Minnesota Legislature
Office of the Revisor of Statutes
Minnesota Administrative Rules
8710.0500 EXAMINATIONS FOR TEACHER LICENSES.
Subpart 1.
Examination requirements.
A.
An applicant for a first professional teaching license shall provide official evidence of having successfully completed examinations of skills in reading, writing, and mathematics before being issued an initial Minnesota professional teaching license. The examinations must have been adopted by the Board of Teaching. An applicant who is deaf must fulfill the mathematics requirement of this part by successfully completing the mathematics examination, and must fulfill the reading and writing requirements of this part either by successfully completing the reading and writing examinations or by evaluation by board approved colleges and universities of demonstrated proficiency (Intermediate Plus) in the expressive and receptive use of alternative communication systems including sign language and finger spelling as measured by the Sign Communication Proficiency Inventory (SCPI). This inventory is published by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, New York, and is administered through the College of Education at the University of Minnesota on at least an annual basis. A description of this inventory is available through the Minitex interlibrary loan system in the Journal of Sign Language Studies and American Annals for the Deaf. The inventory is incorporated by reference. It may be periodically changed. An applicant who is blind shall be required to fulfill requirements of this part by successfully completing the examinations with an opportunity to select a reader, to use adaptive visual aids or technology aids, and to complete the testing under adaptive conditions.
B.
On or after September 1, 2001, an applicant for a first professional teaching license in any field shall provide evidence of having successfully completed an examination of general teaching knowledge and the examination required for the teaching field for which licensure is applied under this chapter. The examinations must have been adopted by the Board of Teaching. Teachers applying to add teaching fields to existing licenses must successfully complete the examination required for each teaching field to be added, but are not required to complete an examination of general teaching knowledge.
Subp. 2.
Selection and adoption.
The Board of Teaching shall solicit proposals for the development, validation, and implementation of teacher examinations under subpart 1. The Board of Teaching shall select the proposal of a party whose understanding of the project, statement of work to be performed, management plan, staffing, and related experience demonstrate the ability to develop, validate, and implement a statewide examination system and to conduct subsequent administrations of the adopted examinations. The Board of Teaching shall adopt examinations that have been validated by another state or reputable national testing organization and field tested in Minnesota.
Subp. 3.
Requirement.
A.
An applicant must achieve a minimum passing score on each examination required under subpart 1. The Board of Teaching shall establish a minimum passing score for each examination based on validation for use in Minnesota.
B.
Notwithstanding item A, for applications submitted on or before August 31, 2002, examinations required under subpart 1, item B, shall have no minimum passing score. The Board of Teaching shall use test scores achieved by applicants on or before August 31, 2002, to establish minimum passing scores.
Subp. 4.
Notification.
Minimum passing scores applicants must achieve on the examinations and the identification of the examinations adopted shall be published in the State Register within 60 days of adoption by the Board of Teaching. Before July 2 of each calendar year, the Board of Teaching shall notify the colleges and universities approved by the board to prepare candidates for teacher licensure of the minimum passing score applicants must achieve on the examinations and which examinations are adopted under subpart 2.
Subp. 5.
Licensure recommendation.
In recommending candidates for licensure, Minnesota colleges and universities shall attest that license requirements have been met, including successful completion of all examinations required under this part.
Subp. 6.
Administration, scoring, and reporting.
Administration, scoring, and reporting of examinations shall be conducted by the party whose examinations have been adopted by the Board of Teaching. Applicants may take the examinations on any of the dates that are established by the party for national administration or on dates established by the Board of Teaching for special administration. Examinations shall be administered at least four times a year in Minnesota. It is the responsibility of the applicant to be informed about the dates and locations of the examinations and to apply for the appropriate examinations. Registration procedures are governed by the party whose examinations have been adopted. Examinees shall authorize the forwarding of their scores to the institutions they attend and to the Board of Teaching. The scores as forwarded are the official evidence required in this part.
Subp. 7.
Fees.
Candidates for licenses shall pay the examination fee approved by the Board of Teaching for the examinations they take.
Subp. 8.
Admission to upper division or graduate coursework.
Candidates for an initial license shall provide official evidence to the institutions they attend of having taken the examinations adopted under subpart 1, item A, before enrolling in upper division coursework in the professional education sequence. Candidates for an initial license who have a baccalaureate degree shall provide official evidence to the institutions they attend of having taken the examinations adopted under subpart 1, item A, before enrolling in coursework in the professional education sequence. Candidates who fail to achieve the minimum passing score on one or more of the examinations may enroll in upper division or graduate coursework in the professional education sequence; however, candidates must achieve the passing scores established under subpart 3 before recommendation for a first professional teaching license. Colleges and universities must provide candidates who fail the examinations access to opportunities to enhance their skills.
Subp. 10.
Retesting procedures.
Examinees who fail to achieve at least the minimum score on one or more of the examinations are permitted to retake the examination or examinations for which the minimum score was not achieved under this part. No minimum waiting time is required.
Subp. 11.
Applicants prepared outside Minnesota.
Applicants for Minnesota licensure who complete teacher preparation outside Minnesota but who have not met the requirements under subpart 1 and who otherwise meet the applicable statutes and rules shall be granted no more than three one-year temporary licenses. An applicant who has not achieved a minimum passing score on the examinations required under subpart 1, may renew a temporary license under this subpart if the applicant provides evidence of having taken all required examinations under subpart 1 and having enrolled in programs designed to assist the applicant to achieve the minimum passing scores. Applicants prepared outside Minnesota who provide evidence of meeting all examination requirements for professional Minnesota licensure shall be granted the professional teaching licenses for which they qualify.
Subp. 12.
Review and modification.
The Board of Teaching shall periodically review the examination system to determine whether the system meets the requirements of this part. Modifications by the Board of Teaching in the adoption of examinations or the minimum passing scores shall be published in the State Register. The modifications are effective for administration of the examinations 30 days after publication.
History:
11 SR 1793; 15 SR 2267; L 1998 c 397 art 11 s 3; 23 SR 1928; 25 SR 805; 25 SR 877; 26 SR 700
Published Electronically:
November 19, 2009
Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes