Bill Text: MN SF143 | 2011-2012 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: High school assessments for college and career readiness determination establishment; assessment advisory committee recommendations for alternative means of graduation for students requirement
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-01-27 - Referred to Education [SF143 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2011-SF143-Introduced.html
1.2relating to education; establishing high school assessments to determine college
1.3and career readiness; requiring reports;amending Minnesota Statutes 2010,
1.4section 120B.30, subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 120B.30, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.7 Subdivision 1. Statewide testing. (a) The commissioner, with advice from experts
1.8with appropriate technical qualifications and experience and stakeholders, consistent with
1.9subdivision 1a, shall include in the comprehensive assessment system, for each grade
1.10level to be tested, state-constructed tests developed from and aligned with the state's
1.11required academic standards under section120B.021 , include multiple choice questions,
1.12and be administered annually to all students in grades 3 through 8. State-developed high
1.13school tests aligned with the state's required academic standards under section120B.021
1.14and administered to all high school students in a subject other than writing must include
1.15multiple choice questions. The commissioner shall establish one or more months during
1.16which schools shall administer the tests to students each school year. For students enrolled
1.17in grade 8 before the 2005-2006 school year, Minnesota basic skills tests in reading,
1.18mathematics, and writing shall fulfill students' basic skills testing requirements for a
1.19passing state notation. The passing scores of basic skills tests in reading and mathematics
1.20are the equivalent of 75 percent correct for students entering grade 9 based on the first
1.21uniform test administered in February 1998. Students who have not successfully passed
1.22a Minnesota basic skills test by the end of the 2011-2012 school year must pass the
1.23graduation-required assessments for diploma under paragraph (c).
2.1(b) The state assessment system must be aligned to the most recent revision of
2.2academic standards as described in section120B.023 in the following manner:
2.3(1) mathematics;
2.4(i) grades 3 through 8 beginning in the 2010-2011 school year; and
2.5(ii) high school level beginning in the2013-2014 2015-2016 school year;
2.6(2) science; grades 5 and 8 and at the high school level beginning in the 2011-2012
2.7school year; and
2.8(3) language arts and reading; grades 3 through 8 and high school level beginning in
2.9the 2012-2013 school year.
2.10 (c) For students enrolled in grade 8 in the 2005-2006 school year and later, only the
2.11following options shall fulfill students' state graduation test requirements:
2.12 (1) for reading and mathematics:
2.13 (i) obtaining an achievement level equivalent to or greater than proficient as
2.14determined through a standard setting process on the Minnesota comprehensive
2.15assessments in grade 10 for reading and grade 11 for mathematics or achieving a passing
2.16score as determined through a standard setting process on the graduation-required
2.17assessment for diploma in grade 10 for reading and grade 11 for mathematics or
2.18subsequent retests;
2.19 (ii) achieving a passing score as determined through a standard setting process on the
2.20state-identified language proficiency test in reading and the mathematics test for English
2.21language learners or the graduation-required assessment for diploma equivalent of those
2.22assessments for students designated as English language learners;
2.23 (iii) achieving an individual passing score on the graduation-required assessment
2.24for diploma as determined by appropriate state guidelines for students with an individual
2.25education plan or 504 plan;
2.26 (iv) obtaining achievement level equivalent to or greater than proficient as
2.27determined through a standard setting process on the state-identified alternate assessment
2.28or assessments in grade 10 for reading and grade 11 for mathematics for students with
2.29an individual education plan; or
2.30 (v) achieving an individual passing score on the state-identified alternate assessment
2.31or assessments as determined by appropriate state guidelines for students with an
2.32individual education plan; and
2.33 (2) for writing:
2.34 (i) achieving a passing score on the graduation-required assessment for diploma;
3.1 (ii) achieving a passing score as determined through a standard setting process on
3.2the state-identified language proficiency test in writing for students designated as English
3.3language learners;
3.4 (iii) achieving an individual passing score on the graduation-required assessment
3.5for diploma as determined by appropriate state guidelines for students with an individual
3.6education plan or 504 plan; or
3.7 (iv) achieving an individual passing score on the state-identified alternate assessment
3.8or assessments as determined by appropriate state guidelines for students with an
3.9individual education plan.
3.10 (d) Students enrolled in grade 8 in any school year from the 2005-2006 school
3.11year to the 2009-2010 school year who do not pass the mathematics graduation-required
3.12assessment for diploma under paragraph (c) are eligible to receive a high school diploma
3.13if they:
3.14(1) complete with a passing score or grade all state and local coursework and credits
3.15required for graduation by the school board granting the students their diploma;
3.16(2) participate in district-prescribed academic remediation in mathematics; and
3.17 (3) fully participate in at least two retests of the mathematics GRAD test or until
3.18they pass the mathematics GRAD test, whichever comes first. A school, district, or
3.19charter school must place a student's highest assessment score for each of the following
3.20assessments on the student's high school transcript: the mathematics Minnesota
3.21Comprehensive Assessment, reading Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, and writing
3.22Graduation-Required Assessment for Diploma, and when applicable, the mathematics
3.23Graduation-Required Assessment for Diploma and reading Graduation-Required
3.24Assessment for Diploma.
