Bill Text: MN HF716 | 2013-2014 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Teacher licensure testing requirements clarified.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-02-20 - Introduction and first reading, referred to Education Policy [HF716 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2013-HF716-Introduced.html
1.2relating to education; clarifying testing requirements related to teacher licensure;
1.3amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 122A.09, subdivision 4; 122A.18,
1.4subdivision 2; 122A.23, subdivision 2.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.09, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
1.7 Subd. 4. License and rules. (a) The board must adopt rules to license public school
1.8teachers and interns subject to chapter 14.
1.9(b) The board must adopt rules requiring a person to pass a skills examination in
1.10reading, writing, and mathematics as a requirement for initial teacher licensure, except
1.11that a person who is a nonnative English language speaker as verified by qualified
1.12Minnesota school district personnel or Minnesota higher education institution faculty
1.13and who directly instructs in that other language or provides world language instruction
1.14under section 120B.022, subdivision 1, in that other language may take and pass the
1.15skills examination at any time up to 36 months after becoming otherwise eligible for an
1.16initial teaching license and may hold a temporary teaching license during that time. Such
1.17rules must require college and universities offering a board-approved teacher preparation
1.18program to provide remedial assistance to persons who did not achieve a qualifying score
1.19on the skills examination, including those for whom English is a second language.
1.20(c) The board must adopt rules to approve teacher preparation programs. The board,
1.21upon the request of a postsecondary student preparing for teacher licensure or a licensed
1.22graduate of a teacher preparation program, shall assist in resolving a dispute between the
1.23person and a postsecondary institution providing a teacher preparation program when the
1.24dispute involves an institution's recommendation for licensure affecting the person or the
2.1person's credentials. At the board's discretion, assistance may include the application
2.2of chapter 14.
2.3(d) The board must provide the leadership and adopt rules for the redesign of teacher
2.4education programs to implement a research based, results-oriented curriculum that
2.5focuses on the skills teachers need in order to be effective. The board shall implement new
2.6systems of teacher preparation program evaluation to assure program effectiveness based
2.7on proficiency of graduates in demonstrating attainment of program outcomes. Teacher
2.8preparation programs including alternative teacher preparation programs under section
2.9122A.245
, among other programs, must include a content-specific, board-approved,
2.10performance-based assessment that measures teacher candidates in three areas: planning
2.11for instruction and assessment; engaging students and supporting learning; and assessing
2.12student learning.
2.13(e) The board must adopt rules requiring candidates for initial licenses to pass an
2.14examination of general pedagogical knowledge and examinations of licensure-specific
2.15teaching skills. The rules shall be effective by September 1, 2001. The rules under this
2.16paragraph also must require candidates for initial licenses to teach prekindergarten or
2.17elementary students to pass, as part of the examination of licensure-specific teaching
2.18skills, test items assessing the candidates' knowledge, skill, and ability in comprehensive,
2.19scientifically based reading instruction under section122A.06 , subdivision 4, and their
2.20knowledge and understanding of the foundations of reading development, the development
2.21of reading comprehension, and reading assessment and instruction, and their ability to
2.22integrate that knowledge and understanding.
2.23(f) The board must adopt rules requiring teacher educators to work directly with
2.24elementary or secondary school teachers in elementary or secondary schools to obtain
2.25periodic exposure to the elementary or secondary teaching environment.
2.26(g) The board must grant licenses to interns and to candidates for initial licenses
2.27based on appropriate professional competencies that are aligned with the board's licensing
2.28system and students' diverse learning needs. The board must include these licenses in a
2.29statewide differentiated licensing system that creates new leadership roles for successful
2.30experienced teachers premised on a collaborative professional culture dedicated to meeting
2.31students' diverse learning needs in the 21st century and formalizes mentoring and induction
2.32for newly licensed teachers that is provided through a teacher support framework.
2.33(h) The board must design and implement an assessment system which requires a
2.34candidate for an initial license and first continuing license to demonstrate the abilities
2.35necessary to perform selected, representative teaching tasks at appropriate levels.
3.1(i) The board must receive recommendations from local committees as established
3.2by the board for the renewal of teaching licenses.
3.3(j) The board must grant life licenses to those who qualify according to requirements
3.4established by the board, and suspend or revoke licenses pursuant to sections122A.20 and
3.5214.10
. The board must not establish any expiration date for application for life licenses.
