168.400. Programs established for public school personnel--contents. - Missouri Statutes

Programs established for public school personnel--contents.

168.400. 1. Sections 168.400 to 168.415 shall be known and may becited as the "Missouri Professional Teacher and Administrator Act". Thissection shall become effective September 1, 1988, and shall establishprograms for the following public school personnel:

(1) The preservice teacher or student in training;

(2) The beginning teacher;

(3) The practicing teacher; and

(4) The administrator.

2. Preservice teacher programs established under this section shallinclude, but need not be limited to, the following provisions:

(1) A program of entry-level testing of all prospective teachereducation students shall be established at all colleges and universitiesoffering approved teacher education programs and, with the advice of theadvisory council as provided in section 168.015, shall be administered bythe commissioner of education, who shall cause the department of elementaryand secondary education to develop or select such tests to establishabilities necessary to receive a satisfactory rating, and to establishprocedures for the administering of the test;

(2) The entry-level tests developed under this subsection shallinclude, but need not be limited to, an examination of basic oral andwritten communication skills and of basic mathematics skills, and mayinclude both oral and written examinations;

(3) Each prospective teacher education student shall be required toobtain a satisfactory rating prior to admission into the approved teachereducation program;

(4) The department of elementary and secondary education, with theadvice of the advisory council as provided in section 168.015, shallestablish and monitor exit requirements from approved teacher educationprograms which shall be met by all preservice teacher education studentsseeking certification in Missouri, and specific criteria for a preserviceteacher assessment that all candidates for certification shall meet. Thepreservice teacher assessment established under this subdivision shallinclude, but need not be limited to, classroom achievement, practiceteaching evaluation and observation, successful participation in assessmentcenters, interviews, tests and other evaluation measures. The departmentof elementary and secondary education shall promulgate rules to allow allpreservice teacher education students who have been employed for at leasttwo years as teacher assistants to utilize their teacher assistantexperience to bypass the practice teaching evaluation and observationprocess. These rules shall allow the certified teacher working with theteacher assistant to observe and evaluate the teacher assistant's practiceteaching. No rule or portion of a rule promulgated pursuant to theauthority of this section shall become effective unless it has beenpromulgated pursuant to chapter 536, RSMo. The preservice teacherassessment shall be reviewed by the certifying authority prior to issuanceof a certificate. An unsatisfactory assessment shall result in thenonissuance of a certificate. Persons who are aggrieved by the nonissuanceof a certificate may appeal such nonissuance in the manner provided insection 168.071. Any costs associated with the entry-level tests or theexit requirements established under this subsection shall be borne by eachinstitution and costs defrayal included in the incidental fees charged tothe student.

3. Each approved teacher education program shall require the facultyteaching preservice teacher education courses to further their professionaldevelopment through direct personal involvement in the public schools ingrades kindergarten through twelve on a periodic basis. As used in thissubsection, the term "faculty" shall include, but need not be limited to,full- and part-time classroom instructors, and supervisors of practiceteaching at institutions offering an approved teacher education program.

4. Beginning teacher assistance programs established under thissection shall include, but need not be limited to, the followingprovisions:

(1) Such programs shall require each school district to provide aplan of professional development for the first two years of teaching forany teacher who does not have prior teaching experience. The professionaldevelopment plan shall include assistance from a professional developmentcommittee, which is hereby established in each school district, whichcommittee shall work with beginning teachers and experienced teachers inidentifying instructional concerns and remedies; serve as a confidentialconsultant upon a teacher's request; assess faculty needs and developin-service opportunities for school staff; and present to the properauthority faculty suggestions, ideas and recommendations pertaining toclassroom instruction within the school district. The members of eachprofessional development committee shall be selected by the teachersemployed by the school district in question. The professional developmentplan may include guidance from a district-designated faculty memberemployed at a grade level comparable to the instructional grade level ofthe beginning teacher, and such other forms of assistance which the schooldistrict may choose to offer. The professional development committee mayapply to the state board of education for a grant, which shall be inaddition to any state aid provided to the committee for activitiesidentified in this subdivision. The grant thus awarded shall be used bythe committee to provide in-service training to the teachers of thedistrict on teaching children identified as at risk of failing in school asdefined in section 167.273. The department of elementary and secondaryeducation shall provide resource materials and assist the committee if suchassistance is requested;

(2) Such programs shall include assistance from the teacher educationprogram which provided the teacher's training if such training was providedin a Missouri college or university. Such assistance from the college oruniversity may include retraining, internships, counseling, and in-servicetraining.

5. The practicing teacher assistance programs established under thissection shall include, but need not be limited to, programs of professionaldevelopment and improvement as provided for experienced teachers by theprofessional development committee established under subsection 4 of thissection, and in-service opportunities as provided by the local schooldistrict for all practicing teachers.

6. (1) The administrator assistance programs established under thissection shall include, but shall not be limited to, programs ofprofessional development and improvement for superintendents, principals,assistant principals, and other school district personnel charged withadministrative duties.

(2) Establishment of programs by local districts and organizationsfor the training of school board members are encouraged and recommended.

(L. 1985 H.B. 463, A.L. 1990 S.B. 740, A.L. 2002 H.B. 1711)

*Revisor's note:

Invalidity of section 82.293 shall not affect the validity of this section, RSMo 82.293.