3.25In addition, the school board granting the students their diplomas may formally
3.26decide to include a notation of high achievement on the high school diplomas of those
3.27graduating seniors who, according to established school board criteria, demonstrate
3.28exemplary academic achievement during high school.
3.29(e) The 3rd through 8th grade and high school test results shall be available to
3.30districts for diagnostic purposes affecting student learning and district instruction and
3.31curriculum, and for establishing educational accountability. The commissioner must
3.32disseminate to the public the high school test results upon receiving those results.
3.33 (f) The 3rd through 8th grade and high school tests must be aligned with state
3.34academic standards. The commissioner shall determine the testing process and the order
3.35of administration. The statewide results shall be aggregated at the site and district level,
3.36consistent with subdivision 1a.
4.1 (g) In addition to the testing and reporting requirements under this section, the
4.2commissioner shall include the following components in the statewide public reporting
4.3system:
4.4 (1) uniform statewide testing of all students in grades 3 through 8 and at the high
4.5school level that provides appropriate, technically sound accommodations or alternate
4.6assessments;
4.7 (2) educational indicators that can be aggregated and compared across school
4.8districts and across time on a statewide basis, including average daily attendance, high
4.9school graduation rates, and high school drop-out rates by age and grade level;
4.10 (3) state results on the American College Test; and
4.11 (4) state results from participation in the National Assessment of Educational
4.12Progress so that the state can benchmark its performance against the nation and other
4.13states, and, where possible, against other countries, and contribute to the national effort
4.14to monitor achievement.
4.15 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 120B.30, is amended by adding a subdivision
4.16to read:
4.17 Subd. 1b. High school assessments. (a) Notwithstanding any other law to the
4.18contrary, the commissioner shall establish a system of high school assessments for students
4.19entering grade 8 in the 2011-2012 school year and later that provides information on the
4.20college and career readiness of Minnesota students and fulfills federal accountability
4.21requirements, consistent with this subdivision and related rules. For purposes of this
4.22subdivision, "college and career readiness" means the knowledge and skills that a high
4.23school graduate needs to undertake either credit-bearing coursework at a two-year or
4.24four-year college or university or career-track employment that pays a living wage,
4.25provides employment benefits, and offers clear pathways for advancement through further
4.26education and training.
4.27(b) The commissioner shall establish and administer a high school reading and
4.28writing exam at the end of grade 10. The reading and writing exam must conform with
4.29the following:
4.30(1) align with the most recently revised academic content standards under section
4.31120B.023, subdivision 2;
4.32(2) produce independent scores for each content area;
4.33(3) include both multiple-choice and open-ended items on the reading portion of the
4.34exam to assess skills defined in the state's academic content standards;
5.1(4) be designed for computer administration and scoring so that, beginning the
5.2second year a computerized test is administered and as soon as practicable during the
5.3first year a computerized test is administered, the exam results of students who take
5.4computerized tests are available to the school or district within three full school days after
5.5the exam is administered, among other design characteristics;
5.6(5) allow for remediation and frequent computer retests of the reading and writing
5.7portions of the exam;
5.8(6) use achievement level descriptors in reading and writing that define a student's
5.9readiness for college or a career;
5.10(7) require all general education students, as a condition of graduating, to achieve
5.11passing scores in reading and writing established through a professionally recognized
5.12methodology, consistent with this paragraph;
5.13(8) require general education students to participate in a locally developed
5.14remediation plan if they do not achieve a passing score after two retest opportunities;
5.15(9) provide a state-level student appeals process that accommodates alternative
5.16measures to demonstrate students' college and career readiness and is available only to
5.17those limited number of students in the second semester of their senior year who are unable
5.18to demonstrate reading or writing proficiency on the assessment but can demonstrate
5.19equivalent levels of knowledge and skill based on the alternative measures; and
5.20(10) allow an eligible student to meet this exam requirement through an alternative
5.21method:
5.22(i) for high school students who transfer into Minnesota from another state where
5.23the high school reading and writing course and graduation requirements are of equal
5.24or greater rigor, meet that state's federal accountability exams requirements in reading
5.25or writing, as applicable;
5.26(ii) allow a student who has an active individualized education program to achieve a
5.27passing status at an individual level as prescribed by the commissioner;
5.28(iii) waive the required exam for a high school student who is an English language
5.29learner under section 124D.59 and who has been enrolled for four or fewer school years in
5.30a school in which English is the primary language of instruction; or
5.31(iv) other alternative methods recommended by the Assessment Advisory
5.32Committee, if subsequently specifically authorized by law to allow other alternative
5.33methods.
