Title 15.1 — Elementary and Secondary Education

1. a. The school district shall conduct two performance reviews of each individual employed as a teacher, a principal, or as an assistant or associate superintendent during each of the first three years an individual holds such a position. The school district shall prepare writte…

1. a. If the board of a school district elects not to renew the contract of a teacher, a principal, or an assistant or associate superintendent for the ensuing school year, the board shall provide written notification of the decision to the individual. b. The board may not notify…

1. If the board of a school district contemplates not renewing the contract of an individual employed as a teacher, a principal, or as an associate or assistant superintendent, the board shall, no earlier than March first nor later than April fifteenth: a. Provide written notific…

1. At the hearing required by section 15.1-15-05, the school district superintendent or a designee of the board shall present testimony or documentary evidence regarding the reasons for the contemplated nonrenewal of the individual's contract. 2. The board of the school district …

The board of a school district may dismiss an individual employed as a teacher, a principal, or as an assistant or associate superintendent prior to the expiration of the individual's contract for any of the following causes: 1. Immoral conduct. 2. Insubordination. 3. Conviction …

1. If the board of a school district contemplates the discharge for cause of an individual employed as a teacher, a principal, or as an assistant or associate superintendent before the expiration of the individual's contract, the board shall petition the director of the office of…

1. The board of a school district may not discharge or refuse to renew the contract of a teacher, a principal, or an assistant or associate superintendent solely because a report of suspected child abuse or neglect under section 50-25.1-05 alleges participation by the individual.…

1. The board of a school district may suspend an individual employed as a teacher, a principal, or as an assistant or associate superintendent if, by unanimous vote, the board determines that suspension is appropriate during the period in which a discharge for cause is pursued. 2…

If the board of a school district discharges for cause an individual employed as a teacher, a principal, or as an assistant or associate superintendent, the board shall report the discharge to the education standards and practices board.

This chapter does not apply to: 1. Any individual employed to teach at an institution of higher education under the control of the state board of higher education; 2. Any individual employed to teach at the youth correctional center, North Dakota vision services - school for the …

As used in this chapter: 1. "Administrator" means an individual who is employed by the board of a public school district primarily for administration of a school or schools of the district and who devotes at least fifty percent of the individual's time in any one year to the duti…

1. The education factfinding commission consists of three members experienced in educational activities. One member is appointed by the governor, one member is appointed by the superintendent of public instruction, and one member is appointed by the attorney general. The member a…

Each member of the commission is entitled to receive compensation at the rate set for a member of the legislative assembly under subsection 1 of section 54-03-20 and reimbursement for expenses, as provided by law for state officers, for attending commission meetings or performing…

Each factfinder appointed by the education factfinding commission, other than a commission member who serves as a factfinder, is entitled to receive compensation at the rate of ninety dollars per day and reimbursement for expenses, as provided by law for state officers, for atten…

The education factfinding commission may adopt rules. The commission and any factfinder appointed by the commission have, in the performance of their duties, the powers provided in sections 28-32-33, 28-32-34, and 28-32-36.

If an impasse exists under section 15.1-16-14, the contending parties shall share the cost of factfinding equally.

1. An individual employed as a teacher may form, join, and participate in the activities of a representative organization of the individual's choosing for the purpose of representation on matters of employer-employee relations. 2. An individual employed as an administrator may fo…

A representative organization has the right to represent a negotiating unit in matters of employee relations with the board of a school district. Any teacher or administrator has the right to present the individual's views directly to the board.

A representative organization's scope of representation may include matters relating to the terms and conditions of employment and employer-employee relations, including salary and working hours.

A group of teachers or a group of administrators employed by the board of a public school district may form a negotiating unit by filing with the board no later than February first of the current school year a petition providing a description of the job groupings or positions tha…

1. a. If an organization is interested in representing a group of teachers or a group of administrators, the organization may file with the board of a school district a petition asserting that the organization represents a majority of the teachers or the administrators included w…

If an individual who is employed as a teacher, and who is a member of a representative organization as defined in this chapter, signs a petition requesting that dues for the representative organization be deducted from the individual's regular paycheck, the board of the school di…

1. The board of a school district or its representatives and the representative organization or its representatives shall, if requested by either entity, meet at reasonable times and negotiate in good faith regarding: a. The terms and conditions of employment. b. Employer-employe…

1. An impasse exists if: a. After a reasonable period of negotiation, an agreement has not been formulated and a dispute exists; b. No later than July first following the recognition of the representative organization under section 15.1-16-11: (1) An agreement has not been reache…

1. If an impasse exists under section 15.1-16-14, the board of a school district and the representative organization may agree to seek mediation. The board and the representative organization shall jointly select a mediator and agree to a distribution of the mediation cost. If me…

Teachers and administrators employed by school districts may not participate in a strike. The board of a school district may withhold some or all the wages otherwise due a teacher or an administrator who elects to participate in a strike in violation of this section.