3.6(k) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
3.7their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further preparation in
3.8the areas of using positive behavior interventions and in accommodating, modifying, and
3.9adapting curricula, materials, and strategies to appropriately meet the needs of individual
3.10students and ensure adequate progress toward the state's graduation rule.
3.11(l) In adopting rules to license public school teachers who provide health-related
3.12services for disabled children, the board shall adopt rules consistent with license or
3.13registration requirements of the commissioner of health and the health-related boards who
3.14license personnel who perform similar services outside of the school.
3.15(m) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
3.16their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further reading
3.17preparation, consistent with section122A.06, subdivision 4 . The rules do not take effect
3.18until they are approved by law. Teachers who do not provide direct instruction including, at
3.19least, counselors, school psychologists, school nurses, school social workers, audiovisual
3.20directors and coordinators, and recreation personnel are exempt from this section.
3.21(n) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
3.22their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further preparation
3.23in understanding the key warning signs of early-onset mental illness in children and
3.24adolescents.
3.25(o) The board must establish an appeals process for nonnative English language
3.26speaker candidates under paragraph (b) who have not achieved a passing score on the
3.27examination. The appeals process must allow a candidate to demonstrate the candidate's
3.28competence by an alternative, equally rigorous method.
3.29EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
3.30 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.18, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
3.31 Subd. 2. Teacher and support personnel qualifications. (a) The Board of
3.32Teaching must issue licenses under its jurisdiction to persons the board finds to be
3.33qualified and competent for their respective positions.
3.34(b) The board must require a person to pass an examination of skills in reading,
3.35writing, and mathematics before being granted an initial teaching license to provide direct
4.1instruction to pupils in prekindergarten, elementary, secondary, or special education
4.2programs, except that the board may grant up to three one-year temporary teaching
4.3licenses to a person who is a nonnative English language speaker as verified by qualified
4.4Minnesota school district personnel or Minnesota higher education institution faculty and
4.5directly instructs in that other language or provides world language instruction under
4.6section 120B.022, subdivision 1, in that other language, consistent with section 122A.09,
4.7subdivision 4, paragraph (b). The board must require colleges and universities offering a
4.8board approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial assistance that includes a
4.9formal diagnostic component to persons enrolled in their institution who did not achieve
4.10a qualifying score on the skills examination, including those for whom English is a
4.11second language. The colleges and universities must provide assistance in the specific
4.12academic areas of deficiency in which the person did not achieve a qualifying score. The
4.13Board of Teaching shall report annually to the education committees of the legislature
4.14on the total number of teacher candidates during the most recent school year taking the
4.15skills examination, the number who achieve a qualifying score on the examination, the
4.16number who do not achieve a qualifying score on the examination, the distribution of all
4.17candidates' scores, the number of candidates who have taken the examination at least once
4.18before,and the number of candidates who have taken the examination at least once before
4.19and achieve a qualifying score, and the number of nonnative English language speakers
4.20taking the examination under this paragraph.
4.21(c) The Board of Teaching must grant continuing licenses only to those persons who
4.22have met board criteria for granting a continuing license, which includes passing the skills
4.23examination in reading, writing, and mathematics, consistent with paragraph (b) and
4.24section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (b).
4.25(d) All colleges and universities approved by the board of teaching to prepare
4.26persons for teacher licensure must include in their teacher preparation programs a common
4.27core of teaching knowledge and skills to be acquired by all persons recommended
4.28for teacher licensure. This common core shall meet the standards developed by the
4.29interstate new teacher assessment and support consortium in its 1992 "model standards for
4.30beginning teacher licensing and development." Amendments to standards adopted under
4.31this paragraph are covered by chapter 14. The board of teaching shall report annually to
4.32the education committees of the legislature on the performance of teacher candidates
4.33on common core assessments of knowledge and skills under this paragraph during the
4.34most recent school year.
4.35EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
5.1 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.23, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
5.2 Subd. 2. Applicants licensed in other states. (a) Subject to the requirements of
5.3sections122A.18, subdivision 8 , and
123B.03 , the Board of Teaching must issue a teaching
5.4license or a temporary teaching license under paragraphs (b) to (e) to an applicant who holds
5.5at least a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university and holds
5.6or held a similar out-of-state teaching license that requires the applicant to successfully
5.7complete a teacher preparation program approved by the issuing state, which includes
5.8field-specific teaching methods and student teaching or essentially equivalent experience.