5.34All general education students must receive a passing score in both reading and
5.35writing to graduate, consistent with paragraph (e). A score below "passing" means that
5.36there is a high likelihood that the student does not have the reading and writing skills
6.1needed to succeed in postsecondary education or the workplace. The commissioner must
6.2establish the passing score based on the recommendations of both kindergarten through
6.3grade 12 and postsecondary educators with relevant language arts expertise and employers
6.4and other community leaders who understand the knowledge and skills that individuals
6.5need for work and citizenship, and an established statistical relationship between two
6.6consecutive years of students' exam results and other indicators of college and career
6.7readiness that the commissioner develops in consultation with the Assessment Advisory
6.8Committee under section 120B.365.
6.9(c) The commissioner shall establish statewide end-of-course exams in subjects
6.10equivalent to high school algebra and biology. These exams must conform with the
6.11following:
6.12(1) align with the most recently revised academic content standards under section
6.13120B.023, subdivision 2;
6.14(2) include both multiple-choice and open-ended items that assess the appropriate
6.15algebra and biology knowledge and skills contained in the state's academic content
6.16standards;
6.17(3) be designed for computer administration and scoring so that, beginning the
6.18second year a computerized test is administered and as soon as practicable during the
6.19first year a computerized test is administered, the exam results of students who take
6.20computerized tests are available to the school or district within three full school days after
6.21the exam is administered, among other design characteristics;
6.22(4) be administered at regular intervals that align with the most common high school
6.23schedules in Minnesota;
6.24(5) generate achievement levels established through a professionally recognized
6.25methodology;
6.26(6) use achievement level descriptors that define a student's college and career
6.27readiness;
6.28(7) comprise 25 percent of the student's overall course grade in the corresponding
6.29course, except a school that is identified as highly misaligned under clause (11) for
6.30two consecutive school years or more shall make the exam results a component of and
6.31equivalent to 50 percent of the student's overall course grade in algebra or biology,
6.32as applicable;
6.33(8) require a student who does not pass a high school algebra or biology course to (i)
6.34retake the course or complete a district-authorized credit recovery class, (ii) opt, at the
6.35student's election, to retake the end-of-course assessment within a regularly scheduled
6.36administration window, and (iii) have the student select the exam score on the initial test
7.1or the retest to count as the equivalent of 25 percent of the student's overall course grade,
7.2or the equivalent of 50 percent if the school has been identified as highly misaligned for
7.3two consecutive school years or more, consistent with clause (7);
7.4(9) allow an eligible student to meet this requirement through an alternative method
7.5that demonstrates the student's college and career readiness:
7.6(i) for high school students who transfer into Minnesota from another state where
7.7the algebra or biology course content, as applicable, is of equal or greater rigor, pass that
7.8state's high school course and graduation requirements in algebra or biology, as applicable;
7.9(ii) allow a student who has an active individualized education program to achieve a
7.10passing status at an individual level as prescribed by the commissioner;
7.11(iii) waive the required exam for a high school student who is an English language
7.12learner under section 124D.59 and who has been enrolled for four or fewer years in a
7.13school in which English is the primary language of instruction; or
7.14(iv) other alternative methods recommended by the Assessment Advisory
7.15Committee, if subsequently specifically authorized by law to allow other alternative
7.16methods;
7.17(10) use three consecutive school years of research and analysis through the
7.182015-2016 school year, as prescribed by the commissioner, to calculate and report
7.19an alignment index that compares students' final grades in these courses with their
7.20end-of-course exam scores;
7.21(11) subsequent to calculating and reporting the alignment index under clause (10),
7.22require schools that are highly misaligned for two or more consecutive school years to
7.23transmit written notice of the misalignment to all parents of students enrolled in the school,
7.24as prescribed by the commissioner; and
7.25(12) when schools are highly misaligned for two or more consecutive years under
7.26clause (11), use school district funds under section 122A.60, subdivision 1a, paragraph
7.27(a), to correct the misalignment.
7.28A highly misaligned school that must count a student's algebra or biology exam
7.29score, as applicable, as the equivalent of 50 percent of the student's overall course grade
7.30under clause (7) or (8) may again count a student's exam score as the equivalent of 25
7.31percent of the student's overall course grade when the school is not identified as highly
7.32misaligned in two subsequent consecutive school years.
7.33(d) The requirements of this subdivision apply to students in public schools,
7.34including charter schools, who enter grade 8 in the 2011-2012 school year or later. The
7.35commissioner may establish a transition period where students who enter grade 8 in
7.36the 2011-2012 or 2012-2013 school year graduate either under the graduation-required
8.1assessment for diploma requirements under section 120B.30, subdivision 1, or through a
8.2staggered implementation of this subdivision. During the transition period, the proficiency
8.3of any federal or state-required interim passing score in reading or writing must be
8.4comparable in rigor to the passing scores currently required for reading and writing under
8.5the graduation-required assessment for diploma. The commissioner may seek authority
8.6from the legislature to adjust the timeline under this paragraph if circumstances such as
8.7changes in federal law governing educational accountability and assessment warrant
8.8such an adjustment.
