Minnesota Administrative Rules

3512.0505 DIRECTORS OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION.

Subpart 1.

Scope.

A person who serves as a district director of community education or assistant director of community education shall hold a license as a director of community education.

Subp. 2.

License requirement.

An applicant recommended for licensure as a director of community education shall:

A.

hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university; and

B.

satisfactorily complete a preparation program listed in subpart 3, approved by the board leading to licensure of directors of community education.

Subp. 3.

Program requirement.

A program leading to the licensure of directors of community education must consist of a minimum of 20 semester hours, or the equivalent, and must provide a candidate recommended for licensure with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions in all of the subjects listed in part 3512.0510, subparts 1 and 5.

The person must complete a practicum, which is a field experience, that includes at least 320 clock hours in an administrative position under the supervision of a licensed director of community education. During the field experience, the candidate shall demonstrate the ability to apply the knowledge and skills listed in part 3512.0510, subparts 1 and 5. A person prepared in another state as director of community education may substitute one year of experience as a district wide director of community education in another state for the field experience.

Subp. 4.

Institutional requirement.

An institution applying to the board for approval of a program leading to licensure as directors of community education shall comply with part 3512.2500. An approved program must include a description of how applicants for licensure may have their experience and preparation in those areas listed in subpart 3 evaluated by an institution with an approved program. The evaluation must include representation from college departments involved with the licensure program and licensed practicing directors of community education. This evaluation must result in a plan for the applicant to complete the knowledge, skills, and dispositions listed in subpart 3 and may include a reduction of the required college credits necessary for an applicant to be recommended for licensure.

Subp. 5.

Situational observation component.

An approved program must include a component that requires a licensure candidate to demonstrate mastery of the requirements in subpart 3. The extent of mastery must be evaluated by placing the candidate in a series of realistic hypothetical problem-solving situations while being observed by a team of at least four persons competent to evaluate the extent of mastery of the requirements in subpart 3. This component must allow the candidate to demonstrate mastery of all the requirements in subpart 3 during a single period of observation.

A written test to evaluate the extent of mastery must not count for more than 50 percent of the score evaluating mastery of all the requirements in subpart 3.

Subp. 6.

Issuance and renewal of licenses.

A license must be issued according to part 3512.2000. Continuing licenses must be renewed according to part 3512.2300.

Subp. 7.

Pre-1990 directors.

A person serving as a district director of community education in Minnesota between July 1, 1984, and July 1, 1990, shall, upon application and verification of one year of experience as either a part-time or full-time director of community education, be granted an entrance license as a director of community education.

Subp. 8.

Continuing license.

A person who has been issued an entrance license based upon one year of experience between July 1, 1984, and July 1, 1990, shall be granted the first five-year continuing license after completing the human relations requirement in part 3512.2700 and one year of experience as either a part-time or full-time director of community education while holding the entrance license as verified by the employing superintendent of schools. Later continuing licenses must be renewed according to part 3512.2300.

Subp. 9.

Approval for exception.

Subject to the conditions in this subpart, the board shall issue a letter of approval to a school district annually to allow the district to use an individual who is not fully licensed as the community education director if the school district is unable to employ a fully licensed director of community education.

A.

Letters of approval must be issued to school districts only if the individual is enrolled in an approved program leading to licensure as a director of community education and can show evidence that the individual will complete the program within three school years.

B.

A school district must apply annually for letters of approval and must not exceed the three years stated in item A for any one individual.

C.

The school superintendent shall verify in writing the district's inability to contract with a fully licensed director of community education for a position. The verification must state how the position was advertised and that no licensed director of community education who wishes to assume the position has been placed on unrequested leave by the district, and that no licensed community education director applied for the position.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 125.05; L 1993 c 224 art 12 s 34; L 1996 c 412 art 9 s 14; L 2006 c 263 art 2 s 20

History:

21 SR 804; L 1998 c 397 art 11 s 3; 33 SR 658

Published Electronically:

October 23, 2008