1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing for a formal hearing 
  1.3             to resolve issues related to teacher preparation 
  1.4             programs; amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 
  1.5             122A.09, subdivision 4. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 122A.09, 
  1.8   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 4.  [LICENSE AND RULES.] (a) The board must adopt 
  1.10  rules to license public school teachers and interns subject to 
  1.11  chapter 14. 
  1.12     (b) The board must adopt rules requiring a person to 
  1.13  successfully complete a skills examination in reading, writing, 
  1.14  and mathematics as a requirement for initial teacher licensure.  
  1.15  Such rules must require college and universities offering a 
  1.16  board approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial 
  1.17  assistance to persons who did not achieve a qualifying score on 
  1.18  the skills examination, including those for whom English is a 
  1.19  second language. 
  1.20     (c) The board must adopt rules to approve teacher 
  1.21  preparation programs.  The board, upon the request of a teacher 
  1.22  trainee seeking licensure or a licensed graduate of a teacher 
  1.23  preparation program, and subject to chapter 14, must hold a 
  1.24  hearing to resolve matters affecting the requirements of a 
  1.25  teacher preparation program. 
  2.1      (d) The board must provide the leadership and shall adopt 
  2.2   rules for the redesign of teacher education programs to 
  2.3   implement a research based, results-oriented curriculum that 
  2.4   focuses on the skills teachers need in order to be effective.  
  2.5   The board shall implement new systems of teacher preparation 
  2.6   program evaluation to assure program effectiveness based on 
  2.7   proficiency of graduates in demonstrating attainment of program 
  2.8   outcomes. 
  2.9      (e) The board must adopt rules requiring successful 
  2.10  completion of an examination of general pedagogical knowledge 
  2.11  and examinations of licensure-specific teaching skills.  The 
  2.12  rules shall be effective on the dates determined by the board, 
  2.13  but not later than July 1, 1999. 
  2.14     (f) The board must adopt rules requiring teacher educators 
  2.15  to work directly with elementary or secondary school teachers in 
  2.16  elementary or secondary schools to obtain periodic exposure to 
  2.17  the elementary or secondary teaching environment. 
  2.18     (g) The board must grant licenses to interns and to 
  2.19  candidates for initial licenses. 
  2.20     (h) The board must design and implement an assessment 
  2.21  system which requires a candidate for an initial license and 
  2.22  first continuing license to demonstrate the abilities necessary 
  2.23  to perform selected, representative teaching tasks at 
  2.24  appropriate levels. 
  2.25     (i) The board must receive recommendations from local 
  2.26  committees as established by the board for the renewal of 
  2.27  teaching licenses. 
  2.28     (j) The board must grant life licenses to those who qualify 
  2.29  according to requirements established by the board, and suspend 
  2.30  or revoke licenses pursuant to sections 122A.20 and 214.10.  The 
  2.31  board must not establish any expiration date for application for 
  2.32  life licenses.  
  2.33     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.34     Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.