8.9(e) To fully implement this subdivision and enable school districts to provide
8.10intervention and support to struggling students and improve instruction for all students,
8.11the commissioner must provide districts with:
8.12(i) benchmark assessments that are aligned with the high school reading and writing
8.13assessment and algebra and biology end-of-course exams; and
8.14(ii) an item bank available to teachers for creating formative assessments to help
8.15students prepare for the high school reading and writing assessment and algebra and
8.16biology end-of-course exams. The benchmark assessments must be available to districts
8.17for at least two full school years before students are required to achieve a passing score on
8.18the reading and writing exam to graduate from high school.
8.19(f) The commissioner shall expand the membership and purpose of the Assessment
8.20Advisory Committee established under section 120B.365 to include assessment experts
8.21and practitioners from both secondary and postsecondary education systems and other
8.22appropriate stakeholders to monitor the implementation of and student outcomes based on
8.23the end-of-course exams and policies and the state support available to districts, including
8.24small or rural districts, under this subdivision. This committee shall report annually by
8.25February 15 to the commissioner and the legislature on the implementation of and student
8.26outcomes based on the exams and policies under this subdivision. Notwithstanding
8.27section 15.059, subdivision 3, committee members shall not receive compensation, per
8.28diem payments, or reimbursement for expenses.
8.29(g) Using a solicitation process that includes a request for proposal process and
8.30multiple responses, the commissioner shall contract for at least two independent studies
8.31at two-year intervals to evaluate: (1) the implementation of the requirements and (2) the
8.32availability and efficacy of resources to support and improve student outcomes based on
8.33student achievement data under this subdivision. The commissioner must submit the
8.34results of the first study to the education policy and finance committees of the legislature
8.35by February 15, 2016. The commissioner must submit the results of the second study
8.36to the legislature by February 15, 2018.
9.1(h) The commissioner must not begin to develop additional statewide end-of-course
9.2exams in geometry, chemistry, or physics until specifically authorized in law to do so.
9.3(i) A district or charter school must indicate on a student's transcript the student's
9.4level of college and career readiness in reading, writing, algebra, and biology under this
9.5subdivision after the levels have been established through a professionally recognized
9.6methodology.
9.7EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
9.8 Sec. 3. ASSESSMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE; RECOMMENDATIONS.
9.9(a) The Assessment Advisory Committee under Minnesota Statutes, section
9.10120B.365, must develop recommendations for alternative methods by which students meet
9.11the reading and writing exam requirement under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30,
9.12subdivision 1b, paragraph (b), clause (10). The Assessment Advisory Committee, among
9.13other alternative methods and if consistent with federal educational accountability law,
9.14must consider allowing students to:
9.15(1) achieve a college-credit score on a college-level examination program (CLEP)
9.16for reading and writing; or
9.17(2) achieve a college readiness score in the relevant subject area on the American
9.18college test (ACT) or scholastic aptitude test (SAT) exam.
9.19(b) The Assessment Advisory Committee must develop recommendations for
9.20alternative methods by which students satisfy the high school algebra and biology
9.21requirements under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30, subdivision 1b, paragraph (c),
9.22clause (9), and demonstrate their college and career readiness. The Assessment Advisory
9.23Committee, among other alternative methods and if consistent with federal educational
9.24accountability law, must consider allowing students to:
9.25(1) achieve the mathematics or science college readiness score on the American
9.26college test (ACT) or scholastic aptitude test (SAT) exam;
9.27(2) achieve a college-credit score on a college-level examination program (CLEP)
9.28for algebra or biology;
9.29(3) achieve a score on an equivalent advanced placement or international
9.30baccalaureate exam that would earn credit at a four-year college or university; or
9.31(4) pass a credit-bearing course in college algebra or college biology or a more
9.32advanced course in either subject with a grade of C or better under Minnesota Statutes,
9.33section 124D.09, including Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09, subdivision 10.
9.34(c) The Assessment Advisory Committee, in the context of the high school
9.35assessments under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30, subdivision 1b, may develop
10.1recommendations on integrating universal design principles to improve access to learning
10.2and assessments for all students, more accurately understand what students know and can
10.3do, provide Minnesota with more cost-effective assessments, and provide educators with
10.4more valid inferences about students' achievement levels.
10.5(d) The Assessment Advisory Committee, for purposes of fully implementing the
10.6high school assessment system under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30, subdivision
10.71b, also must develop recommendations for:
10.8(1) the administrative structure, criteria, and processes for implementing the
10.9state-level student appeals process;
10.10(2) calculating the alignment index, including how questions about validity and
10.11reliability are resolved; and
10.12(3) defining "misaligned" and "highly misaligned" and when and under what specific
10.13circumstances misalignments occur.
10.14(e) By February 15, 2012, the Assessment Advisory Committee must submit its
10.15recommendations under this section to the education commissioner and the education
10.16policy and finance committees of the legislature.
