SF 1894

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 02/26/2014 09:41am

A bill for an act
relating to education; providing for sexual abuse and assault awareness and
prevention; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 121A.23, subdivision 1;
Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 122A.09, subdivision 4.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 121A.23, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Sexually transmitted infections and diseases program.

The
commissioner of education, in consultation with the commissioner of health, shall assist
districts in developing and implementing a program to prevent and reduce the risk of
sexually transmitted infections and diseases, including but not exclusive to human
immune deficiency virus and human papilloma virus. Each district must have a program
that includes at least:

(1) planning materials, guidelines, and other technically accurate and updated
information;

(2) a comprehensive, technically accurate, and updated curriculum that includes
helping students to abstain from sexual activity until marriage;

(3) new text begin age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention;
new text end

new text begin (4) new text end cooperation and coordination among districts and SCs;

deleted text begin (4) deleted text end new text begin (5) new text end a targeting of adolescents, especially those who may be at high risk of
contracting sexually transmitted infections and diseases, for prevention efforts;

deleted text begin (5) deleted text end new text begin (6) new text end involvement of parents and other community members;

deleted text begin (6) deleted text end new text begin (7) new text end in-service training for appropriate district staff and school board members;

deleted text begin (7) deleted text end new text begin (8) new text end collaboration with state agencies and organizations having a sexually
transmitted infection and disease prevention or sexually transmitted infection and disease
risk reduction program;

deleted text begin (8) deleted text end new text begin (9) new text end collaboration with local community health services, agencies and
organizations having a sexually transmitted infection and disease prevention or sexually
transmitted infection and disease risk reduction program; and

deleted text begin (9) deleted text end new text begin (10) new text end participation by state and local student organizations.

The department may provide assistance at a neutral site to a nonpublic school
participating in a district's program. District programs must not conflict with the health
and wellness curriculum developed under Laws 1987, chapter 398, article 5, section 2,
subdivision 7.

If a district fails to develop and implement a program to prevent and reduce the
risk of sexually transmitted infection and disease, the department must assist the service
cooperative in the region serving that district to develop or implement the program.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2013 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 adopt rules requiring a person to pass a skills examination in
reading, writing, and mathematics as a requirement for initial teacher licensure, except
that the board may issue up to two additional temporary, one-year teaching licenses to an
otherwise qualified candidate who has not yet passed the skills exam. Such rules must
require college and universities offering a board-approved teacher preparation program to
provide remedial assistance to persons who did not achieve a qualifying score on the skills
examination, including those for whom English is a second language.

(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. 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.

(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. 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 and formalizes mentoring and induction
for newly licensed teachers that is 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.

(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,
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.

new text begin (o) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements training on sexual abuse
and assault awareness and prevention.
new text end