SF 170

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 02/23/2012 08:27am

A bill for an act
relating to education; requiring teacher candidates to pass basic skills exam;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 122A.18, subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 122A.18, subdivision 2, is amended to
read:

Subd. 2.

Teacher and support personnel qualifications.

(a) The Board of
Teaching must issue licenses under its jurisdiction to persons the board finds to be
qualified and competent for their respective positions.

(b) The board must require a person to deleted text begin successfully complete deleted text end new text begin pass new text end an examination of
skills in reading, writing, and mathematics before being granted an initial teaching license
to provide direct instruction to pupils in prekindergarten, elementary, secondary, or special
education programs. The board must require colleges and universities offering a board
approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial assistance that includes a
formal diagnostic component to persons enrolled in their institution who did not achieve a
qualifying score on the skills examination, including those for whom English is a second
language. The colleges and universities must provide assistance in the specific academic
areas of deficiency in which the person did not achieve a qualifying score. School
districts must provide similar, appropriate, and timely remedial assistance that includes a
formal diagnostic component and mentoring to those persons employed by the district
who completed their teacher education program outside the state of Minnesota, received
a one-year license to teach in Minnesota and did not achieve a qualifying score on the
skills examination, including those persons for whom English is a second language. The
Board of Teaching shall report annually to the education committees of the legislature
on the total number of teacher candidates during the most recent school year taking the
skills examination, the number who achieve a qualifying score on the examination, the
number who do not achieve a qualifying score on the examination, the distribution of all
candidates' scores, the number of candidates who have taken the examination at least once
before, and the number of candidates who have taken the examination at least once before
and achieve a qualifying score.

deleted text begin (c) A person who has completed an approved teacher preparation program and
obtained a one-year license to teach, but has not successfully completed the skills
examination, may renew the one-year license for two additional one-year periods. Each
renewal of the one-year license is contingent upon the licensee:
deleted text end

deleted text begin (1) providing evidence of participating in an approved remedial assistance program
provided by a school district or postsecondary institution that includes a formal diagnostic
component in the specific areas in which the licensee did not obtain qualifying scores; and
deleted text end

deleted text begin (2) attempting to successfully complete the skills examination during the period
of each one-year license.
deleted text end

deleted text begin (d) deleted text end new text begin (c) new text end The Board of Teaching must grant continuing licenses only to those persons
who have met board criteria for granting a continuing license, which includes deleted text begin successfully
completing deleted text end new text begin passing new text end the skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics.

deleted text begin (e) deleted text end new text begin (d) new text end All colleges and universities approved by the board of teaching to prepare
persons for teacher licensure must include in their teacher preparation programs a common
core of teaching knowledge and skills to be acquired by all persons recommended
for teacher licensure. This common core shall meet the standards developed by the
interstate new teacher assessment and support consortium in its 1992 "model standards for
beginning teacher licensing and development." Amendments to standards adopted under
this paragraph are covered by chapter 14. The board of teaching shall report annually to
the education committees of the legislature on the performance of teacher candidates
on common core assessments of knowledge and skills under this paragraph during the
most recent school year.