SF 210

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 02/23/2012 08:32am

A bill for an act
relating to education; establishing an alternative teacher preparation program
and limited term teacher license; 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 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) The Board of Teaching may approve teacher
preparation programs that are an alternative to a postsecondary teacher preparation
program and to the preparation program under section 122A.24 as a means of acquiring a
two-year provisional license in preparation for meeting the requirements for acquiring a
standard entrance license. Programs must be sponsored by a school district with a written
agreement with the teacher bargaining unit or a charter school with the agreement of its
licensed staff, in partnership with either:
new text end

new text begin (1) a college or university with a board-approved alternative teacher preparation
program; or
new text end

new text begin (2) a nonprofit corporation formed for an education-related purpose and subject to
chapter 317A that forms a partnership with a college or university with a board-approved
teacher preparation program.
new text end

new text begin (b) A program approved under paragraph (a) may only offer this program if one of
the following conditions exists:
new text end

new text begin (1) a need for teachers exists based on the participating district's or charter's
determination that in the previous school year too few qualified candidates applied for
the number of posted teacher positions;
new text end

new text begin (2) a need exists to more adequately have its staff reflect the racial and cultural
diversity of the student population; or
new text end

new text begin (3) an identified need exists to enhance efforts to reduce or eliminate the achievement
gap.
new text end

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

new text begin (1) have a bachelor's degree with either a minimum 3.0 grade point average or has
met other criteria specified by the Board of Teaching;
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 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
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 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 a standard entrance license from the Board of Teaching at the time the person's
provisional teacher license 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 Employment conditions. new text end

new text begin Conditions of employment for the provisionally
licensed teacher under this section shall be established as part of the agreement under
subdivision 1, paragraph (a), between the district and the teacher bargaining unit or the
charter school and its licensed staff.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Approval for standard entrance license. new text end

new text begin A local school site team that
may include school administrators, teachers, and postsecondary faculty members must
evaluate the performance of the teacher candidate using Minnesota Rules, part 8710.2000,
and submit to the board an evaluation report recommending whether or not to issue a
teacher candidate a standard entrance license.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Standard entrance license. new text end

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

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Qualified teacher. new text end

new text begin A person with a valid provisional 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 Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Reports. new text end

new text begin The Board of Teaching must submit an interim report on the
efficacy of this program to the kindergarten through grade 12 education policy and finance
committees of the legislature by February 15, 2013, and a final report by February 15,
2015.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2011-2012 school year and
later.
new text end