1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; making additional staff development opportunities 
1.3 	available as part of an alternative teacher pay system;amending Minnesota 
1.4 	Statutes 2006, section 122A.414, subdivision 2.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 122A.414, subdivision 2, is amended to 
1.7 	read:
1.8 		Subd. 2.Alternative teacher professional pay system. (a) To participate in this 
1.9 	program, a school district, intermediate school district, school site, or charter school must 
1.10 	have an educational improvement plan under section 122A.413and, an alternative teacher 
1.11 	professional pay system agreement under paragraph (b), and a staff development plan 
1.12 	under paragraph (c). A charter school participant also must comply with subdivision 2a.
1.13 	(b) The alternative teacher professional pay system agreement must:
1.14 	(1) describe how teachers can achieve career advancement and additional 
1.15 	compensation;
1.16 	(2) describe how the school district, intermediate school district, school site, or 
1.17 	charter school will provide teachers with career advancement options that allow teachers 
1.18 	to retain primary roles in student instruction and facilitate site-focused professional 
1.19 	development that helps other teachers improve their skills;
1.20 	(3) reform the "steps and lanes" salary schedule, prevent any teacher's compensation 
1.21 	paid before implementing the pay system from being reduced as a result of participating 
1.22 	in this system, and base at least 60 percent of any compensation increase on teacher 
1.23 	performance using:
2.1 	(i) schoolwide student achievement gains under section 120B.35 or locally selected 
2.2 	standardized assessment outcomes, or both;
2.3 	(ii) measures of student achievement; and
2.4 	(iii) an objective evaluation program that includes:
2.5 	(A) individual teacher evaluations aligned with the educational improvement plan 
2.6 	under section 122A.413 and the staff development plan under section 122A.60; and
2.7 	(B) objective evaluations using multiple criteria conducted by a locally selected and 
2.8 	periodically trained evaluation team that understands teaching and learning;
2.9 	(4) provide integrated ongoing site-based professional development activities to 
2.10 	improve instructional skills and learning that are aligned with student needs under section 
2.11 	122A.413, consistent with the staff development plan under section 122A.60 and led 
2.12 	during the school day by trained teacher leaders such as master or mentor teachers;
2.13 	(5) allow any teacher in a participating school district, intermediate school district, 
2.14 	school site, or charter school that implements an alternative pay system to participate in 
2.15 	that system without any quota or other limit; and
2.16 	(6) encourage collaboration rather than competition among teachers.
2.17 	(c) The alternative teacher professional pay system agreement must include a staff 
2.18 	development plan that provides licensed teachers with staff development and continuing 
2.19 	education opportunities related to the academic subject areas in which the teachers are 
2.20 	licensed.  The plan at least must:
2.21 	(1) improve and increase teachers' knowledge of the academic subjects they teach;
2.22 	(2) encourage a sustained, intensive focus that positively impacts teachers' 
2.23 	instruction and performance in the classroom;
2.24 	(3) align staff development and continuing education opportunities with the state's 
2.25 	academic standards;
2.26 	(4) be based on scientific research related to increasing teachers' knowledge and 
2.27 	teaching skills and improving student academic achievement;
2.28 	(5) be implemented by qualified entities and individuals experienced in providing 
2.29 	staff development and continuing education opportunities in the specific subject areas;
2.30 	(6) support the success of all students, including students with disabilities and 
2.31 	limited English proficiency;
2.32 	(7) provide training for teachers to effectively use technology to improve teaching 
2.33 	and learning;
2.34 	(8) promote the use of data and assessments to improve instruction; and
2.35 	(9) provide for an ongoing review of the plan quality and the results of its 
2.36 	implementation. 

3.1 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective immediately and applies to schools 
3.2 	and districts applying to participate in the alternative teacher pay system under Minnesota 
3.3 	Statutes, section 122A.414, beginning in the 2007-2008 school year and later.  Districts 
3.4 	and schools already participating in an alternative teacher pay system under Minnesota 
3.5 	Statutes, section 122A.414, must submit an amended educational improvement plan to the 
3.6 	commissioner, consistent with this section, for incorporation into the alternative teacher 
3.7 	professional pay system agreement within 365 days of the effective date of this section.