1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; eliminating the skills test for 
  1.3             teachers; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, sections 
  1.4             125.05, subdivision 1a; and 125.188, subdivision 1. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 125.05, 
  1.7   subdivision 1a, is amended to read: 
  1.8      Subd. 1a.  [TEACHER AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS.] 
  1.9   ~~(a)~~ The board of teaching shall issue licenses under its 
  1.10  jurisdiction to persons the board finds to be qualified and 
  1.11  competent for their respective positions. 
  1.12     ~~(b) The board shall require a person to successfully~~ 
  1.13  ~~complete an examination of skills in reading, writing, and~~ 
  1.14  ~~mathematics before being granted an initial teaching license to~~ 
  1.15  ~~provide direct instruction to pupils in prekindergarten,~~ 
  1.16  ~~elementary, secondary, or special education programs.  The board~~ 
  1.17  ~~shall require colleges and universities offering a board~~ 
  1.18  ~~approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial~~ 
  1.19  ~~assistance that includes a formal diagnostic component to~~ 
  1.20  ~~persons enrolled in their institution who did not achieve a~~ 
  1.21  ~~qualifying score on the skills examination, including those for~~ 
  1.22  ~~whom English is a second language.  The colleges and~~ 
  1.23  ~~universities must provide assistance in the specific academic~~ 
  1.24  ~~areas of deficiency in which the person did not achieve a~~ 
  1.25  ~~qualifying score.  School districts must provide similar,~~ 
  2.1   ~~appropriate, and timely remedial assistance that includes a~~ 
  2.2   ~~formal diagnostic component and mentoring to those persons~~ 
  2.3   ~~employed by the district who completed their teacher education~~ 
  2.4   ~~program outside the state of Minnesota, received a one-year~~ 
  2.5   ~~license to teach in Minnesota and did not achieve a qualifying~~ 
  2.6   ~~score on the skills examination, including those persons for~~ 
  2.7   ~~whom English is a second language.~~ 
  2.8      ~~(c) A person who has completed an approved teacher~~ 
  2.9   ~~preparation program and obtained a one-year license to teach,~~ 
  2.10  ~~but has not successfully completed the skills examination, may~~ 
  2.11  ~~renew the one-year license for two additional one-year periods.~~  
  2.12  ~~Each renewal of the one-year license is contingent upon the~~ 
  2.13  ~~licensee:~~ 
  2.14     ~~(1) providing evidence of participating in an approved~~ 
  2.15  ~~remedial assistance program provided by a school district or~~ 
  2.16  ~~post-secondary institution that includes a formal diagnostic~~ 
  2.17  ~~component in the specific areas in which the licensee did not~~ 
  2.18  ~~obtain qualifying scores; and~~ 
  2.19     ~~(2) attempting to successfully complete the skills~~ 
  2.20  ~~examination during the period of each one-year license.~~ 
  2.21     ~~(d) The board of teaching shall grant continuing licenses~~ 
  2.22  ~~only to those persons who have met board criteria for granting a~~ 
  2.23  ~~continuing license, which includes successfully completing the~~ 
  2.24  ~~skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics.~~ 
  2.25     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 125.188, 
  2.26  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.27     Subdivision 1.  [REQUIREMENTS.] (a) A preparation program 
  2.28  that is an alternative to the post-secondary teacher preparation 
  2.29  program as a means to acquire an entrance license is 
  2.30  established.  The program may be offered in any instructional 
  2.31  field. 
  2.32     (b) To participate in the alternative preparation program, 
  2.33  the candidate must: 
  2.34     (1) have a bachelor's degree; 
  2.35     (2) ~~pass an examination of skills in reading, writing, and~~ 
  2.36  ~~mathematics as required by section 125.05;~~ 
  3.1      ~~(3)~~ have been offered a job to teach in a school district, 
  3.2   group of districts, or an education district approved by the 
  3.3   board of teaching to offer an alternative preparation licensure 
  3.4   program; 
  3.5      ~~(4)~~ (3)(i) have a college major in the subject area to be 
  3.6   taught; or 
  3.7      (ii) have five years of experience in a field related to 
  3.8   the subject to be taught; and 
  3.9      ~~(5)~~ (4) document successful experiences working with 
  3.10  children. 
  3.11     (c) An alternative preparation license is of one year 
  3.12  duration and is issued by the board of teaching to participants 
  3.13  on admission to the alternative preparation program.  
  3.14     (d) The board of teaching shall ensure that one of the 
  3.15  purposes of this program is to enhance the school 
  3.16  desegregation/integration policies adopted by the state.