1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; establishing an alternative teacher preparation grant 
1.3 	program; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
1.4 	Statutes, chapter 122A.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [122A.2455] ALTERNATIVE TEACHER PREPARATION GRANT 
1.7 	PROGRAM.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms 
1.9 	have the meanings given them.
1.10 	(b) "Alternative teacher preparation program" means an alternative teacher 
1.11 	preparation program under section 122A.245 or an experimental teacher preparation 
1.12 	program under section 122A.09, subdivision 10.
1.13 	(c) "Diversity" or "diverse" means people with different backgrounds based on 
1.14 	characteristics such as ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, age, language, and 
1.15 	geographical area.
1.16 	(d) "Highly selective" means an intent to accept fewer than 60 percent of applicants.
1.17 		Subd. 2.Establishment; eligibility. (a) The commissioner, in consultation with 
1.18 	the statutory entity responsible for licensing teachers in Minnesota, must establish and 
1.19 	administer a competitive program annually awarding grants to eligible alternative teacher 
1.20 	preparation programs consistent with this section.
1.21 	(b) To be eligible to receive a competitive grant, an alternative teacher preparation 
1.22 	program must:
1.23 	(1) have a highly selective process for choosing qualified individuals to participate 
1.24 	in the alternative teacher preparation program;
2.1 	(2) work to increase the diversity of Minnesota's licensed public school teachers;
2.2 	(3) be premised on peer-reviewed, research-based local, regional, or national teacher 
2.3 	preparation models and practices shown to improve student learning and outcomes; and
2.4 	(4) place successful program participants in hard-to-place teaching positions or 
2.5 	hard-to-staff school settings that are located in geographically isolated areas or identified 
2.6 	by the department for targeted programs or services or serve a majority of low-income 
2.7 	students.
2.8 		Subd. 3.Use of grants. (a) An alternative teacher preparation program receiving a 
2.9 	grant under this section must use the grant for:
2.10 	(1) expenses to recruit, select, and train diverse teachers;
2.11 	(2) teacher professional development;
2.12 	(3) regional management and operations, development, and central support services, 
2.13 	including financial support and support for technology and human services;
2.14 	(4) a match for nonstate funds to realize clauses (1) to (3); or
2.15 	(5) establishing a new alternative teacher preparation program in Minnesota to 
2.16 	increase the diversity of Minnesota's licensed public school teachers.
2.17 	(b) Appropriations made to this program do not cancel and are available until 
2.18 	expended.
2.19 		Subd. 4.Evaluation. The commissioner may require an alternative teacher 
2.20 	preparation program receiving a grant under this section to report to the commissioner 
2.21 	and the teacher licensing entity on the grantee's ability to realize the requirements under 
2.22 	subdivision 2, paragraph (b).

2.23 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; ALTERNATIVE TEACHER PREPARATION 
2.24 	GRANT PROGRAM.
 2.25 	(a) $1,500,000 in fiscal year 2017 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
2.26 	commissioner of education for providing alternative teacher preparation program grants 
2.27 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.2455.
2.28 	(b) The base appropriation is $1,500,000 in fiscal year 2018 and later.