HF 2944

1st Engrossment - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/29/2016 12:37pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; providing all students, including low-income and minority
students, with improved and equitable access to effective and more diverse
teachers; amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 120B.11, as amended;
120B.35, subdivision 3; 123B.147, subdivision 3; 124D.861, as amended;
Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, sections 122A.40, subdivision 8; 122A.41,
subdivision 5; 127A.05, subdivision 6.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.11, as amended by Laws 2015, First
Special Session chapter 3, article 3, section 5, 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 to meet state and district academic standards and graduation requirements
including applied and experiential learning.

(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; have all students attain career and college readiness
before graduating from high school; deleted text begin and deleted text end have all students graduate from high school new text begin ; and
provide all enrolled students with equitable access to effective and more diverse teachers,
including teachers who are members of populations underrepresented among the licensed
teachers in the district or school, and who reflect the diversity of students under section
120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), enrolled in the district or school new text end .

(d) "Experiential learning" means learning for students that includes career
exploration through a specific class or course or through work-based experiences such as
job shadowing, mentoring, entrepreneurship, service learning, volunteering, internships,
other cooperative work experience, youth apprenticeship, or employment.

Subd. 1a.

Performance measures.

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 Assessment of Education Progress where
applicable;

(2) the size of the academic achievement gap, rigorous course taking under section
120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (c), clause (2), and enrichment experiences by student
subgroup;

(3) student performance on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments;

(4) high school graduation rates; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(5) career and college readiness under section 120B.30, subdivision 1 new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (6) the number and percent of teachers who are members of populations
underrepresented among the licensed teachers in the district or school and who reflect the
diversity of students under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2),
enrolled in the district or school new text end .

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, new text begin students' access to effective
teachers who are members of populations underrepresented among the licensed teachers
in the district or school and who reflect the diversity of enrolled students under section
120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), new text end 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, 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, subdivisions 1a
and 1b, and 120B.35, district assessments, new text begin means to improve students' equitable access to
effective and more diverse teachers, new text end 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 new text begin fluencies and new text end 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 competency
new text begin and all students' increased and equitable access to effective and more diverse teachers new text end , 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 and practicable, 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 new text begin , and in
providing all enrolled students, including low-income students, American Indian students,
and students of color with improved and equitable access to effective and more diverse
teachers new text end .

(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.

(c) The commissioner shall report by January 25 of each year to the committees of
the legislature having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education the list of
school districts that have not submitted their report to the commissioner under subdivision
5 and the list of school districts not achieving their performance goals established in
their plan under subdivision 2.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2016-2017 school year and
later.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, 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, district staff, experts in culturally responsive teaching,
and researchers, must implement a model that uses a value-added growth indicator deleted text begin and
includes criteria for identifying schools and school districts that demonstrate medium and
high growth under section 120B.299, subdivisions 8 and 9 deleted text end , 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 deleted text begin nine deleted text end student categories identified under the federal deleted text begin 2001 No Child
Left Behind Act and two student gender categories of male and female, respectively
deleted text end new text begin Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as most recently reauthorized new text end , following
appropriate reporting practices to protect nonpublic student data.

The commissioner must report measures of student growth, consistent with this
paragraph, including the English language development, academic progress, and oral
academic development of English learners and their native language development if the
native language is used as a language of instruction.

(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 deleted text begin nine deleted text end student categories
identified under the federal deleted text begin 2001 No Child Left Behind Act and two student gender
categories of male and female, respectively deleted text end new text begin Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as
most recently reauthorized new text end , 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.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2016-2017 school year and
later.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2015 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 state
teacher evaluation plan 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 deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin , new text end improve student learning and success, new text begin and provide all enrolled students
in a district or school, including low-income students, American Indian students, and
students of color with improved and equitable access to more diverse teachers, new text end 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, 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 new text begin that improve cultural fluency
and competency new text end 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 job-embedded learning opportunities such as professional learning
communities;

