1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; enhancing teacher preparation; 
  1.3             fostering first year teacher induction programs; 
  1.4             supporting teacher of color programs; encouraging 
  1.5             teachers to participate in the national board for 
  1.6             professional teaching standards certification process; 
  1.7             appropriating money; amending Laws 1997, First Special 
  1.8             Session chapter 4, article 5, section 22; proposing 
  1.9             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 122A.
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  [122A.185] [FIRST YEAR TEACHER INDUCTION 
  1.12  PROGRAMS.] 
  1.13     (a) To better ensure the success of first year teachers, 
  1.14  protect the investment of aspiring teachers and the state in 
  1.15  preservice teacher preparation, and promote excellence in 
  1.16  teaching, the state board of teaching shall establish and 
  1.17  oversee an ongoing competitive grant program that promotes the 
  1.18  development of first year teacher induction programs throughout 
  1.19  the state.  First year teacher induction programs must include: 
  1.20     (1) a professional development curriculum based on the 
  1.21  standards of effective practice under Minnesota Rules, part 
  1.22  8710.2000; 
  1.23     (2) a formative assessment system that assists first year 
  1.24  teachers in identifying their professional strengths and 
  1.25  challenges based on the standards in clause (1); 
  1.26     (3) mentoring by experienced and effective classroom 
  1.27  teachers; 
  2.1      (4) a plan of focused opportunities for ongoing 
  2.2   professional development; and 
  2.3      (5) collaboration between public schools and participating 
  2.4   post-secondary teacher preparation programs to promote 
  2.5   continuity between preservice preparation and first year 
  2.6   teaching. 
  2.7      (b) School districts participating in this program must 
  2.8   allot 20 percent of the time of first year teachers for 
  2.9   professional development opportunities and a commensurate amount 
  2.10  of time for teacher mentors to assist first year teachers with 
  2.11  those opportunities. 
  2.12     Sec. 2.  Laws 1997, First Special Session chapter 4, 
  2.13  article 5, section 22, is amended to read: 
  2.14     Sec. 22.  [GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE PROFESSIONAL TEACHING 
  2.15  STANDARDS.] 
  2.16     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A grant program to promote 
  2.17  professional teaching standards through the national board for 
  2.18  professional teaching standards for fiscal year 1998 is 
  2.19  established to provide eligible teachers with the opportunity to 
  2.20  receive national board for professional teaching standards 
  2.21  certification and to reward teachers who have already received 
  2.22  such certification. 
  2.23     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY.] An applicant for a grant must be a 
  2.24  licensed K-12 school teacher employed in a state school.  To be 
  2.25  eligible for a grant, the teacher must have been employed as a 
  2.26  teacher for a minimum of five school years and demonstrate 
  2.27  either that the national board for professional teaching 
  2.28  standards has accepted the teacher as a candidate for board 
  2.29  certification or that the teacher already has received board 
  2.30  certification. 
  2.31     Subd. 3.  [APPLICATION PROCESS.] To obtain a grant to 
  2.32  participate in the national board for professional teaching 
  2.33  standards certification process or to receive a reward for 
  2.34  already completing the board certification process, a teacher 
  2.35  must submit an application to the commissioner of children, 
  2.36  families, and learning in the form and manner the commissioner 
  3.1   establishes.  The applicant must demonstrate either that the 
  3.2   national board for professional teaching standards has accepted 
  3.3   the teacher as a candidate for board certification or that the 
  3.4   teacher already has received board certification.  The 
  3.5   commissioner shall consult with the state board of teaching when 
  3.6   reviewing the applications. 
  3.7      Subd. 4.  [GRANT AWARDS; PROCEEDS.] (a) The commissioner 
  3.8   may award matching grants of $1,000 each to eligible teachers 
  3.9   who provide a matching amount through collaboration with either 
  3.10  a school district, professional organization, or both and are 
  3.11  accepted as candidates for national board for professional 
  3.12  teaching standards certification.  Grant recipients shall use 
  3.13  the grant to participate in the certification process.  Within 
  3.14  24 months of receiving certification, a grant recipient must 
  3.15  satisfactorily complete one year of teaching service in a state 
  3.16  school or repay the state the amount of the grant, except if the 
  3.17  commissioner determines that death or disability prevents the 
  3.18  grant recipient from providing the one year of teaching service. 
  3.19     (b) The commissioner may award grants to eligible teachers 
  3.20  who have earned national board for professional teaching 
  3.21  standards certification.  The amount of each grant shall not 
  3.22  exceed $1,000 per school year for the term of the certification 
  3.23  and the commissioner shall establish criteria to determine the 
  3.24  actual amount of each grant.  Grant recipients shall use the 
  3.25  grant proceeds for educational purposes, including purchasing 
  3.26  instructional materials, equipment, or supplies and realizing 
  3.27  professional development opportunities.  
  3.28     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATIONS; DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, 
  3.29  AND LEARNING.] 
  3.30     Subdivision 1.  [DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND 
  3.31  LEARNING.] The sums indicated in this section are appropriated 
  3.32  from the general fund to the department of children, families, 
  3.33  and learning for the fiscal years designated. 
  3.34     Subd. 2.  [TEACHERS OF COLOR PROGRAM.] For supporting the 
  3.35  teachers of color program under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  3.36  122A.64: 
  4.1        $.,...,...     .....     2000 
  4.2        $.,...,...     .....     2001 
  4.3      Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is 
  4.4   available in the second year. 
  4.5      Subd. 3.  [GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE PROFESSIONAL TEACHING 
  4.6   STANDARDS.] For encouraging teachers to participate in the 
  4.7   national board for professional teaching standards certification 
  4.8   process under Laws 1997, First Special Session chapter 4, 
  4.9   article 5, section 22: 
  4.10       $.,...,...     .....     2000 
  4.11       $.,...,...     .....     2001 
  4.12     Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is 
  4.13  available in the second year. 
  4.14     Sec. 4.  [APPROPRIATION; BOARD OF TEACHING.] 
  4.15     The following sum is appropriated from the general fund to 
  4.16  the state board of teaching in the fiscal year designated for 
  4.17  first year teacher induction programs under section 1: 
  4.18       $.,...,...     .....     2000 
  4.19       $.,...,...     .....     2001 
  4.20     Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is 
  4.21  available in the second year.  If there are insufficient funds 
  4.22  available to award monetary grants to all eligible grant 
  4.23  recipients, the board of teaching shall award the grant money on 
  4.24  a pro rata basis at the end of the fiscal year. 
  4.25     Sec. 5.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  4.26     Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.  
  4.27  Sections 2 to 4 are effective July 1, 1999.