1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; clarifying the definition of comprehensive scientifically 
1.3 	based reading instruction; making requirements of prekindergarten through 
1.4 	grade six teachers; creating an assessment of reading instruction; providing for 
1.5 	a legislative review of Board of Teaching rules; amending Minnesota Statutes 
1.6 	2008, sections 122A.06, subdivision 4; 122A.18, subdivisions 2, 2a, by adding a 
1.7 	subdivision.
1.8 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.9 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 122A.06, subdivision 4, is amended to 
1.10 	read:
1.11 		Subd. 4.Comprehensive, scientifically based reading instruction. (a) 
1.12 	"Comprehensive, scientifically based reading instruction" includes a program or collection 
1.13 	of instructional practices that is based on reliable, valid, replicated  evidence showing 
1.14 	that when these programs or practices are used, students can be expected to achieve, at 
1.15 	a minimum, satisfactory reading progress. The program or collection of practices must 
1.16 	include, at a minimum, instruction in five areas of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, 
1.17 	fluency, vocabulary development, and text reading comprehension.
1.18 	Comprehensive, scientifically based reading instruction also includes and integrates 
1.19 	instructional strategies for continuously assessing, evaluating, and communicating 
1.20 	the student's reading progress and needs in order to design and implement ongoing 
1.21 	interventions so that students of all ages and proficiency levels can read and comprehend 
1.22 	text and apply higher level thinking skills.
1.23 	(b) "Fluency" is the ability of students to be able to read text with speed, accuracy, 
1.24 	and proper expression. 
2.1 	(c) "Phonemic awareness" is the ability of students to notice, think about, and 
2.2 	manipulate the individual sounds in spoken syllables and words.
2.3 	(d) "Phonics" is the understanding that there are systematic and predictable 
2.4 	relationships between written letters and spoken words. Phonics instruction is a way 
2.5 	of teaching reading that stresses learning how letters correspond to sounds and how to 
2.6 	apply this knowledge in reading and spelling.
2.7 	(e) "Reading comprehension" is an active process that requires intentional thinking 
2.8 	during which meaning is constructed through interactions between text and reader. 
2.9 	Comprehension skills are taught explicitly by demonstrating, explaining, modeling, and 
2.10 	implementing specific cognitive strategies to help beginning readers derive meaning by 
2.11 	intentional, problem-solving thinking processes.
2.12 	(f) "Vocabulary development" is the process of teaching vocabulary both directly 
2.13 	and indirectly, with repetition and multiple exposures to vocabulary items. Learning 
2.14 	in rich contexts, incidental learning, and use of computer technology all enhance the 
2.15 	acquisition of vocabulary.

2.16 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.17 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 122A.18, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
2.18 		Subd. 2.Teacher and support personnel qualifications. (a) The Board of 
2.19 	Teaching must issue licenses under its jurisdiction to persons the board finds to be 
2.20 	qualified and competent for their respective positions.
2.21 	(b) The board must require a person to successfully complete an examination of 
2.22 	skills in reading, writing, and mathematics before being granted an initial teaching license 
2.23 	to provide direct instruction to pupils in prekindergarten, elementary, secondary, or special 
2.24 	education programs. In addition, the board must require a person to successfully complete 
2.25 	an assessment of reading instruction consistent with subdivision 2c before being granted 
2.26 	an initial teaching license to provide direct instruction to pupils in prekindergarten or 
2.27 	elementary programs. The board must require colleges and universities offering a board 
2.28 	approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial assistance that includes a 
2.29 	formal diagnostic component to persons enrolled in their institution who did not achieve 
2.30 	a qualifying score on the skills examination or an assessment of reading instruction, 
2.31 	including those for whom English is a second language. The colleges and universities 
2.32 	must provide assistance in the specific academic areas of deficiency in which the person 
2.33 	did not achieve a qualifying score. School districts must provide similar, appropriate, and 
2.34 	timely remedial assistance that includes a formal diagnostic component and mentoring to 
2.35 	those persons employed by the district who completed their teacher education program 
3.1 	outside the state of Minnesota, received a one-year license to teach in Minnesota and did 
3.2 	not achieve a qualifying score on the skills examination, including those persons for 
3.3 	whom English is a second language. The Board of Teaching shall report annually to the 
3.4 	education committees of the legislature on the total number of teacher candidates during 
3.5 	the most recent school year taking the skills examination, the number who achieve a 
3.6 	qualifying score on the examination, the number who do not achieve a qualifying score on 
3.7 	the examination, the distribution of all candidates' scores, the number of candidates who 
3.8 	have taken the examination at least once before, and the number of candidates who have 
3.9 	taken the examination at least once before and achieve a qualifying score.
3.10 	(c) A person who has completed an approved teacher preparation program and 
3.11 	obtained a one-year license to teach, but has not successfully completed the skills 
3.12 	examination, may renew the one-year license for two additional one-year periods. Each 
3.13 	renewal of the one-year license is contingent upon the licensee:
3.14 	(1) providing evidence of participating in an approved remedial assistance program 
3.15 	provided by a school district or postsecondary institution that includes a formal diagnostic 
3.16 	component in the specific areas in which the licensee did not obtain qualifying scores; and
3.17 	(2) attempting to successfully complete the skills examination during the period 
3.18 	of each one-year license.
3.19 	(d) The Board of Teaching must grant continuing licenses only to those persons who 
3.20 	have met board criteria for granting a continuing license, which includes successfully 
3.21 	completing the skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics.
3.22 	(e) All colleges and universities approved by the board of teaching to prepare 
3.23 	persons for teacher licensure must include in their teacher preparation programs a common 
3.24 	core of teaching knowledge and skills to be acquired by all persons recommended 
3.25 	for teacher licensure. This common core shall meet the standards developed by the 
3.26 	interstate new teacher assessment and support consortium in its 1992 "model standards for 
3.27 	beginning teacher licensing and development." Amendments to standards adopted under 
3.28 	this paragraph are covered by chapter 14. The board of teaching shall report annually to 
3.29 	the education committees of the legislature on the performance of teacher candidates 
3.30 	on common core assessments of knowledge and skills under this paragraph during the 
3.31 	most recent school year.

