1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; providing teacher training for qualified professionals; 
1.3 	appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
1.4 	chapter 122A; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 122A.24.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [122A.246] TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM FOR QUALIFIED 
1.7 	PROFESSIONALS.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Scope and requirements. (a) As an alternative to postsecondary 
1.9 	teacher preparation programs, a teacher training program is established for qualified 
1.10 	professionals to acquire an entrance license. Program providers, approved by the Board of 
1.11 	Teaching under subdivision 3, may offer the program in the instructional fields of science, 
1.12 	mathematics, world languages, English as a second language, and special education.
1.13 	(b) To participate in the teacher training program, the  teacher applicant must:
1.14 	(1) have, at a minimum, a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year 
1.15 	postsecondary institution;
1.16 	(2) have an undergraduate major or postbaccalaureate degree in the subject to be 
1.17 	taught or in an equivalent or related subject area in which the applicant is seeking licensure;
1.18 	(3) pass a skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics required under 
1.19 	section 122A.18;
1.20 	(4) pass the Praxis II subject assessment for each subject area to be taught;
1.21 	(5) have a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale for a 
1.22 	bachelor's degree;
1.23 	(6) show employment related to the subject to be taught;  and
2.1 	(7) show a district offer for employment as a teacher contingent on participating in 
2.2 	an approved program described in  subdivision 2.
2.3 		Subd. 2.Program. A teacher training program under this section is one year in 
2.4 	duration and must include:
2.5 	(1) a nine-credit summer or preinduction preparation program that includes 
2.6 	classroom management techniques and on-site classroom observation that are completed 
2.7 	before the candidate is employed in the classroom;
2.8 	(2) 200 clock hours of instruction in standards of effective practice and essential 
2.9 	skills that include curriculum, instructional strategies, and classroom management 
2.10 	presented after school or on Saturdays throughout the year leading to a teaching license 
2.11 	and up to 15 graduate credits toward a master's  degree in education;
2.12 	(3) on-the-job mentoring, supervision, and evaluation arranged by the employing 
2.13 	district that includes mentoring provided by both an experienced teacher licensed in 
2.14 	the subject taught by the applicant and a supervisor affiliated with the postsecondary 
2.15 	institution that provides training to the teacher applicant, and three evaluations by an 
2.16 	evaluation team composed of the mentor, the supervisor, the principal, and a training 
2.17 	program member that include at least three classroom observations where the third 
2.18 	evaluation contains the team's  recommendation for licensure and where a written report of 
2.19 	each evaluation is prepared; and
2.20 	(4) a one-week intensive workshop that includes analysis and reflection of the first 
2.21 	year of teaching after completing the school year, which may be counted as part of the 200 
2.22 	clock hours required in clause (2).
2.23 		Subd. 3.Program approval. An interested Minnesota public or private 
2.24 	postsecondary institution must submit program proposals to the Board of Teaching for 
2.25 	approval.
2.26 	Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the Board of Teaching must develop 
2.27 	criteria for approving teacher training programs under this section after considering the 
2.28 	recommendations of an advisory group appointed by the Board of  Teaching composed of, 
2.29 	at a minimum, the commissioner of education or designee, and representatives of school 
2.30 	superintendents, principals, teachers, and postsecondary institutions, including those 
2.31 	offering degrees in teaching  preparation.
2.32 		Subd. 4.Eligibility license. Notwithstanding any law to  the contrary, the Board of 
2.33 	Teaching must issue to an applicant who successfully meets the criteria under subdivision 
2.34 	1, paragraph (b), a one-year eligibility license to teach at the employing district under 
2.35 	subdivision 1, paragraph (b), clause  (7). During the one-year eligibility period, the 
2.36 	employing district must assign a mentor under subdivision 2, clause (3). The applicant 
3.1 	teacher and teacher mentor must meet at least weekly throughout the school year on 
3.2 	classroom and instructional issues.
3.3 	The hiring district may deduct from the participant's salary the cost of providing the 
3.4 	mentor for the participant during the training year.
3.5 		Subd. 5.Standard entrance license. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the 
3.6 	Board of Teaching must issue a standard entrance license to a training program licensee 
3.7 	who successfully completes the program under subdivision 2, successfully teaches  in 
3.8 	a classroom for one complete school year, successfully passes the Praxis II principles 
3.9 	of learning and teaching, and receives a positive recommendation from the applicant's 
3.10 	evaluation team.
3.11 		Subd. 6.Qualified teacher. A person with a valid eligibility license under 
3.12 	subdivision 5 is a qualified teacher  under section 122A.16.

3.13 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2007, and applies to 
3.14 	candidates for alternative licensure beginning in the 2008-2009 school year.

3.15 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 3.16 	$500,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2008 to the commissioner of education for the 
3.17 	teacher training program for professionals under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.246.

3.18 	Sec. 3.  REPEALER.
 3.19 	Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 122A.24, is repealed.

3.20 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2008.