1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing for the state to 
  1.3             affirm No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; authorizing 
  1.4             rulemaking and implementing the rigorous core academic 
  1.5             standards in social studies and science; amending 
  1.6             Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section 120B.021, 
  1.7             subdivision 3, by adding a subdivision. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section 
  1.10  120B.021, subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 3.  [RULEMAKING.] (a) The commissioner, consistent 
  1.12  with the requirements of this section and section 120B.022, must 
  1.13  adopt statewide rules under section 14.389 for implementing 
  1.14  statewide rigorous core academic standards in language arts, 
  1.15  mathematics, science, social studies, and the arts.  After the 
  1.16  rules authorized under this paragraph are initially adopted, the 
  1.17  commissioner may not amend or repeal these rules nor adopt new 
  1.18  rules on the same topic without specific legislative 
  1.19  authorization.  These The academic standards for language arts, 
  1.20  mathematics, and the arts must be implemented for all students 
  1.21  beginning in the 2003-2004 school year.  The academic standards 
  1.22  for science must be implemented for all students beginning in 
  1.23  the 2004-2005 school year and the academic standards for social 
  1.24  studies must be implemented for all students beginning in the 
  1.25  2005-2006 school year. 
  1.26     (b) The rules authorized under this section are not subject 
  2.1   to section 14.127.  
  2.2      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section 
  2.3   120B.021, is amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.4      Subd. 4.  [STATE MUST AFFIRM NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT.] The 
  2.5   commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education by 
  2.6   February 15, 2005, must nullify and revoke the consolidated 
  2.7   state plan submitted to the federal Department of Education for 
  2.8   implementing the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and 
  2.9   must not renew any existing contract or agreement and must not 
  2.10  enter into any new contract or agreement related to implementing 
  2.11  the federal act if: 
  2.12     (1) the state does not enact legislation before that date 
  2.13  specifically affirming Minnesota's intent to implement the 
  2.14  federal act; and 
  2.15     (2) the federal government enacts a law that abolishes the 
  2.16  federal Department of Education before that date. 
  2.17     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective the day 
  2.18  following final enactment and applies to all contracts and 
  2.19  agreements renewed or entered into after February 15, 2005. 
  2.20     Sec. 3.  [MINNESOTA'S HIGH ACADEMIC STANDARDS.] 
  2.21     (a) The standards for science and social studies adopted by 
  2.22  the commissioner of education under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  2.23  120B.021, must be identical to: 
  2.24     (1) the K-12 standards for science contained in the 
  2.25  document labeled "Minnesota Academic Standards, Science K-12, 
  2.26  December 19, 2003, Minnesota Academic Standards Committee, 
  2.27  Minnesota Department of Education"; and 
  2.28     (2) the K-12 standards for social studies contained in the 
  2.29  document labeled "Minnesota Academic Standards, Social Studies 
  2.30  K-12, February 17, 2004, Minnesota Academic Standards Committee, 
  2.31  Minnesota Department of Education." 
  2.32     (b) The K-12 standards documents must be deposited with the 
  2.33  Minnesota revisor of statutes, the Legislative Reference 
  2.34  Library, and the Minnesota State Law Library, where the 
  2.35  documents shall be maintained until the commissioner adopts 
  2.36  rules for implementing statewide rigorous core academic 
  3.1   standards in science and social studies under Minnesota 
  3.2   Statutes, section 120B.021, subdivision 3.  The revisor must 
  3.3   determine that the rules are identical to the documents 
  3.4   deposited with it under this section before the revisor approves 
  3.5   the form of the rules.  In approving the form of the rules, the 
  3.6   revisor may make any needed grammatical and form changes. 
  3.7      <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective the day 
  3.8   following final enactment. 
  3.9      Sec. 4.  [K-12 SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS RULES.] 
  3.10     (a) Beginning no later than July 1, 2004, the education 
  3.11  commissioner shall adopt the K-12 academic social studies 
  3.12  standards incorporated by reference under this act using the 
  3.13  expedited process under Minnesota Statutes, section 14.389.  
  3.14     (b) In addition to technical changes, corrections, 
  3.15  clarifications, and similarly needed revisions, the revisor 
  3.16  shall modify the K-12 academic social studies standards as 
  3.17  indicated: 
  3.18     Page 10, line 4, delete "place the 4-6 standards at grade 
  3.19  levels that accommodate their particular curriculum, provided 
  3.20  that all standards have been mastered by the end of grade 6." 
  3.21  and insert "organize the grades 4-8 standards in one of two 
  3.22  ways:  (1) banding grades 4-5 together and grades 6-7-8 
  3.23  together; or (2) banding grades 4-5-6 together and grades 7-8 
  3.24  together.  The standards should be mastered by the end of the 
  3.25  highest grade in the band". 