(7) may include mentoring and induction programs new text begin for teachers, including teachers
who are members of populations underrepresented among the licensed teachers in
the district or school and who reflect the diversity of students under section 120B.35,
subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), who are enrolled in the district or school new text end ;

(8) 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;

(9) 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;

(10) must use longitudinal data on student engagement and connection, and other
student outcome measures explicitly aligned with the elements of new text begin culturally responsive
new text end curriculum for which teachers are responsible, including academic literacy, oral academic
language, and achievement of content areas of English learners;

(11) must require qualified and trained evaluators such as school administrators to
perform summative evaluations and ensure school districts and charter schools provide for
effective evaluator training specific to teacher development and evaluation;

(12) must give teachers not meeting professional teaching standards under clauses
(3) through (11) support to improve through a teacher improvement process that includes
established goals and timelines; and

(13) must discipline a teacher for not making adequate progress in the teacher
improvement process under clause (12) 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. The observation and interview notes of peer coaches may only be
disclosed to other school officials with the consent of the teacher being coached.

(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.

(d) Consistent with the measures of teacher effectiveness under this subdivision:

(1) for students in kindergarten through grade 4, a school administrator must not
place or approve the placement of a student in the classroom of a teacher who is in the
improvement process referenced in paragraph (b), clause (12), or has not had a summative
evaluation if, in the prior year, that student was in the classroom of a teacher who received
discipline pursuant to paragraph (b), clause (13), unless no other teacher at the school
teaches that grade; and

(2) for students in grades 5 through 12, a school administrator must not place
or approve the placement of a student in the classroom of a teacher who is in the
improvement process referenced in paragraph (b), clause (12), or has not had a summative
evaluation if, in the prior year, that student was in the classroom of a teacher who received
discipline pursuant to paragraph (b), clause (13), unless no other teacher at the school
teaches that subject area and grade.

All data created and used under this paragraph retains its classification under chapter 13.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2016-2017 school year and
later.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2015 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 state teacher evaluation plan 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, new text begin and provide all enrolled students
in a district or school, including low-income students, American Indian students, and
students of color with improved and equitable access to more diverse teachers, new text end 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, 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 new text begin that improve cultural fluency
and competency new text end 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 job-embedded learning opportunities such as professional learning
communities;

(7) may include mentoring and induction programs new text begin for teachers, including teachers
who are members of populations underrepresented among the licensed teachers in
the district or school and who reflect the diversity of students under section 120B.35,
subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), who are enrolled in the district or school new text end ;

(8) 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;

(9) 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;

(10) must use longitudinal data on student engagement and connection and other
student outcome measures explicitly aligned with the elements of new text begin culturally responsive
new text end curriculum for which teachers are responsible, including academic literacy, oral academic
language, and achievement of English learners;

(11) must require qualified and trained evaluators such as school administrators to
perform summative evaluations and ensure school districts and charter schools provide for
effective evaluator training specific to teacher development and evaluation;

(12) must give teachers not meeting professional teaching standards under clauses
(3) through (11) support to improve through a teacher improvement process that includes
established goals and timelines; and

(13) must discipline a teacher for not making adequate progress in the teacher
improvement process under clause (12) 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. The observation and interview notes of peer coaches may only be
disclosed to other school officials with the consent of the teacher being coached.

(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.

(d) Consistent with the measures of teacher effectiveness under this subdivision:

(1) for students in kindergarten through grade 4, a school administrator must not
place or approve the placement of a student in the classroom of a teacher who is in the
improvement process referenced in paragraph (b), clause (12), or has not had a summative
evaluation if, in the prior year, that student was in the classroom of a teacher who received
discipline pursuant to paragraph (b), clause (13), unless no other teacher at the school
teaches that grade; and

(2) for students in grades 5 through 12, a school administrator must not place
or approve the placement of a student in the classroom of a teacher who is in the
improvement process referenced in paragraph (b), clause (12), or has not had a summative
evaluation if, in the prior year, that student was in the classroom of a teacher who received
discipline pursuant to paragraph (b), clause (13), unless no other teacher at the school
teaches that subject area and grade.

