HF 439

1st Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 01:37am

A bill for an act
relating to education; requiring statewide academic standards for physical
education; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 120B.021, subdivisions
1, 1a; 120B.023, subdivision 2; 120B.024; proposing coding for new law in
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 121A.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 120B.021, subdivision 1, is amended to
read:

Subdivision 1.

Required academic standards.

new text begin (a) new text end The following subject areas
are required for statewide accountability:

(1) language arts;

(2) mathematics;

(3) science;

(4) social studies, including history, geography, economics, and government and
citizenship;

(5) new text begin physical education;
new text end

new text begin (6) new text end health deleted text begin and physical education deleted text end , for which locally developed academic standards
apply; and

deleted text begin (6) deleted text end new text begin (7) new text end the arts, for which statewide or locally developed academic standards apply,
as determined by the school district. Public elementary and middle schools must offer at
least three and require at least two of the following four arts areas: dance; music; theater;
and visual arts. Public high schools must offer at least three and require at least one of the
following five arts areas: media arts; dance; music; theater; and visual arts.

new text begin (b) To satisfy this subdivision and the one-half credit physical education requirement
under section 120B.024, paragraph (a), clause (6), the state physical education standard
under paragraph (a) selected by a school district must be consistent with either the
physical education benchmarks developed by the quality teaching network or the National
Physical Education Standards developed by the National Association for Sport and
Physical Education. To satisfy federal reporting requirements for continued funding under
Title VII of the Physical Education for Progress Act, a school district must notify the
department, if applicable, of its intent to comply with this subdivision. School districts
and charter schools also must use either the physical education benchmarks or the
National Physical Education Standards under this paragraph to comply with paragraph
(a), clause (5), in providing physical education instruction and programs to students in
kindergarten through grade 12.
new text end

new text begin (c) new text end The commissioner must submit proposed standards in science and social studies
to the legislature by February 1, 2004.

new text begin (d) new text end For purposes of applicable federal law, the academic standards for language arts,
mathematics, and science apply to all public school students, except the very few students
with extreme cognitive or physical impairments for whom an individualized education
plan team has determined that the required academic standards are inappropriate.
An individualized education plan team that makes this determination must establish
alternative standards.

new text begin (e) new text end A school district, no later than the 2007-2008 school year, must adopt graduation
requirements that meet or exceed state graduation requirements established in law or
rule. A school district that incorporates these state graduation requirements before the
2007-2008 school year must provide students who enter the 9th grade in or before
the 2003-2004 school year the opportunity to earn a diploma based on existing locally
established graduation requirements in effect when the students entered the 9th grade.
District efforts to develop, implement, or improve instruction or curriculum as a result
of the provisions of this section must be consistent with sections 120B.10, 120B.11,
and 120B.20.

new text begin (f) new text end The commissioner must include the contributions of Minnesota American Indian
tribes and communities as they relate to the academic standards during the review and
revision of the required academic standards.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies in the 2009-2010 school year and later, and is a requirement for graduation for
students entering the 9th grade in the 2009-2010 school year and later.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 120B.021, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:

Subd. 1a.

Rigorous course of study; waiver.

(a) Upon receiving a student's
application signed by the student's parent or guardian, a school district, area learning
center, or charter school must declare that a student meets or exceeds a specific academic
standard required for graduation under this section if the local school board, the school
board of the school district in which the area learning center is located, or the charter
school board of directors determines that the student:

(1) is participating in a course of study, including an advanced placement or
international baccalaureate course or program; a learning opportunity outside the
curriculum of the district, area learning center, or charter school; or an approved
preparatory program for employment or postsecondary education that is equally or more
rigorous than the corresponding state or local academic standard required by the district,
area learning center, or charter school;

(2) would be precluded from participating in the rigorous course of study, learning
opportunity, or preparatory employment or postsecondary education program if the student
were required to achieve the academic standard to be waived; and

(3) satisfactorily completes the requirements for the rigorous course of study,
learning opportunity, or preparatory employment or postsecondary education program.

Consistent with the requirements of this section, the local school board, the school board
of the school district in which the area learning center is located, or the charter school
board of directors also may formally determine other circumstances in which to declare
that a student meets or exceeds a specific academic standard that the site requires for
graduation under this section.

(b) A student who satisfactorily completes a postsecondary enrollment options
course or program under section 124D.09, or an advanced placement or international
baccalaureate course or program under section 120B.13, is not required to complete other
requirements of the academic standards corresponding to that specific rigorous course
of study.

new text begin (c) A school board may exempt a student from the physical education graduation
requirement under section 120B.024 if the board approves an application showing
that the student has demonstrated mastery of the subject matter or that participation in
another learning opportunity meets or exceeds the physical education standard required
for graduation. This waiver shall not be construed as reducing the total credits required
for graduation.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 120B.023, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Revisions and reviews required.

