Bill Text: MN SF767 | 2013-2014 | 88th Legislature | Engrossed

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Bill Title: Omnibus E-12 finance bill

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-03-31 - Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to Finance [SF767 Detail]

Download: Minnesota-2013-SF767-Engrossed.html

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A bill for an act

relating to education; early childhood through grade 12 education; forecast
adjustments; English learners; appropriating money; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2012, sections 13.43, subdivision 16; 119A.50, subdivision 3; 120B.12;
122A.06, subdivision 4; 122A.14, subdivisions 2, 3; 122A.18, subdivisions 2a,
4; 122A.19; 122A.413, subdivision 2; 122A.414, subdivision 2; 122A.415,
subdivision 1; 122A.60, subdivisions 1a, 2, 3; 122A.68, subdivision 3; 122A.74;
123A.05, subdivision 2; 123A.06, subdivision 2; 123A.485; 123A.64; 123B.04,
subdivision 4; 123B.147, subdivision 3; 123B.71, subdivisions 8, 9; 124D.09,
subdivisions 9, 13; 124D.111, by adding subdivisions; 124D.13, subdivisions
2, 4, 9, 13, by adding subdivisions; 124D.135, subdivisions 1, 3; 124D.15,
subdivision 3; 124D.49, subdivision 3; 124D.52, as amended; 124D.522;
124D.531, subdivision 3; 124D.59, subdivision 2, by adding a subdivision;
124D.895; 124D.8955; 125A.08; 126C.10, subdivisions 25, 26, 28; 127A.45,
subdivision 2; 129C.10, subdivision 3, by adding a subdivision; 298.28,
subdivision 7a, as added; Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, sections
120B.11; 120B.115; 120B.125; 120B.35, subdivision 3; 120B.36, subdivision
1; 122A.09, subdivision 4; 122A.18, subdivision 2; 122A.40, subdivision 8;
122A.41, subdivision 5; 123B.53, subdivision 1; 123B.75, subdivision 5;
124D.11, subdivision 1; 124D.111, subdivision 1; 124D.165, subdivisions 3, 4,
5; 124D.531, subdivision 1; 124D.65, subdivision 5; 124D.862, subdivisions
1, 2; 125A.11, subdivision 1; 125A.76, subdivisions 1, 2a, 2b, 2c; 125A.79,
subdivisions 1, 5, 8; 126C.05, subdivision 15; 126C.10, subdivisions 2a, 2d, 13a,
24, 31; 126C.17, subdivisions 6, 7b, 9, 9a; 126C.40, subdivision 1; 126C.44;
126C.48, subdivision 8; 127A.47, subdivision 7; 127A.70, subdivision 2; Laws
2013, chapter 116, article 1, section 58, subdivisions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11; article 3,
section 37, subdivisions 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 15, 20; article 4, section 9, subdivision 2;
article 5, section 31, subdivisions 2, 3, 4, 5, 8; article 6, section 12, subdivisions
2, 3, 4, 6; article 7, section 21, subdivisions 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9; article 8, section 5,
subdivisions 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14; article 9, section 2; proposing coding for new
law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 123A; 129C; repealing Minnesota Statutes
2012, sections 122A.19, subdivision 3; 123B.71, subdivision 1.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

ARTICLE 1

EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH GRADE 12 EDUCATION

    Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 13.43, subdivision 16, is amended to read:
    Subd. 16. School district or charter school disclosure of violence or inappropriate
sexual contact. The superintendent of a school district or the superintendent's designee,
or a person having administrative control of a charter school, must release to a requesting
school district or charter school private personnel data on a current or former employee
related to acts of violence toward or sexual contact with a student, if:
(1) an investigation conducted by or on behalf of the school district or law
enforcement affirmed the allegations in writing prior to release and the investigation
resulted in the resignation of the subject of the data; or
(2) the employee resigned while a complaint or charge involving the allegations was
pending and the allegations involved acts of sexual contact with a student.
Data that are released under this subdivision must not include data on the student.

    Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.415, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. Revenue amount. (a) A school district, intermediate school district,
school site, or charter school that meets the conditions of section 122A.414 and submits an
application approved by the commissioner is eligible for alternative teacher compensation
revenue.
(b) For school district and intermediate school district applications, the commissioner
must consider only those applications to participate that are submitted jointly by a
district and the exclusive representative of the teachers. The application must contain an
alternative teacher professional pay system agreement that:
(1) implements an alternative teacher professional pay system consistent with
section 122A.414; and
(2) is negotiated and adopted according to the Public Employment Labor Relations
Act under chapter 179A, except that notwithstanding section 179A.20, subdivision 3, a
district may enter into a contract for a term of two or four years.
Alternative teacher compensation revenue for a qualifying school district or site in
which the school board and the exclusive representative of the teachers agree to place
teachers in the district or at the site on the alternative teacher professional pay system
equals $260 times the number of pupils enrolled at the district or site on October 1 of
the previous fiscal year. Alternative teacher compensation revenue for a qualifying
intermediate school district must be calculated under section 126C.10, subdivision 34
subdivision 4, paragraphs (a) and (b).
(c) For a newly combined or consolidated district, the revenue shall be computed
using the sum of pupils enrolled on October 1 of the previous year in the districts entering
into the combination or consolidation. The commissioner may adjust the revenue computed
for a site using prior year data to reflect changes attributable to school closings, school
openings, or grade level reconfigurations between the prior year and the current year.
(d) The revenue is available only to school districts, intermediate school districts,
school sites, and charter schools that fully implement an alternative teacher professional
pay system by October 1 of the current school year.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 123A.05, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Reserve revenue. Each district that is a member of an area learning center
or alternative learning program must reserve revenue in an amount equal to the sum of
(1) at least between 90 and 100 percent of the district average general education revenue
per adjusted pupil unit minus an amount equal to the product of the formula allowance
according to section 126C.10, subdivision 2, times .0485 .0466, calculated without
basic skills revenue and transportation sparsity revenue, times the number of pupil units
attending an area learning center or alternative learning program under this section, plus
(2) the amount of basic skills revenue generated by pupils attending the area learning
center or alternative learning program. The amount of reserved revenue under this
subdivision may only be spent on program costs associated with the area learning center
or alternative learning program.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 4. [123A.482] JOINT POWERS COOPERATIVE FACILITY.
    Subdivision 1. Schools may be jointly operated. Two or more school districts may
agree to jointly operate a secondary facility. The districts may choose to operate the
facility according to a joint powers agreement under section 123A.78 or 471.59.
    Subd. 2. Expanded program offerings. A jointly operated secondary program
seeking funding under section 123A.485 must demonstrate to the commissioner's
satisfaction that the jointly operated program provides enhanced learning opportunities and
broader curriculum offerings to the students attending that program. The commissioner
must approve or disapprove a cooperative secondary program within 60 days of receipt of
an application.
    Subd. 2a. Teachers. Notwithstanding section 122A.40, a district agreeing to
jointly operate a secondary facility under this section may not terminate or place on an
unrequested leave of absence a tenured classroom teacher for 24 months following the
execution of the joint powers agreement under this section. A district is not required to fill
positions made vacant by retirement or normal attrition during the 24 months following
the agreement to jointly operate a secondary facility under this section.
    Subd. 2b. Transfer of employees. An employee transferred between members of a
joint powers agreement under this section is not required to serve a statutory or contractual
probationary period. The employee shall receive credit on the receiving district's salary
schedule for the employee's educational attainment and years of continuous service in
the sending district, or shall receive a comparable salary, whichever is greater. The
employee shall receive credit for accrued sick leave and rights to severance benefits as if
the employee had been employed by the receiving district during the employee's years of
employment in the sending district.
    Subd. 3. Revenue. An approved program that is jointly operated under this section
is eligible for aid under section 123A.485 and qualifies for a facilities grant under sections
123A.44 to 123A.446.
    Subd. 4. Duty to maintain elementary and secondary schools met. A school
district operating a joint facility under this section meets the requirements of section
123A.64.
    Subd. 5. Estimated market value limit exclusion. Bonds for a cooperative facility
operated under this section issued by a member school district are not subject to the net
debt limit under section 475.53, subdivision 4.
    Subd. 6. Allocation of levy authority for joint facility. For purposes of determining
each member district's school levy, a jointly operated secondary program may allocate
program costs to each member district according to the joint powers agreement and each
member district may include those costs in its tax levy. The joint powers agreement may
choose to allocate costs on any basis adopted as part of the joint powers agreement.
    Subd. 7. Effect of consolidation. The joint powers agreement may allow member
school districts that choose to consolidate to continue to certify levies separately based on
each component district's characteristics.
    Subd. 8. Bonds. A joint powers district formed under this section may issue bonds
according to section 123A.78 or its member districts may issue bonds individually after
complying with this subdivision. The joint powers board must submit the project for
review and comment under section 123B.71. The joint powers board must hold a hearing
on the proposal. If the bonds are not issued under section 123A.78, each member district
of the joint powers district must submit the question of authorizing borrowing of funds for
the project to the voters of the district at a special election. The question submitted shall
state the total amount of funding needed from that district. The member district may issue
the bonds according to chapter 475 and certify the levy required by section 475.61 only if
a majority of those voting on the question in that district vote in the affirmative and only
after the board has adopted a resolution pledging the full faith and credit of that unit. The
resolution must irrevocably commit that unit to pay an agreed-upon share of any debt levy
shortages that, together with other funds available, would allow the member school board
to pay the principal and interest on the obligations. The clerk of the joint powers board
must certify the vote of any bond elections to the commissioner. Bonds issued under this
section first qualify for debt service equalization aid in fiscal year 2018.
    Subd. 9. Election. A district entering into a joint powers agreement under this
section may conduct a referendum seeking approval for a new facility. This election may
be held separately or at the same time as a bond election under subdivision 8. If the
election is held at the same time, the questions may be asked separately or as a conjunctive
question. The question must be approved by a majority of those voting on the question.
If asked separately and the question fails, a district may not proceed with the sale of
bonds according to subdivision 8.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 123A.485, is amended to read:
123A.485 CONSOLIDATION TRANSITION REVENUE AID.
    Subdivision 1. Eligibility and use. A district that operates a cooperative facility
under section 123A.482 or that has been reorganized after June 30, 1994, under section
123A.48 is eligible for consolidation transition revenue. Revenue is equal to the sum of
aid under subdivision 2 and levy under subdivision 3. Consolidation transition revenue
aid may only be used according to this section. Revenue must be used for the following
purposes and may be distributed among these purposes at the discretion of the district or
the governing board of the cooperative facility:
(1) to offer early retirement incentives as provided by section 123A.48, subdivision
23 ;
(2) to reduce operating debt as defined in section 123B.82;
(3) to enhance learning opportunities for students in the reorganized district; and
(4) to repay building debt; or
(5) for other costs incurred in the reorganization.
Revenue received and utilized under clause (3) or (4) (5) may be expended for
operating, facilities, and/or equipment.
    Subd. 2. Aid. (a) Consolidation transition aid is equal to $200 $300 times the
number of resident adjusted pupil units in the newly created cooperative facility under
section 123A.482 or the consolidated district in the year of consolidation and $100 times
the number of resident pupil units in the first year following the year of consolidation
under section 123A.48. The number of pupil units used to calculate aid in either year
shall not exceed 1,000 for districts consolidating July 1, 1994, and 1,500 for districts
consolidating July 1, 1995, and thereafter A district may receive aid under this section for
not more than five years except as provided in subdivision 4.
(b) If the total appropriation for consolidation transition aid for any fiscal year, plus
any amount transferred under section 127A.41, subdivision 8, is insufficient to pay all
districts the full amount of aid earned, the department must first pay the districts in the first
year following the year of consolidation the full amount of aid earned and distribute any
remaining funds to the newly created districts in the first year of consolidation.
    Subd. 3. Levy. If the aid available in subdivision 2 is insufficient to cover the costs
of the district under section 123A.48, subdivision 23, the district may levy the difference
over a period of time not to exceed three years.
    Subd. 4. New districts. If a district enters into a cooperative secondary facilities
program or consolidates with another district that has received aid under section 123A.39,
subdivision 3 , or 123A.485 for a combination or consolidation taking effect within
six years of the effective date of the new consolidation or the start of the cooperative
secondary facilities program, only the pupil units in the district or districts not previously
cooperating or reorganized must be counted for aid purposes under subdivision 2. If
two or more districts consolidate and all districts received aid under subdivision 2 for a
consolidation taking effect within six years of the effective date of the new consolidation,
only one quarter of the pupil units in the newly created district must be used to determine
aid under subdivision 2.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for state aid for fiscal year 2017
and later.

    Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 123A.64, is amended to read:
123A.64 DUTY TO MAINTAIN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY
SCHOOLS.
Each district must maintain classified elementary and secondary schools, grades 1
through 12, unless the district is exempt according to section 123A.61 or 123A.62, has
made an agreement with another district or districts as provided in sections 123A.30,
123A.32 , or sections 123A.35 to 123A.43, or 123A.17, subdivision 7, or has received a
grant under sections 123A.441 to 123A.446, or has formed a cooperative under section
123A.482. A district that has an agreement according to sections 123A.35 to 123A.43 or
123A.32 must operate a school with the number of grades required by those sections. A
district that has an agreement according to section 123A.30 or 123A.17, subdivision 7, or
has received a grant under sections 123A.441 to 123A.446 must operate a school for the
grades not included in the agreement, but not fewer than three grades.

    Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 123B.53, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the eligible debt service
revenue of a district is defined as follows:
    (1) the amount needed to produce between five and six percent in excess of the
amount needed to meet when due the principal and interest payments on the obligations
of the district for eligible projects according to subdivision 2, including the amounts
necessary for repayment of energy loans according to section 216C.37 or sections 298.292
to 298.298, debt service loans and capital loans, lease purchase payments under section
126C.40, subdivision 2 , alternative facilities levies under section 123B.59, subdivision
5 , paragraph (a), minus
    (2) the amount of debt service excess levy reduction for that school year calculated
according to the procedure established by the commissioner.
    (b) The obligations in this paragraph are excluded from eligible debt service revenue:
    (1) obligations under section 123B.61;
    (2) the part of debt service principal and interest paid from the taconite environmental
protection fund or Douglas J. Johnson economic protection trust, excluding both the
portion of taconite payments from the Iron Range school consolidation and cooperatively
operated school account under section 298.28, subdivision 7a, and any payments made
from the Douglas J. Johnson economic protection trust fund under section 298.292,
subdivision 2, clause (6);
    (3) obligations issued under Laws 1991, chapter 265, article 5, section 18, as
amended by Laws 1992, chapter 499, article 5, section 24; and
    (4) obligations under section 123B.62.
    (c) For purposes of this section, if a preexisting school district reorganized under
sections 123A.35 to 123A.43, 123A.46, and 123A.48 is solely responsible for retirement
of the preexisting district's bonded indebtedness, capital loans or debt service loans, debt
service equalization aid must be computed separately for each of the preexisting districts.
    (d) For purposes of this section, the adjusted net tax capacity determined according
to sections 127A.48 and 273.1325 shall be adjusted to include the tax capacity of property
generally exempted from ad valorem taxes under section 272.02, subdivision 64.

    Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 123B.71, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
    Subd. 8. Review and comment. A school district, a special education cooperative,
or a cooperative unit of government, as defined in section 123A.24, subdivision 2, must not
initiate an installment contract for purchase or a lease agreement, hold a referendum for
bonds, nor solicit bids for new construction, expansion, or remodeling of an educational
facility that requires an expenditure in excess of $500,000 per school site if it has a capital
loan outstanding, or $1,400,000 $2,000,000 per school site if it does not have a capital
loan outstanding, prior to review and comment by the commissioner. The commissioner
may exempt A facility addition, maintenance project, or remodeling project funded only
with general education aid and levy revenue, deferred maintenance revenue, alternative
facilities bonding and levy program revenue, lease levy proceeds, capital facilities bond
proceeds, or health and safety revenue is exempt from this provision after reviewing a
written request from a school district describing the scope of work. A capital project under
section 123B.63 addressing only technology is exempt from this provision if the district
submits a school board resolution stating that funds approved by the voters will be used
only as authorized in section 126C.10, subdivision 14. A school board shall not separate
portions of a single project into components to avoid the requirements of this subdivision.

    Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 123B.71, subdivision 9, is amended to read:
    Subd. 9. Information required. A school board proposing to construct, expand,
or remodel a facility described in that requires a review and comment under subdivision
8 shall submit to the commissioner a proposal containing information including at least
the following:
(1) the geographic area and population to be served, preschool through grade 12
student enrollments for the past five years, and student enrollment projections for the
next five years;
(2) a list of existing facilities by year constructed, their uses, and an assessment of
the extent to which alternate facilities are available within the school district boundaries
and in adjacent school districts;
(3) a list of the specific deficiencies of the facility that demonstrate the need for a
new or renovated facility to be provided, the process used to determine the deficiencies, a
list of those deficiencies that will and will not be addressed by the proposed project, and a
list of the specific benefits that the new or renovated facility will provide to the students,
teachers, and community users served by the facility;
(4) the relationship of the project to any priorities established by the school district,
educational cooperatives that provide support services, or other public bodies in the
service area;
(5) a description of the pedestrian, bicycle, and transit connections between the
school and nearby residential areas that make it easier for children, teachers, and parents
to get to the school by walking, bicycling, and taking transit;
(6) a specification of how the project maximizes the opportunity for cooperative use
of existing park, recreation, and other public facilities and whether and how the project
will increase collaboration with other governmental or nonprofit entities;
(7) (4) a description of the project, including the specification of site and outdoor
space acreage and square footage allocations for classrooms, laboratories, and support
spaces; estimated expenditures for the major portions of the project; and the dates the
project will begin and be completed;
(8) (5) a specification of the source of financing the project, including applicable
statutory citations; the scheduled date for a bond issue or school board action; a schedule
of payments, including debt service equalization aid; and the effect of a bond issue on
local property taxes by the property class and valuation;
(9) an analysis of how the proposed new or remodeled facility will affect school
district operational or administrative staffing costs, and how the district's operating budget
will cover any increased operational or administrative staffing costs;
(10) a description of the consultation with local or state transportation officials
on multimodal school site access and safety issues, and the ways that the project will
address those issues;
(11) a description of how indoor air quality issues have been considered and a
certification that the architects and engineers designing the facility will have professional
liability insurance;
(12) as required under section 123B.72, for buildings coming into service after July 1,
2002, a certification that the plans and designs for the extensively renovated or new facility's
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems will meet or exceed code standards; will
provide for the monitoring of outdoor airflow and total airflow of ventilation systems; and
will provide an indoor air quality filtration system that meets ASHRAE standard 52.1;
(13) a specification of any desegregation requirements that cannot be met by any
other reasonable means;
(14) a specification of how the facility will utilize environmentally sustainable
school facility design concepts;
(15) a description of how the architects and engineers have considered the American
National Standards Institute Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements
and Guidelines for Schools of the maximum background noise level and reverberation
times; and
    (16) any existing information from the relevant local unit of government about the
cumulative costs to provide infrastructure to serve the school, such as utilities, sewer,
roads, and sidewalks.
    (6) confirmations of the district and contracted professionals that the project is
planned and will be executed to consider and comply with the following:
    (i) uniform municipal contracting law under section 471.345;
    (ii) sustainable design;
    (iii) school facility commissioning under section 123B.72 requiring certification that
plans and designs for an extensively renovated or new facility's heating, ventilation, and
air conditioning systems will meet or exceed current code standards; and will provide an
air quality filtration system that meets ASHRAE standard 52.1;
    (iv) American National Standards Institute Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design
Requirements and Guidelines for Schools of the maximum background noise level and
reverberation times;
    (v) State Fire Code;
    (vi) applicable building code under chapter 326B;
    (vii) consultation with appropriate governmental units regarding utilities, roads,
sewers, sidewalks, retention ponds, school bus and automobile traffic, and safe access
for walkers and bicyclists.

    Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 123B.75, subdivision 5, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 5. Levy recognition. For fiscal year 2011 2014 and later years, in June of
each year, the school district must recognize as revenue, in the fund for which the levy
was made, the lesser of:
(1) the sum of May, June, and July school district tax settlement revenue received in
that calendar year, plus general education aid according to section 126C.13, subdivision
4 , received in July and August of that calendar year; or
(2) the sum of:
(i) the greater of 48.6 percent of the referendum levy certified according to section
126C.17 in the prior calendar year, or 31 percent of the referendum levy certified
according to section 126C.17 in calendar year 2000; plus
(ii) the entire amount of the levy certified in the prior calendar year according
to section 124D.4531, 124D.86, subdivision 4, for school districts receiving revenue
under sections 124D.86, subdivision 3, clauses (1), (2), and (3); 124D.862, for Special
School District No. 1, Minneapolis, Independent School District No. 625, St. Paul, and
Independent School District No. 709, Duluth; 126C.41, subdivisions 1, 2, paragraph (a),
and 3, paragraphs (b), (c), and (d); 126C.43, subdivision 2; and 126C.48, subdivision 6; plus
(iii) 48.6 percent of the amount of the levy certified in the prior calendar year for the
school district's general and community service funds, plus or minus auditor's adjustments,
that remains after subtracting the referendum levy certified according to section 126C.17
and the amount recognized according to item (ii).

    Sec. 11. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.09, subdivision 9, is amended to read:
    Subd. 9. Enrollment priority. A postsecondary institution shall give priority to its
postsecondary students when enrolling 10th, 11th, and 12th grade pupils in its courses.
A postsecondary institution may provide information about its programs to a secondary
school or to a pupil or parent and it may advertise or otherwise recruit or solicit a
secondary pupil to enroll in its programs on educational and programmatic grounds only.
An institution must not enroll secondary pupils, for postsecondary enrollment options
purposes, in remedial, developmental, or other courses that are not college level, except
when a student eligible to participate in the graduation incentives program under section
124D.68 enrolls full-time in a middle or early college program specifically designed to
allow the student to earn dual high school and college credit. In this case, the student shall
receive developmental college credit and not college credit for completing remedial or
developmental courses. Once a pupil has been enrolled in a postsecondary course under
this section, the pupil shall not be displaced by another student.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2014.

    Sec. 12. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.09, subdivision 13, is amended to read:
    Subd. 13. Financial arrangements. For a pupil enrolled in a course under this
section, the department must make payments according to this subdivision for courses that
were taken for secondary credit.
The department must not make payments to a school district or postsecondary
institution for a course taken for postsecondary credit only. The department must not
make payments to a postsecondary institution for a course from which a student officially
withdraws during the first 14 days of the quarter or semester or who has been absent from
the postsecondary institution for the first 15 consecutive school days of the quarter or
semester and is not receiving instruction in the home or hospital.
A postsecondary institution shall receive the following:
(1) for an institution granting quarter credit, the reimbursement per credit hour shall
be an amount equal to 88 percent of the product of the formula allowance minus $415
$425, multiplied by 1.3 1.2, and divided by 45; or
(2) for an institution granting semester credit, the reimbursement per credit hour
shall be an amount equal to 88 percent of the product of the general revenue formula
allowance minus $415 $425, multiplied by 1.3 1.2, and divided by 30.
The department must pay to each postsecondary institution 100 percent of the
amount in clause (1) or (2) within 30 days of receiving initial enrollment information
each quarter or semester. If changes in enrollment occur during a quarter or semester,
the change shall be reported by the postsecondary institution at the time the enrollment
information for the succeeding quarter or semester is submitted. At any time the
department notifies a postsecondary institution that an overpayment has been made, the
institution shall promptly remit the amount due.

    Sec. 13. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 124D.11, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. General education revenue. General education revenue must be
paid to a charter school as though it were a district. The general education revenue
for each adjusted pupil unit is the state average general education revenue per pupil
unit, plus the referendum equalization aid allowance in the pupil's district of residence,
minus an amount equal to the product of the formula allowance according to section
126C.10, subdivision 2 , times .0466, calculated without declining enrollment revenue,
local optional revenue, basic skills revenue, extended time revenue, pension adjustment
revenue, transition revenue, and transportation sparsity revenue, plus declining enrollment
revenue, basic skills revenue, extended time revenue, pension adjustment revenue, and
transition revenue as though the school were a school district. The general education
revenue for each extended time pupil unit equals $4,794.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 14. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 124D.111, subdivision 1,
is amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. School lunch aid computation. Each school year, the state must
pay participants in the national school lunch program the amount of 12.5 cents for each
full paid, reduced-price, and free student lunch and 52.5 cents for each reduced-price
student lunch served to students.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for fiscal years 2015 and later.

    Sec. 15. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.111, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:
    Subd. 4. No fees. A participant that receives school lunch aid under this section
must make lunch available without charge to all participating students who qualify for
free or reduced-price meals. The participant must also ensure that any reminders for
payment of outstanding student meal balances do not demean or stigmatize any child
participating in the school lunch program.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for fiscal years 2015 and later.

    Sec. 16. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.111, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:
    Subd. 5. Inability to pay. A participant that receives school lunch aid under this
section is encouraged to provide a student who is unable to pay with the same lunch
that is served to other students.

    Sec. 17. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.13, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Program requirements. (a) Early childhood family education programs
are programs for children in the period of life from birth to kindergarten, for the parents
and other relatives of these children, and for expectant parents. To the extent that funds
are insufficient to provide programs for all children, early childhood family education
programs should emphasize programming for a child from birth to age three and
encourage parents and other relatives to involve four- and five-year-old children in school
readiness programs, and other public and nonpublic early learning programs. A district
may not limit participation to school district residents. Early childhood family education
programs must provide:
    (1) programs to educate parents and other relatives about the physical, mental
cognitive, social, and emotional development of children and to enhance the skills of
parents and other relatives in providing for their children's learning and development;
    (2) structured learning activities requiring interaction between children and their
parents or relatives;
    (3) structured learning activities for children that promote children's development
and positive interaction with peers, which are held while parents or relatives attend parent
education classes;
    (4) information on related community resources;
    (5) information, materials, and activities that support the safety of children, including
prevention of child abuse and neglect; and
    (6) a community outreach plan to ensure participation by families who reflect the
racial, cultural, and economic diversity of the school district needs assessment that identifies
new and underserved populations, identifies child and family risk factors, particularly
those that impact children's learning and development, assesses family and parenting
education needs in the community, and a comparison with school district census data;
    (7) programming and services that are tailored to the needs of families and parents
prioritized in the community needs assessment; and
    (8) provide information about and, if needed, assist in making arrangements for an
early childhood health and developmental screening under sections 121A.16 and 121A.17,
when the child nears their third birthday.
Early childhood family education programs should prioritize programming and
services for families and parents identified in the community needs assessment, particularly
those families and parents with children with the most risk factors birth to age three.
    The programs must include learning experiences for children, parents, and other
relatives that promote children's early literacy skills. The program must not include
activities for children that do not require substantial involvement of the children's parents
or other relatives. The program may provide parenting education programming or services
to anyone identified in the community needs assessment. The program must be reviewed
periodically to assure the instruction and materials are not racially, culturally, or sexually
biased. The programs must encourage parents to be aware of practices that may affect
equitable development of children.
    (b) For the purposes of this section, "relative" or "relatives" means noncustodial
grandparents or other persons related to a child by blood, marriage, adoption, or foster
placement, excluding parents.

