.

new text begin (o) The Board of Teaching, in collaboration with postsecondary teacher preparation
programs and institutions preparing underrepresented students and the Chicano Latino
Affairs Council, the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans, the Council on Black
Minnesotans, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, the Minnesota State Council on
Disability, the Somali American Parent Association, the commissioner of the Minnesota
Department of Human Rights or the commissioner's designee, the Minnesota Humanities
Center, and the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, must create
partnerships to help recruit, educate, and license students underrepresented as teachers in
K-12 schools and as providers in early childhood education programs. These partnerships,
among other initiatives, must regularly review the content, instructional practices, and
student support services of board-approved teacher preparation programs as they affect
underrepresented student populations and disseminate the substance of the reviews to
interested education stakeholders.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [122A.185] TEACHER TRAINING GRANTS FOR
UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AS
DISTRICT PARAPROFESSIONALS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin A teacher training grant program is established to
provide grants to underrepresented populations currently employed in a school district as
a paraprofessional or other nonlicensed employee to help offset the employee's cost of
becoming a licensed teacher or early childhood educator.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Eligibility; application. new text end

new text begin (a) A school district, intermediate school district,
cooperative school district, or special education district may apply to the commissioner of
education for a grant to help underrepresented student populations currently employed by
the district as a paraprofessional or other nonlicensed employee and enrolled in a Board of
Teaching approved teacher preparation program with funding to help offset the employee's
teacher preparation costs if the commissioner determines that the district:
new text end

new text begin (1) established appropriate goals for diversifying its workforce; and
new text end

new text begin (2) employs at least one paraprofessional or other nonlicensed employee making
satisfactory progress in a Board of Teaching approved teacher preparation program or
completing other coursework needed to meet teacher licensure requirements.
new text end

new text begin (b) An interested district under paragraph (a), after verifying its employee's status
as an enrolled student making satisfactory progress, must apply to the commissioner in
the form and manner determined by the commissioner. The application must include
the number of affected employees in the district, the licenses the employees anticipate
receiving upon completion, the name and address of the postsecondary institution
providing the instruction, the period of time the employees need to complete the
preparation program or course, and the tuition cost. The commissioner may require a
district to provide additional information.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Grant criteria and amount. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner must consider the
following criteria in awarding grants under this section and may consider other posted
criteria established by the commissioner in consultation with the Board of Teaching:
new text end

new text begin (1) the aggregate need for underrepresented populations employed as licensed
teachers in the district, region, and state;
new text end

new text begin (2) the educational benefits to elementary and secondary students enrolled in the
district;
new text end

new text begin (3) the per-employee cost of the preparation program or course; and
new text end

new text begin (4) additional employment opportunities and benefits for employees who receive
a teaching license.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner, after consulting with those districts awarded a grant, must
make payments to the postsecondary institution enrolling the district's eligible employees
in order to offset the employee's program or course costs. The grant amount must not
exceed the employee's actual program or course costs minus any federal Pell grant or state
grant amount the employee is eligible to receive.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Employment terms. new text end

new text begin Notwithstanding other law to the contrary, a district
awarded a grant under this section, upon the request of an eligible employee, must
provide the employee with a paid leave of absence to enable the employee to complete
the employee's student teaching requirement. Employees under this section currently
serving as a school readiness or preschool teacher are deemed to have completed their
student teaching requirement.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of education, each year beginning February
1, 2017, must report to the chairs of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over
workforce policy, education, and finance. The report must, at a minimum, include:
new text end

new text begin (1) research and analysis on the costs, return on investment, and benefits of the
grants for employees, employers, teacher preparation institutions, and the state;
new text end

new text begin (2) the number of employees who began a teacher preparation program;
new text end

new text begin (3) the number of underrepresented students who began a teacher preparation
program and the number who received initial licensure; and
new text end

new text begin (4) recommendations, if any, for amending the grant program.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2015.
new text end

Sec. 3.

new text begin [290.0693] TEACHER TRAINING INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Credit allowed. new text end

new text begin An individual employed by a Minnesota school
district, intermediate school district, special education district, or cooperative is allowed
a credit against the tax required by this chapter in an amount equal to ... percent of the
amount paid for expenses related to completing coursework for a teacher preparation
program in a Minnesota college or university if that individual is seeking initial licensure
as a teacher. For purposes of this section, "expenses related to the completion of
coursework for a teacher preparation program" means:
new text end

new text begin (1) tuition for instruction or enrollment in an accredited postsecondary institution
in the state of Minnesota;
new text end

new text begin (2) expenses for textbooks, including books and other instructional materials
assigned or utilized by the individual in completing his or her coursework; and
new text end

new text begin (3) a maximum expense of $....... for personal computer hardware, regardless of
whether the computer is required by the individual's postsecondary institution.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Limitations. new text end

new text begin (a) For a claimant with income not greater than $33,500, the
maximum credit allowed is $....... The maximum credit for individuals is $1 for each $10
of household income over $33,500, but in no case is the credit less than zero.
new text end

new text begin For purposes of this section, "income" has the meaning given in section 290.067,
subdivision 2a. In the case of a married claimant, a credit is not allowed unless a joint
income tax return is filed.
new text end

new text begin (b) For a nonresident or part-year resident, the credit determined under subdivision 1
and the maximum credit amount in paragraph (a) must be allocated using the percentage
calculated in section 290.06, subdivision 2c, paragraph (e).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Credit to be refundable. new text end

new text begin If the amount of credit that the claimant is
eligible to receive under this section exceeds the claimant's tax liability under this chapter,
the commissioner shall refund the excess to the claimant.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Appropriation. new text end

new text begin An amount sufficient to pay the refunds required by this
section is appropriated to the commissioner from the general fund.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for taxable years beginning
December 31, 2016.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2016 and $....... in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated from
the general fund to the commissioner of education for teacher training grants for
underrepresented populations currently serving as paraprofessionals or other nonlicensed
employees in a school district under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.185. Any funds
unexpended in fiscal year 2016 do not cancel but carry forward into the next fiscal year.
new text end