Bill Text: MN HF183 | 2011-2012 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Teacher candidates required to pass basic skills exam.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-01-27 - Author added Simon [HF183 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2011-HF183-Introduced.html
1.2relating to education; requiring teacher candidates to pass basic skills exam;
1.3amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 122A.18, subdivision 2.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 122A.18, subdivision 2, is amended to
1.6read:
1.7 Subd. 2. Teacher and support personnel qualifications. (a) The Board of
1.8Teaching must issue licenses under its jurisdiction to persons the board finds to be
1.9qualified and competent for their respective positions.
1.10(b) The board must require a person tosuccessfully complete pass an examination of
1.11skills in reading, writing, and mathematics before being granted an initial teaching license
1.12to provide direct instruction to pupils in prekindergarten, elementary, secondary, or special
1.13education programs. The board must require colleges and universities offering a board
1.14approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial assistance that includes a
1.15formal diagnostic component to persons enrolled in their institution who did not achieve a
1.16qualifying score on the skills examination, including those for whom English is a second
1.17language. The colleges and universities must provide assistance in the specific academic
1.18areas of deficiency in which the person did not achieve a qualifying score. School
1.19districts must provide similar, appropriate, and timely remedial assistance that includes a
1.20formal diagnostic component and mentoring to those persons employed by the district
1.21who completed their teacher education program outside the state of Minnesota, received
1.22a one-year license to teach in Minnesota and did not achieve a qualifying score on the
1.23skills examination, including those persons for whom English is a second language. The
1.24Board of Teaching shall report annually to the education committees of the legislature
2.1on the total number of teacher candidates during the most recent school year taking the
2.2skills examination, the number who achieve a qualifying score on the examination, the
2.3number who do not achieve a qualifying score on the examination, the distribution of all
2.4candidates' scores, the number of candidates who have taken the examination at least once
2.5before, and the number of candidates who have taken the examination at least once before
2.6and achieve a qualifying score.
2.7(c) A person who has completed an approved teacher preparation program and
2.8obtained a one-year license to teach, but has not successfully completed the skills
2.9examination, may renew the one-year license for two additional one-year periods. Each
2.10renewal of the one-year license is contingent upon the licensee:
2.11(1) providing evidence of participating in an approved remedial assistance program
2.12provided by a school district or postsecondary institution that includes a formal diagnostic
2.13component in the specific areas in which the licensee did not obtain qualifying scores; and
2.14(2) attempting to successfully complete the skills examination during the period
2.15of each one-year license.
2.16(d) (c) The Board of Teaching must grant continuing licenses only to those persons
2.17who have met board criteria for granting a continuing license, which includessuccessfully
2.18completing passing the skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics.
2.19(e) (d) All colleges and universities approved by the board of teaching to prepare
2.20persons for teacher licensure must include in their teacher preparation programs a common
2.21core of teaching knowledge and skills to be acquired by all persons recommended
2.22for teacher licensure. This common core shall meet the standards developed by the
2.23interstate new teacher assessment and support consortium in its 1992 "model standards for
2.24beginning teacher licensing and development." Amendments to standards adopted under
2.25this paragraph are covered by chapter 14. The board of teaching shall report annually to
2.26the education committees of the legislature on the performance of teacher candidates
2.27on common core assessments of knowledge and skills under this paragraph during the
2.28most recent school year.
1.3amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 122A.18, subdivision 2.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 122A.18, subdivision 2, is amended to
1.6read:
1.7 Subd. 2. Teacher and support personnel qualifications. (a) The Board of
1.8Teaching must issue licenses under its jurisdiction to persons the board finds to be
1.9qualified and competent for their respective positions.
1.10(b) The board must require a person to
1.11skills in reading, writing, and mathematics before being granted an initial teaching license
1.12to provide direct instruction to pupils in prekindergarten, elementary, secondary, or special
1.13education programs. The board must require colleges and universities offering a board
1.14approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial assistance that includes a
1.15formal diagnostic component to persons enrolled in their institution who did not achieve a
1.16qualifying score on the skills examination, including those for whom English is a second
1.17language. The colleges and universities must provide assistance in the specific academic
1.18areas of deficiency in which the person did not achieve a qualifying score. School
1.19districts must provide similar, appropriate, and timely remedial assistance that includes a
1.20formal diagnostic component and mentoring to those persons employed by the district
1.21who completed their teacher education program outside the state of Minnesota, received
1.22a one-year license to teach in Minnesota and did not achieve a qualifying score on the
1.23skills examination, including those persons for whom English is a second language. The
1.24Board of Teaching shall report annually to the education committees of the legislature
2.1on the total number of teacher candidates during the most recent school year taking the
2.2skills examination, the number who achieve a qualifying score on the examination, the
2.3number who do not achieve a qualifying score on the examination, the distribution of all
2.4candidates' scores, the number of candidates who have taken the examination at least once
2.5before, and the number of candidates who have taken the examination at least once before
2.6and achieve a qualifying score.
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2.17who have met board criteria for granting a continuing license, which includes
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2.20persons for teacher licensure must include in their teacher preparation programs a common
2.21core of teaching knowledge and skills to be acquired by all persons recommended
2.22for teacher licensure. This common core shall meet the standards developed by the
2.23interstate new teacher assessment and support consortium in its 1992 "model standards for
2.24beginning teacher licensing and development." Amendments to standards adopted under
2.25this paragraph are covered by chapter 14. The board of teaching shall report annually to
2.26the education committees of the legislature on the performance of teacher candidates
2.27on common core assessments of knowledge and skills under this paragraph during the
2.28most recent school year.