    Sec. 18. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.13, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
    Subd. 4. Home visiting program. A district that levies for home visiting under
section 124D.135, subdivision 6, shall use this revenue to include as part of the early
childhood family education programs a parent education component that is designed to
reach isolated or at-risk families.
The home visiting program must use:
(1) an established risk assessment tool to determine the family's level of risk
incorporate evidence-informed parenting education practices designed to support the
healthy growth and development of children, with a priority focus on those children
who have high needs;
(2) establish clear objectives and protocols for home visits;
(3) encourage families to make a transition from home visits to site-based parenting
programs;
(4) provide program services that are community-based, accessible, and culturally
relevant; and
(5) foster collaboration among existing agencies and community-based organizations
that serve young children and their families, such as public health evidence-based models
of home visiting and Head Start home visiting; and
(6) provide information about and assist in making arrangements for an early
childhood health and developmental screening when the child nears his or her third
birthday.
Home visitors The home visiting program should be provided by licensed parenting
educators, certified family life educators, or professionals with an equivalent license that
reflect the demographic composition of the community to the extent possible.

    Sec. 19. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.13, subdivision 9, is amended to read:
    Subd. 9. District advisory councils. The board must appoint an advisory council
from the area in which the program is provided. A majority of the council must be
parents participating in the program, who represent the demographics of the community.
The district must ensure, to the extent possible, that the council includes representation
of families who are racially, culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse. The
council must assist the board in developing, planning, and monitoring the early childhood
family education program. The council must report to the board and the community
education advisory council.

    Sec. 20. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.13, subdivision 13, is amended to read:
    Subd. 13. Program data submission requirements. Districts receiving early
childhood family education revenue under section 124D.135 must submit annual program
data, including data that demonstrates the program response to the community needs
assessment, to the department by July 15 in the form and manner prescribed by the
commissioner.

    Sec. 21. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.13, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:
    Subd. 14. Supervision. A program provided by a board must be supervised by a
licensed early childhood teacher or a licensed parent educator.

    Sec. 22. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.13, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:
    Subd. 15. Parenting education transition program. To the extent that funds are
sufficient, early childhood family education may provide parenting education transition
programming for parents of children birth to grade three in districts in which there is a
prekindergarten-grade three initiative in order to facilitate continued parent engagement
in children's learning and development. Early childhood family education programs are
encouraged to develop partnerships to provide a parenting education liaison to providers
of other public and nonpublic early learning programs, such as Head Start, school
readiness, child care, early childhood special education, local public health programs,
and health care providers.

    Sec. 23. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.135, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. Revenue. The revenue for early childhood family education
programs for a school district equals $112 for fiscal year 2007 and $120 for fiscal year
2008 $120 for fiscal year 2014 and the formula allowance for the year times 0.0269 for
fiscal year 2015 and later, times the greater of:
    (1) 150; or
    (2) the number of people under five years of age residing in the district on October 1
of the previous school year.

    Sec. 24. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.135, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Early childhood family education levy. (a) By September 30 of each year,
the commissioner shall establish a tax rate for early childhood family education revenue
that raises $22,135,000 in each fiscal year. If the amount of the early childhood family
education levy would exceed the early childhood family education revenue, the early
childhood family education levy must equal the early childhood family education revenue.
A district may not certify an early childhood family education levy unless it has met the
annual program data reporting requirements under section 124D.13, subdivision 13.
    (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), for fiscal year 2009 only, the commissioner shall
establish a tax rate for early education revenue that raises $13,565,000.

    Sec. 25. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 124D.165, subdivision 3,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Administration. (a) The commissioner shall establish application
timelines and determine the schedule for awarding scholarships that meets operational
needs of eligible families and programs. The commissioner may prioritize applications on
factors including family income, geographic location, and whether the child's family is on a
waiting list for a publicly funded program providing early education or child care services.
(b) Scholarships may be awarded up to $5,000 for each eligible child. The
commissioner shall establish a target for the average scholarship amount per child
based on the results of the rate survey conducted under section 119B.13, subdivision 1,
paragraph (b), per year.
(c) A four-star rated program that has children eligible for a scholarship enrolled
in or on a waiting list for a program beginning in July, August, or September may notify
the commissioner, in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, each year
of the program's desire to enhance program services or to serve more children than
current funding provides. The commissioner may designate a predetermined number of
scholarship slots for that program and notify the program of that number. A program
qualifying under this paragraph may use its established registration process to enroll
scholarship recipients and may verify a scholarship recipient's family income in the same
manner as for other program participants.
(d) A scholarship is awarded for a 12-month period. If the scholarship recipient has
not been accepted and subsequently enrolled in a rated program within ten months of the
awarding of the scholarship, the scholarship cancels and the recipient must reapply in
order to be eligible for another scholarship. A child may not be awarded more than one
scholarship in a 12-month period.
(e) A child who receives a scholarship who has not completed development
screening under sections 121A.16 to 121A.19 must complete that screening within 90
days of first attending an eligible program.
(f) A program enrolling scholarship recipients under paragraph (c) may apply to the
commissioner, in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, for direct payment
of state aid. Upon receipt of the application, the commissioner must pay each program
directly for each approved scholarship recipient enrolled under paragraph (c) according to
the metered payment system or another schedule established by the commissioner.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 26. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 124D.165, subdivision 4,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 4. Early childhood program eligibility. (a) In order to be eligible to accept
an early childhood education scholarship, a program must:
(1) participate in the quality rating and improvement system under section
124D.142 ; and
(2) beginning July 1, 2016, have a three- or four-star rating in the quality rating
and improvement system.
(b) Any program accepting scholarships must use the revenue to supplement and not
supplant federal funding.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), all Minnesota early learning foundation
scholarship program pilot sites are eligible to accept an early learning scholarship under
this section.

    Sec. 27. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 124D.165, subdivision 5,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 5. Report required. The commissioner shall contract with an independent
contractor to evaluate the early learning scholarship program. The evaluation must
include recommendations regarding the appropriate scholarship amount, efficiency, and
effectiveness of the administration, and impact on kindergarten readiness and student
outcomes by program setting, including Head Start programs, school-based prekindergarten
and preschool programs, and other early education and child care programs. The report
must also include the number of scholarship recipients in school-based, home-based,
and center-based programs as well as a geographic summary of scholarship recipients
by county. By January 15, 2016, the commissioner shall submit a written copy of the
evaluation to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees and
divisions with primary jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education.

    Sec. 28. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.522, is amended to read:
124D.522 ADULT BASIC EDUCATION SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICE
GRANTS.
(a) The commissioner, in consultation with the policy review task force under
section 124D.521, may make grants to nonprofit organizations to provide services that
are not offered by a district adult basic education program or that are supplemental to
either the statewide adult basic education program, or a district's adult basic education
program. The commissioner may make grants for: staff development for adult basic
education teachers and administrators; training for volunteer tutors; training, services, and
materials for serving disabled students through adult basic education programs; statewide
promotion of adult basic education services and programs; development and dissemination
of instructional and administrative technology for adult basic education programs;
programs which primarily serve communities of color; adult basic education distance
learning projects, including television instruction programs; and other supplemental
services to support the mission of adult basic education and innovative delivery of adult
basic education services.
(b) The commissioner must establish eligibility criteria and grant application
procedures. Grants under this section must support services throughout the state, focus on
educational results for adult learners, and promote outcome-based achievement through
adult basic education programs. Beginning in fiscal year 2002, the commissioner may
make grants under this section from the state total adult basic education aid set aside for
supplemental service grants under section 124D.531. Up to one-fourth of the appropriation
for supplemental service grants must be used for grants for adult basic education programs
to encourage and support innovations in adult basic education instruction and service
delivery. A grant to a single organization cannot exceed 20 40 percent of the total
supplemental services aid. Nothing in this section prevents an approved adult basic
education program from using state or federal aid to purchase supplemental services.

    Sec. 29. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 124D.531, subdivision 1,
is amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. State total adult basic education aid. (a) The state total adult basic
education aid for fiscal year 2011 equals $44,419,000, plus any amount that is not paid
during the previous fiscal year as a result of adjustments under subdivision 4, paragraph
(a), or section 124D.52, subdivision 3. The state total adult basic education aid for later
fiscal years equals:
    (1) the state total adult basic education aid for the preceding fiscal year plus any
amount that is not paid for during the previous fiscal year, as a result of adjustments under
subdivision 4, paragraph (a), or section 124D.52, subdivision 3; times
    (2) the lesser of:
    (i) 1.025 1.03; or
    (ii) the average growth in state total contact hours over the prior ten program years.
    Beginning in fiscal year 2002, two Three percent of the state total adult basic
education aid must be set aside for adult basic education supplemental service grants
under section 124D.522.
    (b) The state total adult basic education aid, excluding basic population aid, equals
the difference between the amount computed in paragraph (a), and the state total basic
population aid under subdivision 2.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 30. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.531, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Program revenue. Adult basic education programs established under
section 124D.52 and approved by the commissioner are eligible for revenue under this
subdivision. For fiscal year 2001 and later, adult basic education revenue for each
approved program equals the sum of:
(1) the basic population aid under subdivision 2 for districts participating in the
program during the current program year; plus
(2) 84 percent times the amount computed in subdivision 1, paragraph (b), times the
ratio of the contact hours for students participating in the program during the first prior
program year to the state total contact hours during the first prior program year; plus
(3) eight percent times the amount computed in subdivision 1, paragraph (b), times
the ratio of the enrollment of English learners during the second prior school year in
districts participating in the program during the current program year to the state total
enrollment of English learners during the second prior school year in districts participating
in adult basic education programs during the current program year; plus
(4) eight percent times the amount computed in subdivision 1, paragraph (b), times
the ratio of the latest federal census count of the number of adults aged 20 25 or older
with no diploma residing in the districts participating in the program during the current
program year to the latest federal census count of the state total number of adults aged 20
25 or older with no diploma residing in the districts participating in adult basic education
programs during the current program year.

    Sec. 31. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.59, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. English learner. (a) "English learner" means a pupil in kindergarten
through grade 12 who meets the following requirements:
(1) the pupil, as declared by a parent or guardian first learned a language other than
English, comes from a home where the language usually spoken is other than English, or
usually speaks a language other than English; and
(2) the pupil is determined by a valid assessment measuring the pupil's English
language proficiency and by developmentally appropriate measures, which might include
observations, teacher judgment, parent recommendations, or developmentally appropriate
assessment instruments, to lack the necessary English skills to participate fully in
academic classes taught in English.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), A pupil enrolled in a Minnesota public school
in grades any grade 4 through 12 who was enrolled in a Minnesota public school on
the dates during in the previous school year when a commissioner provided took a
commissioner-provided assessment that measures measuring the pupil's emerging
academic English was administered, shall not be counted as an English learner in
calculating English learner pupil units under section 126C.05, subdivision 17, and shall not
generate state English learner aid under section 124D.65, subdivision 5, unless if the pupil
scored below the state cutoff score or is otherwise counted as a nonproficient participant
on an the assessment measuring the pupil's emerging academic English provided by the
commissioner during the previous school year or in the judgment of the pupil's classroom
teachers, consistent with section 124D.61, clause (1), the pupil is unable to demonstrate
academic language proficiency in English, including oral academic language, sufficient to
successfully and fully participate in the general core curriculum in the regular classroom.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b), a pupil in kindergarten through grade
12 shall not be counted as an English learner in calculating English learner pupil units
under section 126C.05, subdivision 17, and shall not generate state English learner aid
under section 124D.65, subdivision 5, if:
(1) the pupil is not enrolled during the current fiscal year in an educational program
for English learners in accordance with under sections 124D.58 to 124D.64; or
(2) the pupil has generated five six or more years of average daily membership in
Minnesota public schools since July 1, 1996.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue in fiscal year 2015 and
later.

    Sec. 32. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 124D.65, subdivision 5, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 5. School district EL revenue. (a) A district's English learner programs
revenue equals the product of (1) $704 $726 times (2) the greater of 20 or the adjusted
average daily membership of eligible English learners enrolled in the district during the
current fiscal year.
(b) A pupil ceases to generate state English learner aid in the school year following
the school year in which the pupil attains the state cutoff score on a commissioner-provided
assessment that measures the pupil's emerging academic English.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 33. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 124D.862, subdivision 1,
is amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. Initial achievement and integration revenue. (a) An eligible
district's initial achievement and integration revenue equals the lesser of 100.3 percent of
the district's expenditures under the budget approved by the commissioner under section
124D.861, subdivision 3, paragraph (c), excluding expenditures used to generate incentive
revenue under subdivision 2, or the sum of (1) $350 times the district's adjusted pupil
units for that year times the ratio of the district's enrollment of protected students for the
previous school year to total enrollment for the previous school year and (2) the greater of
zero or 66 percent of the difference between the district's integration revenue for fiscal
year 2013 and the district's integration revenue for fiscal year 2014 under clause (1).
(b) In each year, 0.3 percent of each district's initial achievement and integration
revenue is transferred to the department for the oversight and accountability activities
required under this section and section 124D.861.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to revenue for fiscal year 2014 and later.

    Sec. 34. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 124D.862, subdivision 2,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Incentive revenue. An eligible school district's maximum incentive
revenue equals $10 per adjusted pupil unit. In order to receive this revenue, a district must
be A district's incentive revenue equals the lesser of the maximum incentive revenue
or the district's expenditures for implementing a voluntary plan to reduce racial and
economic enrollment disparities through intradistrict and interdistrict activities that have
been approved as a part of the district's achievement and integration plan under the budget
approved by the commissioner under section 124D.861, subdivision 3, paragraph (c).
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to revenue for fiscal year 2014 and later.

    Sec. 35. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 125A.08, is amended to read:
125A.08 INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS; DATA
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
    Subdivision 1. Requirements for individualized education programs. (a) At the
beginning of each school year, each school district shall have in effect, for each child with
a disability, an individualized education program.
(b) As defined in this section, every district must ensure the following:
(1) all students with disabilities are provided the special instruction and services
which are appropriate to their needs. Where the individualized education program team
has determined appropriate goals and objectives based on the student's needs, including
the extent to which the student can be included in the least restrictive environment,
and where there are essentially equivalent and effective instruction, related services, or
assistive technology devices available to meet the student's needs, cost to the district may
be among the factors considered by the team in choosing how to provide the appropriate
services, instruction, or devices that are to be made part of the student's individualized
education program. The individualized education program team shall consider and
may authorize services covered by medical assistance according to section 256B.0625,
subdivision 26 . The student's needs and the special education instruction and services to
be provided must be agreed upon through the development of an individualized education
program. The program must address the student's need to develop skills to live and work
as independently as possible within the community. The individualized education program
team must consider positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports that address
behavior for children with attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder. During grade 9, the program must address the student's needs for transition from
secondary services to postsecondary education and training, employment, community
participation, recreation, and leisure and home living. In developing the program, districts
must inform parents of the full range of transitional goals and related services that should
be considered. The program must include a statement of the needed transition services,
including a statement of the interagency responsibilities or linkages or both before
secondary services are concluded;
(2) children with a disability under age five and their families are provided special
instruction and services appropriate to the child's level of functioning and needs;
(3) children with a disability and their parents or guardians are guaranteed procedural
safeguards and the right to participate in decisions involving identification, assessment
including assistive technology assessment, and educational placement of children with a
disability;
(4) eligibility and needs of children with a disability are determined by an initial
assessment or reassessment, which may be completed using existing data under United
States Code, title 20, section 33, et seq.;
(5) to the maximum extent appropriate, children with a disability, including those
in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who
are not disabled, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children
with a disability from the regular educational environment occurs only when and to the
extent that the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes
with the use of supplementary services cannot be achieved satisfactorily;
(6) in accordance with recognized professional standards, testing and evaluation
materials, and procedures used for the purposes of classification and placement of children
with a disability are selected and administered so as not to be racially or culturally
discriminatory; and
(7) the rights of the child are protected when the parents or guardians are not known
or not available, or the child is a ward of the state.
(c) For paraprofessionals employed to work in programs for students with
disabilities, the school board in each district shall ensure that:
(1) before or immediately upon employment, each paraprofessional develops
sufficient knowledge and skills in emergency procedures, building orientation, roles and
responsibilities, confidentiality, vulnerability, and reportability, among other things, to
begin meeting the needs of the students with whom the paraprofessional works;
(2) annual training opportunities are available to enable the paraprofessional to
continue to further develop the knowledge and skills that are specific to the students with
whom the paraprofessional works, including understanding disabilities, following lesson
plans, and implementing follow-up instructional procedures and activities; and
(3) a districtwide process obligates each paraprofessional to work under the ongoing
direction of a licensed teacher and, where appropriate and possible, the supervision of a
school nurse.
    Subd. 2. Online reporting of required data. (a) To ensure a strong focus
on outcomes for children with disabilities informs federal and state compliance and
accountability requirements and to increase opportunities for special educators and
related-services providers to focus on teaching children with disabilities, the commissioner
must integrate, customize, and sustain a streamlined, user-friendly statewide online system,
with a single, integrated model online form, for effectively and efficiently collecting
and reporting required special education–related data to individuals with a legitimate
educational interest and who are authorized by law to access the data. Among other
data-related requirements, the online system must successfully interface with existing state
reporting systems such as MARSS and Child Count and with districts' local data systems.
(b) The commissioner must consult with qualified experts, including information
technology specialists, licensed special education teachers and directors of special
education, related-services providers, third-party vendors, a designee of the commissioner
of human services, parents of children with disabilities, representatives of advocacy groups
representing children with disabilities, and representatives of school districts and special
education cooperatives on integrating, field testing, customizing, and sustaining this simple,
easily accessible, efficient, and effective online data system for uniform statewide reporting
of required due process compliance data. Among other outcomes, the system must:
    (1) reduce special education teachers' paperwork burden and thereby increase the
teachers' opportunities to focus on teaching children;
(2) to the extent authorized by chapter 13 or other applicable state or federal law
governing access to and dissemination of educational records, provide for efficiently and
effectively transmitting the records of all transferring children with disabilities, including
highly mobile and homeless children with disabilities, among others, to give an enrolling
school, school district, facility, or other institution immediate access to information about
the transferring child and to avoid fragmented service delivery;
(3) address language and other barriers and disparities that prevent parents from
understanding and communicating information about the needs of their children with
disabilities;
(4) facilitate school districts' ability to bill medical assistance, MinnesotaCare,
and other third-party payers for the costs of providing individualized education program
health-related services to an eligible child with disabilities;
(5) help continuously improve the interface among the online systems serving
children with disabilities in order to maintain and reinforce the children's ability to learn;
and
(6) have readily accessible expert technical assistance to maintain, sustain, and
improve the online system.
(c) The commissioner must use the federal Office of Special Education Programs
model forms for the (1) individualized education program, (2) notice of procedural
safeguards, and (3) prior written notice that are consistent with Part B of IDEA to integrate
and customize a state-sponsored universal special education online case management
system, consistent with the requirements of state law and this subdivision for integrating,
customizing, and sustaining a statewide online reporting system. The commissioner must
use a request for proposal process to contract for the technology and software needed
for integrating and customizing the online system in order for the system to be fully
functional, consistent with the requirements of this subdivision. This online system must
be made available to school districts without charge beginning in the 2015-2016 school
year. All actions in which data in the system are entered, updated, accessed, or shared or
disseminated outside of the system, must be recorded in a data audit trail. The audit trail
must identify the user responsible for the action, and the date and time the action occurred.
Data contained in the audit trail maintain the same classification as the underlying data
that was affected by the action, and may be accessed by the responsible authority at any
time for purposes of auditing the system's user activity and security safeguards. For the
2015-2016 through 2017-2018 school years, school districts may use this online system or
may contract with an outside vendor for compliance reporting. Beginning in the 2018-2019
school year and later, school districts must use this online system for compliance reporting.
(d) Consistent with this subdivision, the commissioner must establish a public
Internet Web interface to provide information to educators, parents, and the public about
the form and content of required special education reports, to respond to queries from
educators, parents, and the public about specific aspects of special education reports and
reporting, and to use the information garnered from the interface to streamline and revise
special education reporting on the online system under this subdivision. The public Internet
Web interface must not provide access to the educational records of any individual child.
(e) The commissioner annually by February 1 must submit to the legislature a report
on the status, recent changes, and sustainability of the online system under this subdivision.

    Sec. 36. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 125A.11, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. Nonresident tuition rate; other costs. (a) For fiscal year 2015 and
later, when a school district provides special instruction and services for a pupil with
a disability as defined in section 125A.02 outside the district of residence, excluding
a pupil for whom an adjustment to special education aid is calculated according to
section 127A.47, subdivision 7, paragraphs (b) to (d), special education aid paid to the
resident district must be reduced by an amount equal to (1) the actual cost of providing
special instruction and services to the pupil, including a proportionate amount for special
transportation and unreimbursed building lease and debt service costs for facilities used
primarily for special education, plus (2) the amount of general education revenue and
referendum equalization aid attributable to that pupil, calculated using the resident district's
average general education revenue and referendum equalization aid per adjusted pupil
unit excluding basic skills revenue, elementary sparsity revenue and secondary sparsity
revenue, minus (3) the amount of special education aid for children with a disability
under section 125A.76 received on behalf of that child, minus (4) if the pupil receives
special instruction and services outside the regular classroom for more than 60 percent
of the school day, the amount of general education revenue and referendum equalization
aid, excluding portions attributable to district and school administration, district support
services, operations and maintenance, capital expenditures, and pupil transportation,
attributable to that pupil for the portion of time the pupil receives special instruction
and services outside of the regular classroom, calculated using the resident district's
average general education revenue and referendum equalization aid per adjusted pupil unit
excluding basic skills revenue, elementary sparsity revenue and secondary sparsity revenue
and the serving district's basic skills revenue, elementary sparsity revenue and secondary
sparsity revenue per adjusted pupil unit. Notwithstanding clauses (1) and (4), for pupils
served by a cooperative unit without a fiscal agent school district, the general education
revenue and referendum equalization aid attributable to a pupil must be calculated using
the resident district's average general education revenue and referendum equalization aid
excluding compensatory revenue, elementary sparsity revenue, and secondary sparsity
revenue. Special education aid paid to the district or cooperative providing special
instruction and services for the pupil must be increased by the amount of the reduction in
the aid paid to the resident district. Amounts paid to cooperatives under this subdivision
and section 127A.47, subdivision 7, shall be recognized and reported as revenues and
expenditures on the resident school district's books of account under sections 123B.75
and 123B.76. If the resident district's special education aid is insufficient to make the full
adjustment, the remaining adjustment shall be made to other state aid due to the district.
    (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) and section 127A.47, subdivision 7, paragraphs
(b) to (d), a charter school where more than 30 percent of enrolled students receive special
education and related services, a site approved under section 125A.515, an intermediate
district, a special education cooperative, or a school district that served as the applicant
agency for a group of school districts for federal special education aids for fiscal year
2006 may apply to the commissioner for authority to charge the resident district an
additional amount to recover any remaining unreimbursed costs of serving pupils with
a disability. The application must include a description of the costs and the calculations
used to determine the unreimbursed portion to be charged to the resident district. Amounts
approved by the commissioner under this paragraph must be included in the tuition billings
or aid adjustments under paragraph (a), or section 127A.47, subdivision 7, paragraphs
(b) to (d), as applicable.
    (c) For purposes of this subdivision and section 127A.47, subdivision 7, paragraphs
(d) and (e) paragraph (b), "general education revenue and referendum equalization aid"
means the sum of the general education revenue according to section 126C.10, subdivision
1, excluding the local optional levy according to section 126C.10, subdivision 2e, paragraph
(c), plus the referendum equalization aid according to section 126C.17, subdivision 7.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 37. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 125A.76, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) For the purposes of this section and section 125A.79,
the definitions in this subdivision apply.
    (b) "Basic revenue" has the meaning given it in section 126C.10, subdivision 2.
For the purposes of computing basic revenue pursuant to this section, each child with a
disability shall be counted as prescribed in section 126C.05, subdivision 1.
    (c) "Essential personnel" means teachers, cultural liaisons, related services, and
support services staff providing services to students. Essential personnel may also include
special education paraprofessionals or clericals providing support to teachers and students
by preparing paperwork and making arrangements related to special education compliance
requirements, including parent meetings and individualized education programs. Essential
personnel does not include administrators and supervisors.
    (d) "Average daily membership" has the meaning given it in section 126C.05.
    (e) "Program growth factor" means 1.046 for fiscal years 2012 though through 2015,
1.0 for fiscal year 2016, 1.046 for fiscal year 2017, and the product of 1.046 and the
program growth factor for the previous year for fiscal year 2018 and later.
(f) "Nonfederal special education expenditure" means all direct expenditures that
are necessary and essential to meet the district's obligation to provide special instruction
and services to children with a disability according to sections 124D.454, 125A.03 to
125A.24 , 125A.259 to 125A.48, and 125A.65 as submitted by the district and approved by
the department under section 125A.75, subdivision 4, excluding expenditures:
(1) reimbursed with federal funds;
(2) reimbursed with other state aids under this chapter;
(3) for general education costs of serving students with a disability;
(4) for facilities;
(5) for pupil transportation; and
(6) for postemployment benefits.
(g) "Old formula special education expenditures" means expenditures eligible for
revenue under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 125A.76, subdivision 2.
    (h) For the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf and the Minnesota State Academy
for the Blind, expenditures are limited to the salary and fringe benefits of one-to-one
instructional and behavior management aides assigned to a child attending the academy, if
the aides are required by the child's individualized education program.
(h) (i) "Cross subsidy reduction aid percentage" means 1.0 percent for fiscal year
2014 and 2.27 percent for fiscal year 2015.
(i) (j) "Cross subsidy reduction aid limit" means $20 for fiscal year 2014 and $48
for fiscal year 2015.
(j) (k) "Special education aid increase limit" means $80 for fiscal year 2016, $100
for fiscal year 2017, and, for fiscal year 2018 and later, the sum of the special education
aid increase limit for the previous fiscal year and $40.

