The Senate E-12 Policy Committee on Tuesday heard a pair of bills related to dual enrollment options. The first calls the Board of Teaching to assist with teacher authorization while the second would allow schools to partner with institutions in border states.
SF504, authored by Sen. Greg Clausen (DFL-Apple Valley), directs the Board of Teaching (BOT) to adopt standards for an endorsement enabling licensed high school teachers to provide dual enrollment instruction in a high school setting. The bill states the BOT must issue an endorsement for dual enrollment instruction to a high school teacher licensed in a content-specific field who successfully completes a one-year district preparation program in providing dual enrollment instruction in the teacher’s licensure field. The intent of the bill is to ease the burden on teachers who are facing the mandate by the Higher Learning Commission.
Sen. Carla Nelson (R-Rochester), who also chairs the E-12 Finance Committee, presented a bill that would allow school districts to enter into concurrent enrollment agreements with higher education institutions in our border states.
SF570 makesPSEO providers responsible for providing technology resources necessary for enrolled students to complete their coursework. If the PSEO provider is unable to provide technology resources, the school district and PSEO provider shall enter into agreements to provide such resources and the agreements shall provide reasonable compensation to the school district for providing these resources.
SF 570 has come a long way since it was first introduced. MREA worked extensively with Sen. Nelson to take our problematic provisions and to clarify the technology resources sharing provision.
SF 570 was referred to the Higher Education committee for further review of the border state CE provision.
