2016 Minnesota Statutes

122A.23 APPLICANTS TRAINED IN OTHER STATES.

Subdivision 1.Preparation equivalency.

When a license to teach is authorized to be issued to any holder of a diploma or a degree of a Minnesota state university, or of the University of Minnesota, or of a liberal arts university, or a technical training institution, such license may also, in the discretion of the Board of Teaching, be issued to any holder of a diploma or a degree of a teacher training institution of equivalent rank and standing of any other state. The diploma or degree must be granted by virtue of completing coursework in teacher preparation as preliminary to the granting of a diploma or a degree of the same rank and class. For purposes of granting a Minnesota teaching license to a person who receives a diploma or degree from a state-accredited, out-of-state teacher training program leading to licensure, the Board of Teaching must establish criteria and streamlined policies and procedures by January 1, 2016, to recognize the experience and professional credentials of the person holding the out-of-state diploma or degree and allow that person to demonstrate to the board the person's qualifications for receiving a Minnesota teaching license based on performance measures the board adopts by January 1, 2016, under this section.

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 (f) 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.

(d) The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules and paragraph (i), 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.

(e) 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.

(f) 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.

(g) 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.

(h) 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).

(i) 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.

Subd. 3.Teacher licensure agreements with adjoining states.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the Board of Teaching must enter into a National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) interstate agreement and other interstate agreements for teacher licensure to allow fully certified teachers from adjoining states to transfer their certification to Minnesota. The board must enter into these interstate agreements only after determining that the rigor of the teacher licensure or certification requirements in the adjoining state is commensurate with the rigor of Minnesota's teacher licensure requirements. The board may limit an interstate agreement to particular content fields or grade levels based on established priorities or identified shortages. This subdivision does not apply to out-of-state applicants holding only a provisional teaching license.

(b) The Board of Teaching must work with designated authorities in adjoining states to establish interstate teacher licensure agreements under this section.

History:

Ex1959 c 71 art 6 s 6; 1965 c 196 s 1; 1973 c 749 s 4; 1975 c 271 s 6; 1975 c 321 s 2; 1976 c 222 s 13,27,208; 1980 c 345 s 4; 1998 c 397 art 8 s 14,101; 1998 c 398 art 5 s 55; 2000 c 489 art 6 s 5; 2003 c 130 s 12; 2011 c 5 s 3; 2012 c 122 s 3; 2013 c 116 art 3 s 12; 2014 c 272 art 3 s 12; 2015 c 21 art 1 s 15; 1Sp2015 c 3 art 2 s 18; 2016 c 189 art 24 s 4