5.9(b) The Board of Teaching must issue a teaching license to an applicant who:
5.10(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components
5.11required by the Board of Teaching; and
5.12(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license to teach the same content field and
5.13grade levels if the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than one grade level less
5.14than a similar Minnesota license.
5.15(c) The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules and paragraph (h), must
5.16issue up to three one-year temporary teaching licenses to an applicant who holds or held
5.17an out-of-state teaching license to teach the same content field and grade levels, where
5.18the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than one grade level less than a similar
5.19Minnesota license, but has not successfully completed all exams and human relations
5.20preparation components required by the Board of Teaching.
5.21(d) The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules, must issue up to three
5.22one-year temporary teaching licenses to an applicant who:
5.23(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components
5.24required by the Board of Teaching; and
5.25(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license to teach the same content field
5.26and grade levels, where the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than one grade
5.27level less than a similar Minnesota license, but has not completed field-specific teaching
5.28methods or student teaching or equivalent experience.
5.29The applicant may complete field-specific teaching methods and student teaching
5.30or equivalent experience by successfully participating in a one-year school district
5.31mentorship program consistent with board-adopted standards of effective practice and
5.32Minnesota graduation requirements.
5.33(e) The Board of Teaching must issue a temporary teaching license for a term of
5.34up to three years only in the content field or grade levels specified in the out-of-state
5.35license to an applicant who:
6.1(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components
6.2required by the Board of Teaching; and
6.3(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license where the out-of-state license is
6.4more limited in the content field or grade levels than a similar Minnesota license.
6.5(f) The Board of Teaching must not issue to an applicant more than three one-year
6.6temporary teaching licenses under this subdivision.
6.7(g) The Board of Teaching must not issue a license under this subdivision if the
6.8applicant has not attained the additional degrees, credentials, or licenses required in a
6.9particular licensure field.
6.10(h) The Board of Teaching must require an applicant for a teaching license or a
6.11temporary teaching license under this subdivision to pass a skills examination in reading,
6.12writing, and mathematics before the board issues the license. However, the board may
6.13issue a temporary one-year teaching license to an otherwise qualified applicant who has
6.14not passed the skills examination; to be eligible for a continuing license, the applicant
6.15must take and pass the skills examination during that one-year period.
6.16EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
1.3amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 122A.09, subdivision 4; 122A.18,
1.4subdivision 2; 122A.23, subdivision 2.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.09, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
1.7 Subd. 4. License and rules. (a) The board must adopt rules to license public school
1.8teachers and interns subject to chapter 14.
1.9(b) The board must adopt rules requiring a person to pass a skills examination in
1.10reading, writing, and mathematics as a requirement for initial teacher licensure, except
1.11that a person who is a nonnative English language speaker as verified by qualified
1.12Minnesota school district personnel or Minnesota higher education institution faculty
1.13and who directly instructs in that other language or provides world language instruction
1.14under section 120B.022, subdivision 1, in that other language may take and pass the
1.15skills examination at any time up to 36 months after becoming otherwise eligible for an
1.16initial teaching license and may hold a temporary teaching license during that time. Such
1.17rules must require college and universities offering a board-approved teacher preparation
1.18program to provide remedial assistance to persons who did not achieve a qualifying score
1.19on the skills examination, including those for whom English is a second language.
1.20(c) The board must adopt rules to approve teacher preparation programs. The board,
1.21upon the request of a postsecondary student preparing for teacher licensure or a licensed
1.22graduate of a teacher preparation program, shall assist in resolving a dispute between the
1.23person and a postsecondary institution providing a teacher preparation program when the
1.24dispute involves an institution's recommendation for licensure affecting the person or the
2.1person's credentials. At the board's discretion, assistance may include the application
2.2of chapter 14.
2.3(d) The board must provide the leadership and adopt rules for the redesign of teacher
2.4education programs to implement a research based, results-oriented curriculum that
2.5focuses on the skills teachers need in order to be effective. The board shall implement new
2.6systems of teacher preparation program evaluation to assure program effectiveness based
2.7on proficiency of graduates in demonstrating attainment of program outcomes. Teacher
2.8preparation programs including alternative teacher preparation programs under section
2.10performance-based assessment that measures teacher candidates in three areas: planning
2.11for instruction and assessment; engaging students and supporting learning; and assessing
2.12student learning.
