HF 2622

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 04/14/2016 04:47pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; requiring at least one hour of suicide prevention training
for teachers renewing their teaching license; amending Minnesota Statutes 2015
Supplement, section 122A.09, subdivision 4.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, 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 require all candidates for teacher licensure to demonstrate a
passing score on a board-adopted skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics,
as a requirement for initial teacher licensure, except that the board may issue up to four
temporary, one-year teaching licenses to an otherwise qualified candidate who has not yet
passed the board-adopted skills exam. The board must require colleges and universities
offering a board-approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial assistance to
persons who did not achieve a qualifying score on the board-adopted skills examination,
including those for whom English is a second language. The requirement to pass a
board-adopted reading, writing, and mathematics skills examination 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. The Board of Teaching and the entity administering the content, pedagogy,
and skills examinations must allow any individual who produces documentation of a
disability in the form of an evaluation, 504 plan, or individual education program (IEP) to
receive the same testing accommodations on the content, pedagogy, and skills examinations
that the applicant received during their secondary or postsecondary education.

(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. Among other components,
teacher preparation programs may use the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
program model to provide a school-year-long student teaching program that combines
clinical opportunities with academic coursework and in-depth student teaching
experiences to offer students ongoing mentorship, coaching, and assessment, help to
prepare a professional development plan, and structured learning experiences. 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 new text begin at least one hour of
suicide prevention best practices in each licensure renewal period that are based on
nationally recognized evidence-based programs and practices and new text end 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.

(o) The board must adopt rules by January 1, 2016, to license applicants under
sections 122A.23 and 122A.245. The rules must permit applicants to demonstrate their
qualifications through the board's recognition of a teaching license from another state
in a similar content field, completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program,
teaching experience as the teacher of record in a similar licensure field, depth of content
knowledge, depth of content methods or general pedagogy, subject-specific professional
development and contribution to the field, or classroom performance as determined by
documented student growth on normed assessments or documented effectiveness on
evaluations. The rules must adopt criteria for determining a "similar content field" and
"similar licensure area."

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to teachers renewing their teaching licenses beginning August 1, 2017.
new text end