All data created and used under this paragraph retains its classification under chapter 13.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2016-2017 school year and
later.
new text end

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, 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, deleted text begin and deleted text end effectiveness new text begin , and cultural fluency and competency new text end . 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 new text begin by, among other
things, hiring, supporting, and retaining a diverse teaching staff that reflects the diversity
of students under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), who are
enrolled in the district or school new text end ;

(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, new text begin students' improved and equitable access to effective and more diverse
teachers, new text end 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, deleted text begin and deleted text end a collaborative professional
culture new text begin , and students' increased and equitable access to effective and more diverse
teachers, consistent with attaining the world's best workforce under section 120B.11,
subdivision 1, paragraph (c) new text end ; 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.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2016-2017 school year and
later.
new text end

Sec. 6.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.861, as amended by Laws 2015, chapter
21, article 1, section 20, is amended to read:

124D.861 ACHIEVEMENT AND INTEGRATION FOR MINNESOTA.

Subdivision 1.

Program to close the academic achievement and opportunity gap;
revenue uses.

(a) The "Achievement and Integration for Minnesota" program is established
to pursue racial and economic integration and increase student academic achievement,
create equitable educational opportunities, and reduce academic disparities based on
students' diverse racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds in Minnesota public schools.

(b) For purposes of this section and section 124D.862, "eligible district" means a
district required to submit a plan to the commissioner under Minnesota Rules governing
school desegregation and integration, or be a member of a multidistrict integration
collaborative that files a plan with the commissioner.

(c) Eligible districts must use the revenue under section 124D.862 to pursue
academic achievement and racial and economic integration through:

(1) integrated learning environments that new text begin give students improved and equitable
access to effective and more diverse teachers, new text end prepare all students to be effective citizens
and enhance social cohesion;

(2) policies and curricula and trained new text begin , culturally fluent and competent new text end instructors,
administrators, school counselors, and other advocates to support and enhance integrated
learning environments under this section, including through magnet schools, innovative,
research-based instruction, differentiated instruction, new text begin improved and equitable access to
effective and diverse teachers, new text end and targeted interventions to improve achievement; and

(3) rigorous career and college readiness programs new text begin and effective and more diverse
instructors new text end for underserved student populations, consistent with section 120B.30,
subdivision 1; integrated learning environments to increase student academic achievement;
cultural fluency, competency, and interaction; graduation and educational attainment rates;
and parent involvement.

Subd. 2.

Plan implementation; components.

(a) The school board of each eligible
district must formally develop and implement a long-term plan under this section. The plan
must be incorporated into the district's comprehensive strategic plan under section 120B.11.
Plan components may include: innovative and integrated prekindergarten through grade 12
learning environments that offer students school enrollment choices; family engagement
initiatives that involve families in their students' academic life and success; professional
development opportunities for teachers and administrators focused on improving the
academic achievement of all students new text begin , including teachers and administrators who are
members of populations underrepresented among the licensed teachers or administrators
in the district or school and who reflect the diversity of students under section 120B.35,
subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), who are enrolled in the district or school new text end ;
increased programmatic opportunities new text begin and effective and more diverse instructors new text end focused
on rigor and college and career readiness for underserved students, including students
enrolled in alternative learning centers under section 123A.05, public alternative programs
under section 126C.05, subdivision 15, and contract alternative programs under section
124D.69, among other underserved students; or recruitment and retention of teachers and
administrators with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The plan must contain goals for:

(1) reducing the disparities in academic achievement new text begin and in equitable access to
effective and more diverse teachers new text end among all students and specific categories of students
under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), excluding the student categories of
gender, disability, and English learners; and

(2) increasing racial and economic new text begin diversity and new text end integration in schools and districts.

(b) Among other requirements, an eligible district must implement effective,
research-based interventions that include formative assessment practices to reduce the
disparities in student academic performance among the specific categories of students as
measured by student progress and growth on state reading and math assessments and
as aligned with section 120B.11.

