SF1756 Summary

• Establishes alternative teacher preparation providers and programs under Minnesota Statutes section 122A.2451, allowing school districts, charter schools, and nonprofit organizations to offer non-traditional pathways to teacher licensure outside traditional university programs.

• Requires the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board to approve providers and programs based on criteria including fiscal solvency, data infrastructure, FERPA compliance, instructional capacity, and board-adopted rules for teacher preparation.

• Creates an alternative teacher preparation grant program under section 122A.2455 awarding annual competitive grants to approved programs that demonstrate commitment to increasing diverse teachers in Minnesota public schools and placing participants in shortage areas or high-poverty schools.

• Appropriates $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2018 and $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2019 for alternative teacher preparation grants, with base funding of $2,000,000 and allows up to three percent for administrative expenses.

• Repeals Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 122A.245, replacing the previous alternative teacher preparation program requirements with new licensing tier structures (Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4) and requires biennial reporting to legislative committees.