10.17(f) The commissioner must not implement any element of any recommendation
10.18under paragraphs (a) to (e) related to the high school assessment system under Minnesota
10.19Statutes, section 120B.30, subdivision 1b, without first receiving specific legislative
10.20authority to do so.
10.21EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
1.3and career readiness; requiring reports;amending Minnesota Statutes 2010,
1.4section 120B.30, subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 120B.30, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.7 Subdivision 1. Statewide testing. (a) The commissioner, with advice from experts
1.8with appropriate technical qualifications and experience and stakeholders, consistent with
1.9subdivision 1a, shall include in the comprehensive assessment system, for each grade
1.10level to be tested, state-constructed tests developed from and aligned with the state's
1.11required academic standards under section
1.12and be administered annually to all students in grades 3 through 8. State-developed high
1.13school tests aligned with the state's required academic standards under section
1.15multiple choice questions. The commissioner shall establish one or more months during
1.16which schools shall administer the tests to students each school year. For students enrolled
1.17in grade 8 before the 2005-2006 school year, Minnesota basic skills tests in reading,
1.18mathematics, and writing shall fulfill students' basic skills testing requirements for a
1.19passing state notation. The passing scores of basic skills tests in reading and mathematics
1.20are the equivalent of 75 percent correct for students entering grade 9 based on the first
1.21uniform test administered in February 1998. Students who have not successfully passed
1.22a Minnesota basic skills test by the end of the 2011-2012 school year must pass the
1.23graduation-required assessments for diploma under paragraph (c).
2.1(b) The state assessment system must be aligned to the most recent revision of
2.2academic standards as described in section
2.3(1) mathematics;
2.4(i) grades 3 through 8 beginning in the 2010-2011 school year; and
2.5(ii) high school level beginning in the
2.6(2) science; grades 5 and 8 and at the high school level beginning in the 2011-2012
2.7school year; and
2.8(3) language arts and reading; grades 3 through 8 and high school level beginning in
2.9the 2012-2013 school year.
2.10 (c) For students enrolled in grade 8 in the 2005-2006 school year and later, only the
2.11following options shall fulfill students' state graduation test requirements:
2.12 (1) for reading and mathematics:
2.13 (i) obtaining an achievement level equivalent to or greater than proficient as
2.14determined through a standard setting process on the Minnesota comprehensive
2.15assessments in grade 10 for reading and grade 11 for mathematics or achieving a passing
2.16score as determined through a standard setting process on the graduation-required
2.17assessment for diploma in grade 10 for reading and grade 11 for mathematics or
2.18subsequent retests;
2.19 (ii) achieving a passing score as determined through a standard setting process on the
2.20state-identified language proficiency test in reading and the mathematics test for English
2.21language learners or the graduation-required assessment for diploma equivalent of those
2.22assessments for students designated as English language learners;
2.23 (iii) achieving an individual passing score on the graduation-required assessment
2.24for diploma as determined by appropriate state guidelines for students with an individual
2.25education plan or 504 plan;
2.26 (iv) obtaining achievement level equivalent to or greater than proficient as
2.27determined through a standard setting process on the state-identified alternate assessment
2.28or assessments in grade 10 for reading and grade 11 for mathematics for students with
2.29an individual education plan; or
2.30 (v) achieving an individual passing score on the state-identified alternate assessment
2.31or assessments as determined by appropriate state guidelines for students with an
2.32individual education plan; and
2.33 (2) for writing:
2.34 (i) achieving a passing score on the graduation-required assessment for diploma;
3.1 (ii) achieving a passing score as determined through a standard setting process on
3.2the state-identified language proficiency test in writing for students designated as English
3.3language learners;
3.4 (iii) achieving an individual passing score on the graduation-required assessment
3.5for diploma as determined by appropriate state guidelines for students with an individual
3.6education plan or 504 plan; or
3.7 (iv) achieving an individual passing score on the state-identified alternate assessment
3.8or assessments as determined by appropriate state guidelines for students with an
3.9individual education plan.
3.10 (d) Students enrolled in grade 8 in any school year from the 2005-2006 school
3.11year to the 2009-2010 school year who do not pass the mathematics graduation-required
3.12assessment for diploma under paragraph (c) are eligible to receive a high school diploma
3.13if they:
3.14(1) complete with a passing score or grade all state and local coursework and credits
3.15required for graduation by the school board granting the students their diploma;
3.16(2) participate in district-prescribed academic remediation in mathematics; and
3.17 (3) fully participate in at least two retests of the mathematics GRAD test or until
3.18they pass the mathematics GRAD test, whichever comes first. A school, district, or
3.19charter school must place a student's highest assessment score for each of the following
3.20assessments on the student's high school transcript: the mathematics Minnesota
3.21Comprehensive Assessment, reading Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, and writing
3.22Graduation-Required Assessment for Diploma, and when applicable, the mathematics
3.23Graduation-Required Assessment for Diploma and reading Graduation-Required
3.24Assessment for Diploma.