(c) Eligible districts must create efficiencies and eliminate duplicative programs
and services under this section, which may include forming collaborations or a single,
seven-county metropolitan areawide partnership of eligible districts for this purpose.

Subd. 3.

Public engagement; progress report and budget process.

(a) To
receive revenue under section 124D.862, the school board of an eligible district must
incorporate school and district plan components under section 120B.11 into the district's
comprehensive integration plan.

(b) A school board must hold at least one formal annual hearing to publicly report
its progress in realizing the goals identified in its plan. At the hearing, the board must
provide the public with longitudinal data demonstrating district and school progress in
reducing the disparities in student academic performance among the specified categories
of students new text begin , in improving students' equitable access to effective and more diverse teachers,
new text end and in realizing racial and economic new text begin diversity and new text end integration, consistent with the district
plan and the measures in paragraph (a). At least 30 days before the formal hearing under
this paragraph, the board must post its plan, its preliminary analysis, relevant student
performance data, and other longitudinal data on the district's Web site. A district must
hold one hearing to meet the hearing requirements of both this section and section 120B.11.

(c) The district must submit a detailed budget to the commissioner by March 15 in
the year before it implements its plan. The commissioner must review, and approve or
disapprove the district's budget by June 1 of that year.

(d) The longitudinal data required under paragraph (b) must be based on student
growth and progress in reading and mathematics, as defined under section 120B.30,
subdivision 1, and student performance data and achievement reports from fully adaptive
reading and mathematics assessments for grades 3 through 7 beginning in the 2015-2016
school year under section 120B.30, subdivision 1a, and either (i) school enrollment
choices, (ii) the number of world language proficiency or high achievement certificates
awarded under section 120B.022, subdivision 1a, or the number of state bilingual and
multilingual seals issued under section 120B.022, subdivision 1b, or (iii) school safety
and students' engagement and connection at school under section 120B.35, subdivision 3,
paragraph (d). Additional longitudinal data may be based on: students' progress toward
career and college readiness under section 120B.30, subdivision 1; or rigorous coursework
completed under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (c), clause (2).

Subd. 4.

Timeline and implementation.

A board must approve its plan and submit
it to the department by March 15. If a district that is part of a multidistrict council applies
for revenue for a plan, the individual district shall not receive revenue unless it ratifies
the plan adopted by the multidistrict council. Each plan has a term of three years. For
the 2014-2015 school year, an eligible district under this section must submit its plan to
the commissioner for review by March 15, 2014. For the 2013-2014 school year only,
an eligible district may continue to implement its current plan until the commissioner
approves a new plan under this section.

Subd. 5.

Evaluation.

The commissioner must evaluate the efficacy of district
plans in reducing the disparities in student academic performance among the specified
categories of students within the district, new text begin improving students' equitable access to effective
and diverse teachers, new text end and in realizing racial and economic new text begin diversity and new text end integration.
The commissioner shall report evaluation results to the kindergarten through grade 12
education committees of the legislature by February 1 of every odd-numbered year.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2016-2017 school year and
later.
new text end

Sec. 7.

Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 127A.05, subdivision 6, is
amended to read:

Subd. 6.

Survey of districts.

The commissioner of education shall survey the state's
school districts and teacher preparation programs and report to the education committees
of the legislature by February 1 of each odd-numbered year on the status of teacher early
retirement patterns, new text begin access to effective and more diverse teachers who reflect the students
under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), enrolled in a district or
school, new text end the teacher shortage, and the substitute teacher shortage, including new text begin teacher hiring
and retention new text end patterns and shortages in subject areas and regions of the state. The report
must also include how districts are making progress in hiring new text begin and providing enrolled
students with improved and equitable access to effective and more diverse new text end teachers and
substitutes in the areas of shortage and a five-year projection of teacher demand for each
district new text begin , taking into account the students under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph
(b), clause (2), expected to enroll in the district during that five-year period new text end .