3.32 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective January 1, 2011.

3.33 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 122A.18, subdivision 2a, is amended to read:
3.34 		Subd. 2a.Reading strategies. (a) All colleges and universities approved by the 
3.35 	Board of Teaching to prepare persons for classroom teacher licensure must include in 
4.1 	their teacher preparation programs research-based best practices in reading, consistent 
4.2 	with section 122A.06, subdivision 4, that enable the licensure candidate to know how to 
4.3 	teach reading in the candidate's content areas and prepare the licensure candidate, where 
4.4 	applicable, for an assessment of reading instruction.
4.5 	(b) Board-approved teacher preparation programs for teachers of elementary 
4.6 	education must require instruction in the application of comprehensive, scientifically 
4.7 	based, and balanced reading instruction programs that:
4.8 	(1) teach students to read using foundational knowledge, practices, and strategies 
4.9 	consistent with section 122A.06, subdivision 4, so that all students will achieve continuous 
4.10 	progress in reading; and
4.11 	(2) teach specialized instruction in reading strategies, interventions, and remediations 
4.12 	that enable students of all ages and proficiency levels to become proficient readers.

4.13 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

4.14 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 122A.18, is amended by adding a subdivision 
4.15 	to read:
4.16 		Subd. 2c.Assessment of reading instruction. An assessment of reading instruction, 
4.17 	selected by the Board of Teaching, in cooperation with the commissioner of education, 
4.18 	must measure, at a minimum, the knowledge, skill, and ability of prekindergarten and 
4.19 	elementary licensure candidates in comprehensive, scientifically based reading instruction 
4.20 	as defined in section 122A.06. Test content areas must assess foundations of reading 
4.21 	development, development of reading comprehension, reading assessment and instruction, 
4.22 	and integration of knowledge and understanding. The Board of Teaching may incorporate 
4.23 	the requirements of this subdivision into other teacher licensure examinations.

4.24 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

4.25 	Sec. 5. ASSESSMENT OF READING INSTRUCTION.
 4.26 	(a) No later than March 1, 2010, the Board of Teaching, in cooperation with the 
4.27 	commissioner of education, shall adopt an assessment of reading instruction for all 
4.28 	prekindergarten and elementary licensure candidates consistent with Minnesota Statutes, 
4.29 	section 122A.18, subdivision 2c.
4.30 	(b) The Board of Teaching and the commissioner shall report to the legislative 
4.31 	committees with jurisdiction over prekindergarten through grade 12 education policy by 
4.32 	March 15, 2010, on the assessment of reading instruction that was adopted.

4.33 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment. 

5.1 	Sec. 6. READING INSTRUCTION RULES; LEGISLATIVE REVIEW.
 5.2 	Beginning February 1, 2009, until July 1, 2009, the Board of Teaching must submit 
5.3 	any proposed rules regarding licensure in reading instruction to the chairs of the legislative 
5.4 	committees with jurisdiction over prekindergarten through grade 12 education policy by 
5.5 	April 1, 2009. The board may not adopt the rules until the legislature has adjourned 
5.6 	the 2009 regular session.

5.7 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is retroactively effective from February 1, 2009.