    Sec. 38. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 125A.76, subdivision 2a,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 2a. Special education initial aid. For fiscal year 2016 and later, a district's
special education initial aid equals the sum of:
(1) the lesser least of 62 percent of the district's old formula special education
expenditures for the prior fiscal year, excluding pupil transportation expenditures, 50
percent of the district's nonfederal special education expenditures for the prior year,
excluding pupil transportation expenditures, or 56 percent of the product of the sum of the
following amounts, computed using prior fiscal year data, and the program growth factor:
(i) the product of the district's average daily membership served and the sum of:
(A) $450; plus
(B) $400 times the ratio of the sum of the number of pupils enrolled on October 1
who are eligible to receive free lunch plus one-half of the pupils enrolled on October 1
who are eligible to receive reduced-price lunch to the total October 1 enrollment; plus
(C) .008 times the district's average daily membership served; plus
(ii) $10,400 times the December 1 child count for the primary disability areas of
autism spectrum disorders, developmental delay, and severely multiply impaired; plus
(iii) $18,000 times the December 1 child count for the primary disability areas of
deaf and hard-of-hearing and emotional or behavioral disorders; plus
(iv) $27,000 times the December 1 child count for the primary disability areas of
developmentally cognitive mild-moderate, developmentally cognitive severe-profound,
physically impaired, visually impaired, and deafblind; plus
(2) the cost of providing transportation services for children with disabilities under
section 123B.92, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), clause (4).
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2016
and later.

    Sec. 39. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 125A.76, subdivision 2b,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 2b. Cross subsidy reduction aid. For fiscal years 2014 and 2015, the cross
subsidy reduction aid for a school district, not including a charter school, equals the
lesser of (a) the product of the cross subsidy reduction aid limit and the district's average
daily membership served or (b) the sum of the product of the cross subsidy reduction aid
percentage, the district's average daily membership served, and the sum of:
(1) $450; plus
(2) $400 times the ratio of the sum of the number of pupils enrolled on October 1
who are eligible to receive free lunch plus one-half of the pupils enrolled on October 1
who are eligible to receive reduced-price lunch to the total October 1 enrollment; plus
(3) .008 times the district's average daily membership served; plus the product of the
cross subsidy aid percentage and the sum of:
(i) $10,100 times the December 1 child count for the primary disability areas of
autism spectrum disorders, developmental delay, and severely multiply impaired; plus
(ii) $17,500 times the December 1 child count for the primary disability areas of
deaf and hard-of-hearing and emotional or behavioral disorders; plus
(iii) $26,000 times the December 1 child count for the primary disability areas of
developmentally cognitive mild-moderate, developmentally cognitive severe-profound,
physically impaired, visually impaired, and deafblind.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to revenue for fiscal year 2014 and later.

    Sec. 40. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 125A.76, subdivision 2c,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 2c. Special education aid. (a) For fiscal year 2014 and fiscal year 2015, a
district's special education aid equals the sum of the district's special education initial aid
under subdivision 5, the district's cross subsidy reduction aid under subdivision 2b, and
the district's excess cost aid under section 125A.79, subdivision 7.
(b) For fiscal year 2016 and later, a district's special education aid equals the sum of
the district's special education initial aid under subdivision 2a and the district's excess cost
aid under section 125A.79, subdivision 5.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), for fiscal year 2016, the special education aid for
a school district must not exceed the sum of the special education aid the district would
have received for fiscal year 2016 under Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 125A.76
and 125A.79, as adjusted according to Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 125A.11 and
127A.47, subdivision 7 , and the product of the district's average daily membership served
and the special education aid increase limit.
(d) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), for fiscal year 2017 and later, the special education
aid for a school district must not exceed the sum of: (i) the product of the district's average
daily membership served and the special education aid increase limit and (ii) the product
of the sum of the special education aid the district would have received for fiscal year 2016
under Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 125A.76 and 125A.79, as adjusted according
to Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 125A.11 and 127A.47, subdivision 7, the ratio of
the district's average daily membership served for the current fiscal year to the district's
average daily membership served for fiscal year 2016, and the program growth factor.
(e) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), for fiscal year 2016 and later the special education
aid for a school district, not including a charter school, must not be less than the lesser of
(1) the district's nonfederal special education expenditures for that fiscal year or (2) the
product of the sum of the special education aid the district would have received for fiscal
year 2016 under Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 125A.76 and 125A.79, as adjusted
according to Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 125A.11 and 127A.47, subdivision 7, the
ratio of the district's adjusted daily membership for the current fiscal year to the district's
average daily membership for fiscal year 2016, and the program growth factor.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to revenue for fiscal year 2014 and later.

    Sec. 41. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 125A.79, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the definitions in this
subdivision apply.
    (a) "Unreimbursed old formula special education expenditures" means:
    (1) old formula special education expenditures for the prior fiscal year; minus
    (2) for fiscal years 2014 and 2015, the sum of the special education aid under section
125A.76, subdivision 5, for the prior fiscal year and the cross subsidy reduction aid under
section 125A.76, subdivision 2b, and for fiscal year 2016 and later, the special education
initial aid under section 125A.76, subdivision 2a; minus
(3) for fiscal year 2016 and later, the amount of general education revenue, excluding
local optional revenue, plus local optional aid and referendum equalization aid for the
prior fiscal year attributable to pupils receiving special instruction and services outside the
regular classroom for more than 60 percent of the school day for the portion of time the
pupils receive special instruction and services outside the regular classroom, excluding
portions attributable to district and school administration, district support services,
operations and maintenance, capital expenditures, and pupil transportation.
(b) "Unreimbursed nonfederal special education expenditures" means:
(1) nonfederal special education expenditures for the prior fiscal year; minus
(2) special education initial aid under section 125A.76, subdivision 2a; minus
(3) the amount of general education revenue and referendum equalization aid for the
prior fiscal year attributable to pupils receiving special instruction and services outside the
regular classroom for more than 60 percent of the school day for the portion of time the
pupils receive special instruction and services outside of the regular classroom, excluding
portions attributable to district and school administration, district support services,
operations and maintenance, capital expenditures, and pupil transportation.
    (c) "General revenue" for a school district means the sum of the general education
revenue according to section 126C.10, subdivision 1, excluding alternative teacher
compensation revenue, minus transportation sparsity revenue minus, local optional
revenue, and total operating capital revenue. "General revenue" for a charter school means
the sum of the general education revenue according to section 124D.11, subdivision 1, and
transportation revenue according to section 124D.11, subdivision 2, excluding alternative
teacher compensation revenue, minus referendum equalization aid minus, transportation
sparsity revenue minus, and operating capital revenue.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to revenue for fiscal year 2014 and later.

    Sec. 42. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 125A.79, subdivision 5, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 5. Initial Excess cost aid. For fiscal year 2016 and later, a district's initial
excess cost aid equals the greater of:
    (1) 56 percent of the difference between (i) the district's unreimbursed nonfederal
special education expenditures and (ii) 7.0 percent of the district's general revenue;
    (2) 62 percent of the difference between (i) the district's unreimbursed old formula
special education expenditures and (ii) 2.5 percent of the district's general revenue; or
    (3) zero.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2016
and later.

    Sec. 43. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 125A.79, subdivision 8, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 8. Out-of-state tuition. For children who are residents of the state, receive
services under section 125A.76, subdivisions 1 and 2, and are placed in a care and
treatment facility by court action in a state that does not have a reciprocity agreement with
the commissioner under section 125A.155, the resident school district shall submit the
balance receive special education out-of-state tuition aid equal to the amount of the tuition
bills, minus (1) the general education revenue, excluding basic skills revenue and the local
optional levy attributable to the pupil, calculated using the resident district's average
general education revenue per adjusted pupil unit, and (2) the referendum equalization aid
attributable to the pupil, calculated using the resident district's average general education
revenue and referendum equalization aid per adjusted pupil unit minus, and (3) the special
education contracted services initial revenue aid attributable to the pupil.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 44. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.05, subdivision 15,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 15. Learning year pupil units. (a) When a pupil is enrolled in a learning
year program under section 124D.128, an area learning center or an alternative learning
program approved by the commissioner under sections 123A.05 and 123A.06, or a
contract alternative program under section 124D.68, subdivision 3, paragraph (d), or
subdivision 4, for more than 1,020 hours in a school year for a secondary student, more
than 935 hours in a school year for an elementary student, more than 850 hours in a school
year for a kindergarten student without a disability in an all-day kindergarten program,
or more than 425 hours in a school year for a half-day kindergarten student without a
disability, that pupil may be counted as more than one pupil in average daily membership
for purposes of section 126C.10, subdivision 2a. The amount in excess of one pupil must
be determined by the ratio of the number of hours of instruction provided to that pupil in
excess of: (i) the greater of 1,020 hours or the number of hours required for a full-time
secondary pupil in the district to 1,020 for a secondary pupil; (ii) the greater of 935 hours
or the number of hours required for a full-time elementary pupil in the district to 935 for
an elementary pupil in grades 1 through 6; and (iii) the greater of 425 850 hours or the
number of hours required for a full-time kindergarten student without a disability in the
district to 425 850 for a kindergarten student without a disability; and (iv) the greater of
425 hours or the number of hours required for a half-time kindergarten student without a
disability in the district to 425 for a half-day kindergarten student without a disability.
Hours that occur after the close of the instructional year in June shall be attributable to
the following fiscal year. A student in kindergarten or grades 1 through 12 must not be
counted as more than 1.2 pupils in average daily membership under this subdivision.
(b)(i) To receive general education revenue for a pupil in an area learning center
or alternative learning program that has an independent study component, a district
must meet the requirements in this paragraph. The district must develop, for the pupil,
a continual learning plan consistent with section 124D.128, subdivision 3. Each school
district that has an area learning center or alternative learning program must reserve
revenue in an amount equal to at least 90 percent of the district average general education
revenue per pupil unit, minus an amount equal to the product of the formula allowance
according to section 126C.10, subdivision 2, times .0466, calculated without basic skills
and transportation sparsity revenue, times the number of pupil units generated by students
attending an area learning center or alternative learning program. The amount of reserved
revenue available under this subdivision may only be spent for program costs associated
with the area learning center or alternative learning program. Basic skills revenue
generated according to section 126C.10, subdivision 4, by pupils attending the eligible
program must be allocated to the program.
(ii) General education revenue for a pupil in a state-approved alternative program
without an independent study component must be prorated for a pupil participating for less
than a full year, or its equivalent. The district must develop a continual learning plan for the
pupil, consistent with section 124D.128, subdivision 3. Each school district that has an area
learning center or alternative learning program must reserve revenue in an amount equal to
at least 90 percent of the district average general education revenue per pupil unit, minus
an amount equal to the product of the formula allowance according to section 126C.10,
subdivision 2 , times .0466, calculated without basic skills and transportation sparsity
revenue, times the number of pupil units generated by students attending an area learning
center or alternative learning program. The amount of reserved revenue available under this
subdivision may only be spent for program costs associated with the area learning center or
alternative learning program. Basic skills revenue generated according to section 126C.10,
subdivision 4 , by pupils attending the eligible program must be allocated to the program.
(iii) General education revenue for a pupil in a state-approved alternative program
that has an independent study component must be paid for each hour of teacher contact
time and each hour of independent study time completed toward a credit or graduation
standards necessary for graduation. Average daily membership for a pupil shall equal the
number of hours of teacher contact time and independent study time divided by 1,020.
(iv) For a state-approved alternative program having an independent study
component, the commissioner shall require a description of the courses in the program, the
kinds of independent study involved, the expected learning outcomes of the courses, and
the means of measuring student performance against the expected outcomes.

    Sec. 45. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.10, subdivision 2a,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 2a. Extended time revenue. (a) A school district's extended time revenue for
fiscal year 2014 is equal to the product of $4,601 and the sum of the adjusted marginal
cost pupil units of the district for each pupil in average daily membership in excess of 1.0
and less than 1.2 according to section 126C.05, subdivision 8. A school district's extended
time revenue for fiscal year 2015 and later is equal to the product of $5,017 and the sum
of the adjusted pupil units of the district for each pupil in average daily membership in
excess of 1.0 and less than 1.2 according to section 126C.05, subdivision 8.
(b) A school district's extended time revenue may be used for extended day
programs, extended week programs, summer school, and other programming authorized
under the learning year program.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to revenue for fiscal year 2014 and later.

    Sec. 46. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.10, subdivision 2d,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 2d. Declining enrollment revenue. (a) A school district's declining
enrollment revenue equals the greater of zero or the product of: (1) 28 percent of the
formula allowance for that year and (2) the difference between the adjusted pupil units for
the preceding year and the adjusted pupil units for the current year.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), for fiscal years 2015, 2016, and 2017 only, a pupil
enrolled at the Crosswinds school shall not generate declining enrollment revenue for the
district or charter school in which the pupil was last counted in average daily membership.

    Sec. 47. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.10, subdivision 13a,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 13a. Operating capital levy. To obtain operating capital revenue for fiscal
year 2015 and later, a district may levy an amount not more than the product of its
operating capital revenue for the fiscal year times the lesser of one or the ratio of its
adjusted net tax capacity per adjusted marginal cost pupil unit to the operating capital
equalizing factor. The operating capital equalizing factor equals $14,500 $14,500 for
fiscal year 2015, $15,315 for fiscal year 2016, and $15,043 for fiscal year 2017 and later.

    Sec. 48. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.10, subdivision 24,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 24. Equity revenue. (a) A school district qualifies for equity revenue if:
    (1) the school district's adjusted pupil unit amount of basic revenue, transition
revenue, and referendum revenue is less than the value of the school district at or
immediately above the 95th percentile of school districts in its equity region for those
revenue categories; and
    (2) the school district's administrative offices are not located in a city of the first
class on July 1, 1999.
    (b) Equity revenue for a qualifying district that receives referendum revenue under
section 126C.17, subdivision 4, equals the product of (1) the district's adjusted pupil
units for that year; times (2) the sum of (i) $14, plus (ii) $80, times the school district's
equity index computed under subdivision 27.
    (c) Equity revenue for a qualifying district that does not receive referendum revenue
under section 126C.17, subdivision 4, equals the product of the district's adjusted pupil
units for that year times $14.
    (d) A school district's equity revenue is increased by the greater of zero or an amount
equal to the district's resident adjusted pupil units times the difference between ten percent
of the statewide average amount of referendum revenue per resident adjusted pupil unit for
that year and the district's referendum revenue per resident adjusted pupil unit. A school
district's revenue under this paragraph must not exceed $100,000 for that year.
    (e) A school district's equity revenue for a school district located in the metro equity
region equals the amount computed in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) multiplied by 1.25.
    (f) A school district's additional equity revenue equals $50 times its adjusted pupil
units.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 49. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.10, subdivision 25, is amended to read:
    Subd. 25. Regional equity gap. The regional equity gap equals the difference
between the value of the school district at or immediately above the fifth percentile of
adjusted general revenue per adjusted marginal cost pupil unit and the value of the school
district at or immediately above the 95th percentile of adjusted general revenue per
adjusted marginal cost pupil unit.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 50. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.10, subdivision 26, is amended to read:
    Subd. 26. District equity gap. A district's equity gap equals the greater of zero
or the difference between the district's adjusted general revenue and the value of the
school district at or immediately above the regional 95th percentile of adjusted general
revenue per adjusted marginal cost pupil unit.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 51. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.10, subdivision 28, is amended to read:
    Subd. 28. Equity region. For the purposes of computing equity revenue under
subdivision 24, a district with its administrative office located in Anoka, Carver, Dakota,
Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, or Washington County on January 1, 2012, with any of its area
located within the seven-county metropolitan area is part of the metro equity region. All
other districts are part of the rural equity region.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for fiscal year 2015 and later.

    Sec. 52. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.10, subdivision 31,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 31. Transition revenue. (a) A district's transition allowance equals the
sum of the transition revenue the district would have received for fiscal year 2015 under
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.10, subdivisions 31, 31a, and 31c, and the greater
of zero or the difference between:
    (1) the sum of:
    (i) the general education revenue the district would have received for fiscal year
2015 according to Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.10;
(ii) the integration revenue the district received for fiscal year 2013 under Minnesota
Statutes 2012, section 124D.86;
(iii) the pension adjustment the district would have received for fiscal year 2015
under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 127A.50;
(iv) the special education aid the district would have received for fiscal year 2015
under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 125A.76; and
(v) the special education excess cost aid the district would have received for fiscal
year 2015 under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 125A.79; and
(2) the sum of the district's:
(i) general education revenue for fiscal year 2015 excluding transition revenue
under this section;
(ii) achievement and integration revenue for fiscal year 2015 under section
124D.862 ; and
(iii) special education aid for fiscal year 2015 under section 125A.76; and
(iv) alternative teacher compensation revenue for fiscal year 2015 under section
122A.415,
divided by the number of adjusted pupil units for fiscal year 2015.
    (b) A district's transition revenue for fiscal year 2015 and later equals the product of
the district's transition allowance times the district's adjusted pupil units.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 53. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.17, subdivision 6, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 6. Referendum equalization levy. (a) For fiscal year 2003 and later,
A district's referendum equalization levy equals the sum of the first tier referendum
equalization levy, the second tier referendum equalization levy, and the third tier
referendum equalization levy.
(b) A district's first tier referendum equalization levy equals the district's first tier
referendum equalization revenue times the lesser of one or the ratio of the district's
referendum market value per resident pupil unit to $880,000.
(c) A district's second tier referendum equalization levy equals the district's second
tier referendum equalization revenue times the lesser of one or the ratio of the district's
referendum market value per resident pupil unit to $510,000.
(d) A district's third tier referendum equalization levy equals the district's third
tier referendum equalization revenue times the lesser of one or the ratio of the district's
referendum market value per resident pupil unit to $290,000.

    Sec. 54. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.17, subdivision 7b,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 7b. Referendum aid guarantee. (a) Notwithstanding subdivision 7, the sum
of a district's referendum equalization aid and local optional aid under section 126C.10,
subdivision 2e, for fiscal year 2015 must not be less than the sum of the referendum
equalization aid the district would have received for fiscal year 2015 under Minnesota
Statutes 2012, section 126C.17, subdivision 7, and the adjustment the district would have
received under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 127A.47, subdivision 7, paragraphs
(a), (b), and (c).
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision 7, the sum of referendum equalization aid and local
optional aid under section 126C.10, subdivision 2e, for fiscal year 2016 and later, for a
district qualifying for additional aid under paragraph (a) for fiscal year 2015, must not
be less than the product of (1) the district's referendum equalization aid for fiscal year
2015, times (2) the lesser of one or the ratio of the district's referendum revenue for that
school year to the district's referendum revenue for fiscal year 2015, times (3) the lesser
of one or the ratio of the district's referendum market value used for fiscal year 2015
referendum equalization calculations to the district's referendum market value used for
that year's referendum equalization calculations.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 55. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.17, subdivision 9, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 9. Referendum revenue. (a) The revenue authorized by section 126C.10,
subdivision 1 , may be increased in the amount approved by the voters of the district
at a referendum called for the purpose. The referendum may be called by the board.
The referendum must be conducted one or two calendar years before the increased levy
authority, if approved, first becomes payable. Only one election to approve an increase
may be held in a calendar year. Unless the referendum is conducted by mail under
subdivision 11, paragraph (a), the referendum must be held on the first Tuesday after the
first Monday in November. The ballot must state the maximum amount of the increased
revenue per adjusted pupil unit. The ballot may state a schedule, determined by the board,
of increased revenue per adjusted pupil unit that differs from year to year over the number
of years for which the increased revenue is authorized or may state that the amount shall
increase annually by the rate of inflation. For this purpose, the rate of inflation shall be the
annual inflationary increase calculated under subdivision 2, paragraph (b). The ballot may
state that existing referendum levy authority is expiring. In this case, the ballot may also
compare the proposed levy authority to the existing expiring levy authority, and express
the proposed increase as the amount, if any, over the expiring referendum levy authority.
The ballot must designate the specific number of years, not to exceed ten, for which the
referendum authorization applies. The ballot, including a ballot on the question to revoke
or reduce the increased revenue amount under paragraph (c), must abbreviate the term
"per adjusted pupil unit" as "per pupil." The notice required under section 275.60 may
be modified to read, in cases of renewing existing levies at the same amount per pupil
as in the previous year:
"BY VOTING "YES" ON THIS BALLOT QUESTION, YOU ARE VOTING
TO EXTEND AN EXISTING PROPERTY TAX REFERENDUM THAT IS
SCHEDULED TO EXPIRE."
    The ballot may contain a textual portion with the information required in this
subdivision and a question stating substantially the following:
    "Shall the increase in the revenue proposed by (petition to) the board of .........,
School District No. .., be approved?"
    If approved, an amount equal to the approved revenue per adjusted pupil unit times
the adjusted pupil units for the school year beginning in the year after the levy is certified
shall be authorized for certification for the number of years approved, if applicable, or
until revoked or reduced by the voters of the district at a subsequent referendum.
    (b) The board must prepare and deliver by first class mail at least 15 days but no more
than 30 days before the day of the referendum to each taxpayer a notice of the referendum
and the proposed revenue increase. The board need not mail more than one notice to any
taxpayer. For the purpose of giving mailed notice under this subdivision, owners must be
those shown to be owners on the records of the county auditor or, in any county where
tax statements are mailed by the county treasurer, on the records of the county treasurer.
Every property owner whose name does not appear on the records of the county auditor
or the county treasurer is deemed to have waived this mailed notice unless the owner
has requested in writing that the county auditor or county treasurer, as the case may be,
include the name on the records for this purpose. The notice must project the anticipated
amount of tax increase in annual dollars for typical residential homesteads, agricultural
homesteads, apartments, and commercial-industrial property within the school district.
    The notice for a referendum may state that an existing referendum levy is expiring
and project the anticipated amount of increase over the existing referendum levy in
the first year, if any, in annual dollars for typical residential homesteads, agricultural
homesteads, apartments, and commercial-industrial property within the district.
    The notice must include the following statement: "Passage of this referendum will
result in an increase in your property taxes." However, in cases of renewing existing levies,
the notice may include the following statement: "Passage of this referendum extends an
existing operating referendum at the same amount per pupil as in the previous year."
    (c) A referendum on the question of revoking or reducing the increased revenue
amount authorized pursuant to paragraph (a) may be called by the board. A referendum to
revoke or reduce the revenue amount must state the amount per resident marginal cost
adjusted pupil unit by which the authority is to be reduced. Revenue authority approved
by the voters of the district pursuant to paragraph (a) must be available to the school
district at least once before it is subject to a referendum on its revocation or reduction for
subsequent years. Only one revocation or reduction referendum may be held to revoke or
reduce referendum revenue for any specific year and for years thereafter.
    (d) The approval of 50 percent plus one of those voting on the question is required to
pass a referendum authorized by this subdivision.
    (e) At least 15 days before the day of the referendum, the district must submit a
copy of the notice required under paragraph (b) to the commissioner and to the county
auditor of each county in which the district is located. Within 15 days after the results
of the referendum have been certified by the board, or in the case of a recount, the
certification of the results of the recount by the canvassing board, the district must notify
the commissioner of the results of the referendum.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 56. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.17, subdivision 9a,
is amended to read:
    Subd. 9a. Board-approved referendum allowance. Notwithstanding subdivision
9, a school district may convert up to $300 per adjusted pupil unit of referendum authority
from voter approved to board approved by a board vote. A district with less than $300 per
adjusted pupil unit of referendum authority after the local optional revenue subtraction
under subdivision 1 may authorize new referendum authority up to the difference between
$300 per adjusted pupil unit and the district's referendum authority. The board may
authorize this levy for up to five years and may subsequently reauthorize that authority
in increments of up to five years.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 57. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.40, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. To lease building or land. (a) When an independent or a special
school district or a group of independent or special school districts finds it economically
advantageous to rent or lease a building or land for any instructional purposes or for
school storage or furniture repair, and it determines that the operating capital revenue
authorized under section 126C.10, subdivision 13, is insufficient for this purpose, it may
apply to the commissioner for permission to make an additional capital expenditure levy
for this purpose. An application for permission to levy under this subdivision must contain
financial justification for the proposed levy, the terms and conditions of the proposed
lease, and a description of the space to be leased and its proposed use.
    (b) The criteria for approval of applications to levy under this subdivision must
include: the reasonableness of the price, the appropriateness of the space to the proposed
activity, the feasibility of transporting pupils to the leased building or land, conformity
of the lease to the laws and rules of the state of Minnesota, and the appropriateness of
the proposed lease to the space needs and the financial condition of the district. The
commissioner must not authorize a levy under this subdivision in an amount greater than
the cost to the district of renting or leasing a building or land for approved purposes.
The proceeds of this levy must not be used for custodial or other maintenance services.
A district may not levy under this subdivision for the purpose of leasing or renting a
district-owned building or site to itself.
    (c) For agreements finalized after July 1, 1997, a district may not levy under this
subdivision for the purpose of leasing: (1) a newly constructed building used primarily
for regular kindergarten, elementary, or secondary instruction; or (2) a newly constructed
building addition or additions used primarily for regular kindergarten, elementary, or
secondary instruction that contains more than 20 percent of the square footage of the
previously existing building.
    (d) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), a district may levy under this subdivision for the
purpose of leasing or renting a district-owned building or site to itself only if the amount
is needed by the district to make payments required by a lease purchase agreement,
installment purchase agreement, or other deferred payments agreement authorized by law,
and the levy meets the requirements of paragraph (c). A levy authorized for a district by
the commissioner under this paragraph may be in the amount needed by the district to
make payments required by a lease purchase agreement, installment purchase agreement,
or other deferred payments agreement authorized by law, provided that any agreement
include a provision giving the school districts the right to terminate the agreement
annually without penalty.
    (e) The total levy under this subdivision for a district for any year must not exceed
$162 $212 times the adjusted pupil units for the fiscal year to which the levy is attributable.
    (f) For agreements for which a review and comment have been submitted to the
Department of Education after April 1, 1998, the term "instructional purpose" as used in
this subdivision excludes expenditures on stadiums.
    (g) The commissioner of education may authorize a school district to exceed the
limit in paragraph (e) if the school district petitions the commissioner for approval. The
commissioner shall grant approval to a school district to exceed the limit in paragraph (e)
for not more than five years if the district meets the following criteria:
    (1) the school district has been experiencing pupil enrollment growth in the
preceding five years;
    (2) the purpose of the increased levy is in the long-term public interest;
    (3) the purpose of the increased levy promotes colocation of government services; and
    (4) the purpose of the increased levy is in the long-term interest of the district by
avoiding over construction of school facilities.
    (h) A school district that is a member of an intermediate school district may include
in its authority under this section the costs associated with leases of administrative and
classroom space for intermediate school district programs. This authority must not exceed
$46 $65 times the adjusted pupil units of the member districts. This authority is in addition
to any other authority authorized under this section.
    (i) In addition to the allowable capital levies in paragraph (a), for taxes payable in
2012 to 2023, a district that is a member of the "Technology and Information Education
Systems" data processing joint board, that finds it economically advantageous to enter into
a lease agreement to finance improvements to a building and land for a group of school
districts or special school districts for staff development purposes, may levy for its portion
of lease costs attributed to the district within the total levy limit in paragraph (e). The total
levy authority under this paragraph shall not exceed $632,000.
(j) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), a district may levy under this subdivision for the
purpose of leasing administrative space if the district can demonstrate to the satisfaction of
the commissioner that the lease cost for the administrative space is no greater than the
lease cost for instructional space that the district would otherwise lease. The commissioner
must deny this levy authority unless the district passes a resolution stating its intent to
lease instructional space under this section if the commissioner does not grant authority
under this paragraph. The resolution must also certify that the lease cost for administrative
space under this paragraph is no greater than the lease cost for the district's proposed
instructional lease.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for taxes payable in 2015 and later.