2.13(e) The board must adopt rules requiring candidates for initial licenses to pass an
2.14examination of general pedagogical knowledge and examinations of licensure-specific
2.15teaching skills. The rules shall be effective by September 1, 2001. The rules under this
2.16paragraph also must require candidates for initial licenses to teach prekindergarten or
2.17elementary students to pass, as part of the examination of licensure-specific teaching
2.18skills, test items assessing the candidates' knowledge, skill, and ability in comprehensive,
2.19scientifically based reading instruction under section
2.20knowledge and understanding of the foundations of reading development, the development
2.21of reading comprehension, and reading assessment and instruction, and their ability to
2.22integrate that knowledge and understanding.
2.23(f) The board must adopt rules requiring teacher educators to work directly with
2.24elementary or secondary school teachers in elementary or secondary schools to obtain
2.25periodic exposure to the elementary or secondary teaching environment.
2.26(g) The board must grant licenses to interns and to candidates for initial licenses
2.27based on appropriate professional competencies that are aligned with the board's licensing
2.28system and students' diverse learning needs. The board must include these licenses in a
2.29statewide differentiated licensing system that creates new leadership roles for successful
2.30experienced teachers premised on a collaborative professional culture dedicated to meeting
2.31students' diverse learning needs in the 21st century and formalizes mentoring and induction
2.32for newly licensed teachers that is provided through a teacher support framework.
2.33(h) The board must design and implement an assessment system which requires a
2.34candidate for an initial license and first continuing license to demonstrate the abilities
2.35necessary to perform selected, representative teaching tasks at appropriate levels.
3.1(i) The board must receive recommendations from local committees as established
3.2by the board for the renewal of teaching licenses.
3.3(j) The board must grant life licenses to those who qualify according to requirements
3.4established by the board, and suspend or revoke licenses pursuant to sections
3.6(k) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
3.7their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further preparation in
3.8the areas of using positive behavior interventions and in accommodating, modifying, and
3.9adapting curricula, materials, and strategies to appropriately meet the needs of individual
3.10students and ensure adequate progress toward the state's graduation rule.
3.11(l) In adopting rules to license public school teachers who provide health-related
3.12services for disabled children, the board shall adopt rules consistent with license or
3.13registration requirements of the commissioner of health and the health-related boards who
3.14license personnel who perform similar services outside of the school.
3.15(m) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
3.16their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further reading
3.17preparation, consistent with section
3.18until they are approved by law. Teachers who do not provide direct instruction including, at
3.19least, counselors, school psychologists, school nurses, school social workers, audiovisual
3.20directors and coordinators, and recreation personnel are exempt from this section.
3.21(n) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
3.22their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further preparation
3.23in understanding the key warning signs of early-onset mental illness in children and
3.24adolescents.
3.25(o) The board must establish an appeals process for nonnative English language
3.26speaker candidates under paragraph (b) who have not achieved a passing score on the
3.27examination. The appeals process must allow a candidate to demonstrate the candidate's
3.28competence by an alternative, equally rigorous method.
3.29EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
3.30 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.18, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
3.31 Subd. 2. Teacher and support personnel qualifications. (a) The Board of
3.32Teaching must issue licenses under its jurisdiction to persons the board finds to be
3.33qualified and competent for their respective positions.
3.34(b) The board must require a person to pass an examination of skills in reading,
3.35writing, and mathematics before being granted an initial teaching license to provide direct
4.1instruction to pupils in prekindergarten, elementary, secondary, or special education
4.2programs, except that the board may grant up to three one-year temporary teaching
4.3licenses to a person who is a nonnative English language speaker as verified by qualified
4.4Minnesota school district personnel or Minnesota higher education institution faculty and
4.5directly instructs in that other language or provides world language instruction under
4.6section 120B.022, subdivision 1, in that other language, consistent with section 122A.09,
4.7subdivision 4, paragraph (b). The board must require colleges and universities offering a
4.8board approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial assistance that includes a
4.9formal diagnostic component to persons enrolled in their institution who did not achieve
4.10a qualifying score on the skills examination, including those for whom English is a
4.11second language. The colleges and universities must provide assistance in the specific
4.12academic areas of deficiency in which the person did not achieve a qualifying score. The
4.13Board of Teaching shall report annually to the education committees of the legislature
4.14on the total number of teacher candidates during the most recent school year taking the
4.15skills examination, the number who achieve a qualifying score on the examination, the
4.16number who do not achieve a qualifying score on the examination, the distribution of all
4.17candidates' scores, the number of candidates who have taken the examination at least once
4.18before,
4.19and achieve a qualifying score, and the number of nonnative English language speakers
4.20taking the examination under this paragraph.