3.25In addition, the school board granting the students their diplomas may formally
3.26decide to include a notation of high achievement on the high school diplomas of those
3.27graduating seniors who, according to established school board criteria, demonstrate
3.28exemplary academic achievement during high school.
3.29(e) The 3rd through 8th grade and high school test results shall be available to
3.30districts for diagnostic purposes affecting student learning and district instruction and
3.31curriculum, and for establishing educational accountability. The commissioner must
3.32disseminate to the public the high school test results upon receiving those results.
3.33 (f) The 3rd through 8th grade and high school tests must be aligned with state
3.34academic standards. The commissioner shall determine the testing process and the order
3.35of administration. The statewide results shall be aggregated at the site and district level,
3.36consistent with subdivision 1a.
4.1 (g) In addition to the testing and reporting requirements under this section, the
4.2commissioner shall include the following components in the statewide public reporting
4.3system:
4.4 (1) uniform statewide testing of all students in grades 3 through 8 and at the high
4.5school level that provides appropriate, technically sound accommodations or alternate
4.6assessments;
4.7 (2) educational indicators that can be aggregated and compared across school
4.8districts and across time on a statewide basis, including average daily attendance, high
4.9school graduation rates, and high school drop-out rates by age and grade level;
4.10 (3) state results on the American College Test; and
4.11 (4) state results from participation in the National Assessment of Educational
4.12Progress so that the state can benchmark its performance against the nation and other
4.13states, and, where possible, against other countries, and contribute to the national effort
4.14to monitor achievement.
4.15 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 120B.30, is amended by adding a subdivision
4.16to read:
4.17 Subd. 1b. High school assessments. (a) Notwithstanding any other law to the
4.18contrary, the commissioner shall establish a system of high school assessments for students
4.19entering grade 8 in the 2011-2012 school year and later that provides information on the
4.20college and career readiness of Minnesota students and fulfills federal accountability
4.21requirements, consistent with this subdivision and related rules. For purposes of this
4.22subdivision, "college and career readiness" means the knowledge and skills that a high
4.23school graduate needs to undertake either credit-bearing coursework at a two-year or
4.24four-year college or university or career-track employment that pays a living wage,
4.25provides employment benefits, and offers clear pathways for advancement through further
4.26education and training.
4.27(b) The commissioner shall establish and administer a high school reading and
4.28writing exam at the end of grade 10. The reading and writing exam must conform with
4.29the following:
4.30(1) align with the most recently revised academic content standards under section
4.31120B.023, subdivision 2;
4.32(2) produce independent scores for each content area;
4.33(3) include both multiple-choice and open-ended items on the reading portion of the
4.34exam to assess skills defined in the state's academic content standards;
5.1(4) be designed for computer administration and scoring so that, beginning the
5.2second year a computerized test is administered and as soon as practicable during the
5.3first year a computerized test is administered, the exam results of students who take
5.4computerized tests are available to the school or district within three full school days after
5.5the exam is administered, among other design characteristics;
5.6(5) allow for remediation and frequent computer retests of the reading and writing
5.7portions of the exam;
5.8(6) use achievement level descriptors in reading and writing that define a student's
5.9readiness for college or a career;
5.10(7) require all general education students, as a condition of graduating, to achieve
5.11passing scores in reading and writing established through a professionally recognized
5.12methodology, consistent with this paragraph;
5.13(8) require general education students to participate in a locally developed
5.14remediation plan if they do not achieve a passing score after two retest opportunities;
5.15(9) provide a state-level student appeals process that accommodates alternative
5.16measures to demonstrate students' college and career readiness and is available only to
5.17those limited number of students in the second semester of their senior year who are unable
5.18to demonstrate reading or writing proficiency on the assessment but can demonstrate
5.19equivalent levels of knowledge and skill based on the alternative measures; and
5.20(10) allow an eligible student to meet this exam requirement through an alternative
5.21method:
5.22(i) for high school students who transfer into Minnesota from another state where
5.23the high school reading and writing course and graduation requirements are of equal
5.24or greater rigor, meet that state's federal accountability exams requirements in reading
5.25or writing, as applicable;
5.26(ii) allow a student who has an active individualized education program to achieve a
5.27passing status at an individual level as prescribed by the commissioner;
5.28(iii) waive the required exam for a high school student who is an English language
5.29learner under section 124D.59 and who has been enrolled for four or fewer school years in
5.30a school in which English is the primary language of instruction; or
5.31(iv) other alternative methods recommended by the Assessment Advisory
5.32Committee, if subsequently specifically authorized by law to allow other alternative
5.33methods.
5.34All general education students must receive a passing score in both reading and
5.35writing to graduate, consistent with paragraph (e). A score below "passing" means that
5.36there is a high likelihood that the student does not have the reading and writing skills
6.1needed to succeed in postsecondary education or the workplace. The commissioner must
6.2establish the passing score based on the recommendations of both kindergarten through
6.3grade 12 and postsecondary educators with relevant language arts expertise and employers
6.4and other community leaders who understand the knowledge and skills that individuals
6.5need for work and citizenship, and an established statistical relationship between two
6.6consecutive years of students' exam results and other indicators of college and career
6.7readiness that the commissioner develops in consultation with the Assessment Advisory
6.8Committee under section 120B.365.
