H.F. No. 850 Summary

• Establishes pathways for out-of-state teachers to obtain professional five-year or initial professional one-year teaching licenses in Minnesota through the Board of Teaching.

• Requires applicants to hold a baccalaureate degree and an out-of-state teaching license that included field-specific teaching methods, student teaching, equivalent experience, or at least two years of teaching experience in a similar licensure area.

• Creates multiple licensure tracks based on exam completion, human relations preparation, teaching experience, and field-specific teaching methods, with initial one-year licenses renewable to five-year professional licenses upon meeting requirements.

• Allows up to four renewable initial professional one-year teaching licenses for applicants whose out-of-state license scope is no more than two grade levels less than a comparable Minnesota license, even if they have not completed all required exams or teaching methods.

• Requires applicants to pass board-adopted skills examinations in reading, writing, and mathematics unless an applicable National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification interstate agreement permits full certification transfer.