1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; making the state's graduation 
  1.3             rule applicable to all children required to receive 
  1.4             instruction under the compulsory attendance law; 
  1.5             amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, sections 120.101, 
  1.6             subdivision 5, and by adding a subdivision; 120.102, 
  1.7             subdivision 1; and 121.11, subdivision 7c; repealing 
  1.8             Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 120.101, subdivision 
  1.9             8. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 120.101, 
  1.12  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  1.13     Subd. 5.  [AGES AND TERMS.] For the 1988-1989 school year 
  1.14  and the school years thereafter, every child between seven and 
  1.15  16 years of age shall receive instruction for at least the 
  1.16  number of days each year required under subdivision 5b.  For the 
  1.17  2000-2001 school year and later school years, every child 
  1.18  between seven and 18 years of age shall receive instruction for 
  1.19  at least the number of days each year required under subdivision 
  1.20  5b.  Every child under the age of seven who is enrolled in a 
  1.21  half-day kindergarten, or a full-day kindergarten program on 
  1.22  alternate days, or other kindergarten programs shall receive 
  1.23  instruction at least equivalent to half of each day for the 
  1.24  number of days each year set out in subdivision 5b.  Except as 
  1.25  provided in subdivision 5a, a parent may withdraw a child under 
  1.26  the age of seven from enrollment at any time. 
  1.27     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 120.101, is 
  2.1   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.2      Subd. 5d.  [HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RULE.] Every child 
  2.3   required to attend school and receive instruction under this 
  2.4   section must meet the requirements of the state high school 
  2.5   graduation rule under section 121.11, subdivision 7c.  The state 
  2.6   board of education shall adopt in rule a performance assessment 
  2.7   mechanism consistent with the requirements in sections 121.11, 
  2.8   subdivision 7c, and 121.1115 to periodically evaluate the 
  2.9   performance of every child who is not enrolled in a public 
  2.10  school in order to ensure children's continuous progress toward 
  2.11  meeting the state high school graduation requirements. 
  2.12     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 120.102, 
  2.13  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.14     Subdivision 1.  [REPORTS TO SUPERINTENDENT.] The person in 
  2.15  charge of providing instruction to a child shall submit the 
  2.16  following information to the superintendent of the district in 
  2.17  which the child resides: 
  2.18     (1) by October 1 of each school year, the name, age, and 
  2.19  address of each child receiving instruction; 
  2.20     (2) the name of each instructor and evidence of compliance 
  2.21  with one of the requirements specified in section 120.101, 
  2.22  subdivision 7; 
  2.23     (3) an annual instructional calendar showing that 
  2.24  instruction will occur on at least the number of days required 
  2.25  under section 120.101, subdivision 5b; and 
  2.26     (4) (3) for each child instructed by a parent who meets 
  2.27  only the requirement of section 120.101, subdivision 7, clause 
  2.28  (6), a quarterly report card on the achievement of the child in 
  2.29  each subject area required in section 120.101, subdivision 6. 
  2.30     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 121.11, 
  2.31  subdivision 7c, is amended to read: 
  2.32     Subd. 7c.  [RESULTS-ORIENTED GRADUATION RULE.] (a) The 
  2.33  legislature is committed to establishing a rigorous, 
  2.34  results-oriented graduation rule for Minnesota's public school 
  2.35  all students receiving instruction under section 120.101.  To 
  2.36  that end, the state board shall use its rulemaking authority 
  3.1   under subdivision 7b to adopt a statewide, results-oriented 
  3.2   graduation rule to be implemented starting with students 
  3.3   beginning ninth grade in the 1996-1997 school year.  The board 
  3.4   shall not prescribe in rule or otherwise the delivery system, 
  3.5   form of instruction, or a single statewide form of assessment 
  3.6   that local sites must use to meet the requirements contained in 
  3.7   this rule. 
  3.8      (b) To successfully accomplish paragraph (a), the state 
  3.9   board shall set in rule high academic standards for all 
  3.10  students.  The standards must contain the foundational skills in 
  3.11  the three core curricular areas of reading, writing, and 
  3.12  mathematics while meeting requirements for high school 
  3.13  graduation.  The standards must also provide an opportunity for 
  3.14  students to excel by meeting higher academic standards through a 
  3.15  profile of learning that uses curricular requirements to allow 
  3.16  students to expand their knowledge and skills beyond the 
  3.17  foundational skills.  All state board actions regarding the rule 
  3.18  must be premised on the following:  
  3.19     (1) the rule is intended to raise academic expectations for 
  3.20  students, teachers, and schools; 
  3.21     (2) any state action regarding the rule must evidence 
  3.22  consideration of school district autonomy; and 
  3.23     (3) the department of children, families, and learning, 
  3.24  with the assistance of school districts, must make available 
  3.25  information about all state initiatives related to the rule to 
  3.26  students and parents, teachers, and the general public in a 
  3.27  timely format that is appropriate, comprehensive, and readily 
  3.28  understandable. 
  3.29     (c) For purposes of adopting the rule, the state board, in 
  3.30  consultation with the department, recognized psychometric 
  3.31  experts in assessment, and other interested and knowledgeable 
  3.32  educators, using the most current version of professional 
  3.33  standards for educational testing, shall evaluate the 
  3.34  alternative approaches to assessment.  
  3.35     (d) The content of the graduation rule must differentiate 
  3.36  between minimum competencies reflected in the basic requirements 
  4.1   assessment and rigorous profile of learning standards.  When 
  4.2   fully implemented, the requirements for high school graduation 
  4.3   in Minnesota must include both basic requirements and the 
  4.4   required profile of learning.  The profile of learning must 
  4.5   measure student performance using performance-based assessments 
  4.6   compiled over time that integrate higher academic standards, 
  4.7   higher order thinking skills, and application of knowledge from 
  4.8   a variety of content areas.  The profile of learning shall 
  4.9   include a broad range of academic experience and accomplishment 
  4.10  necessary to achieve the goal of preparing students to function 
  4.11  effectively as purposeful thinkers, effective communicators, 
  4.12  self-directed learners, productive group participants, and 
  4.13  responsible citizens. 
  4.14     (e) The state board shall periodically review and report on 
  4.15  the assessment process and student achievement with the 
  4.16  expectation of raising the standards and expanding high school 
  4.17  graduation requirements. 
  4.18     (f) The state board shall report in writing to the 
  4.19  legislature annually by January 15 on its progress in developing 
  4.20  and implementing the graduation requirements according to the 
  4.21  requirements of this subdivision and section 123.97 until such 
  4.22  time as all the graduation requirements are implemented. 
  4.23     Sec. 5.  [REPEALER.] 
  4.24     Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 120.101, subdivision 8, is 
  4.25  repealed.  
  4.26     Sec. 6.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  4.27     Sections 1 to 5 are effective the day following final 
  4.28  enactment.