6.9(c) The commissioner shall establish statewide end-of-course exams in subjects
6.10equivalent to high school algebra and biology. These exams must conform with the
6.11following:
6.12(1) align with the most recently revised academic content standards under section
6.13120B.023, subdivision 2;
6.14(2) include both multiple-choice and open-ended items that assess the appropriate
6.15algebra and biology knowledge and skills contained in the state's academic content
6.16standards;
6.17(3) be designed for computer administration and scoring so that, beginning the
6.18second year a computerized test is administered and as soon as practicable during the
6.19first year a computerized test is administered, the exam results of students who take
6.20computerized tests are available to the school or district within three full school days after
6.21the exam is administered, among other design characteristics;
6.22(4) be administered at regular intervals that align with the most common high school
6.23schedules in Minnesota;
6.24(5) generate achievement levels established through a professionally recognized
6.25methodology;
6.26(6) use achievement level descriptors that define a student's college and career
6.27readiness;
6.28(7) comprise 25 percent of the student's overall course grade in the corresponding
6.29course, except a school that is identified as highly misaligned under clause (11) for
6.30two consecutive school years or more shall make the exam results a component of and
6.31equivalent to 50 percent of the student's overall course grade in algebra or biology,
6.32as applicable;
6.33(8) require a student who does not pass a high school algebra or biology course to (i)
6.34retake the course or complete a district-authorized credit recovery class, (ii) opt, at the
6.35student's election, to retake the end-of-course assessment within a regularly scheduled
6.36administration window, and (iii) have the student select the exam score on the initial test
7.1or the retest to count as the equivalent of 25 percent of the student's overall course grade,
7.2or the equivalent of 50 percent if the school has been identified as highly misaligned for
7.3two consecutive school years or more, consistent with clause (7);
7.4(9) allow an eligible student to meet this requirement through an alternative method
7.5that demonstrates the student's college and career readiness:
7.6(i) for high school students who transfer into Minnesota from another state where
7.7the algebra or biology course content, as applicable, is of equal or greater rigor, pass that
7.8state's high school course and graduation requirements in algebra or biology, as applicable;
7.9(ii) allow a student who has an active individualized education program to achieve a
7.10passing status at an individual level as prescribed by the commissioner;
7.11(iii) waive the required exam for a high school student who is an English language
7.12learner under section 124D.59 and who has been enrolled for four or fewer years in a
7.13school in which English is the primary language of instruction; or
7.14(iv) other alternative methods recommended by the Assessment Advisory
7.15Committee, if subsequently specifically authorized by law to allow other alternative
7.16methods;
7.17(10) use three consecutive school years of research and analysis through the
7.182015-2016 school year, as prescribed by the commissioner, to calculate and report
7.19an alignment index that compares students' final grades in these courses with their
7.20end-of-course exam scores;
7.21(11) subsequent to calculating and reporting the alignment index under clause (10),
7.22require schools that are highly misaligned for two or more consecutive school years to
7.23transmit written notice of the misalignment to all parents of students enrolled in the school,
7.24as prescribed by the commissioner; and
7.25(12) when schools are highly misaligned for two or more consecutive years under
7.26clause (11), use school district funds under section 122A.60, subdivision 1a, paragraph
7.27(a), to correct the misalignment.
7.28A highly misaligned school that must count a student's algebra or biology exam
7.29score, as applicable, as the equivalent of 50 percent of the student's overall course grade
7.30under clause (7) or (8) may again count a student's exam score as the equivalent of 25
7.31percent of the student's overall course grade when the school is not identified as highly
7.32misaligned in two subsequent consecutive school years.
7.33(d) The requirements of this subdivision apply to students in public schools,
7.34including charter schools, who enter grade 8 in the 2011-2012 school year or later. The
7.35commissioner may establish a transition period where students who enter grade 8 in
7.36the 2011-2012 or 2012-2013 school year graduate either under the graduation-required
8.1assessment for diploma requirements under section 120B.30, subdivision 1, or through a
8.2staggered implementation of this subdivision. During the transition period, the proficiency
8.3of any federal or state-required interim passing score in reading or writing must be
8.4comparable in rigor to the passing scores currently required for reading and writing under
8.5the graduation-required assessment for diploma. The commissioner may seek authority
8.6from the legislature to adjust the timeline under this paragraph if circumstances such as
8.7changes in federal law governing educational accountability and assessment warrant
8.8such an adjustment.