    Sec. 58. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.44, is amended to read:
126C.44 SAFE SCHOOLS LEVY.
    (a) Each district may make a levy on all taxable property located within the district
for the purposes specified in this section. The maximum amount which may be levied for
all costs under this section shall be equal to $36 multiplied by the district's adjusted pupil
units for the school year. The proceeds of the levy must be reserved and used for directly
funding the following purposes or for reimbursing the cities and counties who contract
with the district for the following purposes:
    (1) to pay the costs incurred for the salaries, benefits, and transportation costs of
peace officers and sheriffs for liaison in services in the district's schools;
    (2) to pay the costs for a drug abuse prevention program as defined in section
609.101, subdivision 3 , paragraph (e), in the elementary schools;
    (3) to pay the costs for a gang resistance education training curriculum in the
district's schools;
    (4) to pay the costs for security in the district's schools and on school property;
    (5) to pay the costs for other crime prevention, drug abuse, student and staff safety,
voluntary opt-in suicide prevention tools, and violence prevention measures taken by
the school district;
    (6) to pay costs for licensed school counselors, licensed school nurses, licensed
school social workers, licensed school psychologists, and licensed alcohol and chemical
dependency counselors to help provide early responses to problems;
    (7) to pay for facility security enhancements including laminated glass, public
announcement systems, emergency communications devices, and equipment and facility
modifications related to violence prevention and facility security;
    (8) to pay for costs associated with improving the school climate; or
    (9) to pay costs for colocating and collaborating with mental health professionals
who are not district employees or contractors.
    (b) For expenditures under paragraph (a), clause (1), the district must initially
attempt to contract for services to be provided by peace officers or sheriffs with the
police department of each city or the sheriff's department of the county within the district
containing the school receiving the services. If a local police department or a county
sheriff's department does not wish to provide the necessary services, the district may
contract for these services with any other police or sheriff's department located entirely or
partially within the school district's boundaries.
    (c) A school district that is a member of an intermediate school district may
include in its authority under this section the costs associated with safe schools activities
authorized under paragraph (a) for intermediate school district programs. This authority
must not exceed $10 $15 times the adjusted marginal cost pupil units of the member
districts. This authority is in addition to any other authority authorized under this section.
Revenue raised under this paragraph must be transferred to the intermediate school district.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for taxes payable in fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 59. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.48, subdivision 8, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 8. Taconite payment and other reductions. (1) Reductions in levies
pursuant to subdivision 1 must be made prior to the reductions in clause (2).
(2) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, districts that have revenue
pursuant to sections 298.018; 298.225; 298.24 to 298.28, except an amount distributed
under sections 298.26; 298.28, subdivision 4, paragraphs (c), clause (ii), and (d); 298.34
to 298.39; 298.391 to 298.396; 298.405; 477A.15; and any law imposing a tax upon
severed mineral values must reduce the levies authorized by this chapter and chapters
120B, 122A, 123A, 123B, 124A, 124D, 125A, and 127A by 95 percent of the sum of the
previous year's revenue specified under this clause and the amount attributable to the same
production year distributed to the cities and townships within the school district under
section 298.28, subdivision 2, paragraph (c).
(3) The amount of any voter approved referendum, facilities down payment, and
debt levies shall not be reduced by more than 50 percent under this subdivision, except that
payments under sections 298.28, subdivision 7a, and 298.292, subdivision 2, clause (6),
may reduce the debt service levy by more than 50 percent. In administering this paragraph,
the commissioner shall first reduce the nonvoter approved levies of a district; then, if any
payments, severed mineral value tax revenue or recognized revenue under paragraph (2)
remains, the commissioner shall reduce any voter approved referendum levies authorized
under section 126C.17; then, if any payments, severed mineral value tax revenue or
recognized revenue under paragraph (2) remains, the commissioner shall reduce any voter
approved facilities down payment levies authorized under section 123B.63 and then, if
any payments, severed mineral value tax revenue or recognized revenue under paragraph
(2) remains, the commissioner shall reduce any voter approved debt levies.
(4) Before computing the reduction pursuant to this subdivision of the health and
safety levy authorized by sections 123B.57 and 126C.40, subdivision 5, the commissioner
shall ascertain from each affected school district the amount it proposes to levy under
each section or subdivision. The reduction shall be computed on the basis of the amount
so ascertained.
(5) To the extent the levy reduction calculated under paragraph (2) exceeds the
limitation in paragraph (3), an amount equal to the excess must be distributed from the
school district's distribution under sections 298.225, 298.28, and 477A.15 in the following
year to the cities and townships within the school district in the proportion that their
taxable net tax capacity within the school district bears to the taxable net tax capacity of
the school district for property taxes payable in the year prior to distribution. No city or
township shall receive a distribution greater than its levy for taxes payable in the year prior
to distribution. The commissioner of revenue shall certify the distributions of cities and
towns under this paragraph to the county auditor by September 30 of the year preceding
distribution. The county auditor shall reduce the proposed and final levies of cities and
towns receiving distributions by the amount of their distribution. Distributions to the cities
and towns shall be made at the times provided under section 298.27.

    Sec. 60. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 127A.45, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Definitions. (a) "Other district receipts" means payments by county
treasurers pursuant to section 276.10, apportionments from the school endowment fund
pursuant to section 127A.33, apportionments by the county auditor pursuant to section
127A.34, subdivision 2 , and payments to school districts by the commissioner of revenue
pursuant to chapter 298.
(b) "Cumulative amount guaranteed" means the product of
(1) the cumulative disbursement percentage shown in subdivision 3; times
(2) the sum of
(i) the current year aid payment percentage of the estimated aid and credit
entitlements paid according to subdivision 13; plus
(ii) 100 percent of the entitlements paid according to subdivisions 11 and 12; plus
(iii) the other district receipts.
(c) "Payment date" means the date on which state payments to districts are made
by the electronic funds transfer method. If a payment date falls on a Saturday, a Sunday,
or a weekday which is a legal holiday, the payment shall be made on the immediately
preceding business day. The commissioner may make payments on dates other than
those listed in subdivision 3, but only for portions of payments from any preceding
payment dates which could not be processed by the electronic funds transfer method due
to documented extenuating circumstances.
(d) The current year aid payment percentage equals 73 in fiscal year 2010 and 70 in
fiscal year 2011, and 60 in fiscal years 2012 and later 90.

    Sec. 61. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 127A.47, subdivision 7, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 7. Alternative attendance programs. (a) The general education aid and
special education aid for districts must be adjusted for each pupil attending a nonresident
district under sections 123A.05 to 123A.08, 124D.03, 124D.08, and 124D.68. The
adjustments must be made according to this subdivision.
    (b) For purposes of this subdivision, the "unreimbursed cost of providing special
education and services" means the difference between: (1) the actual cost of providing
special instruction and services, including special transportation and unreimbursed
building lease and debt service costs for facilities used primarily for special education, for
a pupil with a disability, as defined in section 125A.02, or a pupil, as defined in section
125A.51 , who is enrolled in a program listed in this subdivision, minus (2) if the pupil
receives special instruction and services outside the regular classroom for more than
60 percent of the school day, the amount of general education revenue and referendum
equalization aid as defined in section 125A.11, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), attributable
to that pupil for the portion of time the pupil receives special instruction and services
outside of the regular classroom, excluding portions attributable to district and school
administration, district support services, operations and maintenance, capital expenditures,
and pupil transportation, minus (3) special education aid under section 125A.76
attributable to that pupil, that is received by the district providing special instruction and
services. For purposes of this paragraph, general education revenue and referendum
equalization aid attributable to a pupil must be calculated using the serving district's
average general education revenue and referendum equalization aid per adjusted pupil unit.
(c) For fiscal year 2015 and later, special education aid paid to a resident district
must be reduced by an amount equal to 90 percent of the unreimbursed cost of providing
special education and services.
(d) Notwithstanding paragraph (c), special education aid paid to a resident district
must be reduced by an amount equal to 100 percent of the unreimbursed cost of special
education and services provided to students at an intermediate district, cooperative, or
charter school where the percent of students eligible for special education services is at
least 70 percent of the charter school's total enrollment.
    (e) Special education aid paid to the district or cooperative providing special
instruction and services for the pupil, or to the fiscal agent district for a cooperative,
must be increased by the amount of the reduction in the aid paid to the resident district
under paragraphs (c) and (d). If the resident district's special education aid is insufficient
to make the full adjustment, the remaining adjustment shall be made to other state aids
due to the district.
    (f) An area learning center operated by a service cooperative, intermediate district,
education district, or a joint powers cooperative may elect through the action of the
constituent boards to charge the resident district tuition for pupils rather than to have the
general education revenue paid to a fiscal agent school district. Except as provided in
paragraph (e), the district of residence must pay tuition equal to at least between 90 and 100
percent of the district average general education revenue per pupil unit minus an amount
equal to the product of the formula allowance according to section 126C.10, subdivision
2 , times .0466, calculated without compensatory revenue and transportation sparsity
revenue, times the number of pupil units for pupils attending the area learning center.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2015
and later.

    Sec. 62. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 127A.70, subdivision 2, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Powers and duties; report. (a) The partnership shall develop
recommendations to the governor and the legislature designed to maximize the achievement
of all P-20 students while promoting the efficient use of state resources, thereby helping
the state realize the maximum value for its investment. These recommendations may
include, but are not limited to, strategies, policies, or other actions focused on:
    (1) improving the quality of and access to education at all points from preschool
through graduate education;
    (2) improving preparation for, and transitions to, postsecondary education and
work; and
    (3) ensuring educator quality by creating rigorous standards for teacher recruitment,
teacher preparation, induction and mentoring of beginning teachers, and continuous
professional development for career teachers; and
    (4) realigning the governance and administrative structures of early education,
kindergarten through grade 12, and postsecondary systems in Minnesota.
    (b) Under the direction of the P-20 Education Partnership Statewide Longitudinal
Education Data System Governance Committee, the Office of Higher Education and the
Departments of Education and Employment and Economic Development shall improve
and expand the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS) to provide
policymakers, education and workforce leaders, researchers, and members of the public
with data, research, and reports to:
(1) expand reporting on students' educational outcomes;
(2) evaluate the effectiveness of educational and workforce programs; and
(3) evaluate the relationship between education and workforce outcomes.
To the extent possible under federal and state law, research and reports should be
accessible to the public on the Internet, and disaggregated by demographic characteristics,
organization or organization characteristics, and geography.
It is the intent of the legislature that the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data
System inform public policy and decision-making. The SLEDS governance committee,
with assistance from staff of the Office of Higher Education, the Department of Education,
and the Department of Employment and Economic Development, shall respond to
legislative committee and agency requests on topics utilizing data made available through
the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System as resources permit. Any analysis of
or report on the data must contain only summary data.
    (c) By January 15 of each year, the partnership shall submit a report to the governor
and to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees and
divisions with jurisdiction over P-20 education policy and finance that summarizes the
partnership's progress in meeting its goals and identifies the need for any draft legislation
when necessary to further the goals of the partnership to maximize student achievement
while promoting efficient use of resources.

    Sec. 63. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 129C.10, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Powers and duties of board. (a) The board has the powers necessary for
the care, management, and control of the Perpich Center for Arts Education and any other
school authorized in this chapter, and all its their real and personal property. The powers
shall include, but are not limited to, those listed in this subdivision.
(b) The board may employ and discharge necessary employees, and contract for
other services to ensure the efficient operation of the Center for Arts Education and any
other school authorized in this chapter.
(c) The board may receive and award grants. The board may establish a charitable
foundation and accept, in trust or otherwise, any gift, grant, bequest, or devise for
educational purposes and hold, manage, invest, and dispose of them and the proceeds
and income of them according to the terms and conditions of the gift, grant, bequest, or
devise and its acceptance. The board must adopt internal procedures to administer and
monitor aids and grants.
(d) The board may establish or coordinate evening, continuing education, extension,
and summer programs for teachers and pupils.
(e) The board may identify pupils who have artistic talent, either demonstrated or
potential, in dance, literary arts, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts, or in more
than one art form.
(f) The board must educate pupils with artistic talent by providing:
(1) an interdisciplinary academic and arts program for pupils in the 11th and 12th
grades. The total number of pupils accepted under this clause and clause (2) shall not
exceed 310;
(2) additional instruction to pupils for a 13th grade. Pupils eligible for this
instruction are those enrolled in 12th grade who need extra instruction and who apply
to the board, or pupils enrolled in the 12th grade who do not meet learner outcomes
established by the board;
(3) intensive arts seminars for one or two weeks for pupils in grades 9 to 12;
(4) summer arts institutes for pupils in grades 9 to 12;
(5) artist mentor and extension programs in regional sites; and
(6) teacher education programs for indirect curriculum delivery.
(g) The board may determine the location for the Perpich Center for Arts Education
and any additional facilities related to the center, including the authority to lease a
temporary facility.
(h) The board must plan for the enrollment of pupils on an equal basis from each
congressional district.
(i) The board may establish task forces as needed to advise the board on policies and
issues. The task forces expire as provided in section 15.059, subdivision 6.
(j) The board may request the commissioner of education for assistance and services.
(k) The board may enter into contracts with other public and private agencies
and institutions for residential and building maintenance services if it determines that
these services could be provided more efficiently and less expensively by a contractor
than by the board itself. The board may also enter into contracts with public or private
agencies and institutions, school districts or combinations of school districts, or service
cooperatives to provide supplemental educational instruction and services.
(l) The board may provide or contract for services and programs by and for the
Center for Arts Education, including a store, operating in connection with the center;
theatrical events; and other programs and services that, in the determination of the board,
serve the purposes of the center.
(m) The board may provide for transportation of pupils to and from the Center for
Arts Education for all or part of the school year, as the board considers advisable and
subject to its rules. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the board may charge a
reasonable fee for transportation of pupils. Every driver providing transportation of pupils
under this paragraph must possess all qualifications required by the commissioner of
education. The board may contract for furnishing authorized transportation under rules
established by the commissioner of education and may purchase and furnish gasoline to a
contract carrier for use in the performance of a contract with the board for transportation
of pupils to and from the Center for Arts Education. When transportation is provided,
scheduling of routes, establishment of the location of bus stops, the manner and method of
transportation, the control and discipline of pupils, and any other related matter is within
the sole discretion, control, and management of the board.
(n) The board may provide room and board for its pupils. If the board provides room
and board, it shall charge a reasonable fee for the room and board. The fee is not subject
to chapter 14 and is not a prohibited fee according to sections 123B.34 to 123B.39.
(o) The board may establish and set fees for services and programs. If the board sets
fees not authorized or prohibited by the Minnesota public school fee law, it may do so
without complying with the requirements of section 123B.38.
(p) The board may apply for all competitive grants administered by agencies of the
state and other government or nongovernment sources.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 64. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 129C.10, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:
    Subd. 5a. Interdistrict voluntary integration magnet program. Notwithstanding
Minnesota Rules, parts 3535.0110 and 3535.0150, the board may establish and operate
an interdistrict integration magnet program according to section 129C.30. For fiscal year
2016 and later, the board must have an approved achievement and integration plan and
budget under section 124D.861.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 65. [129C.30] CROSSWINDS INTEGRATION MAGNET SCHOOL.
    Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) The following terms having the meanings given
them for this chapter.
(b) "Board" means the board of directors of the Perpich Center for Arts Education.
(c) "Crosswinds school" means the Crosswinds school in Woodbury operated during
the 2012-2013 school year by Joint Powers District No. 6067, East Metro Integration
District.
    Subd. 2. Board to operate the Crosswinds school. The board may operate the
Crosswinds school with the powers and duties granted to it under this chapter. A student
may apply to the Crosswinds school under section 124D.03 and the Crosswinds school
may accept students under that section.
    Subd. 3. General education funding. (a) General education revenue must be paid
to the Crosswinds school as though it were a district. The general education revenue for
each adjusted pupil unit is the state average general education revenue per pupil unit, plus
the referendum equalization aid allowance in the pupil's district of residence, minus an
amount equal to the product of the formula allowance according to section 126C.10,
subdivision 2, times .0466, calculated without declining enrollment, basic skills revenue,
extended time revenue, pension adjustment revenue, transition revenue, and transportation
sparsity revenue, plus declining enrollment, basic skills revenue, extended time revenue,
pension adjustment revenue, and transition revenue as though the school were a school
district. The general education revenue for each extended time pupil unit equals $4,794.
    (b) General education revenue under paragraph (a) must be reduced by an amount
equal to 75 percent of the school's equity revenue for that year.
    Subd. 4. Special education funding. Special education aid must be paid to the
Crosswinds school according to sections 125A.76 and 125A.79, as though it were a
school district. The special education aid paid to the Crosswinds school shall be adjusted
as follows:
(1) if the Crosswinds school does not receive general education revenue on behalf of
the student according to subdivision 3, the aid shall be adjusted as provided in section
125A.11; or
(2) if the Crosswinds school receives general education revenue on behalf of the
student according to subdivision 3, the aid shall be adjusted as provided in section
127A.47, subdivision 7, paragraphs (b) to (d).
    Subd. 5. Pupil transportation. For fiscal year 2015 only, a member district of Joint
Powers District No. 6067, East Metro Integration District must transport pupils enrolled at
the Crosswinds school in the same manner as they were transported in fiscal year 2014.
Pupil transportation expenses under this section are reimbursable under section 124D.87.
    Subd. 6. Achievement and integration aid. For fiscal year 2016 and later, the
Crosswinds school is eligible for achievement and integration aid under section 124D.862
as if it were a school district.
    Subd. 7. Other aids, grants, revenue. (a) The Crosswinds school is eligible to
receive other aids, grants, and revenue according to chapters 120A to 129C as though it
were a district.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the Crosswinds school may not receive aid, a
grant, or revenue if a levy is required to obtain the money, or if the aid, grant, or revenue
replaces levy revenue that is not general education revenue, except as otherwise provided
in this section.
(c) Federal aid received by the state must be paid to the school, if it qualifies for
the aid as though it were a school district.
(d) In the year-end report to the commissioner of education, the Crosswinds school
shall report the total amount of funds received from grants and other outside sources.
    Subd. 8. Year-round programming. The Crosswinds school may operate as a
flexible learning year program under sections 124D.12 to 124D.127.
    Subd. 9. Data requirements. The commissioner of education shall require the
Crosswinds school to follow the budget and accounting procedures required for school
districts and the Crosswinds school shall report all data to the Department of Education in
the form and manner required by the commissioner.

    Sec. 66. Minnesota Statutes 2013, section 298.28, subdivision 7a, as added by Laws
2014, chapter 150, article 6, section 13, is amended to read:
    Subd. 7a. Iron Range school consolidation and cooperatively operated school
account. The following amounts must be allocated to the Iron Range Resources and
Rehabilitation Board to be deposited in the Iron Range school consolidation and
cooperatively operated school account that is hereby created:
(1) ten cents per taxable ton of the tax imposed under section 298.24;
(2) the amount as determined under section 298.17, paragraph (b), clause (3); and
(3) for distributions in 2015 through 2017, an amount equal to two-thirds of the
increased tax proceeds attributable to the increase in the implicit price deflator as provided
in section 298.24, subdivision 1.
Expenditures from this account shall be made only to provide disbursements to
assist school districts with the payment of bonds that were issued for qualified school
projects, or for any other disbursement as approved by the Iron Range Resources and
Rehabilitation Board. For purposes of this section, "qualified school projects" means
school projects within the taconite assistance area as defined in section 273.1341, that
were (1) approved, by referendum, after December 7, 2009; and (2) approved by the
commissioner of education pursuant to section 123B.71.
Beginning in fiscal year 2019, the disbursement to school districts for payments for
bonds issued under section 123A.482, subdivision 9, must be increased each year to
offset any reduction in debt service equalization aid that the school district qualifies for in
that year, under section 123B.53, subdivision 6, compared with the amount the school
district qualified for in fiscal year 2018.
No expenditure under this section shall be made unless approved by seven members
of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for production year 2014 and
thereafter.

    Sec. 67. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 1, section 58, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. General education aid. For general education aid under Minnesota
Statutes, section 126C.13, subdivision 4:

		$	6,051,766,000 6,851,419,000	.....	2014
		$	6,370,640,000 6,441,704,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $781,842,000 $780,709,000 for 2013 and
$5,269,924,000 $6,071,263,000 for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $823,040,000 $589,095,000 for 2014 and
$5,547,600,000 $5,852,609,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 68. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 3, section 37, subdivision 15, is amended to
read:
    Subd. 15. Early childhood literacy programs. For early childhood literacy
programs under Minnesota Statutes, section 119A.50, subdivision 3:

		$	4,125,000	.....	2014
		$	4,125,000 6,125,000	.....	2015

Up to $4,125,000 each in the first year and $6,125,000 in the second year is for
leveraging federal and private funding to support AmeriCorps members serving in the
Minnesota Reading Corps program established by ServeMinnesota, including costs
associated with the training and teaching of early literacy skills to children age three to
grade 3 and the evaluation of the impact of the program under Minnesota Statutes, sections
124D.38, subdivision 2 , and 124D.42, subdivision 6. Up to $2,000,000 in fiscal year
2015 must be used to support priority and focus schools as defined by the Department
of Education and to expand kindergarten programming.
Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.
The base for fiscal year 2016 and later is $5,125,000.

    Sec. 69. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 5, section 31, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
    Subd. 8. Special education paperwork cost savings. For the contract to effect
special education paperwork cost savings under Minnesota Statutes, section 125A.08,
subdivision 2, paragraph (c):

$

1,763,000

.....

2014

For a transfer to MNIT. This appropriation is available in fiscal year 2015 if not
expended.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 70. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 7, section 21, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. School lunch. For school lunch aid according to Minnesota Statutes,
section 124D.111, and Code of Federal Regulations, title 7, section 210.17:

		$	13,032,000	.....	2014
		$	13,293,000 16,185,000	.....	2015

    Sec. 71. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 8, section 5, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. School readiness. For revenue for school readiness programs under
Minnesota Statutes, sections 124D.15 and 124D.16:

		$	10,095,000 10,458,000	.....	2014
		$	10,159,000 14,662,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $1,372,000 for 2013 and $8,723,000 $9,086,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $1,372,000 $1,009,000 for 2014 and $8,787,000
$13,653,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 72. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 8, section 5, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
    Subd. 8. Early childhood education scholarships. For transfer to the Office of
Early Learning for early learning scholarships under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.165:

		$	23,000,000	.....	2014
		$	23,000,000 35,000,000	.....	2015

Up to $950,000 each year is for administration of this program.
Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.
The base for fiscal year 2016 and later is $31,000,000.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2014.

    Sec. 73. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 8, section 5, subdivision 9, is amended to read:
    Subd. 9. Parent-child home program. For a grant to the parent-child home
program:

		$	250,000	.....	2014
		$	250,000 350,000	.....	2015

The grant must be used for an evidence-based and research-validated early childhood
literacy and school readiness program for children ages 16 months to four years at its
existing suburban program location. The program must expand to one additional urban
and one additional rural program location for fiscal years 2014 and 2015.

    Sec. 74. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 8, section 5, subdivision 14, is amended to read:
    Subd. 14. Adult basic education aid. For adult basic education aid under
Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.531:

		$	47,005,000 48,776,000	.....	2014
		$	48,145,000 48,415,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $6,284,000 for 2013 and $40,721,000 $42,498,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $6,409,000 $4,722,000 for 2014 and $41,736,000
$43,693,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 75. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 9, section 2, is amended to read:
    Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS; MINNESOTA STATE ACADEMIES.
The sums indicated in this section are appropriated from the general fund to the
Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and the Blind for the fiscal years designated:

		$	11,749,000	.....	2014
		$	11,664,000 11,964,000	.....	2015

$85,000 of the fiscal year 2014 appropriation is for costs associated with upgrading
kitchen facilities. Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the
second year.

    Sec. 76. FISCAL YEAR 2015 LEASE LEVY AUTHORITY.
(a) Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 126C.40, subdivision 1, paragraph
(e), for taxes payable in 2015, a district may apply to the commissioner in a manner
consistent with Minnesota Statutes, section 126C.40, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), to levy
an amount not to exceed $50 times the adjusted pupil units for fiscal year 2015.
(b) Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 126C.40, subdivision 1, paragraph
(h), for taxes payable in 2015, a school district that is a member of an intermediate school
district may include in its authority under this section the costs associated with leases of
administrative and classroom space for intermediate school district programs. Authority
under this paragraph must not exceed $19 times the adjusted pupil units of the member
districts and is in addition to any other authority authorized under this section.
(c) A levy made under this section must be used for purposes consistent with
Minnesota Statutes, section 126C.40, subdivision 1, and be recognized as revenue in
fiscal year 2015.

