MN HF3340

Appropriates $780,000 for fiscal year 2016 and $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2017 to the collaborative urban educator grant program, with unspent balances carrying forward.

For fiscal year 2016 only, distributes grants in equal amounts of $195,000 each year to four universities: Concordia University (Southeast Asian teacher program), University of St. Thomas (collaborative urban educator program), Hamline University (Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching), and Augsburg College (East Africa Student to Teacher program).

Beginning in fiscal year 2017, opens grant eligibility to Minnesota teacher preparation programs, school district Grow Your Own programs, nonconventional programs, and alternative teacher preparation programs, with the commissioner of education determining grant awards for up to two years.

Requires that at least 50 percent of available funds in each year be awarded to nonconventional and alternative teacher preparation programs, with priority given to programs recruiting and placing ethnically and racially diverse teacher candidates.

Mandates annual reporting by January 15 to the commissioner and legislature detailing grant expenditures, number of teacher candidates prepared, ethnic and racial diversity of cohorts, graduation rates, placement rates, and retention rates.