1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; ensuring that all children are 
  1.3             able to read by second grade; appropriating money. 
  1.4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.5      Section 1.  [STAFF DEVELOPMENT GRANTS TO ENSURE READING 
  1.6   ABILITY.] 
  1.7      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] Staff development grants 
  1.8   are established to ensure that each child is able to read by the 
  1.9   end of second grade. 
  1.10     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY.] The commissioner of children, 
  1.11  families, and learning shall make staff development grants to 
  1.12  school sites that are committed to ensuring that all children 
  1.13  are able to read by the end of second grade.  To be eligible for 
  1.14  a grant, a school site must meet the following criteria:  
  1.15     (1) demonstrate how the staff development fits with 
  1.16  existing early intervention programs already being offered at 
  1.17  the school site, as well as the school's other staff development 
  1.18  efforts; 
  1.19     (2) using a reliable screening tool, identify the number of 
  1.20  children at the end of kindergarten who are at risk of not 
  1.21  learning to read by the end of first grade; 
  1.22     (3) using a reliable screening tool, identify the number of 
  1.23  children at the end of first grade who are at risk of not 
  1.24  learning to read by the end of second grade; 
  2.1      (4) select a nationally established, research-based, early 
  2.2   intervention reading curriculum that requires high parental 
  2.3   involvement for success; 
  2.4      (5) develop a plan for incorporating the evaluation of the 
  2.5   school site's reading results into existing reports regarding 
  2.6   student progress and staff development made to the department of 
  2.7   children, families, and learning; 
  2.8      (6) develop a plan to encourage parental involvement to 
  2.9   ensure each child is able to read by the end of second grade; 
  2.10  and 
  2.11     (7) if a school site chooses, develop a plan to serve as a 
  2.12  training site for teachers in other buildings or school 
  2.13  districts. 
  2.14     Subd. 3.  [GRANT APPLICATION.] A school site must submit an 
  2.15  application to the commissioner of children, families, and 
  2.16  learning in the form and manner the commissioner establishes.  
  2.17  The application must describe how the applicant meets the 
  2.18  eligibility criteria under subdivision 2.  The commissioner may 
  2.19  require the applicant to provide additional information. 
  2.20     Subd. 4.  [GRANT AWARDS.] (a) A school site may receive a 
  2.21  grant of $....... for every 17 children identified by a reliable 
  2.22  screening tool who are at risk of failing to learn to read by 
  2.23  the end of first grade.  A school site may receive a grant of 
  2.24  $....... for every ten children identified by a reliable 
  2.25  screening tool who are at risk of failing to learn to read by 
  2.26  the end of second grade.  The grant recipients must match one 
  2.27  local dollar for every five state dollars received.  The local 
  2.28  match may include in-kind contributions. 
  2.29     (b) A school site may receive a grant of $....... to be 
  2.30  used for establishing the school site as a training site for 
  2.31  teachers in other districts, teacher training, or other start-up 
  2.32  costs related to curriculum enhancements for early intervention 
  2.33  reading programs for children in first grade. 
  2.34     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.35     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.36  department of children, families, and learning in fiscal year 
  3.1   2000 for the early intervention reading challenge grants in 
  3.2   section 1. 
  3.3      Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is 
  3.4   available in the second year.  This appropriation is available 
  3.5   until June 30, 2001. 
  3.6      Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.7      Sections 1 and 2 are effective July 1, 1999.