4.21(c) The Board of Teaching must grant continuing licenses only to those persons who
4.22have met board criteria for granting a continuing license, which includes passing the skills
4.23examination in reading, writing, and mathematics, consistent with paragraph (b) and
4.24section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (b).
4.25(d) All colleges and universities approved by the board of teaching to prepare
4.26persons for teacher licensure must include in their teacher preparation programs a common
4.27core of teaching knowledge and skills to be acquired by all persons recommended
4.28for teacher licensure. This common core shall meet the standards developed by the
4.29interstate new teacher assessment and support consortium in its 1992 "model standards for
4.30beginning teacher licensing and development." Amendments to standards adopted under
4.31this paragraph are covered by chapter 14. The board of teaching shall report annually to
4.32the education committees of the legislature on the performance of teacher candidates
4.33on common core assessments of knowledge and skills under this paragraph during the
4.34most recent school year.
4.35EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
5.1 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.23, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
5.2 Subd. 2. Applicants licensed in other states. (a) Subject to the requirements of
5.3sections
5.4license or a temporary teaching license under paragraphs (b) to (e) to an applicant who holds
5.5at least a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university and holds
5.6or held a similar out-of-state teaching license that requires the applicant to successfully
5.7complete a teacher preparation program approved by the issuing state, which includes
5.8field-specific teaching methods and student teaching or essentially equivalent experience.
5.9(b) The Board of Teaching must issue a teaching license to an applicant who:
5.10(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components
5.11required by the Board of Teaching; and
5.12(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license to teach the same content field and
5.13grade levels if the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than one grade level less
5.14than a similar Minnesota license.
5.15(c) The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules and paragraph (h), must
5.16issue up to three one-year temporary teaching licenses to an applicant who holds or held
5.17an out-of-state teaching license to teach the same content field and grade levels, where
5.18the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than one grade level less than a similar
5.19Minnesota license, but has not successfully completed all exams and human relations
5.20preparation components required by the Board of Teaching.
5.21(d) The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules, must issue up to three
5.22one-year temporary teaching licenses to an applicant who:
5.23(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components
5.24required by the Board of Teaching; and
5.25(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license to teach the same content field
5.26and grade levels, where the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than one grade
5.27level less than a similar Minnesota license, but has not completed field-specific teaching
5.28methods or student teaching or equivalent experience.
5.29The applicant may complete field-specific teaching methods and student teaching
5.30or equivalent experience by successfully participating in a one-year school district
5.31mentorship program consistent with board-adopted standards of effective practice and
5.32Minnesota graduation requirements.
5.33(e) The Board of Teaching must issue a temporary teaching license for a term of
5.34up to three years only in the content field or grade levels specified in the out-of-state
5.35license to an applicant who:
6.1(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components
6.2required by the Board of Teaching; and
6.3(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license where the out-of-state license is
6.4more limited in the content field or grade levels than a similar Minnesota license.
6.5(f) The Board of Teaching must not issue to an applicant more than three one-year
6.6temporary teaching licenses under this subdivision.
6.7(g) The Board of Teaching must not issue a license under this subdivision if the
6.8applicant has not attained the additional degrees, credentials, or licenses required in a
6.9particular licensure field.
6.10(h) The Board of Teaching must require an applicant for a teaching license or a
6.11temporary teaching license under this subdivision to pass a skills examination in reading,
6.12writing, and mathematics before the board issues the license. However, the board may
6.13issue a temporary one-year teaching license to an otherwise qualified applicant who has
6.14not passed the skills examination; to be eligible for a continuing license, the applicant
6.15must take and pass the skills examination during that one-year period.
6.16EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
