1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; requiring elementary education teacher candidates to receive 
1.3 	instruction in the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling 
1.4 	program;amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 122A.092, subdivision 5.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 122A.092, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
1.7 		Subd. 5.Reading strategies. (a) A teacher preparation provider approved by the 
1.8 	Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board to prepare persons for classroom 
1.9 	teacher licensure must include in its teacher preparation programs research-based best 
1.10 	practices in reading, consistent with section 122A.06, subdivision 4, that enable the licensure 
1.11 	candidate to teach reading in the candidate's content areas. Teacher candidates must be 
1.12 	instructed in using students' native languages as a resource in creating effective differentiated 
1.13 	instructional strategies for English learners developing literacy skills. A teacher preparation 
1.14 	provider also must prepare early childhood and elementary teacher candidates for Tier 3 
1.15 	and Tier 4 teaching licenses under sections 122A.183 and 122A.184, respectively, for the 
1.16 	portion of the examination under section 122A.185, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), covering 
1.17 	assessment of reading instruction.
1.18 	(b) Board-approved teacher preparation programs for teachers of elementary education 
1.19 	must require instruction in applying comprehensive, scientifically based or evidence-based, 
1.20 	and structured reading instruction programs that:
1.21 	(1) teach students to read using foundational knowledge, practices, and strategies 
1.22 	consistent with section 122A.06, subdivision 4, so that all students achieve continuous 
1.23 	progress in reading; and
2.1 	(2) teach specialized instruction in reading strategies, interventions, and remediations 
2.2 	that enable students of all ages and proficiency levels to become proficient readers.; and
2.3 	(3) beginning February 1, 2026, requires teacher candidates to receive instruction using 
2.4 	the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling program.
2.5 	(c) Board-approved teacher preparation programs for teachers of elementary education, 
2.6 	early childhood education, special education, and reading intervention must include 
2.7 	instruction on dyslexia, as defined in section 125A.01, subdivision 2. Teacher preparation 
2.8 	programs may consult with the Department of Education, including the dyslexia specialist 
2.9 	under section 120B.122, to develop instruction under this paragraph. Instruction on dyslexia 
2.10 	must be modeled on practice standards of the International Dyslexia Association, and must 
2.11 	address:
2.12 	(1) the nature and symptoms of dyslexia;
2.13 	(2) resources available for students who show characteristics of dyslexia;
2.14 	(3) evidence-based instructional strategies for students who show characteristics of 
2.15 	dyslexia, including the structured literacy approach; and
2.16 	(4) outcomes of intervention and lack of intervention for students who show 
2.17 	characteristics of dyslexia.
2.18 	(d) Nothing in this section limits the authority of a school district to select a school's 
2.19 	reading program or curriculum.

2.20 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.