    Sec. 77. HARAMBEE COMMUNITY SCHOOL TRANSITION.
    Subdivision 1. Facilities. Notwithstanding the specified uses of state general
obligation bond proceeds appropriated in Laws 1994, chapter 643, section 14, subdivision
7, the real and personal property owned by the Joint Powers District No. 6067, East Metro
Integration District, in Maplewood, known as the Harambee community school, may be
conveyed to Independent School District No. 623, Roseville, for operation of a multidistrict
integration facility that serves students in any grade from early education through grade 12.
    Subd. 2. Student enrollment. A student enrolled in the Harambee community
school during the 2013-2014 school year may continue to enroll in the Harambee
community school in any subsequent year. For the 2014-2015 school year and later, other
students may apply for enrollment under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.03.
    Subd. 3. Compensatory revenue, literacy aid, and alternative compensation
revenue. For the 2014-2015 school year only, the Department of Education must calculate
compensatory revenue, literacy aid, and alternative compensation revenue for the
Harambee community school based on the fall 2013 enrollment counts.
    Subd. 4. Year-round programming. Harambee community school may operate as
a flexible learning year program under Minnesota Statutes, sections 124D.12 to 124D.127.
    Subd. 5. Pupil transportation. The board may transport pupils enrolled in the
2013-2014 school year to and from the Harambee community school in succeeding school
years regardless of the students' districts of residence. Pupil transportation expenses under
this section are reimbursable under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.87.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 78. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CERTIFICATION PARTNERSHIPS;
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL; PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
(a) The commissioner shall contract with at least one provider to provide information
technology education opportunities to students in grades 9 through 12. This partnership
must allow participating students and teachers to secure broad-based information
technology certifications.
(b) The commissioner shall issue a competitive request for proposals, award the
contract, and make available, through participating school districts, charter schools, and
intermediate districts, instruction on information technology skills and competencies
that are essential for career and college readiness. The request for proposals shall at
least include the following components:
(1) a research-based curriculum;
(2) online access to the curriculum;
(3) instructional software for classroom and student use;
(4) certification of skills and competencies in a broad array of information
technology-related skill areas;
(5) professional development for teachers; and
(6) deployment and program support, including, but not limited to, integration with
academic standards under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.021 or 120B.022.
(c) If the contract awarded under this section does not allow for the service to be
delivered in every eligible school, the commissioner shall make the contracted service
available on a first-come, first-served basis to an equal number of schools in each of the
regions represented by a regional development commission under Minnesota Statutes,
section 462.387, and in the region consisting of counties not represented by a regional
development commission. If participating schools in any region do not exhaust the services
allocated to that region, the commissioner may reallocate unused services to other regions.

    Sec. 79. LEASE LEVY; SATELLITE TRANSPORTATION HUB FOR
ROSEMOUNT-APPLE VALLEY-EAGAN SCHOOL DISTRICT.
Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 126C.40, subdivision 1, Independent
School District No. 196, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan, may lease a satellite
transportation hub under Minnesota Statutes, section 126C.40, subdivision 1, if the district
can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the commissioner of education that the satellite
transportation hub will result in a significant financial savings. Levy authority under
this section shall not exceed the total levy authority under Minnesota Statutes, section
126C.40, subdivision 1, paragraph (e).
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for taxes payable in 2015 and later.

    Sec. 80. LEGISLATIVE REPORT ON K-12 STUDENTS' EXPERIENCE WITH
PHYSICAL EDUCATION.
(a) The commissioner of education must prepare and submit to the education policy
and finance committees of the legislature by January 15, 2015, a written report on K-12
students' experience with physical education, consistent with this section. Among other
physical education-related issues, the report must include:
(1) the number of minutes per day and frequency per week students in each grade
level, kindergarten through grade 8, receive physical education, identify the requirements in
high school physical education in terms of semesters, trimesters, quarters, or school years;
(2) the measures and data used to assess students' level of fitness and the uses made
of the fitness data;
(3) the educational preparation of physical education instructors and the proportion
of time certified physical education teachers provide physical education instruction;
(4) the amount of time and number of days per week each grade level, kindergarten
through grade 6, receives recess;
(5) whether high school students are allowed to substitute other activities for
required physical education, and, if so, which activities qualify;
(6) identify the number or percentage of high school students who earn required
physical education credits online;
(7) whether schools offer before or after school physical activities opportunities in
each grade level, kindergarten through grade 8, and in high school, and, if so, what are the
opportunities; and
(8) the extent to which schools coordinate with developmentally adaptive physical
education specialists when needed.
(b) Any costs of preparing this report must be paid for out of the Department of
Education's current operating budget.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 81. RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT EXEMPTION; HENDRICKS.
Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, sections 124D.04, subdivision 6, paragraph
(b); 124D.041, subdivision 3, paragraph (b); and 124D.05, subdivision 2a, the provisions
of Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.041 and the agreement shall not apply to Independent
School District No. 402, Hendricks.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2014-2015 school year and
later.

    Sec. 82. TRANSITION REQUIREMENTS; CROSSWINDS SCHOOL.
    Subdivision 1. Transfer. Notwithstanding the appropriation of state general
obligation bond proceeds in Laws 1998, chapter 404, section 5, subdivision 5; Laws 1999,
chapter 240, article 1, section 3; Laws 2000, chapter 492, article 1, section 5, subdivision
2; Laws 2001, First Special Session chapter 12, section 2, subdivision 2; and Laws
2005, chapter 20, article 1, section 5, subdivision 3, to acquire and better the Crosswinds
school facilities by the Joint Powers District No. 6067, East Metro Integration District,
in Woodbury, the Crosswinds school may be conveyed to the Perpich Center for Arts
Education for use as an east metropolitan area integration magnet school.
    Subd. 2. Student enrollment. Any student enrolled in the Crosswinds school
during the 2013-2014 school year may continue to enroll in the Crosswinds school in
any subsequent year. For the 2014-2015 school year and later, a student may apply for
enrollment to the school under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.03.
    Subd. 3. Compensatory revenue, literacy aid, and alternative compensation
revenue. For the 2014-2015 school year only, the Department of Education must calculate
compensatory revenue, literacy aid, and alternative compensation revenue for the
Crosswinds school based on the October 1, 2013, enrollment counts at that site.
    Subd. 4. Title 1 funding. To the extent possible, the Department of Education
must qualify the Crosswinds school for Title 1, and if applicable, other federal funding,
as if the program were still operated by Joint Powers District No. 6067, East Metro
Integration District.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.

    Sec. 83. VISION THERAPY PILOT PROJECT.
    Subdivision 1. Establishment. A three-year grant program is established to fund
vision therapy pilot projects in up to two school districts.
    Subd. 2. Pilot project. In each year of the pilot project, second and third grade
students identified by a set of criteria by the pilot school shall be admitted into the pilot
study. Identified students shall have a comprehensive eye examination with written
standard requirements of testing. Students identified with a diagnosis of convergence
insufficiency must undergo a vision efficiency evaluation by a licensed optometrist or
ophthalmologist trained in the evaluation of learning-related vision problems. The results
of this examination shall determine whether a student will qualify for neuro-optometric
vision therapy funded by the grant. The parent or guardian of a student who qualifies for
the pilot program under this paragraph may submit a written notification to the school
opting the student out of the program. Guidelines must be established to provide quality
standards and measures to ensure an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan that is
consistent with the convergence insufficiency treatment trial study.
    Subd. 3. Application. The applicant school district must submit a plan to the
commissioner of education in the form and manner the commissioner determines. A
charter school is not eligible to apply. The application must include:
(1) the school that will implement the pilot project;
(2) who will provide the comprehensive eye exam, visual efficiency evaluation, and
the neuro-optometric vision therapy treatment along with appropriate licensure;
(3) how the vision and reading skills of students participating in the program will be
evaluated before and after vision therapy;
(4) how students' progress will be monitored during and after receiving
neuro-optometric vision therapy; and
(5) what additional reading interventions will be available to students after
completion of the neuro-optometric vision therapy program.
    Subd. 4. Application review; grant awards. (a) Grant money must be paid to the
recipient districts in the 2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017 school years.
(b) The grant is awarded for a three-year time period.
(c) The commissioner shall oversee the grant distribution.
(d) A grant shall be awarded to Independent School District No. 12, Centennial,
provided the district meets the application requirements in subdivision 3.
(e) A grant shall be awarded to an applicant district with its administrative offices
not located in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, or Washington County,
or a city of the first class.
    Subd. 5. Evaluation. The commissioner of education must provide for an evaluation
of the pilot project and must report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over
kindergarten through grade 12 education policy and finance by January 15, 2018.

    Sec. 84. APPROPRIATION; SAINT PAUL PROMISE NEIGHBORHOOD.
(a) $600,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2015 only from the general fund to the
commissioner of education for a grant to the Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood. Funds
appropriated in this section are to reduce multigenerational poverty and the educational
achievement gap through increased enrollment of families within the zone, and may be
used for Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood programming and services consistent with
federal Promise Neighborhood program agreements and requirements.
(b) The Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood shall submit a report on January 15, 2016,
to the chairs of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over early childhood through
grade 12 education policy and finance. The report, at a minimum, must summarize
program activities, specify performance measures, and analyze program outcomes.
(c) The base appropriation for fiscal year 2016 is $0.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for fiscal year 2015.

    Sec. 85. APPROPRIATION; NORTHSIDE ACHIEVEMENT ZONE.
(a) $600,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2015 only from the general fund to
the commissioner of education for a grant to the Northside Achievement Zone. Funds
appropriated in this section are to reduce multigenerational poverty and the educational
achievement gap through increased enrollment of families within the zone, and may be
used for Northside Achievement Zone programming and services consistent with federal
Promise Neighborhood program agreements and requirements. The base appropriation
for fiscal year 2016 is $0.
(b) The Northside Achievement Zone shall submit a report to the chairs of the
legislative committees with jurisdiction over early childhood through grade 12 education
policy and finance that, at a minimum, summarizes program activities, specifies
performance measures, and analyzes program outcomes. The report must be submitted by
January 15, 2016.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for fiscal year 2015.

    Sec. 86. APPROPRIATIONS.
    Subdivision 1. Department of Education. The sums indicated in this section
are appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal
year designated.
    Subd. 2. Headwaters Science Center. For a grant to the Headwaters Science
Center for hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

$

50,000

.....

2015

The base for fiscal year 2016 and later is $0.
    Subd. 3. The Works Museum. For a grant to the Works Museum for hands-on
science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

$

75,000

.....

2015

The base for fiscal year 2016 and later is $0.
    Subd. 4. Northwestern Online College in the High School program. For the
Northwestern Online College in the High School program:

$

160,000

.....

2015

The base for fiscal year 2016 and later is $0.
    Subd. 5. Information technology certification partnership. For an information
technology certification partnership.

$

340,000

.....

2015

    Subd. 6. Grants for vision therapy pilot project. For grants to implement a
neuro-optometric vision therapy pilot project:

$

500,000

.......

2015

This appropriation is available until expended.
The base for fiscal year 2016 and later is $0.
    Subd. 7. Coaching and mentoring programs. For a grant to College Possible for
coaching and mentoring programs in Minnesota schools.

$

1,000,000

.....

2015

The base appropriation is $1,000,000 in fiscal years 2016 and 2017, and $0 in fiscal
year 2018 and later.

    Sec. 87. REVISOR'S INSTRUCTION.
In Minnesota Statutes, the revisor of statutes shall change the term "location equity"
to "local optional."

    Sec. 88. REPEALER.
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 123B.71, subdivision 1, is repealed.

ARTICLE 2

FORECAST ADJUSTMENTS

A. GENERAL EDUCATION

    Section 1. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 1, section 58, subdivision 3, is amended to
read:
    Subd. 3. Enrollment options transportation. For transportation of pupils attending
postsecondary institutions under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09, or for transportation
of pupils attending nonresident districts under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.03:

		$	44,000 37,000	.....	2014
		$	48,000 40,000	.....	2015

    Sec. 2. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 1, section 58, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
    Subd. 4. Abatement revenue. For abatement aid under Minnesota Statutes, section
127A.49 :

		$	2,747,000 2,876,000	.....	2014
		$	3,136,000 3,103,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $301,000 for 2013 and $2,446,000 $2,575,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $385,000 $286,000 for 2014 and $2,751,000
$2,817,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 3. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 1, section 58, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
    Subd. 5. Consolidation transition. For districts consolidating under Minnesota
Statutes, section 123A.485:

		$	472,000 585,000	.....	2014
		$	480,000 254,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $40,000 for 2013 and $432,000 $545,000 for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $68,000 $60,000 for 2014 and $412,000 $194,000
for 2015.

    Sec. 4. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 1, section 58, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
    Subd. 6. Nonpublic pupil education aid. For nonpublic pupil education aid under
Minnesota Statutes, sections 123B.40 to 123B.43 and 123B.87:

		$	15,582,000 16,068,000	.....	2014
		$	16,169,000 16,074,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $2,099,000 for 2013 and $13,483,000 $13,969,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $2,122,000 $1,552,000 for 2014 and $14,047,000
$14,522,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 5. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 1, section 58, subdivision 7, is amended to read:
    Subd. 7. Nonpublic pupil transportation. For nonpublic pupil transportation aid
under Minnesota Statutes, section 123B.92, subdivision 9:

		$	18,565,000 18,566,000	.....	2014
		$	18,946,000 17,646,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $2,668,000 for 2013 and $15,897,000 $15,898,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $2,502,000 $1,766,000 for 2014 and $16,444,000
$15,880,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 6. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 1, section 58, subdivision 11, is amended to read:
    Subd. 11. Career and technical aid. For career and technical aid under Minnesota
Statutes, section 124D.4531, subdivision 1b:

		$	4,320,000 3,959,000	.....	2014
		$	5,680,000 5,172,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $0 for 2014 and $4,320,000 $3,959,000 for 2015.
The 2015 appropriation includes $680,000 $439,000 for 2014 and $5,000,000
$4,733,000 for 2015.

B. EDUCATION EXCELLENCE

    Sec. 7. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 3, section 37, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Achievement and integration aid. For achievement and integration aid
under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.862:

		$	58,911,000 55,609,000	.....	2014
		$	68,623,000 62,692,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $0 for 2013 and $58,911,000 $55,609,000 for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $9,273,000 $6,178,000 for 2014 and $59,350,000
$56,514,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 8. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 3, section 37, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
    Subd. 4. Literacy incentive aid. For literacy incentive aid under Minnesota
Statutes, section 124D.98:

		$	52,514,000 50,998,000	.....	2014
		$	53,818,000 47,458,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $6,607,000 for 2013 and $45,907,000 $44,391,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $7,225,000 $4,932,000 for 2014 and $46,593,000
$42,526,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 9. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 3, section 37, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
    Subd. 5. Interdistrict desegregation or integration transportation grants. For
interdistrict desegregation or integration transportation grants under Minnesota Statutes,
section 124D.87:

		$	13,968,000 13,521,000	.....	2014
		$	14,712,000 14,248,000	.....	2015

    Sec. 10. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 3, section 37, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
    Subd. 6. Success for the future. For American Indian success for the future grants
under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.81:

		$	2,137,000 2,214,000	.....	2014
		$	2,137,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $290,000 for 2013 and $1,847,000 $1,924,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $290,000 $213,000 for 2014 and $1,847,000
$1,924,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 11. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 3, section 37, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
    Subd. 8. Tribal contract schools. For tribal contract school aid under Minnesota
Statutes, section 124D.83:

		$	2,080,000 2,144,000	.....	2014
		$	2,230,000 2,152,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $266,000 for 2013 and $1,814,000 $1,878,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $285,000 $208,000 for 2014 and $1,945,000
$1,944,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 12. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 3, section 37, subdivision 20, is amended to
read:
    Subd. 20. Alternative compensation. For alternative teacher compensation aid
under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.415, subdivision 4:

$

60,340,000 71,599,000

.....

2015

The 2015 appropriation includes $0 for 2014 and $59,711,000 $71,599,000 for 2015.

C. CHARTER SCHOOLS

    Sec. 13. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 4, section 9, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Charter school building lease aid. For building lease aid under Minnesota
Statutes, section 124D.11, subdivision 4:

		$	54,484,000 54,763,000	.....	2014
		$	59,533,000 58,294,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $6,819,000 for 2013 and $47,665,000 $47,944,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $7,502,000 $5,327,000 for 2014 and $52,031,000
$52,967,000 for 2015.

D. SPECIAL PROGRAMS

    Sec. 14. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 5, section 31, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Special education; regular. For special education aid under Minnesota
Statutes, section 125A.75:

		$	997,725,000 1,038,514,000	.....	2014
		$	1,108,211,000 1,111,641,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $118,232,000 for 2013 and $802,884,000
$920,282,000 for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $169,929,000 $129,549,000 for 2014 and
$938,282,000 $982,092,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 15. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 5, section 31, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Aid for children with disabilities. For aid under Minnesota Statutes,
section 125A.75, subdivision 3, for children with disabilities placed in residential facilities
within the district boundaries for whom no district of residence can be determined:

		$	1,655,000 1,548,000	.....	2014
		$	1,752,000 1,674,000	.....	2015

If the appropriation for either year is insufficient, the appropriation for the other
year is available.

    Sec. 16. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 5, section 31, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
    Subd. 4. Travel for home-based services. For aid for teacher travel for home-based
services under Minnesota Statutes, section 125A.75, subdivision 1:

		$	345,000 351,000	.....	2014
		$	355,000 346,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $45,000 for 2013 and $300,000 $306,000 for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $47,000 $33,000 for 2014 and $308,000 $313,000
for 2015.

    Sec. 17. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 5, section 31, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
    Subd. 5. Special education; excess costs. For excess cost aid under Minnesota
Statutes, section 125A.79, subdivision 7:

$

42,030,000 42,016,000

.....

2014

The 2014 appropriation includes $42,030,000 $42,016,000 for 2013 and $0 for 2014.

E. FACILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY

    Sec. 18. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 6, section 12, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Health and safety revenue. For health and safety aid according to
Minnesota Statutes, section 123B.57, subdivision 5:

		$	463,000 473,000	.....	2014
		$	434,000 651,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $26,000 for 2013 and $437,000 $447,000 for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $68,000 $49,000 for 2014 and $366,000 $602,000
for 2015.

    Sec. 19. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 6, section 12, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Debt service equalization. For debt service aid according to Minnesota
Statutes, section 123B.53, subdivision 6:

		$	19,083,000 19,778,000	.....	2014
		$	25,060,000 22,591,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $2,397,000 for 2013 and $16,686,000 $17,381,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $2,626,000 $1,931,000 for 2014 and $22,434,000
$20,660,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 20. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 6, section 12, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
    Subd. 4. Alternative facilities bonding aid. For alternative facilities bonding aid,
according to Minnesota Statutes, section 123B.59, subdivision 1:

		$	19,287,000 19,982,000	.....	2014
		$	19,287,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $2,623,000 for 2013 and $16,664,000 $17,359,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $2,623,000 $1,928,000 for 2014 and $16,664,000
$17,359,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 21. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 6, section 12, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
    Subd. 6. Deferred maintenance aid. For deferred maintenance aid, according to
Minnesota Statutes, section 123B.591, subdivision 4:

		$	3,564,000 3,858,000	.....	2014
		$	3,730,000 4,024,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $456,000 for 2013 and $3,108,000 $3,402,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $489,000 $378,000 for 2014 and $3,241,000
$3,646,000 for 2015.

F. NUTRITION AND LIBRARIES

    Sec. 22. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 7, section 21, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. School breakfast. For traditional school breakfast aid under Minnesota
Statutes, section 124D.1158:

		$	5,711,000 5,308,000	.....	2014
		$	6,022,000 5,607,000	.....	2015

    Sec. 23. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 7, section 21, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
    Subd. 4. Kindergarten milk. For kindergarten milk aid under Minnesota Statutes,
section 124D.118:

		$	1,039,000 992,000	.....	2014
		$	1,049,000 1,002,000	.....	2015

    Sec. 24. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 7, section 21, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
    Subd. 6. Basic system support. For basic system support grants under Minnesota
Statutes, section 134.355:

		$	13,570,000 14,058,000	.....	2014
		$	13,570,000 13,570,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $1,845,000 for 2013 and $11,725,000 $12,213,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $1,845,000 $1,357,000 for 2014 and $11,725,000
$12,213,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 25. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 7, section 21, subdivision 7, is amended to read:
    Subd. 7. Multicounty, multitype library systems. For grants under Minnesota
Statutes, sections 134.353 and 134.354, to multicounty, multitype library systems:

		$	1,300,000 1,346,000	.....	2014
		$	1,300,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $176,000 for 2013 and $1,124,000 $1,170,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $176,000 $130,000 for 2014 and $1,124,000
$1,170,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 26. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 7, section 21, subdivision 9, is amended to read:
    Subd. 9. Regional library telecommunications aid. For regional library
telecommunications aid under Minnesota Statutes, section 134.355:

		$	2,300,000 2,382,000	.....	2014
		$	2,300,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $312,000 for 2013 and $1,988,000 $2,070,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $312,000 $230,000 for 2014 and $1,988,000
$2,070,000 for 2015.

G. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, SELF-SUFFICIENCY,
AND LIFELONG LEARNING

    Sec. 27. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 8, section 5, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
    Subd. 4. Health and developmental screening aid. For health and developmental
screening aid under Minnesota Statutes, sections 121A.17 and 121A.19:

		$	3,421,000 3,527,000	.....	2014
		$	3,344,000 3,330,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $474,000 for 2013 and $2,947,000 $3,053,000
for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $463,000 $339,000 for 2014 and $2,881,000
$2,991,000 for 2015.

    Sec. 28. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 8, section 5, subdivision 10, is amended to read:
    Subd. 10. Community education aid. For community education aid under
Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.20:

		$	935,000 955,000	.....	2014
		$	1,056,000 1,060,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $118,000 for 2013 and $817,000 $837,000 for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $128,000 $93,000 for 2014 and $928,000 $967,000
for 2015.

    Sec. 29. Laws 2013, chapter 116, article 8, section 5, subdivision 11, is amended to read:
    Subd. 11. Adults with disabilities program aid. For adults with disabilities
programs under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.56:

		$	710,000 735,000	.....	2014
		$	710,000	.....	2015

The 2014 appropriation includes $96,000 for 2013 and $614,000 $639,000 for 2014.
The 2015 appropriation includes $96,000 $71,000 for 2014 and $614,000 $639,000
for 2015.

ARTICLE 3

ENGLISH LEARNERS

    Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 119A.50, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Early childhood literacy programs. (a) A research-based early childhood
literacy program premised on actively involved parents, ongoing professional staff
development, and high quality early literacy program standards is established to increase
the literacy skills of children participating in Head Start to prepare them to be successful
readers and to increase families' participation in providing early literacy experiences to
their children. Program providers must:
    (1) work to prepare children to be successful learners;
    (2) work to close the achievement gap for at-risk children;
    (3) use an a culturally relevant integrated approach to early literacy that daily offers
a literacy-rich classroom learning environment composed of books, writing materials,
writing centers, labels, rhyming, and other related literacy materials and opportunities;
    (4) support children's home language while helping the children master English and
use multiple literacy strategies to provide a cultural bridge between home and school;
    (5) use literacy mentors, ongoing literacy groups, and other teachers and staff to
provide appropriate, extensive professional development opportunities in early literacy
and classroom strategies for preschool teachers and other preschool staff;
    (6) use ongoing data-based assessments that enable preschool teachers to understand,
plan, and implement literacy strategies, activities, and curriculum that meet children's
literacy needs and continuously improve children's literacy; and
    (7) foster participation by parents, community stakeholders, literacy advisors, and
evaluation specialists; and
    (8) provide parents of English learners with oral and written information to monitor
the program's impact on their children's English language development, to know whether
their children are progressing in developing their English proficiency and, where
practicable, their native language proficiency, and to actively engage with their children in
developing their English and native language proficiency.
Program providers are encouraged to collaborate with qualified, community-based
early childhood providers in implementing this program and to seek nonstate funds to
supplement the program.
    (b) Program providers under paragraph (a) interested in extending literacy programs
to children in kindergarten through grade 3 may elect to form a partnership with an
eligible organization under section 124D.38, subdivision 2, or 124D.42, subdivision 6,
clause (3), schools enrolling children in kindergarten through grade 3, and other interested
and qualified community-based entities to provide ongoing literacy programs that offer
seamless literacy instruction focused on closing the literacy achievement gap. To close the
literacy achievement gap by the end of third grade, partnership members must agree to use
best efforts and practices and to work collaboratively to implement a seamless literacy
model from age three to grade 3, consistent with paragraph (a). Literacy programs under
this paragraph must collect and use literacy data to:
    (1) evaluate children's literacy skills; and
    (2) monitor the progress and provide reading instruction appropriate to the specific
needs of English learners; and
    (3) formulate specific intervention strategies to provide reading instruction to
children premised on the outcomes of formative and summative assessments and
research-based indicators of literacy development.
    The literacy programs under this paragraph also must train teachers and other
providers working with children to use the assessment outcomes under clause (2) to
develop and use effective, long-term literacy coaching models that are specific to the
program providers.

    Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 120B.11, is amended to read:
120B.11 SCHOOL DISTRICT PROCESS FOR REVIEWING CURRICULUM,
INSTRUCTION, AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT; STRIVING FOR THE
WORLD'S BEST WORKFORCE.
    Subdivision 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section and section 120B.10,
the following terms have the meanings given them.
    (a) "Instruction" means methods of providing learning experiences that enable a
student students to meet state and district academic standards and graduation requirements,
including providing English learners with appropriate, full, effective, and meaningful
access to regular classroom instruction in core curriculum.
    (b) "Curriculum" means district or school adopted programs and written plans for
providing students with learning experiences that lead to expected knowledge and skills
and career and college readiness.
    (c) "World's best workforce" means striving to: meet school readiness goals; have
all third grade students achieve grade-level literacy; close the academic achievement gap
among all racial and ethnic groups of students and between students living in poverty and
students not living in poverty; ensure all English learners have the appropriate English
learner instruction and content area support to achieve academic language proficiency,
including oral academic language proficiency, in English and are taught the same state
and local academic standards as native English-speaking students; have all students attain
career and college readiness before graduating from high school; and have all students
graduate from high school.
    (d) "Cultural competence," "cultural competency," or "culturally competent"
means the ability and will to interact effectively with people of different cultures, native
languages, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
    Subd. 1a. Performance measures. (a) Measures to determine school district and
school site progress in striving to create the world's best workforce must include at least:
(1) student performance on the National Association Assessment of Education
Progress;
(2) the size of the academic achievement gap and rigorous course taking and
enrichment experiences by student subgroup;
(3) student performance on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments;
(4) high school graduation rates; and
(5) career and college readiness under section 120B.30, subdivision 1; and
(6) the English language development and academic progress, including the oral
academic development, of English learners and their native language development if the
native language is used as a language of instruction.
(b) When administering formative or summative assessments used to measure
the academic progress, including the oral academic development, of English learners
and inform their instruction, schools must ensure that the assessments are accessible to
the students and students have the modifications and supports they need to sufficiently
understand the assessments.
    Subd. 2. Adopting plans and budgets. A school board, at a public meeting, shall
adopt a comprehensive, long-term strategic plan to support and improve teaching and
learning that is aligned with creating the world's best workforce and includes:
    (1) clearly defined district and school site goals and benchmarks for instruction and
student achievement for all student subgroups identified in section 120B.35, subdivision 3,
paragraph (b), clause (2);
    (2) a process for assessing and evaluating each student's progress toward meeting state
and local academic standards and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of instruction
in pursuit of student and school success and curriculum affecting students' progress and
growth toward career and college readiness and leading to the world's best workforce;
    (3) a system to periodically review and evaluate the effectiveness of all instruction
and curriculum, taking into account strategies and best practices, student outcomes, school
principal evaluations under section 123B.147, subdivision 3, and teacher evaluations
under section 122A.40, subdivision 8, or 122A.41, subdivision 5;
    (4) strategies for improving instruction, curriculum, and student achievement,
including the English and, where practicable, the native language development and the
academic achievement of English learners;
    (5) education effectiveness practices that integrate high-quality instruction, rigorous
curriculum, technology, and a collaborative professional culture that develops and
supports teacher quality, performance, and effectiveness; and
    (6) an annual budget for continuing to implement the district plan.
    Subd. 3. District advisory committee. Each school board shall establish an
advisory committee to ensure active community participation in all phases of planning and
improving the instruction and curriculum affecting state and district academic standards,
consistent with subdivision 2. A district advisory committee, to the extent possible,
shall reflect the diversity of the district and its school sites, and shall include teachers,
parents, support staff, students, and other community residents, and provide translation
to the extent appropriate and practicable. The district advisory committee shall pursue
community support to accelerate the academic and native literacy and achievement of
English learners with varied needs, from young children to adults, consistent with section
124D.59, subdivisions 2 and 2a. The district may establish site teams as subcommittees
of the district advisory committee under subdivision 4. The district advisory committee
shall recommend to the school board rigorous academic standards, student achievement
goals and measures consistent with subdivision 1a and sections 120B.022, subdivision
1 , paragraphs (b) and (c), and 120B.35, district assessments, and program evaluations.
School sites may expand upon district evaluations of instruction, curriculum, assessments,
or programs. Whenever possible, parents and other community residents shall comprise at
least two-thirds of advisory committee members.
    Subd. 4. Site team. A school may establish a site team to develop and implement
strategies and education effectiveness practices to improve instruction, curriculum,
cultural competencies, including cultural awareness and cross-cultural communication,
and student achievement at the school site, consistent with subdivision 2. The team advises
the board and the advisory committee about developing the annual budget and revising an
instruction and curriculum improvement plan that aligns curriculum, assessment of student
progress, and growth in meeting state and district academic standards and instruction.
    Subd. 5. Report. Consistent with requirements for school performance reports
under section 120B.36, subdivision 1, the school board shall publish a report in the local
newspaper with the largest circulation in the district, by mail, or by electronic means on
the district Web site. The school board shall hold an annual public meeting to review,
and revise where appropriate, student achievement goals, local assessment outcomes,
plans, strategies, and practices for improving curriculum and instruction and cultural
responsiveness, including cultural awareness and cross-cultural communication, and to
review district success in realizing the previously adopted student achievement goals and
related benchmarks and the improvement plans leading to the world's best workforce. The
school board must transmit an electronic summary of its report to the commissioner in the
form and manner the commissioner determines.
    Subd. 7. Periodic report. Each school district shall periodically survey affected
constituencies, in their native languages where appropriate, about their connection to and
level of satisfaction with school. The district shall include the results of this evaluation in
the summary report required under subdivision 5.
    Subd. 9. Annual evaluation. (a) The commissioner must identify effective
strategies, practices, and use of resources by districts and school sites in striving for the
world's best workforce. The commissioner must assist districts and sites throughout the
state in implementing these effective strategies, practices, and use of resources.
(b) The commissioner must identify those districts in any consecutive three-year
period not making sufficient progress toward improving teaching and learning for all
students, including English learners with varied needs, consistent with section 124D.59,
subdivisions 2 and 2a, and striving for the world's best workforce. The commissioner, in
collaboration with the identified district, may require the district to use up to two percent
of its basic general education revenue per fiscal year during the proximate three school
years to implement commissioner-specified strategies and practices, consistent with
paragraph (a), to improve and accelerate its progress in realizing its goals under this
section. In implementing this section, the commissioner must consider districts' budget
constraints and legal obligations.

    Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 120B.115, is amended to read:
120B.115 REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.
(a) Regional centers of excellence are established to assist and support school
boards, school districts, school sites, and charter schools in implementing research-based
interventions and practices to increase the students' achievement within a region.
The centers must develop partnerships with local and regional service cooperatives,
postsecondary institutions, integrated school districts, the department, children's mental
health providers, or other local or regional entities interested in providing a cohesive
and consistent regional delivery system that serves all schools equitably. Centers must
assist school districts, school sites, and charter schools in developing similar partnerships.
Center support may include assisting school districts, school sites, and charter schools
with common principles of effective practice, including:
(1) defining measurable education goals under section 120B.11, subdivision 2;
(2) implementing evidence-based practices;
(3) engaging in data-driven decision-making;
(4) providing multilayered levels of support;
(5) supporting culturally responsive teaching and learning aligning the development
of academic English proficiency, state and local academic standards, and career and
college readiness benchmarks; and
(6) engaging parents, families, youth, and local community members in programs
and activities at the school district, school site, or charter school that foster collaboration
and shared accountability for the achievement of all students; and
(7) translating district forms and other information such as a multilingual glossary of
commonly used education terms and phrases.
Centers must work with school site leadership teams to build capacity the expertise and
experience to implement programs that close the achievement gap, provide effective and
differentiated programs and instruction for different types of English learners, including
English learners with limited or interrupted formal schooling and long-term English
learners under section 124D.59, subdivisions 2 and 2a, increase students' progress and
growth toward career and college readiness, and increase student graduation rates.
(b) The department must assist the regional centers of excellence to meet staff,
facilities, and technical needs, provide the centers with programmatic support, and work
with the centers to establish a coherent statewide system of regional support, including
consulting, training, and technical support, to help school boards, school districts, school
sites, and charter schools effectively and efficiently implement the world's best workforce
goals under section 120B.11 and other state and federal education initiatives.

    Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 120B.12, is amended to read:
120B.12 READING PROFICIENTLY NO LATER THAN THE END OF
GRADE 3.
    Subdivision 1. Literacy goal. The legislature seeks to have every child reading at or
above grade level no later than the end of grade 3, including English learners, and that
teachers provide comprehensive, scientifically based reading instruction consistent with
section 122A.06, subdivision 4.
    Subd. 2. Identification; report. For the 2011-2012 school year and later, each
school district shall identify before the end of kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 students
who are not reading at grade level before the end of the current school year. Reading
assessments in English, and in the predominant languages of district students where
practicable, must identify and evaluate students' areas of academic need related to literacy.
The district also must monitor the progress and provide reading instruction appropriate
to the specific needs of English learners. The district must use a locally adopted,
developmentally appropriate, and culturally responsive assessment and annually report
summary assessment results to the commissioner by July 1.
    Subd. 2a. Parent notification and involvement. Schools, at least annually,
must give the parent of each student who is not reading at or above grade level timely
information about:
(1) student's reading proficiency as measured by a locally adopted assessment;
(2) reading-related services currently being provided to the student; and
(3) strategies for parents to use at home in helping their student succeed in becoming
grade-level proficient in reading in English and in their native language.
    Subd. 3. Intervention. For each student identified under subdivision 2, the district
shall provide reading intervention to accelerate student growth in order to and reach the
goal of reading at or above grade level by the end of the current grade and school year.
District intervention methods shall encourage parental involvement family engagement
and, where possible, collaboration with appropriate school and community programs.
Intervention methods may include, but are not limited to, requiring attendance in summer
school, intensified reading instruction that may require that the student be removed from
the regular classroom for part of the school day or, extended-day programs, or programs
that strengthen students' cultural connections.
    Subd. 4. Staff development. Each district shall use the data under subdivision 2 to
identify the staff development needs so that:
(1) elementary teachers are able to implement comprehensive, scientifically based
reading and oral language instruction in the five reading areas of phonemic awareness,
phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension as defined in section 122A.06,
subdivision 4 , and other literacy-related areas including writing until the student achieves
grade-level reading proficiency;
(2) elementary teachers have sufficient training to provide comprehensive,
scientifically based reading and oral language instruction that meets students'
developmental, linguistic, and literacy needs using the intervention methods or programs
selected by the district for the identified students;
(3) licensed teachers employed by the district have regular opportunities to improve
reading and writing instruction; and
(4) licensed teachers recognize students' diverse needs in cross-cultural settings
and are able to serve the oral language and linguistic needs of students who are English
learners by maximizing strengths in their native languages in order to cultivate students'
English language development, including oral academic language development, and
build academic literacy; and
(5) licensed teachers are well trained in culturally responsive pedagogy that enables
students to master content, develop skills to access content, and build relationships.
    Subd. 4a. Local literacy plan. Consistent with this section, a school district must
adopt a local literacy plan to have every child reading at or above grade level no later than
the end of grade 3, including English learners. The plan must include a process to assess
students' level of reading proficiency, notify and involve parents, intervene with students
who are not reading at or above grade level, and identify and meet staff development
needs. The district must post its literacy plan on the official school district Web site.
    Subd. 5. Commissioner. The commissioner shall recommend to districts multiple
assessment tools to assist districts and teachers with identifying students under subdivision
2. The commissioner shall also make available examples of nationally recognized and
research-based instructional methods or programs to districts to provide comprehensive,
scientifically based reading instruction and intervention under this section.

    Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 120B.125, is amended to read:
120B.125 PLANNING FOR STUDENTS' SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION
TO POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT; INVOLUNTARY
CAREER TRACKING PROHIBITED.
(a) Consistent with sections 120B.128, 120B.13, 120B.131, 120B.132, 120B.14,
120B.15 , 120B.30, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), 125A.08, and other related sections,
school districts, beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, must assist all students by no
later than grade 9 to explore their college and career interests and aspirations and develop
a plan for a smooth and successful transition to postsecondary education or employment.
All students' plans must be designed to:
(1) provide a comprehensive academic plan for completing a college and
career-ready curriculum premised on meeting state and local academic standards
and developing 21st century skills such as team work, collaboration, creativity,
communication, critical thinking, and good work habits;
(2) emphasize academic rigor and high expectations;
(3) help students identify personal learning styles that may affect their postsecondary
education and employment choices;
(4) help students gain access to postsecondary education and career options;
(5) integrate strong academic content into career-focused courses and integrate
relevant career-focused courses into strong academic content;
(6) help students and families identify and gain access to appropriate counseling
and other supports and assistance that enable students to complete required coursework,
prepare for postsecondary education and careers, and obtain information about
postsecondary education costs and eligibility for financial aid and scholarship;
(7) help students and families identify collaborative partnerships of kindergarten
prekindergarten through grade 12 schools, postsecondary institutions, economic
development agencies, and employers that support students' transition to postsecondary
education and employment and provide students with experiential learning opportunities;
and
(8) be reviewed and revised at least annually by the student, the student's parent or
guardian, and the school or district to ensure that the student's course-taking schedule
keeps the student making adequate progress to meet state and local high school graduation
requirements and with a reasonable chance to succeed with employment or postsecondary
education without the need to first complete remedial course work.
(b) A school district may develop grade-level curricula or provide instruction that
introduces students to various careers, but must not require any curriculum, instruction,
or employment-related activity that obligates an elementary or secondary student to
involuntarily select a career, career interest, employment goals, or related job training.
(c) Educators must possess the knowledge and skills to effectively teach all English
learners in their classrooms. School districts must provide appropriate curriculum,
targeted materials, professional development opportunities for educators, and sufficient
resources to enable English learners to become career- and college-ready.

    Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 120B.35, subdivision 3, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 3. State growth target; other state measures. (a) The state's educational
assessment system measuring individual students' educational growth is based on
indicators of achievement growth that show an individual student's prior achievement.
Indicators of achievement and prior achievement must be based on highly reliable
statewide or districtwide assessments.
(b) The commissioner, in consultation with a stakeholder group that includes
assessment and evaluation directors and, district staff, experts in culturally responsive
teaching, and researchers, must implement a model that uses a value-added growth
indicator and includes criteria for identifying schools and school districts that demonstrate
medium and high growth under section 120B.299, subdivisions 8 and 9, and may
recommend other value-added measures under section 120B.299, subdivision 3. The model
may be used to advance educators' professional development and replicate programs that
succeed in meeting students' diverse learning needs. Data on individual teachers generated
under the model are personnel data under section 13.43. The model must allow users to:
(1) report student growth consistent with this paragraph; and
(2) for all student categories, report and compare aggregated and disaggregated state
growth data using the nine student categories identified under the federal 2001 No Child
Left Behind Act and two student gender categories of male and female, respectively,
following appropriate reporting practices to protect nonpublic student data.
The commissioner must report measures of student growth, consistent with this
paragraph.
(c) When reporting student performance under section 120B.36, subdivision 1, the
commissioner annually, beginning July 1, 2011, must report two core measures indicating
the extent to which current high school graduates are being prepared for postsecondary
academic and career opportunities:
(1) a preparation measure indicating the number and percentage of high school
graduates in the most recent school year who completed course work important to
preparing them for postsecondary academic and career opportunities, consistent with
the core academic subjects required for admission to Minnesota's public colleges and
universities as determined by the Office of Higher Education under chapter 136A; and
(2) a rigorous coursework measure indicating the number and percentage of high
school graduates in the most recent school year who successfully completed one or more
college-level advanced placement, international baccalaureate, postsecondary enrollment
options including concurrent enrollment, other rigorous courses of study under section
120B.021, subdivision 1a , or industry certification courses or programs.
When reporting the core measures under clauses (1) and (2), the commissioner must also
analyze and report separate categories of information using the nine student categories
identified under the federal 2001 No Child Left Behind Act and two student gender
categories of male and female, respectively, following appropriate reporting practices to
protect nonpublic student data.
(d) When reporting student performance under section 120B.36, subdivision 1, the
commissioner annually, beginning July 1, 2014, must report summary data on school
safety and students' engagement and connection at school. The summary data under this
paragraph are separate from and must not be used for any purpose related to measuring
or evaluating the performance of classroom teachers. The commissioner, in consultation
with qualified experts on student engagement and connection and classroom teachers,
must identify highly reliable variables that generate summary data under this paragraph.
The summary data may be used at school, district, and state levels only. Any data on
individuals received, collected, or created that are used to generate the summary data
under this paragraph are nonpublic data under section 13.02, subdivision 9.
(e) For purposes of statewide educational accountability, the commissioner must
identify and report measures that demonstrate the success of learning year program
providers under sections 123A.05 and 124D.68, among other such providers, in improving
students' graduation outcomes. The commissioner, beginning July 1, 2015, must annually
report summary data on:
(1) the four- and six-year graduation rates of students under this paragraph;
(2) the percent of students under this paragraph whose progress and performance
levels are meeting career and college readiness benchmarks under section 120B.30,
subdivision 1; and
(3) the success that learning year program providers experience in:
(i) identifying at-risk and off-track student populations by grade;
(ii) providing successful prevention and intervention strategies for at-risk students;
(iii) providing successful recuperative and recovery or reenrollment strategies for
off-track students; and
(iv) improving the graduation outcomes of at-risk and off-track students.
The commissioner may include in the annual report summary data on other education
providers serving a majority of students eligible to participate in a learning year program.
(f) The commissioner, in consultation with recognized experts with knowledge and
experience in assessing the language proficiency and academic performance of English
learners, must identify and report appropriate and effective measures to improve current
categories of language difficulty and assessments, and monitor and report data on students'
English proficiency levels, program placement, and academic language development,
including oral academic language.

    Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 120B.36, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:
    Subdivision 1. School performance reports. (a) The commissioner shall report
student academic performance under section 120B.35, subdivision 2; the percentages of
students showing low, medium, and high growth under section 120B.35, subdivision
3 , paragraph (b); school safety and student engagement and connection under section
120B.35 , subdivision 3, paragraph (d); rigorous coursework under section 120B.35,
subdivision 3 , paragraph (c); the percentage of students under section 120B.35,
subdivision 3 , paragraph (b), clause (2), whose progress and performance levels are
meeting career and college readiness benchmarks under sections 120B.30, subdivision 1,
and 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (e); longitudinal data on the progress of eligible
districts in reducing disparities in students' academic achievement and realizing racial and
economic integration under section 124D.861; the acquisition of English, and where
practicable, native language academic literacy, including oral academic language, and
the academic progress of English learners under section 124D.59, subdivisions 2 and
2a; two separate student-to-teacher ratios that clearly indicate the definition of teacher
consistent with sections 122A.06 and 122A.15 for purposes of determining these ratios;
staff characteristics excluding salaries; student enrollment demographics; district mobility;
and extracurricular activities. The report also must indicate a school's adequate yearly
progress status under applicable federal law, and must not set any designations applicable
to high- and low-performing schools due solely to adequate yearly progress status.
    (b) The commissioner shall develop, annually update, and post on the department
Web site school performance reports.
    (c) The commissioner must make available performance reports by the beginning
of each school year.
    (d) A school or district may appeal its adequate yearly progress status in writing to
the commissioner within 30 days of receiving the notice of its status. The commissioner's
decision to uphold or deny an appeal is final.
    (e) School performance data are nonpublic data under section 13.02, subdivision 9,
until the commissioner publicly releases the data. The commissioner shall annually post
school performance reports to the department's public Web site no later than September 1,
except that in years when the reports reflect new performance standards, the commissioner
shall post the school performance reports no later than October 1.

    Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.06, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
    Subd. 4. Comprehensive, scientifically based reading instruction. (a)
"Comprehensive, scientifically based reading instruction" includes a program or collection
of instructional practices that is based on valid, replicable evidence showing that when
these programs or practices are used, students can be expected to achieve, at a minimum,
satisfactory reading progress. The program or collection of practices must include, at a
minimum, effective, balanced instruction in all five areas of reading: phonemic awareness,
phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension.
Comprehensive, scientifically based reading instruction also includes and integrates
instructional strategies for continuously assessing, evaluating, and communicating
the student's reading progress and needs in order to design and implement ongoing
interventions so that students of all ages and proficiency levels can read and comprehend
text, write, and apply higher level thinking skills. For English learners developing literacy
skills, districts are encouraged to use strategies that teach reading and writing in the
students' native language and English at the same time.
    (b) "Fluency" is the ability of students to read text with speed, accuracy, and proper
expression.
    (c) "Phonemic awareness" is the ability of students to notice, think about, and
manipulate individual sounds in spoken syllables and words.
    (d) "Phonics" is the understanding that there are systematic and predictable
relationships between written letters and spoken words. Phonics instruction is a way
of teaching reading that stresses learning how letters correspond to sounds and how to
apply this knowledge in reading and spelling.
    (e) "Reading comprehension" is an active process that requires intentional thinking
during which meaning is constructed through interactions between text and reader.
Comprehension skills are taught explicitly by demonstrating, explaining, modeling, and
implementing specific cognitive strategies to help beginning readers derive meaning
through intentional, problem-solving thinking processes.
    (f) "Vocabulary development" is the process of teaching vocabulary both directly
and indirectly, with repetition and multiple exposures to vocabulary items. Learning in
rich contexts, incidental learning, and use of computer technology enhance the acquiring
of vocabulary.
(g) Nothing in this subdivision limits the authority of a school district to select a
school's reading program or curriculum.

    Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 122A.09, subdivision 4, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 4. License and rules. (a) The board must adopt rules to license public school
teachers and interns subject to chapter 14.
(b) The board must adopt rules requiring a person to pass a skills examination in
reading, writing, and mathematics as a requirement for initial teacher licensure, except
that the board may issue up to two additional temporary, one-year teaching licenses to an
otherwise qualified candidate who has not yet passed the skills exam. Such rules must
require college and universities offering a board-approved teacher preparation program to
provide remedial assistance to persons who did not achieve a qualifying score on the skills
examination, including those for whom English is a second language.
(c) The board must adopt rules to approve teacher preparation programs. The board,
upon the request of a postsecondary student preparing for teacher licensure or a licensed
graduate of a teacher preparation program, shall assist in resolving a dispute between the
person and a postsecondary institution providing a teacher preparation program when the
dispute involves an institution's recommendation for licensure affecting the person or the
person's credentials. At the board's discretion, assistance may include the application
of chapter 14.
(d) The board must provide the leadership and adopt rules for the redesign of teacher
education programs to implement a research based, results-oriented curriculum that
focuses on the skills teachers need in order to be effective. The board shall implement new
systems of teacher preparation program evaluation to assure program effectiveness based
on proficiency of graduates in demonstrating attainment of program outcomes. Teacher
preparation programs including alternative teacher preparation programs under section
122A.245 , among other programs, must include a content-specific, board-approved,
performance-based assessment that measures teacher candidates in three areas: planning
for instruction and assessment; engaging students and supporting learning; and assessing
student learning.
(e) The board must adopt rules requiring candidates for initial licenses to pass an
examination of general pedagogical knowledge and examinations of licensure-specific
teaching skills. The rules shall be effective by September 1, 2001. The rules under this
paragraph also must require candidates for initial licenses to teach prekindergarten or
elementary students to pass, as part of the examination of licensure-specific teaching
skills, test items assessing the candidates' knowledge, skill, and ability in comprehensive,
scientifically based reading instruction under section 122A.06, subdivision 4, and their
knowledge and understanding of the foundations of reading development, the development
of reading comprehension, and reading assessment and instruction, and their ability to
integrate that knowledge and understanding.
(f) The board must adopt rules requiring teacher educators to work directly with
elementary or secondary school teachers in elementary or secondary schools to obtain
periodic exposure to the elementary or secondary teaching environment.
(g) The board must grant licenses to interns and to candidates for initial licenses
based on appropriate professional competencies that are aligned with the board's licensing
system and students' diverse learning needs. All teacher candidates must have preparation
in English language development and content instruction for English learners in order to be
able to effectively instruct the English learners in their classrooms. The board must include
these licenses in a statewide differentiated licensing system that creates new leadership
roles for successful experienced teachers premised on a collaborative professional culture
dedicated to meeting students' diverse learning needs in the 21st century, recognizes the
importance of cultural and linguistic competencies, including the ability to teach and
communicate in culturally competent and aware ways, and formalizes mentoring and
induction for newly licensed teachers that is provided through a teacher support framework.
(h) The board must design and implement an assessment system which requires a
candidate for an initial license and first continuing license to demonstrate the abilities
necessary to perform selected, representative teaching tasks at appropriate levels.
(i) The board must receive recommendations from local committees as established
by the board for the renewal of teaching licenses. The board must require licensed teachers
who are renewing a continuing license to include in the renewal requirements further
preparation in English language development and specially designed content instruction
in English for English learners.
(j) The board must grant life licenses to those who qualify according to requirements
established by the board, and suspend or revoke licenses pursuant to sections 122A.20 and
214.10 . The board must not establish any expiration date for application for life licenses.
(k) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
their continuing license to include in their 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.
(l) In adopting rules to license public school teachers who provide health-related
services for disabled children, the board shall adopt rules consistent with license or
registration requirements of the commissioner of health and the health-related boards who
license personnel who perform similar services outside of the school.
(m) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further reading
preparation, consistent with section 122A.06, subdivision 4. The rules do not take effect
until they are approved by law. Teachers who do not provide direct instruction including, at
least, counselors, school psychologists, school nurses, school social workers, audiovisual
directors and coordinators, and recreation personnel are exempt from this section.
(n) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further preparation,
first, in understanding the key warning signs of early-onset mental illness in children
and adolescents and then, during subsequent licensure renewal periods, preparation may
include providing a more in-depth understanding of students' mental illness trauma,
accommodations for students' mental illness, parents' role 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.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2015, and applies to
individuals entering a teacher preparation program after that date.

    Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.14, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Preparation programs. The board shall review and approve or
disapprove preparation programs for school administrators and alternative preparation
programs for administrators under section 122A.27, and must consider other alternative
competency-based preparation programs leading to licensure. Among other requirements,
preparation programs must include instruction on meeting the varied needs of English
learners, from young children to adults, in English and, where practicable, in students'
native language.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2015, and applies to
individuals entering a school administrator preparation program after that date.

    Sec. 11. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.14, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Rules for continuing education requirements. The board shall
adopt rules establishing continuing education requirements that promote continuous
improvement and acquisition of new and relevant skills by school administrators.
Continuing education programs, among other things, must provide school administrators
with information and training about building coherent and effective English learner
strategies that include relevant professional development, accountability for student
progress, students' access to the general curriculum, and sufficient staff capacity to effect
these strategies. A retired school principal who serves as a substitute principal or assistant
principal for the same person on a day-to-day basis for no more than 15 consecutive
school days is not subject to continuing education requirements as a condition of serving
as a substitute principal or assistant principal.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2015, and applies to school
administrators renewing an administrator's license after that date.

