HF 3363

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/14/2024 03:49pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; modifying hours of instruction requirements; amending the
definition of credit; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022,
sections 120A.41; 120B.018, subdivision 4, by adding a subdivision; 120B.02,
subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 120A.41, is amended to read:

120A.41 LENGTH OF SCHOOL YEAR; HOURS OF INSTRUCTION.

(a) A school board's annual school calendar must include at least 425 hours of instruction
for a kindergarten student without a disability, 935 hours of instruction for a student in
grades 1 through 6, and 1,020 hours of instruction for a student in grades 7 through 12, not
including summer school. The school calendar for all-day kindergarten must include at least
850 hours of instruction for the school year. The school calendar for a prekindergarten
student under section 124D.151, if offered by the district, must include at least 350 hours
of instruction for the school year. A school board's annual calendar must include at least
165 days of instruction for a student in grades 1 through 11 unless a four-day week schedule
has been approved by the commissioner under section 124D.126.

(b) A school board's annual school calendar may include plans for up to five days of
instruction provided through online instruction due to inclement weather. The inclement
weather plans must be developed according to section 120A.414.

new text begin (c) For students in high school, hours of instruction include all hours that a school
determines a student is actively engaged in the educational process of the district. All courses
must be coordinated and verified by a qualified teacher, as defined in section 122A.16.
Nothing in this section allows a district to deny a student access to any service or instruction
required under state or federal law, including special education services.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2024-2025 school year and later.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 120B.018, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Credit.

"Credit" means the determination by the local school district that a
student has successfully deleted text begin completed an academic year of study or deleted text end mastered the applicable
subject matter. new text begin The determination to award credit must not be based solely on seat time or
hours of instruction requirements under section 120A.41.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 120B.018, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Personalized, competency-based education. new text end

new text begin "Personalized, competency-based
education" means a system of learning in which the:
new text end

new text begin (1) qualified teachers and students are empowered to make important decisions about
students' learning experiences, how students create and apply knowledge, and how students
demonstrate their learning;
new text end

new text begin (2) student assessments implemented at the local level are meaningful, positive, and
empowering learning experiences for students that yield timely, relevant, and actionable
evidence;
new text end

new text begin (3) students receive timely, differentiated support based on students' individual learning
needs;
new text end

new text begin (4) students' progress is based on evidence of mastery rather than by hours of attendance;
new text end

new text begin (5) students learn actively using different pathways and varied pacing;
new text end

new text begin (6) strategies to ensure equity for all students are embedded in the culture, structure, and
pedagogy of schools and education systems; and
new text end

new text begin (7) rigorous, common expectations for learning are explicit, transparent, measurable,
and transferable, including knowledge and skills identified in required academic standards.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 120B.02, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Graduation requirements.

(a) To graduate from high school, students must
demonstrate to their enrolling school district or school their satisfactory completion of the
credit requirements under section 120B.024 and their understanding of academic standards.
A school district must adopt graduation requirements that meet or exceed state graduation
requirements established in law or rule. new text begin Satisfactory completion of credit requirements must
be based on mastery and not be based exclusively on hours of instruction required under
section 120A.41.
new text end

(b) Students ages 19 to 21 who have not yet graduated from a Minnesota high school
and, but for their age, are otherwise eligible to participate in an adult basic education program
may be admitted to an adult high school diploma program under section 124D.52,
subdivisions 8 and 9.

Sec. 5. new text begin APPROPRIATION; COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Department of Education. new text end

new text begin The sum indicated in this section is
appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal year
designated.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Competency-based education expansion. new text end

new text begin (a) For expanding competency-based
education under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.018, subdivision 7:
new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin ....... new text end

new text begin ..... new text end

new text begin 2025 new text end

new text begin (b) Planning grants are available to encourage districts, charter schools, area learning
centers, and Tribal contract or grant schools eligible for aid under Minnesota Statutes,
section 124D.83, to develop criteria around personalized, competency-based education
requirements. A grant application must include evidence that the district, charter school, or
area learning center:
new text end

new text begin (1) will implement personalized, competency-based education schoolwide or has a plan
to phase in implementation schoolwide;
new text end

new text begin (2) has partners that must help with developing, implementing, and assessing the plan;
new text end

new text begin (3) will implement activities and programs that focus on the implementation of the core
principles and outcome-based measures aligned to academic standards and benchmarks,
including a local system of assessment creating meaningful, positive, and empowering
learning experiences for students that yield timely, relevant, and actionable data;
new text end

new text begin (4) has the capacity, qualifications, local governing body support, and time to successfully
plan the program and an intentional and feasible planning process, including full participation
in department professional development and technical assistance cohorts or networks;
new text end

new text begin (5) will align their budget as necessary with the planning process; and
new text end

new text begin (6) will communicate and promote the plan with parents, teachers, and members of the
community in developing the plan.
new text end

new text begin (c) Grant recipients must report to the commissioner annually by June 30 on
implementation progress, the number of students participating, and the number of students
earning credits or grade progressing through competency-based education. Grant recipients
must describe progress in specific areas of study, progress in meeting the stated goals in
their application, and any adjustments needed to achieve their stated goals.
new text end

new text begin (d) This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2027.
new text end

new text begin (e) Up to five percent of this appropriation may be retained for administration costs.
new text end