Neither the board of a school district nor any administrator employed by the district may discriminate against any individual employed as a teacher or administrator because the individual exercises rights available under this chapter.

A representative organization that enters a contract with the board of a school district retains the authority to represent the negotiating unit for the duration of the contract or until another representative organization is recognized by the board of the school district as the …

The board of a school district shall allow a teacher to: 1. Use at least ten days of sick leave each school year without a loss of compensation; and 2. Accumulate sick leave and carry over from year to year at least thirty days of accumulated unused sick leave. 15.1-16-20. North …

1. a. If, after the conclusion of a school calendar, the board of a school district has a teaching position vacant and if the board, having done all things necessary and proper, is unable to fill that position by the forty-fifth day prior to the start of the district's school cal…

The board of a school district, or any authorized subcommittee of the board, may hold an executive session under section 44-04-19.2 to discuss negotiating strategies or to provide to its representative negotiating instructions, which are applicable to anticipated or pending: 1. L…

A teacher employed by a school district or a state-supported institution that provides elementary and secondary education to its students may review documents generated and placed in the teacher's personnel file after the teacher was employed for the position. Upon receiving a wr…

A teacher employed by a school district may provide the school district superintendent with a written response to any document in the teacher's personnel file. A teacher employed by a state institution that provides elementary and secondary education to its students may provide t…

If a teacher believes that any document in the teacher's personnel file, other than a formal performance evaluation, is inappropriate or inaccurate, the teacher may request that the file be reviewed by the principal of the school or by the administrator if the school is a state i…

If a complaint is filed against a teacher or against an individual for whom the teacher is administratively responsible, and the complaint is to be placed in the teacher's personnel file, the school principal, administrator, or school district superintendent shall inform the teac…

It is a class B misdemeanor for any individual employed by a school district or a state-supported institution that provides elementary and secondary education to its students to maintain documents about a teacher unless the teacher has access to the documents, as provided in this…

The education standards and practices board shall issue an optional early childhood education teaching license or endorsement to an applicant who meets the requirements set by the board. The optional early childhood education teaching license may be used in nonparental settings s…

In order to teach prekindergarten and kindergarten, an individual must be: 1. Licensed to teach by the education standards and practices board or approved to teach by the education standards and practices board; and 2. a. Have a major in elementary education and a kindergarten en…

1. An individual who is licensed to teach by the education standards and practices board or approved to teach by the education standards and practices board may teach any grade from one through eight, provided the individual meets any requirements established in accordance with s…

Repealed by S.L. 2003, ch. 157, § 11. 15.1-18-04. Student teacher - Eminence-credentialed teacher - Legal authority and status. 1. An individual assigned as a student teacher or employed as an eminence-credentialed teacher has the same legal authority and status as a licensed tea…

Repealed by S.L. 2025, ch. 186, § 1.

Repealed by S.L. 2025, ch. 186, § 1.

Repealed by S.L. 2017, ch. 138, § 4.

Repealed by S.L. 2017, ch. 138, § 4.

Repealed by S.L. 2017, ch. 138, § 4. 15.1-18-10. Specialty areas - Teacher qualification. (Effective through July 31, 2031) Notwithstanding the requirements of this chapter: 1. An individual may teach art, business education, computer education, a foreign language, music, physica…

The education standards and practices board may extend the effective dates for any provision in this chapter if the United States secretary of education by rule, policy, or guidance authorizes such extension.

Notwithstanding contrary provisions of this chapter regarding licensure qualifications, section 43-51-11.1, regarding licensure of a military spouse, applies to an applicant's qualifications for licensure.

Personnel in a public school district, a nonpublic school, a preschool program, and a child care facility shall use a student's legal surname for registration, for the maintenance of all records regarding the student, and in all communications requiring the use of a surname.

1. A school district employee may not inflict, cause to be inflicted, or threaten to inflict corporal punishment on a student. 2. This section does not prohibit a school district employee from using the degree of force necessary: a. To quell a physical disturbance that threatens …

Repealed by S.L. 2001, ch. 187, § 2.