    Sec. 12. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 122A.18, subdivision 2, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Teacher and support personnel qualifications. (a) The Board of
Teaching must issue licenses under its jurisdiction to persons the board finds to be
qualified and competent for their respective positions.
(b) The board must require a person to pass an examination of skills in reading,
writing, and mathematics before being granted an initial teaching license to provide direct
instruction to pupils in prekindergarten, elementary, secondary, or special education
programs, except that the board may issue up to two additional temporary, one-year
teaching licenses to an otherwise qualified candidate who has not yet passed the skills
exam. The board must require colleges and universities offering a board approved teacher
preparation program to make available upon request remedial assistance that includes a
formal diagnostic component to persons enrolled in their institution who did not achieve a
qualifying score on the skills examination, including those for whom English is a second
language. The colleges and universities must make available assistance in the specific
academic areas of deficiency in which the person did not achieve a qualifying score.
School districts may make available upon request similar, appropriate, and timely remedial
assistance that includes a formal diagnostic component to those persons employed by the
district who completed their teacher education program, who did not achieve a qualifying
score on the skills examination, including those persons for whom English is a second
language and persons under section 122A.23, subdivision 2, paragraph (h), who completed
their teacher's education program outside the state of Minnesota, and who received a
temporary license to teach in Minnesota. The Board of Teaching shall report annually
to the education committees of the legislature on the total number of teacher candidates
during the most recent school year taking the skills examination, the number who achieve
a qualifying score on the examination, the number who do not achieve a qualifying score
on the examination, the distribution of all candidates' scores, the number of candidates
who have taken the examination at least once before, and the number of candidates who
have taken the examination at least once before and achieve a qualifying score.
(c) The Board of Teaching must grant continuing licenses only to those persons who
have met board criteria for granting a continuing license, which includes passing the
skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics consistent with paragraph (b) and
section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (b).
(d) All colleges and universities approved by the board of teaching to prepare persons
for teacher licensure must include in their teacher preparation programs a common core
of teaching knowledge and skills to be acquired by all persons recommended for teacher
licensure. Among other requirements, teacher candidates must demonstrate the knowledge
and skills needed to provide appropriate instruction to English learners to support and
accelerate their academic literacy, including oral academic language, and achievement in
content areas in a regular classroom setting. This common core shall meet the standards
developed by the interstate new teacher assessment and support consortium in its 1992
"model standards for beginning teacher licensing and development." Amendments to
standards adopted under this paragraph are covered by chapter 14. The board of teaching
shall report annually to the education committees of the legislature on the performance
of teacher candidates on common core assessments of knowledge and skills under this
paragraph during the most recent school year.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2015, and applies to
individuals entering a teacher preparation program after that date.

    Sec. 13. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.18, subdivision 2a, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2a. Reading strategies. (a) All colleges and universities approved by the
Board of Teaching to prepare persons for classroom teacher licensure must include in
their teacher preparation programs research-based best practices in reading, consistent
with section 122A.06, subdivision 4, that enable the licensure candidate to know how to
teach reading in the candidate's content areas. Teacher candidates must be instructed
in using students' native languages as a resource in creating effective differentiated
instructional strategies for English learners developing literacy skills. These colleges and
universities also must prepare candidates for initial licenses to teach prekindergarten or
elementary students for the assessment of reading instruction portion of the examination
of licensure-specific teaching skills under section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (e).
(b) Board-approved teacher preparation programs for teachers of elementary
education must require instruction in the application of comprehensive, scientifically
based, and balanced reading instruction programs that:
(1) teach students to read using foundational knowledge, practices, and strategies
consistent with section 122A.06, subdivision 4, so that all students will achieve continuous
progress in reading; and
(2) teach specialized instruction in reading strategies, interventions, and remediations
that enable students of all ages and proficiency levels to become proficient readers.
(c) Nothing in this section limits the authority of a school district to select a school's
reading program or curriculum.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2015, and applies to
individuals entering a teacher preparation program after that date.

    Sec. 14. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.18, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
    Subd. 4. Expiration and renewal. (a) Each license the Department of Education
issues through its licensing section must bear the date of issue. Licenses must expire
and be renewed according to the respective rules the Board of Teaching, the Board
of School Administrators, or the commissioner of education adopts. Requirements for
renewing a license must include showing satisfactory evidence of successful teaching or
administrative experience for at least one school year during the period covered by the
license in grades or subjects for which the license is valid or completing such additional
preparation as the Board of Teaching prescribes. The Board of School Administrators
shall establish requirements for renewing the licenses of supervisory personnel except
athletic coaches. The State Board of Teaching shall establish requirements for renewing
the licenses of athletic coaches.
(b) Relicensure applicants who have been employed as a teacher during the renewal
period of their expiring license, as a condition of relicensure, must present to their local
continuing education and relicensure committee or other local relicensure committee
evidence of work that demonstrates professional reflection and growth in best teaching
practices, including among other things, practices in meeting the varied needs of English
learners, from young children to adults under section 124D.59, subdivisions 2 and 2a. The
applicant must include a reflective statement of professional accomplishment and the
applicant's own assessment of professional growth showing evidence of:
(1) support for student learning;
(2) use of best practices techniques and their applications to student learning;
(3) collaborative work with colleagues that includes examples of collegiality such as
attested-to committee work, collaborative staff development programs, and professional
learning community work; or
(4) continual professional development that may include (i) job-embedded or other
ongoing formal professional learning or (ii) for teachers employed for only part of the
renewal period of their expiring license, other similar professional development efforts
made during the relicensure period.
The Board of Teaching must ensure that its teacher relicensing requirements also include
this paragraph.
(c) The Board of Teaching shall offer alternative continuing relicensure options for
teachers who are accepted into and complete the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards certification process, and offer additional continuing relicensure options for
teachers who earn National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification.
Continuing relicensure requirements for teachers who do not maintain National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards certification are those the board prescribes, consistent
with this section.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2015, and applies to
licensed teachers renewing a teaching license after that date.

    Sec. 15. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.19, is amended to read:
122A.19 BILINGUAL AND ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
TEACHERS; LICENSES.
    Subdivision 1. Bilingual and English as a second language licenses. The Board of
Teaching, hereinafter the board, must grant teaching licenses in bilingual education and
English as a second language to persons who present satisfactory evidence that they:
(a) Possess competence and communicative skills in English and in another language;
(b) Possess a bachelor's degree or other academic degree approved by the board,
and meet such requirements as to course of study and training as the board may prescribe,
consistent with subdivision 4.
    Subd. 2. Persons holding general teaching licenses. The board may license a
person holding who holds a general teaching license and who presents the board with
satisfactory evidence of competence and communicative skills in a language other than
English may be licensed under this section.
    Subd. 3. Employment of teachers. Teachers employed in a bilingual education
or English as a second language program established pursuant to sections 124D.58 to
124D.64 shall not be employed to replace any presently employed teacher who otherwise
would not be replaced.
    Subd. 4. Teacher preparation programs. For the purpose of licensing bilingual
and English as a second language teachers, the board may approve programs at colleges
or universities designed for their training. These programs must provide instruction in
implementing research-based practices designed specifically for English learners. The
programs must focus on developing English learners' academic language proficiency in
English, including oral academic language, giving English learners meaningful access to
the full school curriculum, developing culturally relevant teaching practices appropriate
for immigrant students, and providing more intensive instruction and resources to English
learners with lower levels of academic English proficiency and varied needs, consistent
with section 124D.59, subdivisions 2 and 2a.
    Subd. 5. Persons eligible for employment. Any person licensed under this section
shall be is eligible for employment by a school board as a teacher in a bilingual education
or English as a second language program in which the language for which the person is
licensed is taught or used as a medium of instruction. A board may prescribe only those
additional qualifications for teachers licensed under this section as that are approved
by the board of teaching.
    Subd. 6. Affirmative efforts in hiring. In hiring for all positions in bilingual
education programs program positions, districts must give preference to and make
affirmative efforts to seek, recruit, and employ persons who (1) are (a) native speakers of
the language which is the medium of instruction in the bilingual education program or share
a native language with the majority of their students, and (b)(2) who share the culture of the
English learners who are enrolled in the program. The district shall provide procedures for
the involvement of involving the parent advisory committees in designing the procedures
for the recruitment recruiting, screening, and selection of selecting applicants. This section
must not be construed to limit the school board's authority to hire and discharge personnel.
EFFECTIVE DATE.Subdivisions 1, 2, 5, and 6 are effective August 1, 2015.
Subdivision 3 is effective the day following final enactment. Subdivision 4 is effective
August 1, 2015, and applies to an individual entering a teacher preparation program after
that date.

    Sec. 16. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 122A.40, subdivision 8, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 8. Development, evaluation, and peer coaching for continuing contract
teachers. (a) To improve student learning and success, a school board and an exclusive
representative of the teachers in the district, consistent with paragraph (b), may develop
a teacher evaluation and peer review process for probationary and continuing contract
teachers through joint agreement. If a school board and the exclusive representative of the
teachers do not agree to an annual teacher evaluation and peer review process, then the
school board and the exclusive representative of the teachers must implement the plan
for evaluation and review under paragraph (c). The process must include having trained
observers serve as peer coaches or having teachers participate in professional learning
communities, consistent with paragraph (b).
(b) To develop, improve, and support qualified teachers and effective teaching
practices and improve student learning and success, the annual evaluation process for
teachers:
(1) must, for probationary teachers, provide for all evaluations required under
subdivision 5;
(2) must establish a three-year professional review cycle for each teacher that
includes an individual growth and development plan, a peer review process, the
opportunity to participate in a professional learning community under paragraph (a), and
at least one summative evaluation performed by a qualified and trained evaluator such as a
school administrator. For the years when a tenured teacher is not evaluated by a qualified
and trained evaluator, the teacher must be evaluated by a peer review;
(3) must be based on professional teaching standards established in rule;
(4) must coordinate staff development activities under sections 122A.60 and
122A.61 with this evaluation process and teachers' evaluation outcomes;
(5) may provide time during the school day and school year for peer coaching and
teacher collaboration;
(6) may include mentoring and induction programs;
(7) must include an option for teachers to develop and present a portfolio
demonstrating evidence of reflection and professional growth, consistent with section
122A.18, subdivision 4 , paragraph (b), and include teachers' own performance assessment
based on student work samples and examples of teachers' work, which may include video
among other activities for the summative evaluation;
(8) must use data from valid and reliable assessments aligned to state and local
academic standards and must use state and local measures of student growth and literacy
that may include value-added models or student learning goals to determine 35 percent of
teacher evaluation results;
(9) must use longitudinal data on student engagement and connection, the academic
literacy, including oral academic language, and achievement of content areas of English
learners, and other student outcome measures explicitly aligned with the elements of
curriculum for which teachers are responsible;
(10) must require qualified and trained evaluators such as school administrators to
perform summative evaluations;
(11) must give teachers not meeting professional teaching standards under clauses
(3) through (10) support to improve through a teacher improvement process that includes
established goals and timelines; and
(12) must discipline a teacher for not making adequate progress in the teacher
improvement process under clause (11) that may include a last chance warning,
termination, discharge, nonrenewal, transfer to a different position, a leave of absence, or
other discipline a school administrator determines is appropriate.
Data on individual teachers generated under this subdivision are personnel data
under section 13.43.
(c) The department, in consultation with parents who may represent parent
organizations and teacher and administrator representatives appointed by their respective
organizations, representing the Board of Teaching, the Minnesota Association of School
Administrators, the Minnesota School Boards Association, the Minnesota Elementary
and Secondary Principals Associations, Education Minnesota, and representatives of
the Minnesota Assessment Group, the Minnesota Business Partnership, the Minnesota
Chamber of Commerce, and Minnesota postsecondary institutions with research expertise
in teacher evaluation, must create and publish a teacher evaluation process that complies
with the requirements in paragraph (b) and applies to all teachers under this section and
section 122A.41 for whom no agreement exists under paragraph (a) for an annual teacher
evaluation and peer review process. The teacher evaluation process created under this
subdivision does not create additional due process rights for probationary teachers under
subdivision 5.

    Sec. 17. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 122A.41, subdivision 5, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 5. Development, evaluation, and peer coaching for continuing contract
teachers. (a) To improve student learning and success, a school board and an exclusive
representative of the teachers in the district, consistent with paragraph (b), may develop an
annual teacher evaluation and peer review process for probationary and nonprobationary
teachers through joint agreement. If a school board and the exclusive representative of
the teachers in the district do not agree to an annual teacher evaluation and peer review
process, then the school board and the exclusive representative of the teachers must
implement the plan for evaluation and review developed under paragraph (c). The process
must include having trained observers serve as peer coaches or having teachers participate
in professional learning communities, consistent with paragraph (b).
(b) To develop, improve, and support qualified teachers and effective teaching
practices and improve student learning and success, the annual evaluation process for
teachers:
(1) must, for probationary teachers, provide for all evaluations required under
subdivision 2;
(2) must establish a three-year professional review cycle for each teacher that
includes an individual growth and development plan, a peer review process, the
opportunity to participate in a professional learning community under paragraph (a), and
at least one summative evaluation performed by a qualified and trained evaluator such
as a school administrator;
(3) must be based on professional teaching standards established in rule;
(4) must coordinate staff development activities under sections 122A.60 and
122A.61 with this evaluation process and teachers' evaluation outcomes;
(5) may provide time during the school day and school year for peer coaching and
teacher collaboration;
(6) may include mentoring and induction programs;
(7) must include an option for teachers to develop and present a portfolio
demonstrating evidence of reflection and professional growth, consistent with section
122A.18, subdivision 4 , paragraph (b), and include teachers' own performance assessment
based on student work samples and examples of teachers' work, which may include video
among other activities for the summative evaluation;
(8) must use data from valid and reliable assessments aligned to state and local
academic standards and must use state and local measures of student growth and literacy
that may include value-added models or student learning goals to determine 35 percent of
teacher evaluation results;
(9) must use longitudinal data on student engagement and connection, the academic
literacy, including oral academic language, and achievement of English learners, and
other student outcome measures explicitly aligned with the elements of curriculum for
which teachers are responsible;
(10) must require qualified and trained evaluators such as school administrators to
perform summative evaluations;
(11) must give teachers not meeting professional teaching standards under clauses
(3) through (10) support to improve through a teacher improvement process that includes
established goals and timelines; and
(12) must discipline a teacher for not making adequate progress in the teacher
improvement process under clause (11) that may include a last chance warning,
termination, discharge, nonrenewal, transfer to a different position, a leave of absence, or
other discipline a school administrator determines is appropriate.
Data on individual teachers generated under this subdivision are personnel data
under section 13.43.
(c) The department, in consultation with parents who may represent parent
organizations and teacher and administrator representatives appointed by their respective
organizations, representing the Board of Teaching, the Minnesota Association of School
Administrators, the Minnesota School Boards Association, the Minnesota Elementary
and Secondary Principals Associations, Education Minnesota, and representatives of
the Minnesota Assessment Group, the Minnesota Business Partnership, the Minnesota
Chamber of Commerce, and Minnesota postsecondary institutions with research expertise
in teacher evaluation, must create and publish a teacher evaluation process that complies
with the requirements in paragraph (b) and applies to all teachers under this section and
section 122A.40 for whom no agreement exists under paragraph (a) for an annual teacher
evaluation and peer review process. The teacher evaluation process created under this
subdivision does not create additional due process rights for probationary teachers under
subdivision 2.

    Sec. 18. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.413, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Plan components. The educational improvement plan must be approved
by the school board and have at least these elements:
(1) assessment and evaluation tools to measure student performance and progress,
including the academic literacy, oral academic language, and achievement of English
learners, among other measures;
(2) performance goals and benchmarks for improvement;
(3) measures of student attendance and completion rates;
(4) a rigorous research and practice-based professional development system, based
on national and state standards of effective teaching practice applicable to all students
including English learners with varied needs under section 124D.59, subdivisions 2 and
2a, and consistent with section 122A.60, that is aligned with educational improvement and
designed to achieve ongoing and schoolwide progress and growth in teaching practice;
(5) measures of student, family, and community involvement and satisfaction;
(6) a data system about students and their academic progress that provides parents
and the public with understandable information;
(7) a teacher induction and mentoring program for probationary teachers that
provides continuous learning and sustained teacher support; and
(8) substantial participation by the exclusive representative of the teachers in
developing the plan.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2014, and applies to plans
approved after that date.

    Sec. 19. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.414, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Alternative teacher professional pay system. (a) To participate in this
program, a school district, intermediate school district, school site, or charter school must
have an educational improvement plan under section 122A.413 and an alternative teacher
professional pay system agreement under paragraph (b). A charter school participant also
must comply with subdivision 2a.
(b) The alternative teacher professional pay system agreement must:
(1) describe how teachers can achieve career advancement and additional
compensation;
(2) describe how the school district, intermediate school district, school site, or
charter school will provide teachers with career advancement options that allow teachers
to retain primary roles in student instruction and facilitate site-focused professional
development that helps other teachers improve their skills;
(3) reform the "steps and lanes" salary schedule, prevent any teacher's compensation
paid before implementing the pay system from being reduced as a result of participating
in this system, and base at least 60 percent of any compensation increase on teacher
performance using:
(i) schoolwide student achievement gains under section 120B.35 or locally selected
standardized assessment outcomes, or both;
(ii) measures of student achievement, including the academic literacy, oral academic
language, and achievement of English learners, among other measures; and
(iii) an objective evaluation program that includes:
(A) individual teacher evaluations aligned with the educational improvement plan
under section 122A.413 and the staff development plan under section 122A.60; and
(B) objective evaluations using multiple criteria conducted by a locally selected and
periodically trained evaluation team that understands teaching and learning;
(4) provide integrated ongoing site-based professional development activities to
improve instructional skills and learning that are aligned with student needs under section
122A.413 , consistent with the staff development plan under section 122A.60 and led
during the school day by trained teacher leaders such as master or mentor teachers;
(5) allow any teacher in a participating school district, intermediate school district,
school site, or charter school that implements an alternative pay system to participate in
that system without any quota or other limit; and
(6) encourage collaboration rather than competition among teachers.
EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective August 1, 2014, and applies to
agreements approved after that date.

    Sec. 20. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.60, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:
    Subd. 1a. Effective staff development activities. (a) Staff development activities
must:
(1) focus on the school classroom and research-based strategies that improve student
learning;
(2) provide opportunities for teachers to practice and improve their instructional
skills over time;
(3) provide opportunities for teachers to use student data as part of their daily work
to increase student achievement;
(4) enhance teacher content knowledge and instructional skills, including to
accommodate the delivery of digital and blended learning and curriculum and engage
students with technology;
(5) align with state and local academic standards;
(6) provide opportunities to build professional relationships, foster collaboration
among principals and staff who provide instruction, and provide opportunities for
teacher-to-teacher mentoring; and
(7) align with the plan of the district or site for an alternative teacher professional
pay system; and
(8) provide teachers of English learners, including English as a second language and
content teachers, with differentiated instructional strategies critical for ensuring students'
long-term academic success; the means to effectively use assessment data on the academic
literacy, oral academic language, and English language development of English learners;
and skills to support native and English language development across the curriculum.
Staff development activities may include curriculum development and curriculum training
programs, and activities that provide teachers and other members of site-based teams
training to enhance team performance. The school district also may implement other
staff development activities required by law and activities associated with professional
teacher compensation models.
(b) Release time provided for teachers to supervise students on field trips and school
activities, or independent tasks not associated with enhancing the teacher's knowledge
and instructional skills, such as preparing report cards, calculating grades, or organizing
classroom materials, may not be counted as staff development time that is financed with
staff development reserved revenue under section 122A.61.

    Sec. 21. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.60, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Contents of plan. The plan must include the staff development outcomes
under subdivision 3, the means to achieve the outcomes, and procedures for evaluating
progress at each school site toward meeting education outcomes, consistent with
relicensure requirements under section 122A.18, subdivision 4. The plan also must:
(1) support stable and productive professional communities achieved through
ongoing and schoolwide progress and growth in teaching practice;
(2) emphasize coaching, professional learning communities, classroom action
research, and other job-embedded models;
(3) maintain a strong subject matter focus premised on students' learning goals;
(4) ensure specialized preparation and learning about issues related to teaching
English learners and students with special needs by focusing on long-term systemic efforts
to improve educational services and opportunities and raise student achievement; and
(5) reinforce national and state standards of effective teaching practice.

    Sec. 22. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.60, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Staff development outcomes. The advisory staff development committee
must adopt a staff development plan for improving student achievement. The plan must
be consistent with education outcomes that the school board determines. The plan
must include ongoing staff development activities that contribute toward continuous
improvement in achievement of the following goals:
(1) improve student achievement of state and local education standards in all areas
of the curriculum by using research-based best practices methods;
(2) effectively meet the needs of a diverse student population, including at-risk
children, children with disabilities, English learners, and gifted children, within the
regular classroom and other settings;
(3) provide an inclusive curriculum for a racially, ethnically, linguistically, and
culturally diverse student population that is consistent with the state education diversity
rule and the district's education diversity plan;
(4) improve staff collaboration and develop mentoring and peer coaching programs
for teachers new to the school or district;
(5) effectively teach and model violence prevention policy and curriculum that
address early intervention alternatives, issues of harassment, and teach nonviolent
alternatives for conflict resolution;
(6) effectively deliver digital and blended learning and curriculum and engage
students with technology; and
(7) provide teachers and other members of site-based management teams with
appropriate management and financial management skills.

    Sec. 23. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.68, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Program components. In order to be approved by the Board of Teaching,
a school district's residency program must at minimum include:
(1) training to prepare teachers to serve as mentors to teaching residents;
(2) a team mentorship approach to expose teaching residents to a variety of
teaching methods, philosophies, and classroom environments that includes differentiated
instructional strategies, effective use of student achievement data, and support for native
and English language development across the curriculum and grade levels, among other
things;
(3) ongoing peer coaching and assessment;
(4) assistance to the teaching resident in preparing an individual professional
development plan that includes goals, activities, and assessment methodologies; and
(5) collaboration with one or more teacher education institutions, career teachers,
and other community experts to provide local or regional professional development
seminars or other structured learning experiences for teaching residents.
A teaching resident's direct classroom supervision responsibilities shall not exceed
80 percent of the instructional time required of a full-time equivalent teacher in the
district. During the time a resident does not supervise a class, the resident shall participate
in professional development activities according to the individual plan developed by the
resident in conjunction with the school's mentoring team. Examples of development
activities include observing other teachers, sharing experiences with other teaching
residents, and professional meetings and workshops.

    Sec. 24. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.74, is amended to read:
122A.74 PRINCIPALS' LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE.
    Subdivision 1. Establishment. (a) The commissioner of education may contract
with the regents of the University of Minnesota to establish a Principals' Leadership
Institute to provide professional development to school principals by:
(1) creating a network of leaders in the educational and business communities to
communicate current and future trends in leadership techniques;
(2) helping to create a vision for the school that is aligned with the community
and district priorities; and
(3) developing strategies to retain highly qualified teachers and ensure that diverse
student populations, including at-risk students, children with disabilities, English learners,
and gifted students, among others, have equal access to these highly qualified teachers; and
(4) providing training to analyze data using culturally competent tools.
(b) The University of Minnesota must cooperate with participating members of the
business community to provide funding and content for the institute.
(c) Participants must agree to attend the Principals' Leadership Institute for four
weeks during the academic summer.
(d) The Principals' Leadership Institute must incorporate program elements offered
by leadership programs at the University of Minnesota and program elements used by
the participating members of the business community to enhance leadership within their
businesses.
    Subd. 2. Method of selection and requirements. (a) The board of each school
district in the state may select a principal, upon the recommendation of the district's
superintendent and based on the principal's leadership potential, to attend the institute.
(b) The school board annually shall forward its list of recommended participants to
the commissioner of education by February 1 each year. In addition, a principal may submit
an application directly to the commissioner by February 1. The commissioner of education
shall notify the school board, the principal candidates, and the University of Minnesota of
the principals selected to participate in the Principals' Leadership Institute each year.

    Sec. 25. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 123A.06, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. People to be served. A state-approved alternative program shall provide
programs for secondary pupils and adults. A center may also provide programs and
services for elementary and secondary pupils who are not attending the state-approved
alternative program to assist them in being successful in school. A center shall use
research-based best practices for serving English learners and their parents, taking into
account the variations in students' backgrounds and needs and the amount of time and the
staff resources necessary for students to overcome gaps in their education and to develop
English proficiency and work-related skills. An individualized education program team
may identify a state-approved alternative program as an appropriate placement to the
extent a state-approved alternative program can provide the student with the appropriate
special education services described in the student's plan. Pupils eligible to be served are
those who qualify under the graduation incentives program in section 124D.68, subdivision
2 , those enrolled under section 124D.02, subdivision 2, or those pupils who are eligible to
receive special education services under sections 125A.03 to 125A.24, and 125A.65.

    Sec. 26. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 123B.04, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
    Subd. 4. Achievement contract. A school board may enter a written education site
achievement contract with each site decision-making team for: (1) setting individualized
learning and achievement measures and short- and long-term educational goals for each
student at that site that may include site-based strategies for English language instruction
targeting the teachers of English learners and all teachers and school administrators;
(2) recognizing each student's educational needs and aptitudes and levels of academic
attainment, whether on grade level or above or below grade level, so as to improve student
performance through such means as a cost-effective, research-based formative assessment
system designed to promote individualized learning and assessment; (3) using student
performance data to diagnose a student's academic strengths and weaknesses and indicate
to the student's teachers the specific skills and concepts that need to be introduced to
the student and developed through academic instruction or applied learning, organized
by strands within subject areas and linked to state and local academic standards during
the next year, consistent with the student's short- and long-term educational goals; and
(4) assisting the education site if progress in achieving student or contract goals or other
performance expectations or measures agreed to by the board and the site decision-making
team are not realized or implemented.

