Minnesota's positive behavior and autism training at teacher license renewal (Minn. Stat. § 122A.187; Minn. R. 8710.7200): what the law asks, and where outside training fits
The short answer
Under Minnesota's renewal rule, teachers renewing a Tier 3 or Tier 4 license who were employed as teachers during the renewal period must show evidence of professional development in positive behavior interventions. The renewal rule also requires these Tier 3 or Tier 4 applicants to show evidence of mental illness training. Section 122A.187, subdivision 6, directs the board to adopt requirements for teachers renewing licenses under sections 122A.181 to 122A.184; it names autism, the requirements governing restrictive procedures and de-escalation methods among the topics for more in-depth training during subsequent renewal periods. The cited provisions set no separate minimum hours for positive behavior interventions or autism within the overall renewal totals of 75 approved clock hours for Tier 3 or 125 for Tier 4; subdivision 6 separately requires at least one hour of suicide prevention training each renewal period. A local continuing education/relicensure committee verifies completion.
What the law says
Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.187, subdivision 4:
"The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing a Tier 3 or Tier 4 teaching license under sections 122A.183 and 122A.184, respectively, to include in the renewal requirements further preparation in the areas of using positive behavior interventions and in accommodating, modifying, and adapting curricula, materials, and strategies to appropriately meet the needs of individual students and ensure adequate progress toward the state's graduation rule."
Subdivision 6 requires at least one hour of suicide prevention training in each renewal period, and continues:
"Initial training must include understanding the key warning signs of early-onset mental illness in children and adolescents, and during subsequent licensure renewal periods, training must include a more in-depth understanding of students' mental illness trauma, accommodations for students' mental illness, parents' roles in addressing students' mental illness, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, autism, the requirements of section 125A.0942 governing restrictive procedures, and de-escalation methods, among other similar topics."
The board's rule, Minnesota Rules, part 8710.7200, subpart 2a, says a Tier 3 or 4 applicant who has been employed as a teacher during the renewal period must show evidence of professional development in areas that include:
"(1) positive behavior interventions under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.187, subdivision 4 ..." and "(3) mental illness training under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.187, subdivision 6 ..."
Subpart 2 of the same rule sets the totals: 75 approved clock hours for a Tier 3 license and 125 for a Tier 4 license, verified by the local continuing education/relicensure committee.
Source: Minn. Stat. § 122A.187; Minn. R. 8710.7200.
Related training rules for Minnesota school staff
- Paraprofessionals, every year. Minnesota Statutes, section 121A.642, subdivision 1, defines "school" for that section as "a school district, charter school, intermediate school district, other cooperative unit, Perpich Center for Arts Education, or the Minnesota State Academies," and says: "A school must provide a minimum of eight hours of paid orientation or professional development annually to all paraprofessionals, Title I aides, and other instructional support staff." Six of the eight hours must be completed before the first instructional day of the school year or within 30 days of hire, and the training "must be relevant to the employee's occupation." For paraprofessionals who provide direct support to students, "at least 50 percent of the professional development or orientation must be dedicated to meeting the requirements of this section" (that is, section 121A.642). The paraprofessional competencies in subdivision 4 of the same section include "awareness of the primary factors that influence student behavior" and "the ability to effectively employ a variety of strategies that reinforce positive behavior." Source: Minn. Stat. § 121A.642.
- Staff who use restrictive procedures. Minnesota Statutes, section 125A.0942, subdivision 5, requires "staff who use restrictive procedures, including paraprofessionals," to complete training in areas that include positive behavioral interventions, communicative intent of behaviors, and de-escalation methods. The commissioner must develop and maintain a list of training programs that satisfy those training requirements. Our course does not teach restraint, de-escalation or crisis intervention, and it is not offered for this requirement. Source: Minn. Stat. § 125A.0942.
Where outside training fits
Minnesota Rules, part 8710.7200, says instruction and professional development activities meet renewal requirements "only if they address one or more of the standards in part 8710.2000," and that activities provided by a school may be included among the clock hours. The local continuing education/relicensure committee decides what it will verify. We do not claim that our course earns Minnesota renewal clock hours, meets the positive behavior interventions or mental illness training requirement, or counts toward the paraprofessional training hours in section 121A.642. Before relying on any outside course, ask your district's relicensure committee or the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board how it evaluates outside courses.
What our Intro to ABA Level 1 course covers
The Intro to ABA Level 1 course teaches methods and techniques of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for parents and caregivers, teachers, paraprofessionals and behavior technicians who work with a child every day. Topics include what autism is, what ABA is, pairing, errorless teaching and prompting, and active student responding. Complete the course and pass its 40-question final exam with a score of at least 80%. Completing this course earns a Special Learning certificate of completion. That certificate is not a continuing education (CE) certificate. It is basic training in ABA methods for daily practice, not a professional credential. We do not claim Minnesota state approval or continuing education credit for this course.
A paraprofessional who took it wrote: "I want to learn everything I can to help my student succeed in the public school system. I found Special Learning's ABA level 1 course so fascinating and inspiring."
Two ways to start
- For one person: try the first two sessions free for 7 days; account creation is required, with no payment information requested. The full course costs $199, paid once, with no subscription or recurring charge. Activate your license code within 90 days of purchase; the published completion window is 10 weeks after activation. You may request a later start date, no later than three months after purchase. Start the free sessions
- For your district's staff: tell us how many people need training and when, and we will send a quote; each participant who completes the course and passes its 40-question final exam with a score of at least 80% earns an individual certificate of completion. Ask for a school quote
Last reviewed: October 29, 2026.