1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education finance; strengthening the Increase Teachers of Color Act; 
1.3 	seeking to increase the percentage of teachers of color and American Indian teachers 
1.4 	in Minnesota above four percent and the percentage of diverse teacher candidates 
1.5 	above ten percent by 2020; requiring a report; appropriating money;amending 
1.6 	Minnesota Statutes 2016, sections 122A.70, as amended; 124D.862, subdivision 
1.7 	6; Laws 2017, First Special Session chapter 5, article 2, section 57, subdivisions 
1.8 	23, 27.
1.9 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.10 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 122A.70, as amended by Laws 2017, First 
1.11 	Special Session, chapter 5, article 12, sec. 22, is amended to read:
1.12 	122A.70 TEACHER MENTORSHIP AND RETENTION OF EFFECTIVE 
1.13 	TEACHERS.
1.14 		Subdivision 1.Teacher mentoring, induction, and retention programs. (a) School 
1.15 	districts are encouraged to develop teacher mentoring programs for teachers new to the 
1.16 	profession or district, including teaching residents, teachers who are of color,or American 
1.17 	Indian, teachers with special needs, or experienced teachers in need of peer coaching.
1.18 	(b) Teacher mentoring programs should support districts' teacher evaluation and peer 
1.19 	review processes under sections 122A.40, subdivision 8, and 122A.41, subdivision 5. A 
1.20 	district may use staff development revenue under section 122A.61, special grant programs 
1.21 	established by the legislature, or another funding source to pay a stipend to a mentor who 
1.22 	may be a current or former teacher. Other initiatives using such funds or funds available 
1.23 	under sections 124D.861 and 124D.862 may include:
2.1 	(1) additional stipends as incentives to mentors who are of color or who are American 
2.2 	Indian;
2.3 	(2) financial supports for professional learning community affinity groups across schools 
2.4 	within and between districts for teachers from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to 
2.5 	come together throughout the school year; or
2.6 	(3) programs for induction and professional development during the first three years of 
2.7 	teaching, especially for teachers from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
2.8 	(c) Schools or districts may provide financial incentives for teachers of color and teachers 
2.9 	who are American Indian to work in the school or district for at least five years and may 
2.10 	negotiate additional retention strategies or protection from layoffs in the beginning years 
2.11 	of employment for teachers of color and teachers who are American Indian.
2.12 		Subd. 2.Applications. The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must 
2.13 	make application forms available to sites interested in developing or expanding a mentorship 
2.14 	program. A school district, a group of school districts, or a coalition of districts, teachers 
2.15 	and teacher education institutions may apply for a teacher mentorship program grant. The 
2.16 	Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, in consultation with the teacher 
2.17 	mentoring task force, must approve or disapprove the applications. To the extent possible, 
2.18 	the approved applications must reflect effective mentoring components, include a variety 
2.19 	of coalitions and be geographically distributed throughout the state. The Professional 
2.20 	Educator Licensing and Standards Board must encourage the selected sites to consider the 
2.21 	use of its assessment procedures.
2.22 		Subd. 3.Criteria for selection. At a minimum, applicants must express commitment 
2.23 	to:
2.24 	(1) allow staff participation;
2.25 	(2) assess skills of both beginning and mentor teachers;
2.26 	(3) provide appropriate in-service to needs identified in the assessment;
2.27 	(4) provide leadership to the effort;
2.28 	(5) cooperate with higher education institutions;
2.29 	(6) provide facilities and other resources;
2.30 	(7) share findings, materials, and techniques with other school districts; and
2.31 	(8) retain teachers of color and teachers who are American Indian.
3.1 		Subd. 4.Additional funding. Applicants are required to seek additional funding and 
3.2 	assistance from sources such as school districts, postsecondary institutions, foundations, 
3.3 	and the private sector.
3.4 		Subd. 5.Program implementation. New and expanding mentorship sites that are funded 
3.5 	to design, develop, implement, and evaluate their program must participate in activities that 
3.6 	support program development and implementation. The Professional Educator Licensing 
3.7 	and Standards Board must provide resources and assistance to support new sites in their 
3.8 	program efforts. These activities and services may include, but are not limited to: planning, 
3.9 	planning guides, media, training, conferences, institutes, and regional and statewide 
3.10 	networking meetings. Nonfunded schools or districts interested in getting started may 
3.11 	participate. Fees may be charged for meals, materials, and the like.

