April 6, 2007
ENGROSSED
SENATE BILL No. 56
_____
DIGEST OF SB 56
(Updated April 4, 2007 11:20 am - DI 109)
Citations Affected: IC 20-28; IC 20-30.
Synopsis: Teacher licensing. Requires the department of education to
grant an initial standard teacher's license for a specific subject area in
middle school or high school to an applicant who has earned a
postgraduate degree in the subject area, has experience teaching
students, and complies with certain requirements for licensure.
Provides that a maximum of three full school days or six half days, or
a combination of full and half days that equals not more than three full
days, when students are dismissed for staff professional development
activities count as student instructional days for purposes of the
required 180 day school year. Allows a person who has failed the
teacher licensing examination at least two times to demonstrate
proficiency by having the person's teacher education school or
department certify to the department of education that the person
possesses the content knowledge required by the examination.
Effective: Upon passage; July 1, 2007.
Lubbers
(HOUSE SPONSORS _ GOODIN, BEHNING)
January 8, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Education and Career
Development.
February 1, 2007, amended, reported favorably _ Do Pass.
February 6, 2007, read second time, amended, ordered engrossed.
February 7, 2007, engrossed.
February 8, 2007, read third time, passed. Yeas 39, nays 7.
HOUSE ACTION
February 26, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Education.
April 5, 2007, amended, reported _ Do Pass.
April 6, 2007
First Regular Session 115th General Assembly (2007)
PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
additions will appear in
this style type, and deletions will appear in
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Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in
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word
NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in
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this style type reconciles conflicts
between statutes enacted by the 2006 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
ENGROSSED
SENATE BILL No. 56
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
education.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
SOURCE: IC 20-28-5-13; (07)ES0056.1.1. -->
SECTION 1. IC 20-28-5-13, AS ADDED BY P.L.1-2005,
SECTION 12, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
UPON PASSAGE]: Sec. 13. (a) This section applies to an examination
required for teacher licensure under this chapter.
(b) If an individual does not demonstrate the level of proficiency
required to receive a license on all or a part of an examination, the
examination's scorer must provide the individual with the individual's
test scores, including subscores for each area tested.
(c) This subsection applies only to an individual who has taken
the examination described in subsection (a) at least two (2) times
and has failed to demonstrate proficiency in a test area by not
more than three (3) points. An individual may demonstrate
proficiency in a test area by having the teacher education school or
department in which the individual is or was a student certify to
the department that, based on:
(1) the individual's course work, grades, fieldwork, and
student teaching; and
(2) evaluations by the individual's instructors;
the individual possesses the content knowledge required by the
written examination.
(d) The department shall accept evidence of proficiency in a test
area by an individual as described under subsection (c) as
qualifying criterion for licensure.
SOURCE: IC 20-28-5-15; (07)ES0056.1.2. -->
SECTION 2. IC 20-28-5-15 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
1, 2007]: Sec. 15. (a) Notwithstanding section 3(b)(6) of this
chapter, the department shall grant an initial standard license in
a specific high school subject area to an applicant who:
(1) has earned a postgraduate degree from a regionally
accredited postsecondary educational institution in the
subject area in which the applicant seeks to be licensed;
(2) has at least five (5) academic years of experience teaching
students in a classroom setting, which may include experience
teaching in a college classroom; and
(3) complies with sections 4, 9, and 12 of this chapter.
(b) After receiving an initial standard license under this section,
an applicant who seeks to renew the applicant's initial standard
license or obtain a proficient practitioner's license must meet the
same requirements as other candidates for license renewal.
(c) An individual may not hold an initial teaching license under
this section and under IC 20-28-4 consecutively.
SOURCE: IC 20-30-2-2; (07)ES0056.1.3. -->
SECTION 3. IC 20-30-2-2, AS ADDED BY P.L.242-2005,
SECTION 15, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2007]: Sec. 2. (a) A student instructional day in grades 1
through 6 consists of at least five (5) hours of instructional time. Except
as provided in subsection (b), a student instructional day in grades 7
through 12 consists of at least six (6) hours of instructional time.
(b) An instructional day for a school flex program under section 2.2
of this chapter consists of a minimum of three (3) hours of instructional
time.
(c) A school corporation may dismiss students for:
(1) three (3) full school days;
(2) the equivalent of three (3) full school days taken in
one-half (1/2) school day increments; or
(3) any combination of full school days and one-half (1/2)
school days that equals not more than three (3) full school
days;
during a school year to conduct professional development
activities.
(d) All full school days or partial school days during which
students are dismissed under subsection (c) shall be counted
toward student instructional days under section 3 of this chapter.
SOURCE: ; (07)ES0056.1.4. -->
SECTION 4.
An emergency is declared for this act.