1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; establishing requirements for out-of-state teachers to obtain 
1.3 	teaching licenses in Minnesota;amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 
1.4 	122A.23, subdivision 2.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 122A.23, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
1.7 		Subd. 2.Applicants licensed in other states. (a) Subject to the requirements of sections 
1.8 	122A.18, subdivision 8, and 123B.03, the Board of Teaching must issue a professional 
1.9 	five-year teaching license or an initial professional one-year teaching license under 
1.10 	paragraphs (c) to ~~(f)~~ (g) to an applicant who holds at least a baccalaureate degree from a 
1.11 	regionally accredited college or university and holds or held an out-of-state teaching license 
1.12 	that requires the applicant to successfully complete a teacher preparation program approved 
1.13 	by the issuing state, which includes either (1) field-specific teaching methods, student 
1.14 	teaching, or equivalent experience, or (2) at least two years of teaching experience as the 
1.15 	teacher of record in a similar licensure area.
1.16 	(b) The Board of Teaching may issue a professional five-year teaching license on the 
1.17 	basis of teaching experience and examination requirements only.
1.18 	(c) The Board of Teaching must issue a professional five-year teaching license to an 
1.19 	applicant who:
1.20 	(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components 
1.21 	required by the Board of Teaching; and
1.22 	(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license to teach a similar content field and 
1.23 	grade levels if the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than two grade levels less 
2.1 	than a similar Minnesota license, and either (i) has completed field-specific teaching methods, 
2.2 	student teaching, or equivalent experience, or (ii) has at least two years of teaching experience 
2.3 	as the teacher of record in a similar licensure area.
2.4 	(d) The Board of Teaching must issue a professional five-year teaching license to an 
2.5 	applicant who:
2.6 	(1) successfully completed all exams required by the Board of Teaching;
2.7 	(2) holds an out-of-state teaching license to teach in the same content field and grade 
2.8 	levels as a Minnesota license; and
2.9 	(3) has had at least one full school year of teaching experience as a teacher of record in 
2.10 	the licensure field during the last five years.
2.11 	~~(d)~~ (e) The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules and paragraph ~~(i)~~ (j), must 
2.12 	issue up to four initial professional one-year teaching licenses to an applicant who holds or 
2.13 	held an out-of-state teaching license to teach a similar licensure area and grade levels, where 
2.14 	the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than two grade levels less than a similar 
2.15 	Minnesota license, but has not successfully completed all exams and human relations 
2.16 	preparation components required by the Board of Teaching. The board must issue a 
2.17 	professional five-year teaching license to an applicant who successfully completes the 
2.18 	requirements under this paragraph.
2.19 	~~(e)~~ (f) The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules, must issue up to four initial 
2.20 	professional one-year teaching licenses to an applicant who:
2.21 	(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components 
2.22 	required by the Board of Teaching; and
2.23 	(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license to teach a similar licensure area and 
2.24 	grade levels, where the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than two grade levels 
2.25 	less than a similar Minnesota license, but has not completed field-specific teaching methods 
2.26 	or student teaching or equivalent experience.
2.27 	The applicant may complete field-specific teaching methods by successfully participating 
2.28 	in a one-year school district mentorship program consistent with board-adopted standards 
2.29 	of effective practice and Minnesota graduation requirements. If no school district mentorship 
2.30 	program is available, the applicant must complete field-specific teaching methods coursework 
2.31 	while serving as a teacher of record and providing classroom instruction in the applicant's 
2.32 	field of licensure. The board must issue a professional five-year teaching license to an 
2.33 	applicant who successfully completes the requirements under this paragraph.
3.1 	~~(f)~~ (g) The Board of Teaching must issue to an applicant with an out-of-state teaching 
3.2 	license up to four initial professional one-year teaching licenses that are restricted in content 
3.3 	or grade levels specified in the out-of-state license if the applicant's out-of-state teaching 
3.4 	license is more limited than a similar Minnesota license in content field or grade levels. The 
3.5 	Board of Teaching must issue a professional five-year teaching license to an applicant who 
3.6 	successfully completes all exams and human relations preparation components required by 
3.7 	the Board of Teaching. Any content or grade level restriction placed on a license under this 
3.8 	paragraph remains in effect.
3.9 	~~(g)~~ (h) The Board of Teaching may issue a two-year provisional permission to an 
3.10 	applicant under this subdivision to teach in a shortage area, consistent with section 122A.18, 
3.11 	subdivision 4a.
3.12 	~~(h)~~ (i) The Board of Teaching may issue a license under this subdivision if the applicant 
3.13 	has attained the additional degrees, credentials, or licenses required in a particular licensure 
3.14 	field and the applicant can demonstrate competency by obtaining qualifying scores on the 
3.15 	board-adopted skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics, and on applicable 
3.16 	board-adopted rigorous content area and pedagogy examinations under section 122A.09, 
3.17 	subdivision 4, paragraphs (a) and (e).
3.18 	~~(i)~~ (j) The Board of Teaching must require an applicant for a professional five-year 
3.19 	teaching license or an initial professional one-year teaching license under this subdivision 
3.20 	to pass a board-adopted skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics before the 
3.21 	board issues the license unless, notwithstanding other provisions of this subdivision, an 
3.22 	applicable board-approved National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education 
3.23 	and Certification interstate agreement exists to allow fully certified teachers from other 
3.24 	states to transfer their certification to Minnesota.