3.12 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 124D.862, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
3.13 		Subd. 6.Revenue uses. (a) At least 80 percent of a district's achievement and integration 
3.14 	revenue received under this section must be used for innovative and integrated learning and 
3.15 	work environments, to ensure that they are inclusive and respectful for all students, families, 
3.16 	and employees; school enrollment choices, and placement services; family engagement 
3.17 	activities, and; the development and implementation of culturally relevant or ethnic studies 
3.18 	curriculum using culturally responsive methodologies; hiring more teachers, 
3.19 	paraprofessionals, cultural liaisons, or counselors who represent the diversity of students; 
3.20 	or other approved programs providing direct services to students.
3.21 	(b) Up to 20 percent of the revenue may be used for professional development and staff 
3.22 	development activities and placement services, including but not limited to those under 
3.23 	section 122A.70, subdivision 1, to help retain teachers of color and American Indian teachers.
3.24 	(c) No more than ten percent of the total amount of revenue may be spent on 
3.25 	administrative services.

3.26 	Sec. 3. Laws 2017, First Special Session chapter 5, article 2, section 57, subdivision 23, 
3.27 	is amended to read:
3.28 		Subd. 23.Paraprofessional pathway Grow Your Own pathways to teacher licensure.
 3.29 	(a) For grants to school districts for Grow Your Own new teacher programs:

3.30		$
	1,500,000
	.....
	2018
	
3.323.31
		$
	1,500,000
2,500,000
	.....
	2019
	
4.1 	(b) Of this amount in 2019, $1,500,000 of the grants are for school districts with more 
4.2 	than 30 percent minority students of color for a Board of Teaching-approved  established 
4.3 	and effective Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board-approved 
4.4 	nonconventional teacher residency pilot program programs. The program programs must 
4.5 	provide tuition scholarships or stipends to enable school district employees or community 
4.6 	members affiliated with a school district who seek an education license to participate in a 
4.7 	nonconventional teacher preparation program. School districts that receive funds under this 
4.8 	subdivision are strongly encouraged to must have a program to  recruit and retain candidates 
4.9 	of color and American Indian candidates to participate in the Grow Your Own new teacher 
4.10 	programs. Districts or schools providing financial support may require a commitment as 
4.11 	determined by the district to teach in the district or school for a reasonable amount of time 
4.12 	that does not exceed five years.
4.13 	(c) Of this amount, $1,000,000 is for grants for schools or districts where more than 25 
4.14 	percent of students are students of color or are American Indian to provide financial 
4.15 	assistance, mentoring, and experiences to enable persons who are of color or who are 
4.16 	American Indian and working or living in the local community to become teachers. Districts 
4.17 	or schools providing financial support may require a commitment as determined by the 
4.18 	district to teach in the district or school for a reasonable amount of time that does not exceed 
4.19 	five years. Grants may be used for:
4.20 	(1) tuition scholarships or stipends to eligible teaching assistants, cultural liaisons, or 
4.21 	other nonlicensed employees who are of color or who are American Indian enrolled in any 
4.22 	teacher preparation program approved by the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards 
4.23 	Board; and
4.24 	(2) supporting the development of innovative residency programs and any school, district, 
4.25 	or cooperative, as defined under Minnesota Statutes, section 123A.24, subdivision 2, for 
4.26 	persons of color and American Indians seeking an education license through a school-based, 
4.27 	board-approved program.
4.28 	(c) (d) School districts and charter schools may also apply for grants to develop innovative 
4.29 	expanded Grow Your Own programs that encourage secondary school students to pursue 
4.30 	teaching, including developing and offering dual-credit postsecondary course options in 
4.31 	schools for "Introduction to Teaching" or "Introduction to Education" courses consistent 
4.32 	with Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09, subdivision 10, and supporting future teacher 
4.33 	clubs involving middle and high school students who are of color or who are American 
4.34 	Indian to have experiential learning, support the success of younger students, and pursue a 
4.35 	teaching career.
5.1 	(e) A school district must apply for a grant in the form and manner specified by the 
5.2 	commissioner. The commissioner must review all grant applications by September 15 and 
5.3 	notify grant recipients of the amount of their grant by September 30 of each year.
5.4 	(d) (f) Programs must annually report to the commissioner by the date determined by 
5.5 	the commissioner on their activities under this section, including the number of participants, 
5.6 	the percentage of participants who are of color or who are American Indian, and an 
5.7 	assessment of program effectiveness, including participant feedback, areas for improvement, 
5.8 	the percentage of participants continuing to pursue teacher licensure, and the number of 
5.9 	participants hired in the school or district as teachers after completing preparation programs.
5.10 	(e) (g) The department may retain up to three percent of the appropriation amount to 
5.11 	monitor and administer the grant program.
5.12 	(h) A grant recipient must spend any amounts received under this section within 18 
5.13 	months of the grant award.
5.14 	(f) (i) Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.
5.15 	Any balance in fiscal year 2019 is available until June 30, 2020.