    Sec. 27. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 123B.147, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Duties; evaluation. (a) The principal shall provide administrative,
supervisory, and instructional leadership services, under the supervision of the
superintendent of schools of the district and according to the policies, rules, and
regulations of the school board, for the planning, management, operation, and evaluation
of the education program of the building or buildings to which the principal is assigned.
(b) To enhance a principal's leadership skills and support and improve teaching
practices, school performance, and student achievement for diverse student populations,
including at-risk students, children with disabilities, English learners, and gifted students,
among others, a district must develop and implement a performance-based system for
annually evaluating school principals assigned to supervise a school building within the
district. The evaluation must be designed to improve teaching and learning by supporting
the principal in shaping the school's professional environment and developing teacher
quality, performance, and effectiveness. The annual evaluation must:
(1) support and improve a principal's instructional leadership, organizational
management, and professional development, and strengthen the principal's capacity in the
areas of instruction, supervision, evaluation, and teacher development;
(2) include formative and summative evaluations based on multiple measures of
student progress toward career and college readiness;
(3) be consistent with a principal's job description, a district's long-term plans and
goals, and the principal's own professional multiyear growth plans and goals, all of which
must support the principal's leadership behaviors and practices, rigorous curriculum,
school performance, and high-quality instruction;
(4) include on-the-job observations and previous evaluations;
(5) allow surveys to help identify a principal's effectiveness, leadership skills and
processes, and strengths and weaknesses in exercising leadership in pursuit of school
success;
(6) use longitudinal data on student academic growth as 35 percent of the evaluation
and incorporate district achievement goals and targets;
(7) be linked to professional development that emphasizes improved teaching and
learning, curriculum and instruction, student learning, and a collaborative professional
culture; and
(8) for principals not meeting standards of professional practice or other criteria
under this subdivision, implement a plan to improve the principal's performance and
specify the procedure and consequence if the principal's performance is not improved.
The provisions of this paragraph are intended to provide districts with sufficient
flexibility to accommodate district needs and goals related to developing, supporting,
and evaluating principals.

    Sec. 28. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.13, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Program requirements. (a) Early childhood family education programs
are programs for children in the period of life from birth to kindergarten, for the parents
and other relatives of these children, and for expectant parents. To the extent that funds
are insufficient to provide programs for all children, early childhood family education
programs should emphasize programming for a child from birth to age three and
encourage parents and other relatives to involve four- and five-year-old children in school
readiness programs, and other public and nonpublic early learning programs. A district
may not limit participation to school district residents. Early childhood family education
programs must provide:
    (1) programs to educate parents and other relatives about the physical, mental, and
emotional development of children and to enhance the skills of parents and other relatives
in providing for their children's learning and development;
    (2) structured learning activities requiring interaction between children and their
parents or relatives;
    (3) structured learning activities for children that promote children's development
and positive interaction with peers, which are held while parents or relatives attend parent
education classes;
    (4) information on related community resources;
    (5) information, materials, and activities that support the safety of children, including
prevention of child abuse and neglect; and
    (6) a community outreach plan to ensure participation by families who reflect the
racial, cultural, linguistic, and economic diversity of the school district.
Early childhood family education programs are encouraged to provide parents of
English learners with translated oral and written information to monitor the program's
impact on their children's English language development, to know whether their children
are progressing in developing their English and native language proficiency, and to
actively engage with and support their children in developing their English and native
language proficiency.
    The programs must include learning experiences for children, parents, and other
relatives that promote children's early literacy and, where practicable, their native
language skills. The program must not include and activities for children that do not
require substantial involvement of the children's parents or other relatives. Providers must
review the program must be reviewed periodically to assure the instruction and materials
are not racially, culturally, or sexually biased. The programs must encourage parents to be
aware of practices that may affect equitable development of children.
    (b) For the purposes of this section, "relative" or "relatives" means noncustodial
grandparents or other persons related to a child by blood, marriage, adoption, or foster
placement, excluding parents.

    Sec. 29. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.15, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Program requirements. A school readiness program provider must:
    (1) assess each child's cognitive and language skills with a comprehensive child
assessment instrument when the child enters and again before the child leaves the program
to inform improve program planning and implementation, communicate with parents, and
promote kindergarten readiness;
    (2) provide comprehensive program content and intentional instructional practice
aligned with the state early childhood learning guidelines and kindergarten standards and
based on early childhood research and professional practice that is focused on children's
cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills and development and prepares children
for the transition to kindergarten, including early literacy and language skills;
(3) coordinate appropriate kindergarten transition with parents and kindergarten
teachers;
    (4) involve parents in program planning and decision making;
    (5) coordinate with relevant community-based services;
    (6) cooperate with adult basic education programs and other adult literacy programs;
(7) ensure staff-child ratios of one-to-ten and maximum group size of 20 children
with the first staff required to be a teacher; and
(8) have teachers knowledgeable in early childhood curriculum content, assessment,
native and English language development programs, and instruction.

    Sec. 30. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.49, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
    Subd. 3. Local education and employment transitions systems. A local education
and employment transitions partnership must assess the needs of employers, employees,
and learners, and develop a plan for implementing and achieving the objectives of a local
or regional education and employment transitions system. The plan must provide for a
comprehensive local system for assisting learners and workers in making the transition
from school to work or for retraining in a new vocational area. The objectives of a local
education and employment transitions system include:
(1) increasing the effectiveness of the educational programs and curriculum of
elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools and the work site in preparing students
in the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in the workplace;
(2) implementing learner outcomes for students in grades kindergarten through 12
designed to introduce the world of work and to explore career opportunities, including
nontraditional career opportunities;
(3) eliminating barriers to providing effective integrated applied learning,
service-learning, or work-based curriculum;
(4) increasing opportunities to apply academic knowledge and skills, including
skills needed in the workplace, in local settings which include the school, school-based
enterprises, postsecondary institutions, the workplace, and the community;
(5) increasing applied instruction in the attitudes and skills essential for success in
the workplace, including cooperative working, leadership, problem-solving, English
language proficiency, and respect for diversity;
(6) providing staff training for vocational guidance counselors, teachers, and other
appropriate staff in the importance of preparing learners for the transition to work, and in
methods of providing instruction that incorporate applied learning, work-based learning,
English language proficiency, and service-learning experiences;
(7) identifying and enlisting local and regional employers who can effectively
provide work-based or service-learning opportunities, including, but not limited to,
apprenticeships, internships, and mentorships;
(8) recruiting community and workplace mentors including peers, parents, employers
and employed individuals from the community, and employers of high school students;
(9) identifying current and emerging educational, training, native and English
language development, and employment needs of the area or region, especially within
industries with potential for job growth;
(10) improving the coordination and effectiveness of local vocational and job training
programs, including vocational education, adult basic education, tech prep, apprenticeship,
service-learning, youth entrepreneur, youth training and employment programs
administered by the commissioner of employment and economic development, and local
job training programs under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Public Law 105-220;
(11) identifying and applying for federal, state, local, and private sources of funding
for vocational or applied learning programs;
(12) providing students with current information and counseling about career
opportunities, potential employment, educational opportunities in postsecondary
institutions, workplaces, and the community, and the skills and knowledge necessary to
succeed;
(13) providing educational technology, including interactive television networks
and other distance learning methods, to ensure access to a broad variety of work-based
learning opportunities;
(14) including students with disabilities in a district's vocational or applied learning
program and ways to serve at-risk learners through collaboration with area learning
centers under sections 123A.05 to 123A.09, or other alternative programs; and
(15) providing a warranty to employers, postsecondary education programs, and
other postsecondary training programs, that learners successfully completing a high school
work-based or applied learning program will be able to apply the knowledge and work
skills included in the program outcomes or graduation requirements. The warranty shall
require education and training programs to continue to work with those learners that need
additional skill or English language development until they can demonstrate achievement
of the program outcomes or graduation requirements.

    Sec. 31. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.52, as amended by Laws 2013, chapter
116, article 2, section 7, is amended to read:
124D.52 ADULT BASIC EDUCATION.
    Subdivision 1. Program requirements. (a) An adult basic education program is a
day or evening program offered by a district that is for people over 16 years of age who do
not attend an elementary or secondary school. The program offers academic and English
language instruction necessary to earn a high school diploma or equivalency certificate.
(b) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a school board or the governing body of
a consortium offering an adult basic education program may adopt a sliding fee schedule
based on a family's income, but must waive the fee for participants who are under the age
of 21 or unable to pay. The fees charged must be designed to enable individuals of all
socioeconomic levels to participate in the program. A program may charge a security
deposit to assure return of materials, supplies, and equipment.
(c) Each approved adult basic education program must develop a memorandum of
understanding with the local workforce development centers located in the approved
program's service delivery area. The memorandum of understanding must describe how
the adult basic education program and the workforce development centers will cooperate
and coordinate services to provide unduplicated, efficient, and effective services to clients.
(d) Adult basic education aid must be spent for adult basic education purposes as
specified in sections 124D.518 to 124D.531.
(e) A state-approved adult basic education program must count and submit student
contact hours for a program that offers high school credit toward an adult high school
diploma according to student eligibility requirements and measures of student progress
toward work-based competency demonstration requirements and, where appropriate,
English language proficiency requirements established by the commissioner and posted on
the department Web site in a readily accessible location and format.
    Subd. 2. Program approval. (a) To receive aid under this section, a district, a
consortium of districts, the Department of Corrections, or a private nonprofit organization
must submit an application by June 1 describing the program, on a form provided by
the department. The program must be approved by the commissioner according to the
following criteria:
(1) how the needs of different levels of learning and English language proficiency
will be met;
(2) for continuing programs, an evaluation of results;
(3) anticipated number and education level of participants;
(4) coordination with other resources and services;
(5) participation in a consortium, if any, and money available from other participants;
(6) management and program design;
(7) volunteer training and use of volunteers;
(8) staff development services;
(9) program sites and schedules;
(10) program expenditures that qualify for aid;
(11) program ability to provide data related to learner outcomes as required by
law; and
(12) a copy of the memorandum of understanding described in subdivision 1
submitted to the commissioner.
(b) Adult basic education programs may be approved under this subdivision for
up to five years. Five-year program approval must be granted to an applicant who has
demonstrated the capacity to:
(1) offer comprehensive learning opportunities and support service choices
appropriate for and accessible to adults at all basic skill need and English language levels
of need;
(2) provide a participatory and experiential learning approach based on the strengths,
interests, and needs of each adult, that enables adults with basic skill needs to:
(i) identify, plan for, and evaluate their own progress toward achieving their defined
educational and occupational goals;
(ii) master the basic academic reading, writing, and computational skills, as well
as the problem-solving, decision making, interpersonal effectiveness, and other life and
learning skills they need to function effectively in a changing society;
(iii) locate and be able to use the health, governmental, and social services and
resources they need to improve their own and their families' lives; and
(iv) continue their education, if they desire, to at least the level of secondary school
completion, with the ability to secure and benefit from continuing education that will
enable them to become more employable, productive, and responsible citizens;
(3) plan, coordinate, and develop cooperative agreements with community resources
to address the needs that the adults have for support services, such as transportation, English
language learning, flexible course scheduling, convenient class locations, and child care;
(4) collaborate with business, industry, labor unions, and employment-training
agencies, as well as with family and occupational education providers, to arrange for
resources and services through which adults can attain economic self-sufficiency;
(5) provide sensitive and well trained adult education personnel who participate in
local, regional, and statewide adult basic education staff development events to master
effective adult learning and teaching techniques;
(6) participate in regional adult basic education peer program reviews and evaluations;
(7) submit accurate and timely performance and fiscal reports;
(8) submit accurate and timely reports related to program outcomes and learner
follow-up information; and
(9) spend adult basic education aid on adult basic education purposes only, which
are specified in sections 124D.518 to 124D.531.
(c) The commissioner shall require each district to provide notification by February
1, 2001, of its intent to apply for funds under this section as a single district or as part of
an identified consortium of districts. A district receiving funds under this section must
notify the commissioner by February 1 of its intent to change its application status for
applications due the following June 1.
    Subd. 3. Accounts; revenue; aid. (a) Each district, group of districts, or private
nonprofit organization providing adult basic education programs must establish and
maintain a reserve account within the community service fund for the receipt receiving
and disbursement of disbursing all funds related to these programs. All revenue received
pursuant to under this section must be utilized used solely for the purposes of adult basic
education programs. State aid must not equal more than 100 percent of the unreimbursed
expenses of providing these programs, excluding in-kind costs.
(b) For purposes of paragraph (a), an adult basic education program may include as
valid expenditures for the previous fiscal year program spending that occurs from July
1 to September 30 of the following year. A program may carry over a maximum of 20
percent of its adult basic education aid revenue into the next fiscal year. Program spending
may only be counted for one fiscal year.
(c) Notwithstanding section 123A.26 or any other law to the contrary, an adult basic
education consortium providing an approved adult basic education program may be its own
fiscal agent and is eligible to receive state-aid payments directly from the commissioner.
    Subd. 4. English as a second language programs. Persons may teach English
as a second language classes conducted at a worksite, if they meet the requirements
of section 122A.19, subdivision 1, clause (a), regardless of whether they are licensed
teachers. Persons teaching English as a second language for an approved adult basic
education program must possess a bachelor's or master's degree in English as a second
language, applied linguistics, or bilingual education, or a related degree as approved by
the commissioner.
    Subd. 5. Basic service level. A district, or a consortium of districts, with a program
approved by the commissioner under subdivision 2 must establish, in consultation with the
commissioner, a basic level of service for every adult basic education site in the district
or consortium. The basic service level must describe minimum levels of academic and
English language instruction and support services to be provided at each site. The program
must set a basic service level that promotes effective learning and student achievement
with measurable results. Each district or consortium of districts must submit its basic
service level to the commissioner for approval.
    Subd. 6. Cooperative English as a second language and adult basic education
programs. (a) A school district, or adult basic education consortium that receives revenue
under section 124D.531, may deliver English as a second language, citizenship, or other
adult education programming in collaboration with community-based and nonprofit
organizations located within its district or region, and with correctional institutions. The
organization or correctional institution must have the demonstrated capacity to offer
education programs for adults. Community-based or nonprofit organizations must meet
the criteria in paragraph (b), or have prior experience. A community-based or nonprofit
organization or a correctional institution may be reimbursed for unreimbursed expenses
as defined in section 124D.518, subdivision 5, for the administration of administering
English as a second language or adult basic education programs, not to exceed eight
percent of the total funds provided by a school district or adult basic education consortium.
The administrative reimbursement for a school district or adult basic education consortium
that delivers services cooperatively with a community-based or nonprofit organization
or correctional institution is limited to five percent of the program aid, not to exceed the
unreimbursed expenses of administering programs delivered by community-based or
nonprofit organizations or correctional institutions.
(b) A community-based organization or nonprofit organization that delivers education
services under this section must demonstrate that it has met the following criteria:
(1) be legally established as a nonprofit organization;
(2) have an established system for fiscal accounting and reporting that is consistent
with the Department of Education's department's adult basic education completion report
and reporting requirements under section 124D.531;
(3) require all instructional staff to complete a training course in teaching adult
learners; and
(4) develop a learning plan for each student that identifies defined educational and
occupational goals with measures to evaluate progress.
    Subd. 7. Performance tracking system. (a) By July 1, 2000, each approved adult
basic education program must develop and implement a performance tracking system to
provide information necessary to comply with federal law and serve as one means of
assessing the effectiveness of adult basic education programs. For required reporting,
longitudinal studies, and program improvement, the tracking system must be designed to
collect data on the following core outcomes for learners, including English learners, who
have completed participating in the adult basic education program:
(1) demonstrated improvements in literacy skill levels in reading, writing, speaking
the English language, numeracy, problem solving, English language acquisition, and
other literacy skills;
(2) placement in, retention in, or completion of postsecondary education, training,
unsubsidized employment, or career advancement;
(3) receipt of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent; and
(4) reduction in participation in the diversionary work program, Minnesota family
investment program, and food support education and training program.
(b) A district, group of districts, state agency, or private nonprofit organization
providing an adult basic education program may meet this requirement by developing a
tracking system based on either or both of the following methodologies:
(1) conducting a reliable follow-up survey; or
(2) submitting student information, including Social Security numbers for data
matching.
Data related to obtaining employment must be collected in the first quarter following
program completion or can be collected while the student is enrolled, if known. Data
related to employment retention must be collected in the third quarter following program
exit. Data related to any other specified outcome may be collected at any time during a
program year.
(c) When a student in a program is requested to provide the student's Social Security
number, the student must be notified in a written form easily understandable to the student
that:
(1) providing the Social Security number is optional and no adverse action may be
taken against the student if the student chooses not to provide the Social Security number;
(2) the request is made under section 124D.52, subdivision 7;
(3) if the student provides the Social Security number, it will be used to assess the
effectiveness of the program by tracking the student's subsequent career; and
(4) the Social Security number will be shared with the Department of Education;
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities; Office of Higher Education; Department of
Human Services; and Department of Employment and Economic Development in order
to accomplish the purposes described in paragraph (a) and will not be used for any other
purpose or reported to any other governmental entities.
(d) Annually a district, group of districts, state agency, or private nonprofit
organization providing programs under this section must forward the tracking data
collected to the Department of Education. For the purposes of longitudinal studies on the
employment status of former students under this section, the Department of Education
must forward the Social Security numbers to the Department of Employment and
Economic Development to electronically match the Social Security numbers of former
students with wage detail reports filed under section 268.044. The results of data matches
must, for purposes of this section and consistent with the requirements of the United
States Code, title 29, section 2871, of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, be compiled
in a longitudinal form by the Department of Employment and Economic Development
and released to the Department of Education in the form of summary data that does not
identify the individual students. The Department of Education may release this summary
data. State funding for adult basic education programs must not be based on the number or
percentage of students who decline to provide their Social Security numbers or on whether
the program is evaluated by means of a follow-up survey instead of data matching.
    Subd. 8. Standard high school diploma for adults. (a) The commissioner shall
adopt rules for providing a standard adult high school diploma to persons who:
(1) are not eligible for kindergarten through grade 12 services;
(2) do not have a high school diploma; and
(3) successfully complete an adult basic education program of instruction approved
by the commissioner of education necessary to earn an adult high school diploma.
(b) Persons participating in an approved adult basic education program of instruction
must demonstrate the competencies, knowledge, and skills and, where appropriate,
English language proficiency, sufficient to ensure that postsecondary programs and
institutions and potential employers regard persons with a standard high school diploma
and persons with a standard adult high school diploma as equally well prepared and
qualified graduates. Approved adult basic education programs of instruction under this
subdivision must issue a standard adult high school diploma to persons who successfully
demonstrate the competencies, knowledge, and skills required by the program.

    Sec. 32. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.522, is amended to read:
124D.522 ADULT BASIC EDUCATION SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICE
GRANTS.
(a) The commissioner, in consultation with the policy review task force under
section 124D.521, may make grants to nonprofit organizations to provide services that are
not offered by a district adult basic education program or that are supplemental to either
the statewide adult basic education program, or a district's adult basic education program.
The commissioner may make grants for: staff development for adult basic education
teachers and administrators; training for volunteer tutors; training, services, and materials
for serving disabled students through adult basic education programs; statewide promotion
of adult basic education services and programs; development and dissemination of
instructional and administrative technology for adult basic education programs; programs
which primarily serve communities of color; adult basic education distance learning
projects, including television instruction programs; initiatives to accelerate English
language acquisition and the achievement of career- and college-ready skills among
English learners; and other supplemental services to support the mission of adult basic
education and innovative delivery of adult basic education services.
(b) The commissioner must establish eligibility criteria and grant application
procedures. Grants under this section must support services throughout the state, focus
on educational results for adult learners, and promote outcome-based achievement
through adult basic education programs. Beginning in fiscal year 2002, the commissioner
may make grants under this section from the state total adult basic education aid set
aside for supplemental service grants under section 124D.531. Up to one-fourth of the
appropriation for supplemental service grants must be used for grants for adult basic
education programs to encourage and support innovations in adult basic education
instruction and service delivery. A grant to a single organization cannot exceed 20 percent
of the total supplemental services aid. Nothing in this section prevents an approved adult
basic education program from using state or federal aid to purchase supplemental services.

    Sec. 33. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.59, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:
    Subd. 2a. English learner; interrupted formal education. Consistent with
subdivision 2, an English learner includes an English learner with an interrupted formal
education who:
(1) comes from a home where the language usually spoken is other than English, or
usually speaks a language other than English;
(2) enters school in the United States after grade 6;
(3) has at least two years less schooling than the English learner's peers;
(4) functions at least two years below expected grade level in reading and
mathematics; and
(5) may be preliterate in the English learner's native language.

    Sec. 34. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.895, is amended to read:
124D.895 PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMS.
    Subdivision 1. Program goals. The department, in consultation with the state
curriculum advisory committee, must develop guidelines and model plans for parental
involvement programs that will:
(1) engage the interests and talents of parents or guardians in recognizing and
meeting the emotional, intellectual, native and English language development, and
physical needs of their school-age children;
(2) promote healthy self-concepts among parents or guardians and other family
members;
(3) offer parents or guardians a chance to share and learn about educational skills,
techniques, and ideas;
(4) provide creative learning experiences for parents or guardians and their
school-age children, including involvement from parents or guardians of color;
(5) encourage parents to actively participate in their district's curriculum advisory
committee under section 120B.11 in order to assist the school board in improving
children's education programs; and
(6) encourage parents to help in promoting school desegregation/integration under
sections 124D.861 and 124D.862.
    Subd. 2. Plan contents. Model plans for a parental involvement program must
include at least the following:
(1) program goals;
(2) means for achieving program goals;
(3) methods for informing parents or guardians, in a timely way, about the program;
(4) strategies for ensuring the full participation of parents or guardians, including
those parents or guardians who lack literacy skills or whose native language is not English,
including the involvement from of parents or guardians of color;
(5) procedures for coordinating the program with kindergarten through grade 12
curriculum, with parental involvement programs currently available in the community,
with the process under sections 120B.10 to world's best workforce under section 120B.11,
and with other education facilities located in the community;
(6) strategies for training teachers and other school staff to work effectively with
parents and guardians;
(7) procedures for parents or guardians and educators to evaluate and report progress
toward program goals; and
(8) a mechanism for convening a local community advisory committee composed
primarily of parents or guardians to advise a district on implementing a parental
involvement program.
    Subd. 3. Plan activities. Activities contained in the model plans must include:
(1) educational opportunities for families that enhance children's learning and native
and English language development;
(2) educational programs for parents or guardians on families' educational
responsibilities and resources;
(3) the hiring, training, and use of parental involvement liaison workers to
coordinate family involvement activities and to foster linguistic and culturally competent
communication among families, educators, and students, consistent with the definition of
culturally competent under section 120B.11, subdivision 1, paragraph (d);
(4) curriculum materials and assistance in implementing home and community-based
learning activities that reinforce and extend classroom instruction and student motivation;
(5) technical assistance, including training to design and carry out family
involvement programs;
(6) parent resource centers;
(7) parent training programs and reasonable and necessary expenditures associated
with parents' attendance at training sessions;
(8) reports to parents on children's progress;
(9) use of parents as classroom volunteers, or as volunteers in before and after
school programs for school-age children, tutors, and aides;
(10) soliciting parents' suggestions in planning, developing, and implementing
school programs;
(11) educational programs and opportunities for parents or guardians that are
multicultural, multilingual, gender fair, and disability sensitive;
(12) involvement in a district's curriculum advisory committee or a school building
team under section 120B.11; and
(13) opportunities for parent involvement in developing, implementing, or evaluating
school and district desegregation/integration plans under sections 124D.861 and 124D.862.

    Sec. 35. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.8955, is amended to read:
124D.8955 PARENT AND FAMILY INVOLVEMENT POLICY.
    (a) In order to promote and support student achievement, a local school board is
encouraged to formally adopt and implement a parent and family involvement policy that
promotes and supports:
    (1) oral and written communication between home and school that is regular,
two-way, and meaningful, and in families' native language;
    (2) parenting skills;
    (3) parents and caregivers who play an integral role in assisting student learning and
learn about fostering students' academic success and learning at home and school;
    (4) welcoming parents in the school and using networks that support families'
cultural connections, seeking their support and assistance;
    (5) partnerships with parents in the decisions that affect children and families
in the schools; and
    (6) providing community resources to strengthen schools, families, and student
learning.
    (b) A school board that implements a parent and family involvement policy under
paragraph (a) must convene an advisory committee composed of an equal number of
resident parents who are not district employees and school staff to make recommendations
to the board on developing and evaluating the board's parent and family involvement
policy. If possible, the advisory committee must represent the diversity of the district. The
advisory committee must consider the district's demographic diversity and barriers to
parent involvement when developing its recommendations. The advisory committee must
present its recommendations to the board for board consideration.
    (c) The board must consider research-based best practices when implementing
this policy.
    (d) The board periodically must review this policy to determine whether it is aligned
with the most current research findings on parent involvement policies and practices and
how effective the policy is in supporting increased student achievement.
    (e) Nothing in this section obligates a school district to exceed any parent or family
involvement requirement under federal law.

    Sec. 36. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 127A.70, subdivision 2, is
amended to read:
    Subd. 2. Powers and duties; report. (a) The partnership shall develop
recommendations to the governor and the legislature designed to maximize the achievement
of all P-20 students while promoting the efficient use of state resources, thereby helping
the state realize the maximum value for its investment. These recommendations may
include, but are not limited to, strategies, policies, or other actions focused on:
    (1) improving the quality of and access to education at all points from preschool
through graduate education;
    (2) improving preparation for, and transitions to, postsecondary education and
work; and
    (3) ensuring educator quality by creating rigorous standards for teacher recruitment,
teacher preparation, induction and mentoring of beginning teachers, and continuous
professional development for career teachers.
    (b) Under the direction of the P-20 Education Partnership Statewide Longitudinal
Education Data System Governance Committee, the Office of Higher Education and the
Departments of Education and Employment and Economic Development shall improve
and expand the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS) to provide
policymakers, education and workforce leaders, researchers, and members of the public
with data, research, and reports to:
(1) expand reporting on students' educational outcomes for diverse student
populations including at-risk students, children with disabilities, English learners, and
gifted students, among others, and include formative and summative evaluations based on
multiple measures of student progress toward career and college readiness;
(2) evaluate the effectiveness of educational and workforce programs; and
(3) evaluate the relationship between education and workforce outcomes, consistent
with section 124D.49.
To the extent possible under federal and state law, research and reports should be
accessible to the public on the Internet, and disaggregated by demographic characteristics,
organization or organization characteristics, and geography.
It is the intent of the legislature that the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data
System inform public policy and decision-making. The SLEDS governance committee,
with assistance from staff of the Office of Higher Education, the Department of Education,
and the Department of Employment and Economic Development, shall respond to
legislative committee and agency requests on topics utilizing data made available through
the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System as resources permit. Any analysis of
or report on the data must contain only summary data.
    (c) By January 15 of each year, the partnership shall submit a report to the governor
and to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees and
divisions with jurisdiction over P-20 education policy and finance that summarizes the
partnership's progress in meeting its goals and identifies the need for any draft legislation
when necessary to further the goals of the partnership to maximize student achievement
while promoting efficient use of resources.

    Sec. 37. REPEALER.
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.19, subdivision 3, is repealed effective the
day following final enactment.