(a) The commissioner of education must
revise and appropriately embed technology and information literacy standards consistent
with recommendations from school media specialists into the state's academic standards
and graduation requirements and implement a review cycle for state academic standards
and related benchmarks, consistent with this subdivision. During each review cycle, the
commissioner also must examine the alignment of each required academic standard and
related benchmark with the knowledge and skills students need for college readiness and
advanced work in the particular subject area.

(b) The commissioner in the 2006-2007 school year must revise and align the state's
academic standards and high school graduation requirements in mathematics to require
that students satisfactorily complete the revised mathematics standards, beginning in the
2010-2011 school year. Under the revised standards:

(1) students must satisfactorily complete an algebra I credit by the end of eighth
grade; and

(2) students scheduled to graduate in the 2014-2015 school year or later must
satisfactorily complete an algebra II credit or its equivalent.

The commissioner also must ensure that the statewide mathematics assessments
administered to students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 beginning in the 2010-2011
school year are aligned with the state academic standards in mathematics. The statewide
11th grade mathematics test administered to students under clause (2) beginning in
the 2013-2014 school year must include algebra II test items that are aligned with
corresponding state academic standards in mathematics. The commissioner must
implement a review of the academic standards and related benchmarks in mathematics
beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.

(c) The commissioner in the 2007-2008 school year must revise and align the state's
academic standards and high school graduation requirements in the arts to require that
students satisfactorily complete the revised arts standards beginning in the 2010-2011
school year. The commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and
related benchmarks in arts beginning in the 2016-2017 school year.

(d) The commissioner in the 2008-2009 school year must revise and align the state's
academic standards and high school graduation requirements in science to require that
students satisfactorily complete the revised science standards, beginning in the 2011-2012
school year. Under the revised standards, students scheduled to graduate in the 2014-2015
school year or later must satisfactorily complete a chemistry or physics credit. The
commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and related benchmarks
in science beginning in the 2017-2018 school year.

(e) The commissioner in the 2009-2010 school year must revise and align the state's
academic standards and high school graduation requirements in language arts to require
that students satisfactorily complete the revised language arts standards beginning in the
2012-2013 school year. The commissioner must implement a review of the academic
standards and related benchmarks in language arts beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.

(f) The commissioner in the 2010-2011 school year must revise and align the state's
academic standards and high school graduation requirements in social studies to require
that students satisfactorily complete the revised social studies standards beginning in the
2013-2014 school year. The commissioner must implement a review of the academic
standards and related benchmarks in social studies beginning in the 2019-2020 school year.

(g) School districts and charter schools must revise and align local academic
standards and high school graduation requirements in health, deleted text begin physical education, deleted text end world
languages, and career and technical education to require students to complete the revised
standards beginning in a school year determined by the school district or charter school.
School districts and charter schools must formally establish a periodic review cycle for
the academic standards and related benchmarks in health, deleted text begin physical education, deleted text end world
languages, and career and technical education.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies in the 2009-2010 school year and later.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 120B.024, is amended to read:

120B.024 GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS; COURSE CREDITS.

(a) Students beginning 9th grade in the 2004-2005 school year and later must
successfully complete the following high school level course credits for graduation:

(1) four credits of language arts;

(2) three credits of mathematics, encompassing at least algebra, geometry, statistics,
and probability sufficient to satisfy the academic standard;

(3) three credits of science, including at least one credit in biology;

(4) three and one-half credits of social studies, encompassing at least United
States history, geography, government and citizenship, world history, and economics or
three credits of social studies encompassing at least United States history, geography,
government and citizenship, and world history, and one-half credit of economics taught in
a school's social studies, agriculture education, or business department;

(5) one credit in the arts; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(6) new text begin one-half credit of physical education; and
new text end

new text begin (7) new text end a minimum of deleted text begin seven deleted text end new text begin 6-1/2 new text end elective course credits.

A course credit is equivalent to a student successfully completing an academic
year of study or a student mastering the applicable subject matter, as determined by the
local school district.

(b) An agriculture science course may fulfill a science credit requirement in addition
to the specified science credits in biology and chemistry or physics under paragraph (a),
clause (3).

(c) A career and technical education course may fulfill a science, mathematics, or
arts credit requirement in addition to the specified science, mathematics, or arts credits
under paragraph (a), clause (2), (3), or (5).

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to students entering 9th grade in the 2009-2010 school year and later.
new text end

Sec. 5.

new text begin [121A.215] LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT WELLNESS POLICIES; WEB
SITE.
new text end

new text begin When available, a school district must post its current local school wellness policy
on its Web site.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end