8.9(e) To fully implement this subdivision and enable school districts to provide
8.10intervention and support to struggling students and improve instruction for all students,
8.11the commissioner must provide districts with:
8.12(i) benchmark assessments that are aligned with the high school reading and writing
8.13assessment and algebra and biology end-of-course exams; and
8.14(ii) an item bank available to teachers for creating formative assessments to help
8.15students prepare for the high school reading and writing assessment and algebra and
8.16biology end-of-course exams. The benchmark assessments must be available to districts
8.17for at least two full school years before students are required to achieve a passing score on
8.18the reading and writing exam to graduate from high school.
8.19(f) The commissioner shall expand the membership and purpose of the Assessment
8.20Advisory Committee established under section 120B.365 to include assessment experts
8.21and practitioners from both secondary and postsecondary education systems and other
8.22appropriate stakeholders to monitor the implementation of and student outcomes based on
8.23the end-of-course exams and policies and the state support available to districts, including
8.24small or rural districts, under this subdivision. This committee shall report annually by
8.25February 15 to the commissioner and the legislature on the implementation of and student
8.26outcomes based on the exams and policies under this subdivision. Notwithstanding
8.27section 15.059, subdivision 3, committee members shall not receive compensation, per
8.28diem payments, or reimbursement for expenses.
8.29(g) Using a solicitation process that includes a request for proposal process and
8.30multiple responses, the commissioner shall contract for at least two independent studies
8.31at two-year intervals to evaluate: (1) the implementation of the requirements and (2) the
8.32availability and efficacy of resources to support and improve student outcomes based on
8.33student achievement data under this subdivision. The commissioner must submit the
8.34results of the first study to the education policy and finance committees of the legislature
8.35by February 15, 2016. The commissioner must submit the results of the second study
8.36to the legislature by February 15, 2018.
9.1(h) The commissioner must not begin to develop additional statewide end-of-course
9.2exams in geometry, chemistry, or physics until specifically authorized in law to do so.
9.3(i) A district or charter school must indicate on a student's transcript the student's
9.4level of college and career readiness in reading, writing, algebra, and biology under this
9.5subdivision after the levels have been established through a professionally recognized
9.6methodology.
9.7EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
9.8 Sec. 3. ASSESSMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE; RECOMMENDATIONS.
9.9(a) The Assessment Advisory Committee under Minnesota Statutes, section
9.10120B.365, must develop recommendations for alternative methods by which students meet
9.11the reading and writing exam requirement under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30,
9.12subdivision 1b, paragraph (b), clause (10). The Assessment Advisory Committee, among
9.13other alternative methods and if consistent with federal educational accountability law,
9.14must consider allowing students to:
9.15(1) achieve a college-credit score on a college-level examination program (CLEP)
9.16for reading and writing; or
9.17(2) achieve a college readiness score in the relevant subject area on the American
9.18college test (ACT) or scholastic aptitude test (SAT) exam.
9.19(b) The Assessment Advisory Committee must develop recommendations for
9.20alternative methods by which students satisfy the high school algebra and biology
9.21requirements under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30, subdivision 1b, paragraph (c),
9.22clause (9), and demonstrate their college and career readiness. The Assessment Advisory
9.23Committee, among other alternative methods and if consistent with federal educational
9.24accountability law, must consider allowing students to:
9.25(1) achieve the mathematics or science college readiness score on the American
9.26college test (ACT) or scholastic aptitude test (SAT) exam;
9.27(2) achieve a college-credit score on a college-level examination program (CLEP)
9.28for algebra or biology;
9.29(3) achieve a score on an equivalent advanced placement or international
9.30baccalaureate exam that would earn credit at a four-year college or university; or
9.31(4) pass a credit-bearing course in college algebra or college biology or a more
9.32advanced course in either subject with a grade of C or better under Minnesota Statutes,
9.33section 124D.09, including Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09, subdivision 10.
9.34(c) The Assessment Advisory Committee, in the context of the high school
9.35assessments under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30, subdivision 1b, may develop
10.1recommendations on integrating universal design principles to improve access to learning
10.2and assessments for all students, more accurately understand what students know and can
10.3do, provide Minnesota with more cost-effective assessments, and provide educators with
10.4more valid inferences about students' achievement levels.
10.5(d) The Assessment Advisory Committee, for purposes of fully implementing the
10.6high school assessment system under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30, subdivision
10.71b, also must develop recommendations for:
10.8(1) the administrative structure, criteria, and processes for implementing the
10.9state-level student appeals process;
10.10(2) calculating the alignment index, including how questions about validity and
10.11reliability are resolved; and
10.12(3) defining "misaligned" and "highly misaligned" and when and under what specific
10.13circumstances misalignments occur.
10.14(e) By February 15, 2012, the Assessment Advisory Committee must submit its
10.15recommendations under this section to the education commissioner and the education
10.16policy and finance committees of the legislature.
10.17(f) The commissioner must not implement any element of any recommendation
10.18under paragraphs (a) to (e) related to the high school assessment system under Minnesota
10.19Statutes, section 120B.30, subdivision 1b, without first receiving specific legislative
10.20authority to do so.
10.21EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
