1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; amending secondary career and 
  1.3             technical education funding; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 1998, section 124D.453, subdivisions 1, 3, 7, 
  1.5             and by adding a subdivision; repealing Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes 1998, section 124D.453, subdivisions 4, 5, 
  1.7             and 6. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 124D.453, 
  1.10  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [STATE PAYMENT OF AIDS.] The state shall 
  1.12  pay aids for secondary vocational career and technical education 
  1.13  programs on a current funding basis.  The definition of career 
  1.14  and technical education for funding purposes is limited to 
  1.15  grades 10 through 12 and is expanded to include all business and 
  1.16  industrial technology programs which comply with the quality 
  1.17  standards and measures in subdivision 5. 
  1.18     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 124D.453, 
  1.19  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.20     Subd. 3.  [SECONDARY VOCATIONAL CAREER AND TECHNICAL 
  1.21  EDUCATION AID.] A district's secondary vocational career and 
  1.22  technical education aid for a fiscal year equals the lesser of: 
  1.23     (a) $80 times the district's average daily membership in 
  1.24  grades 10 to 12; or 
  1.25     (b) 25 50 percent of approved expenditures for the 
  1.26  following: 
  2.1      (1) salaries paid to essential, licensed personnel 
  2.2   providing direct instructional services to students in that 
  2.3   fiscal year for services rendered in the district's approved 
  2.4   secondary vocational career and technical education programs; 
  2.5      (2) contracted services provided by a public or private 
  2.6   agency other than a Minnesota school district or cooperative 
  2.7   center under subdivision 7; 
  2.8      (3) necessary travel between instructional sites by 
  2.9   licensed secondary vocational career and technical education 
  2.10  personnel; 
  2.11     (4) necessary travel by licensed secondary vocational 
  2.12  career and technical education personnel for vocational student 
  2.13  organization activities held within the state for instructional 
  2.14  purposes; 
  2.15     (5) curriculum development activities that are part of a 
  2.16  five-year two-year plan for improvement based on program 
  2.17  assessment; 
  2.18     (6) necessary travel by licensed secondary vocational 
  2.19  career and technical education personnel for noncollegiate 
  2.20  credit bearing professional development; and 
  2.21     (7) specialized vocational career and technical 
  2.22  instructional supplies; 
  2.23     (8) specialized career and technical instructional 
  2.24  equipment; and 
  2.25     (9) salaries of licensed vocational directors for the 
  2.26  purpose of providing leadership in broad-based community 
  2.27  involvement, developing and implementing plans for program 
  2.28  improvement, and quality assurance. 
  2.29     (c) Up to ten percent of a district's secondary vocational 
  2.30  aid may be spent on equipment purchases.  Districts using 
  2.31  secondary vocational aid for equipment purchases must report to 
  2.32  the department on the improved learning opportunities for 
  2.33  students that result from the investment in equipment.  
  2.34     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 124D.453, is 
  2.35  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.36     Subd. 5a.  [STANDARDS AND QUALITY.] Aid must be paid under 
  3.1   this section only for services rendered or for costs incurred in 
  3.2   secondary career and technical education programs approved by 
  3.3   the commissioner and operated in accordance with the following 
  3.4   quality indicators: 
  3.5      (1) program content is guided by recognized occupational 
  3.6   skill standards; 
  3.7      (2) program content includes teaching of employability 
  3.8   skills; 
  3.9      (3) academic content standards are included in the 
  3.10  curriculum as suggested by the skill standard; 
  3.11     (4) class size is commensurate with facility and training 
  3.12  stations available; and 
  3.13     (5) broad-based planning, involving community, business 
  3.14  partnerships, and higher education is a basis for all program 
  3.15  development and improvement. 
  3.16     The commissioner must issue guidelines, procedures, and 
  3.17  criteria for approval of a district's quality indicators and 
  3.18  implement a five-year program approval cycle to ensure programs 
  3.19  are on the cutting edge of technology.  Aid must be paid only 
  3.20  for programs approved by the commissioner and funds must be 
  3.21  dedicated to activities in subdivision 3. 
  3.22     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 124D.453, 
  3.23  subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  3.24     Subd. 7.  [AID FOR CONTRACTED SERVICES.] In addition to the 
  3.25  provisions of subdivisions 2 and 6 5a, a school district or 
  3.26  cooperative center may contract with a public or private agency 
  3.27  other than a Minnesota school district or cooperative center for 
  3.28  the provision of secondary vocational education services.  The 
  3.29  state board commissioner must promulgate rules issue guidelines 
  3.30  relating to program approval procedures and criteria for these 
  3.31  contracts and aid must be paid only for contracts approved by 
  3.32  the commissioner.  The district or cooperative center 
  3.33  contracting for these services must be construed to be providing 
  3.34  the services.  
  3.35     Sec. 5.  [REPEALER.] 
  3.36     Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 124D.453, subdivisions 4, 
  4.1   5, and 6, are repealed. 
  4.2      Sec. 6.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  4.3      Sections 1 to 5 are effective for revenue for fiscal year 
  4.4   2000.