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2016-2017 school year and
later.
new text end

Sec. 8. new text begin COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF HIGHER EDUCATION;
TEACHER DIVERSITY RECOMMENDATIONS AND REPORT.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of the Office of Higher Education, in consultation with
the Board of Teaching, the Office of Educator Licensing at the Minnesota Department
of Education, and other interested stakeholders, including councils and other local
organizations serving communities of color or American Indian communities, diverse
K-12 educator candidates and licensed educators, human resources personnel, parent
representatives, urban, suburban, and rural school district and school board associations
and organizations, teacher representatives, other organizations focused on teacher diversity
in education, public and nonpublic higher education systems and institutions, and local
ethnic-focused media, shall prepare and submit a report to the legislature recommending
how best to realize the goal of providing all students, including low-income students,
American Indian students, and students of color with improved and equitable access to
effective, more diverse teachers, consistent with this act. The commissioner must consider
the substance of this act and paragraphs (b) and (c) in developing the recommendations
in the report.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner's recommendations must address at least the following:
new text end

new text begin (1) ensuring transparency and accountability by requiring traditional and alternative
teacher preparation programs to publicly report enrollment and completion data for
diverse teacher licensure candidates and by requiring districts to publicly report data on
the demographic disparities between enrolled students and licensed teachers employed in
the district and its school;
new text end

new text begin (2) expanding pathways to licensure by encouraging districts to develop programs
with two- and four-year institutions and with community-based organizations to recruit
and support diverse populations of enrolled students, nonlicensed district employees, and
local community members in becoming licensed teachers in the district, facilitating the
ability of diverse, nontraditional teacher candidates to change careers and pursue licensure
through community college pathways, bachelor's degree programs or postbaccalaureate
teacher preparation programs, and creating statewide campaigns to encourage diverse
candidates to become licensed teachers;
new text end

new text begin (3) providing diverse teacher licensure candidates with the preparation and skills
needed to become effective teachers, removing inequitable barriers to licensure presented
by licensure exams, and for purposes of attaining a full professional license, allowing
candidates to demonstrate their skills proficiency through alternatives to teacher skills and
college entrance exams;
new text end

new text begin (4) providing financial assistance and incentives such as scholarships, student
teaching stipends, and loan forgiveness programs to encourage diverse individuals to attain
a teaching, counseling, or social work license or advanced degree, otherwise improve their
professional practice, or become school administrators, and using a hiring bonus to recruit
more diverse teachers into a district or school; and
new text end

new text begin (5) supporting induction and retention programs by funding teacher residency and
mentoring programs that support the retention and professional development of diverse
teachers and focusing teachers' professional development opportunities on cultural fluency
and competency.
new text end

new text begin (c) The commissioner must include in the report, as appropriate, any
recommendations for amendments to the following statutes and any related statutes:
new text end

new text begin (1) the world's best work force under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.11;
new text end

new text begin (2) regional centers of excellence under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.115;
new text end

new text begin (3) Board of Teaching duties under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.09,
subdivisions 4 and 4a;
new text end

new text begin (4) teacher continuing or employment contracts and peer review and mentorship
under Minnesota Statutes, sections 122A.40 and 122A.41;
new text end

new text begin (5) the alternative teacher professional pay system agreement under Minnesota
Statutes, section 122A.414, subdivision 2;
new text end

new text begin (6) staff development programs under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.60;
new text end

new text begin (7) American Indian grants, scholarships, and loan programs under Minnesota
Statutes, section 122A.63;
new text end

new text begin (8) teacher residency programs under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.68;
new text end

new text begin (9) the ability of the Board of Teaching to arrange for student teachers under
Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.69;
new text end

new text begin (10) the ability of school districts to develop mentoring programs for teachers of
color under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.70;
new text end

new text begin (11) the legislature's support of research on the effectiveness of teacher preparation
programs under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.71;
new text end

new text begin (12) teacher centers to help teachers learn, experiment, assess, and improve to meet
students' needs under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.72; and
new text end

new text begin (13) the teacher shortage loan forgiveness program under Minnesota Statutes,
section 136A.1791.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner must submit the report to the education committees of the
legislature by February 1, 2017. The commissioner must use existing resources for this
purpose.
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