MN SF210

Board of Teaching may approve alternative teacher preparation programs sponsored by school districts or charter schools in partnership with colleges/universities or nonprofit corporations as an alternative path to obtain a two-year provisional license.

Programs require written agreements with teacher bargaining units (districts) or licensed staff (charter schools) and may only operate if there is documented teacher shortage, need for staff diversity, or identified achievement gap concerns.

Candidates must hold a bachelor's degree with minimum 3.0 GPA or meet alternative criteria, pass reading/writing/mathematics skills examination, and obtain qualifying scores on content area and pedagogy tests.

Alternative programs must include minimum 200-hour instructional phase, research-based teaching practices, ongoing assessment and mentorship, and classroom-embedded staff development to support participant success.

Board of Teaching must evaluate program performance and submit interim report by February 15, 2013, and final report by February 15, 2015 to the legislature; section effective for 2011-2012 school year and later.