1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; providing for an elementary and
1.3 	middle school years international baccalaureate pilot
1.4 	program; appropriating money.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS EDUCATION
1.7 	INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) PILOT PROGRAM.
 1.8 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. The definitions in this
1.9 	subdivision apply to this section.
1.10 	(a) "International baccalaureate" or "IB" means an academic
1.11 	curriculum for elementary and middle school years approved by
1.12 	the International Baccalaureate Organization.
1.13 	(b) "School district" means Special School District No. 6,
1.14 	South St. Paul.
1.15 	(c) "Pilot program" means a research and evaluation project
1.16 	introducing the elementary and middle school years IB program
1.17 	and measuring the effect of this integrated curriculum on
1.18 	student learning.
1.19 	(d) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the Department
1.20 	of Education.
1.21 	(e) "Instructional year" is one year of full-time
1.22 	instruction under the IB program for a given grade level.
1.23 		Subd. 2.Legislative finding. (a) The IB program is an
1.24 	internationally recognized program of academic studies
1.25 	emphasizing a rigorous curriculum, advanced student performance,
2.1 	and development of critical thinking and application skills.
2.2 	(b) Minnesota has nine IB programs at the secondary level,
2.3 	but as yet no district has adopted this program as the basis for
2.4 	its elementary course of studies for all students.
2.5 	(c) School districts have had an established and successful
2.6 	secondary IB diploma program for over ten years and are
2.7 	interested in becoming a pilot site for implementation of the
2.8 	elementary and middle school years IB programs as a means of
2.9 	advancing student performance.
2.10 		Subd. 3.Purpose. The purpose of this section is to
2.11 	provide funding for a five-year pilot program in Special School
2.12 	District No. 6, South St. Paul, Independent School District No.
2.13 	283, St. Louis Park, and a third district to be selected by the
2.14 	commissioner of education.  The districts must have an
2.15 	established IB program to assess the benefits of implementing IB
2.16 	primary-level and intermediate-level programs across an entire
2.17 	district and to measure its effectiveness in improving student
2.18 	performance and academic achievement.
2.19 		Subd. 4.Pilot project plan. (a) The school district
2.20 	must file a plan with the commissioner for introducing the
2.21 	elementary and middle school years IB programs into general use
2.22 	in the district, including a detailed cost analysis, schedule of
2.23 	preparatory activities, in-service for teachers, and curriculum
2.24 	and instructional materials.  The plan must include the costs
2.25 	for startup and annual operation, instructional goals,
2.26 	implementation plan, learning outcomes, and timelines for
2.27 	achieving this implementation.
2.28 	(b) Upon approval of the implementation and evaluation plan
2.29 	and budget by the school board and the commissioner, the
2.30 	commissioner shall authorize payment of funds to the district in
2.31 	an amount up to the annual limit of the appropriation.
2.32 	(c) Funds received under this section from any source may
2.33 	not be used for unrelated curriculum, instruction or operating
2.34 	expense purposes, or capital improvements.
2.35 	(d) The pilot program must begin no later than the
2.36 	beginning of the 2006-2007 school year and be completed by the
3.1 	end of the 2010-2011 school year.
3.2 		Subd. 5.Reporting requirements. (a) By September 1 of
3.3 	each instructional year following introduction of the curriculum
3.4 	and for the duration of the pilot program, the school district
3.5 	must report to the commissioner and the public on the funds
3.6 	expended, performance level achieved by students in the program,
3.7 	and overall progress made toward accomplishing the goals of the
3.8 	program.
3.9 	(b) At the completion of the final year of the pilot
3.10 	program, a comprehensive assessment of the success of the
3.11 	project will be prepared with the assistance of the Department
3.12 	of Education and provided to the house of representatives and
3.13 	senate committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten through
3.14 	grade 12 education.

3.15 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 3.16 		Subdivision 1.Department of education. The sums
3.17 	indicated in this section are appropriated to the Department of
3.18 	Education in the fiscal years indicated.
3.19 	Subd. 2.[ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS INTERNATIONAL
3.20 	BACCALAUREATE (IB) PILOT PROGRAM.] For the elementary and middle
3.21 	school years IB pilot program:
3.22 	$............2006 
3.23 	$............2007 
3.24 	Of this amount, up to $.......  may be used for
3.25 	preinstructional startup costs, including staff, training,
3.26 	curriculum materials, and preparation costs.
3.27 	Up to $.......  may be used for operating costs for school
3.28 	instructional years one through five.
3.29 	Any balance remaining in the first year does not cancel but
3.30 	is available in the second year.
3.31 	Costs for testing, other assessment, and preparation of the
3.32 	annual report must be paid from school district funds.
3.33 	At the conclusion of the pilot program, the school district
3.34 	must decide whether to continue the IB program and to pay all
3.35 	costs for continuing the curriculum.