SF3625

Purpose

This bill updates Minnesota’s approach to educator licensing and school staff credentials. It creates new rules for a statewide paraprofessional credential, changes how teachers can be licensed (through a tiered system), expands professional development focused on mental health, adds data sharing to improve teacher preparation programs, and strengthens background checks. It also allocates funding for information technology costs related to these changes.

Main changes and what they aim to accomplish

• Paraprofessional credential

  • Creates a statewide credential for paraprofessionals who assist licensed teachers.
  • Paraprofessionals who earn this credential or who meet a state-approved local assessment are considered highly qualified under federal law.
  • Local assessments must be evaluated against criteria that include knowledge of reading, writing, and math and the ability to help teach those subjects.
  • The public must have access to the criteria and how they’re used.

• Training for paraprofessionals

  • Rules may include training in student characteristics, teaching and learning environments, academic instruction skills, student behavior, and ethics.

• Licensure rulemaking and scope

  • The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) will adopt rules to implement these provisions.
  • Rules will define what fields and grade levels a licensed teacher may teach and how cross-field teaching can work without changing a teacher’s license.
  • Rules must avoid conflicts with existing laws and should explain expected effects on teacher supply and demand.

• Tiered teaching licenses (Tier 1–Tier 4)

  • Establishes several license levels with specific renewal and training requirements.
  • Tier 1: Initial one-year license with renewals possible if certain conditions are met (e.g., job posting but no hire, passing a content exam, completing cultural competency training, and mental health training). Some exemptions exist for certain subjects like career and technical education (CTE).
  • Tier 2: Initial two-year license with renewals that require ongoing cultural competency and mental health training, plus literacy-related progress for renewal.
  • Both tiers include limits on how many times a license can be renewed unless good cause is shown, with certain shortage areas or CTE roles having different rules.
  • Beginning July 1, 2027, several teaching roles (e.g., early childhood, elementary and special education teachers responsible for reading instruction, ESL, and other specified literacy-related roles) must show progress toward evidence-based literacy training for later renewals.
  • By design, the plan emphasizes literacy support and ongoing professional growth.

• Literacy training requirements

  • Starting in 2027, specific licensed roles must demonstrate progress toward evidence-based literacy training as part of licensure renewal.

• Mental health training requirements

  • Renewal rules require at least one hour of suicide prevention training and at least five hours of professional development on student mental health and wellness per renewal cycle.
  • Training should be based on nationally recognized, evidence-based programs.
  • Over time, topics expand to include trauma, accommodations for mental illness, and other related areas. This does not authorize teachers to diagnose or treat mental illness.

• Data sharing for program improvement

  • Creates data sharing agreements among PELS B, the Board of School Administrators, and the Department of Education.
  • Data at the E12 level may be shared to support program approval and improvement for teacher preparation and education administration programs.
  • The shared data may include licensed and nonlicensed staff data, but only limited or summary data and for specific purposes (e.g., program improvement, funding management).
  • Privacy protections apply; data sharing is limited to what is necessary for stated purposes.

• Background checks

  • Requires criminal history background studies for all first-time educator and administrator license applicants.
  • Applicants must provide fingerprints and pay for the background check; funds go to the licensing board.
  • The boards may coordinate with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and the FBI for records, and may obtain background data through the Department of Human Services as needed.

• Information technology costs

  • Provides a one-time appropriation to cover information technology costs related to these changes, with a deadline for use.

Significant changes to existing law

• Introduces a statewide credential for paraprofessionals and ties eligibility for “highly qualified” status to this credential or state-approved local assessments.
• Establishes a formal, multi-tier licensing system for teachers (Tier 1–Tier 4) with specific renewal and literacy/mental health training requirements.
• Expands mandatory professional development to include mental health and suicide prevention topics, with progressively deeper topics over time.
• Tightens data sharing between licensing, school administration, and education departments to improve teacher preparation programs and program approvals, while adding privacy safeguards.
• Broadens background check procedures for new educators and administrators, including fingerprints and cross-agency data access.
• Allocates funding for information technology related to these modifications.

Implementation and timeline notes

• Literacy training requirements become effective for certain licenses starting July 1, 2027.
• The information technology funding is a one-time allocation tied to implementing these changes.

Who is affected

• Prospective and current teachers and paraprofessionals
• School districts and charter schools
• University and college programs that prepare future educators
• State education agencies and boards (PELSB, Board of School Administrators, Department of Education)

Practical implications to watch

• More structured path and accountability for paraprofessionals and teachers through credentialing and tiered licensure.
• Increased emphasis on reading/literacy instruction and mental health training as part of licensure renewal.
• Schools may need to adjust hiring practices and professional development plans to meet renewal requirements.
• Districts and educator preparation programs will engage in data sharing to help improve programs, with attention to privacy and data use.

Relevant Terms - Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) - Paraprofessional credential - Highly qualified (federal law) - Local assessments - Reading, writing, and math - Tier 1 license - Tier 2 license - Tier 3 license - Tier 4 license - Cultural competency training - Mental illness health training - Suicide prevention training - Evidence-based literacy training - E12 data - Program approval - Education administration programs - Data sharing agreement - Licensed and nonlicensed staff data - Background studies - Criminal history - Fingerprints - Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) - Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Information technology costs - Shortage areas - Career and technical education (CTE) - Reading instruction requirements - Teacher supply and demand - Districts and charter schools - Education preparation programs - Data privacy and summary data

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary to a specific audience (students, parents, or educators) or condense it further into a one‑page overview.