CHAPTER 569
S.P. 937 - L.D. 2387
An Act to Amend the Qualifying Examination for Initial Teacher Certification
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §13032, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. I, §§2 and 3, is amended to read:
§13032. Qualifying examination
The provisional teacher certificate shall may only be issued to those applicants who have taken the teacher qualifying examinations examination. The examinations examination may be administered in separate parts and may be taken by applicants for provisional teacher certificates at any time after completion of the sophomore year of attendance at a post-secondary higher education institution. The examination shall must test the applicant in the following areas area:
1. Communication skills. Communication skills, which include listening, reading and writing;
2. General knowledge. General knowledge, which includes concepts from a variety of disciplines, including literature and fine arts, mathematics, science and social studies; and
3. Professional knowledge. Professional knowledge, which focuses on the knowledge and cognitive processes the teacher uses in decision-making, with emphasis on how those processes will be applied in the classroom.
4. Basic skills. Basic skills, which includes reading, writing and mathematics.
The applicant shall be is responsible for the costs associated with taking the teacher qualifying examinations examination.
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §13035, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. I, §§2 and 3, is repealed.
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §13035-A is enacted to read:
1. Basic skills scores. Beginning September 1, 2000, in order to be eligible for a provisional teacher certificate, an applicant must achieve the minimum qualifying scores on the teacher qualifying examination in basic skills pursuant to section 13032, subsection 4.
2. Core battery scores. Until September 1, 2004, notwithstanding subsection 1, an applicant that has taken and achieved minimum qualifying scores under former section 13035 on the communications skills and general knowledge sections of the core battery of a national teachers examination taken on or after November 1, 1982 and before September 1, 2000 is eligible for a provisional teacher certificate.
Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §§13037 and 13038 are enacted to read:
§13037. One-year, nonrenewable certificate
An individual who has failed to achieve the minimum qualifying scores of this State on qualifying examinations taken pursuant to section 13035 on or after July 1, 1988 may be issued on or after September 1, 2000 a one-year, nonrenewable certificate as long as other criteria as required by the State Board of Education have been met.
The State Board of Education may adopt rules to implement sections 13031 to 13036. Rules adopted pursuant to these sections are routine technical rules in accordance with Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.
Sec. 5. Determination of minimum qualifying scores in basic skills. The minimum qualifying scores in basic skills must be determined by the State Board of Education and the Commissioner of Education by August 1, 2000. These minimum qualifying scores must be based on a study of the data compiled during the 1999 standard-setting meetings.
Sec. 6. Effective date. Those sections of this Act that amend the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 13032, repeal section 13035 and enact sections 13035-A, 13037 and 13038 take effect September 1, 2000.
Effective August 11, 2000, unless otherwise indicated.
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