SF 628

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 02/07/2017 08:39am

A bill for an act
relating to education; establishing requirements for out-of-state teachers to obtain
teaching licenses in Minnesota; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, section
122A.23, subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 122A.23, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Applicants licensed in other states.

(a) Subject to the requirements of sections
122A.18, subdivision 8, and 123B.03, the Board of Teaching must issue a professional
five-year teaching license or an initial professional one-year teaching license under
paragraphs (c) to deleted text begin (f) deleted text end new text begin (g) new text end to an applicant who holds at least a baccalaureate degree from a
regionally accredited college or university and holds or held an out-of-state teaching license
that requires the applicant to successfully complete a teacher preparation program approved
by the issuing state, which includes either (1) field-specific teaching methods, student
teaching, or equivalent experience, or (2) at least two years of teaching experience as the
teacher of record in a similar licensure area.

(b) The Board of Teaching may issue a professional five-year teaching license on the
basis of teaching experience and examination requirements only.

(c) The Board of Teaching must issue a professional five-year teaching license to an
applicant who:

(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components
required by the Board of Teaching; and

(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license to teach a similar content field and
grade levels if the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than two grade levels less
than a similar Minnesota license, and either (i) has completed field-specific teaching methods,
student teaching, or equivalent experience, or (ii) has at least two years of teaching experience
as the teacher of record in a similar licensure area.

new text begin (d) The Board of Teaching must issue a professional five-year teaching license to an
applicant who:
new text end

new text begin (1) successfully completed all exams required by the Board of Teaching;
new text end

new text begin (2) holds an out-of-state teaching license to teach in the same content field and grade
levels as a Minnesota license; and
new text end

new text begin (3) has had at least one full school year of teaching experience as a teacher of record in
the licensure field during the last five years.
new text end

deleted text begin (d) deleted text end new text begin (e) new text end The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules and paragraph deleted text begin (i) deleted text end new text begin (j) new text end , must
issue up to four initial professional one-year teaching licenses to an applicant who holds or
held an out-of-state teaching license to teach a similar licensure area and grade levels, where
the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than two grade levels less than a similar
Minnesota license, but has not successfully completed all exams and human relations
preparation components required by the Board of Teaching. The board must issue a
professional five-year teaching license to an applicant who successfully completes the
requirements under this paragraph.

deleted text begin (e) deleted text end new text begin (f) new text end The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules, must issue up to four initial
professional one-year teaching licenses to an applicant who:

(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components
required by the Board of Teaching; and

(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license to teach a similar licensure area and
grade levels, where the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than two grade levels
less than a similar Minnesota license, but has not completed field-specific teaching methods
or student teaching or equivalent experience.

The applicant may complete field-specific teaching methods by successfully participating
in a one-year school district mentorship program consistent with board-adopted standards
of effective practice and Minnesota graduation requirements. If no school district mentorship
program is available, the applicant must complete field-specific teaching methods coursework
while serving as a teacher of record and providing classroom instruction in the applicant's
field of licensure. The board must issue a professional five-year teaching license to an
applicant who successfully completes the requirements under this paragraph.

deleted text begin (f) deleted text end new text begin (g) new text end The Board of Teaching must issue to an applicant with an out-of-state teaching
license up to four initial professional one-year teaching licenses that are restricted in content
or grade levels specified in the out-of-state license if the applicant's out-of-state teaching
license is more limited than a similar Minnesota license in content field or grade levels. The
Board of Teaching must issue a professional five-year teaching license to an applicant who
successfully completes all exams and human relations preparation components required by
the Board of Teaching. Any content or grade level restriction placed on a license under this
paragraph remains in effect.

deleted text begin (g) deleted text end new text begin (h) new text end The Board of Teaching may issue a two-year provisional permission to an
applicant under this subdivision to teach in a shortage area, consistent with section 122A.18,
subdivision 4a.

deleted text begin (h) deleted text end new text begin (i) new text end The Board of Teaching may issue a license under this subdivision if the applicant
has attained the additional degrees, credentials, or licenses required in a particular licensure
field and the applicant can demonstrate competency by obtaining qualifying scores on the
board-adopted skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics, and on applicable
board-adopted rigorous content area and pedagogy examinations under section 122A.09,
subdivision 4, paragraphs (a) and (e).

deleted text begin (i) deleted text end new text begin (j) new text end The Board of Teaching must require an applicant for a professional five-year
teaching license or an initial professional one-year teaching license under this subdivision
to pass a board-adopted skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics before the
board issues the license unless, notwithstanding other provisions of this subdivision, an
applicable board-approved National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education
and Certification interstate agreement exists to allow fully certified teachers from other
states to transfer their certification to Minnesota.