  3.26     Page 13, line 4, delete "place the 4-6 standards at grade 
  3.27  levels that accommodate their particular curriculum, provided 
  3.28  that all standards have been mastered by the end of grade 6." 
  3.29  and insert "organize the grades 4-8 standards in one of two 
  3.30  ways:  (1) banding grades 4-5 together and grades 6-7-8 
  3.31  together; or (2) banding grades 4-5-6 together and grades 7-8 
  3.32  together.  The standards should be mastered by the end of the 
  3.33  highest grade in the band." 
  3.34     Page 18, line 4, delete "place the 4-6 standards at grade 
  3.35  levels that accommodate their particular curriculum, provided 
  3.36  that all standards have been mastered by the end of grade 6." 
  4.1   and insert "organize the grades 4-8 standards in one of two 
  4.2   ways:  (1) banding grades 4-5 together and grades 6-7-8 
  4.3   together; or (2) banding grades 4-5-6 together and grades 7-8 
  4.4   together.  The standards should be mastered by the end of the 
  4.5   highest grade in the band". 
  4.6      Page 19, Strand I, Sub-Strand C, delete "(1810-1860)" and 
  4.7   insert "(1810-1890)". 
  4.8      Page 19, Strand I, Sub-Strand C, Standard, delete "early". 
  4.9      Page 19, Strand I, Sub-Strand C, Examples 1, delete 
  4.10  "immigrants, influence of" and insert ", German and". 
  4.11     Page 20, Strand I, Sub-Strand E, Examples 3, delete 
  4.12  "missionaries". 
  4.13     Page 26, line 4, delete "place the 7-8 standards at grade 
  4.14  levels that accommodate their particular curriculum, provided 
  4.15  that all standards have been mastered by the end of grade 8." 
  4.16  and insert "organize the grades 4-8 standards in one of two 
  4.17  ways:  (1) banding grades 4-5 together and grades 6-7-8 
  4.18  together; or (2) banding grades 4-5-6 together and grades 7-8 
  4.19  together.  The standards should be mastered by the end of the 
  4.20  highest grade in the band." 
  4.21     Page 32, line 4, delete "place the 7-8 standards at grade 
  4.22  levels that accommodate their particular curriculum, provided 
  4.23  that all standards have been mastered by the end of grade 8." 
  4.24  and insert "organize the grades 4-8 standards in one of two 
  4.25  ways:  (1) banding grades 4-5 together and grades 6-7-8 
  4.26  together; or (2) banding grades 4-5-6 together and grades 7-8 
  4.27  together.  The standards should be mastered by the end of the 
  4.28  highest grade in the band." 
  4.29     Sec. 5.  [K-12 SCIENCE STANDARDS RULES.] 
  4.30     (a) Beginning no later than July 1, 2004, the education 
  4.31  commissioner shall adopt the K-12 academic science standards 
  4.32  incorporated by reference under this act using the expedited 
  4.33  process under Minnesota Statutes, section 14.389.  
  4.34     (b) In addition to technical changes, corrections, 
  4.35  clarifications, and similarly needed revisions, the revisor 
  4.36  shall modify the K-12 academic science standards as indicated: 
  5.1      Page 1, below the word "Science" in the title, insert "The 
  5.2   grade level designations in the Minnesota Academic Standards for 
  5.3   Science are strongly recommended.  However, school districts may 
  5.4   place the (K-2, 3-5, 6-8) standards at grade levels that 
  5.5   accommodate their particular curriculum.  The standards should 
  5.6   be mastered by the end of the highest grade in the band." 
  5.7      Page 17, Grade 9-12, Strand II, Sub-Strand A, after 
  5.8   Benchmarks 9, insert: 
  5.9      "10.  The student will be able to explain how scientific 
  5.10  and technological innovations as well as new evidence can 
  5.11  challenge portions of or entire accepted theories and models 
  5.12  including, but not limited to, atomic theory." 
  5.13     Page 19, Grade 9-12, Strand III, Sub-Strand A, after 
  5.14  Benchmarks 7, insert: 
  5.15     "The student will be able to explain how scientific and 
  5.16  technological innovations as well as new evidence can challenge 
  5.17  portions of or entire accepted theories and models including, 
  5.18  but not limited to, plate tectonic theory and big bang theory." 
  5.19     Page 22, Grade 9-12, Strand IV, Sub-Strand E, Benchmarks 1, 
  5.20  after the period insert: 
  5.21     "The student will be able to explain how scientific and 
  5.22  technological innovations as well as new evidence can challenge 
  5.23  portions of or entire accepted theories and models including, 
  5.24  but not limited to, cell theory, theory of evolution and germ 
  5.25  theory of disease."