1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; providing for assessment of
1.3 	individual student growth in academic achievement over
1.4 	time; appropriating money; proposing coding for new
1.5 	law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 120B.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [120B.362] VALUE-ADDED ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.
1.8 	(a) The commissioner of education must implement a
1.9 	value-added assessment program to assist school districts,
1.10 	public schools, and charter schools in assessing and reporting
1.11 	individual students' growth in academic achievement under
1.12 	section 120B.30, subdivision 1a.  The program must use
1.13 	assessments of individual students' academic achievement to make
1.14 	longitudinal comparisons of each student's academic growth over
1.15 	time.  School districts, public schools, and charter schools may
1.16 	apply to the commissioner to participate in the initial trial
1.17 	program using a form and in the manner the commissioner
1.18 	prescribes.  The commissioner must select program participants
1.19 	from urban, suburban, and rural areas throughout the state.
1.20 	(b) The commissioner may issue a request for proposals to
1.21 	contract with an organization that provides a value-added
1.22 	assessment model that reliably estimates school and school
1.23 	district effects on students' academic achievement over time.
1.24 	The model the commissioner selects must accommodate diverse data
1.25 	and must use each student's test data across grades.
2.1 	(c) The contract under paragraph (b) must be consistent
2.2 	with the definition of "best value" under section 16C.02,
2.3 	subdivision 4.

2.4 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
2.5 	following final enactment.

2.6 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS.
 2.7 		Subdivision 1.Department of education. Unless otherwise
2.8 	indicated, the sums indicated in this section are appropriated
2.9 	from the general fund to the Department of Education for the
2.10 	fiscal years designated.
2.11 		Subd. 2.Value-added assessment. (a) For value-added
2.12 	assessment program:
2.13 	$  300,000 .....2006 
2.14 	$1,600,000 .....2007