5.16 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2018.

5.17 	Sec. 4. Laws 2017, First Special Session chapter 5, article 2, section 57, subdivision 27, 
5.18 	is amended to read:
5.19 		Subd. 27.Collaborative urban and greater Minnesota educators of color program 
5.20 	grants. (a) For collaborative urban and greater Minnesota educators of color program grants:

5.21		$
	1,000,000
	.....
	2018
	
5.235.22
		$
	1,000,000
1,500,000
	.....
	2019
	
5.24 	(b) The purpose of the grants is to develop, expand, and maintain targeted recruitment, 
5.25 	retention, and induction support directly to teacher candidates who are of color or who are 
5.26 	American Indian in collaboration with local schools and communities in order to ensure 
5.27 	that students from early childhood through grade 12 have equitable access to effective and 
5.28 	diverse teachers under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.11, subdivision 3.
5.29 	(b) (c) Grants shall be awarded in equal amounts: $195,000 each year is for the Southeast 
5.30 	Asian Teacher program at Concordia University, St. Paul; $195,000 each year is for the 
5.31 	Collaborative Urban Educator program at the University of St. Thomas; $195,000 each year 
5.32 	is for the Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching at Hamline University; and $195,000 
5.33 	each year is for the East Africa Student to Teacher program at Augsburg College.
6.1 	(c) (d) By January 15 of each year, each institution shall prepare for the legislature a 
6.2 	detailed report regarding the funds used to recruit, retain, and induct teacher candidates who 
6.3 	are of color or who are American Indian. The report must include the total number of teacher 
6.4 	candidates of color, disaggregated by race or ethnic group, who are recruited to the institution, 
6.5 	are newly admitted to the licensure program, are enrolled in the licensure program, have 
6.6 	completed student teaching, have graduated, and are licensed and newly employed as 
6.7 	Minnesota teachers in their licensure field. The total number of teacher candidates who are 
6.8 	of color or who are American Indian at each stage from recruitment to licensed teaching 
6.9 	must be reported as a percentage of total candidates seeking the same licensure at the 
6.10 	institution. The report must include the graduation rate for each cohort of teacher candidates, 
6.11 	the placement rate for each graduating cohort of teacher candidates, and the retention rate 
6.12 	for each graduating cohort of teacher candidates, among other program outcomes.
6.13 	(d) (e) The commissioner must establish a competitive grant process to award $220,000 
6.14 	each $720,000 in fiscal year 2019 to Board of Teaching-approved Professional Educator 
6.15 	Licensing and Standards Board-approved teacher preparation programs, including alternative 
6.16 	teacher preparation programs. The competitive process must award grants based on the 
6.17 	number of teacher candidates who are of color or are American Indian being supported in 
6.18 	the program as well as other program benchmarks, including such as program completion 
6.19 	and licensure rates, participation rates, and on-time graduation rates and the percentage of 
6.20 	racially and ethnically diverse candidates at the institution compared to the percentage of 
6.21 	racially and ethnically diverse teachers in the economic development region of the state 
6.22 	where the institution is located and where a shortage of diverse teachers exists, as reported 
6.23 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 127A.05, subdivision 6.
6.24 	(f) When administering this program, grants must be awarded by September 1 of the 
6.25 	fiscal year in which the grants are to be used. The department must not predetermine the 
6.26 	number of institutions to be awarded grants or set a limit for the amount that any one 
6.27 	institution may receive as part of the competitive grant application process.
6.28 	(e) (g) For fiscal year 2020 and later, the commissioner must award all collaborative 
6.29 	urban educator educators of color grants through the competitive grant program. Priority 
6.30 	for awarding continuing grants shall be to institutions that demonstrate success at recruiting, 
6.31 	retaining, graduating, and inducting teacher candidates who are of color or who are American 
6.32 	Indian. Award amounts for maintenance and expansion of programs shall be determined 
6.33 	by the commissioner based on the number of candidates supported and the funds available 
6.34 	from the appropriation. Development of new, innovative programs shall continue to be 
7.1 	awarded competitive grants from the total appropriation as determined by the commissioner, 
7.2 	and subsequent funding shall be determined based on the same criteria for continuing grants.
7.3 	(f) (h) Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.