SF 170

1st Engrossment - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 02/10/2011 03:15pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; requiring teacher candidates to pass basic skills exam;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 122A.09, subdivision 4; 122A.18,
subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, 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 deleted text begin successfully complete deleted text end new text begin pass new text end a
skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics as a requirement for deleted text begin initial teacher
licensure deleted text end new text begin entrance into a board-approved teacher preparation program new text end . Such rules must
require college and universities offering a board-approved teacher preparation program to
deleted text begin provide deleted text end new text begin offer new text end remedial assistance to persons who did not achieve a qualifying score on
the skills examination, including those for whom English is a second language. new text begin Persons
needing remedial assistance must be successfully remediated prior to entrance into a
board-approved teacher preparation program.
new text end

(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 shall 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.

(e) The board must adopt rules requiring candidates for initial licenses to deleted text begin successfully
complete deleted text end new text begin pass new text end 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 deleted text begin successfully complete deleted text end new text begin pass new text end , 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.

(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.

(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
in understanding the key warning signs of early-onset mental illness in children and
adolescents.

Sec. 2.

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 deleted text begin provide deleted text end new text begin offer new text end 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 deleted text begin provide deleted text end new text begin offer new text end assistance in the specific
academic areas of deficiency in which the person did not achieve a qualifying score.
School districts must deleted text begin provide deleted text end new text begin offer new text end 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.