1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; pursuing educational reform that fosters innovation, 
1.3 	accelerates change, and implements systemwide improvement in high school 
1.4 	students' achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; 
1.5 	appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
1.6 	chapter 124D.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. [124D.935] HIGH SCHOOL REDESIGN GRANTS.
1.9 		Subdivision 1.Establishment; eligibility. A ten-year grant program is established 
1.10 	to improve student achievement in, improve teaching and learning of, and provide 
1.11 	expanded access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in a high school 
1.12 	through innovative strategies that better prepare students to succeed at postsecondary 
1.13 	education or complex work.  School districts, charter schools, intermediate districts, 
1.14 	groups of districts that cooperate for a particular purpose, and other public educational 
1.15 	institutions interested in participating in this grant program must:
1.16 	(1) design new or improve and adapt existing courses, programs, or a series of 
1.17 	aligned learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to 
1.18 	incorporate algebra I in grade 8 and algebra II in high school and to integrate algebra II 
1.19 	into career and technical education programs where appropriate;
1.20 	(2) use applied learning strategies to improve the quality of and access to science, 
1.21 	technology, engineering, and mathematics courses, curricula, and laboratories for all 
1.22 	students, with strategies to aggressively increase the number of low-income and other 
1.23 	educationally at-risk students enrolling in these courses;
2.1 	(3) improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics instruction for 
2.2 	students in underserved rural or urban areas or economically disadvantaged areas and for 
2.3 	other students who are educationally at risk;
2.4 	(4) develop innovative ways to integrate technology into teaching and learning using 
2.5 	modern computers, networking, high quality educational software, multimedia across 
2.6 	curriculum, and affordable Internet connections;
2.7 	(5) advance the use of new technology, assistive technology, and media and materials 
2.8 	effective in educating youth with disabilities;
2.9 	(6) improve the content, interdisciplinary, and pedagogical knowledge of teachers, 
2.10 	administrators, and other educators who play a significant role in providing students with 
2.11 	challenging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, and focus on 
2.12 	teacher professional development;
2.13 	(7) use the ACT explore and plan system in grades 8 and 10 or other appropriate 
2.14 	education and career planning resources to identify the academic strengths and remedial 
2.15 	needs of individual students and provide individual students with education and career 
2.16 	planning information and counseling sufficient to select an appropriate planned high 
2.17 	school course sequence and make a successful transition to postsecondary education 
2.18 	or advanced work;
2.19 	(8) enable teachers to individualize student instruction and allow students to 
2.20 	experiment, acquire skills, and apply content knowledge in science, technology, 
2.21 	engineering, and mathematics; 
2.22 	(9) sustain educational improvements in science, technology, engineering, and 
2.23 	mathematics by providing expert and peer advice and identifying, documenting, and 
2.24 	disseminating best practices and lessons to teachers and administrators statewide; and
2.25 	(10) develop partnerships with postsecondary institutions, business organizations, 
2.26 	professional organizations, and community-based organizations interested in science, 
2.27 	technology, engineering, or mathematics. 
2.28 		Subd. 2.Application and review process; funding priority. (a) School districts, 
2.29 	charter schools, intermediate districts, groups of districts that cooperate for a particular 
2.30 	purpose, and other public educational institutions interested in participating in this grant 
2.31 	program may apply to the commissioner, in the form and manner the commissioner 
2.32 	determines, for competitive funding to improve student achievement in, improve teaching 
2.33 	and learning of, and provide expanded access to science, technology, engineering, and 
2.34 	mathematics in a high school, consistent with subdivision 1.  The application must detail 
2.35 	the specific efforts the applicant intends to undertake to successfully implement innovative 
2.36 	strategies that affect the learning environment, academic content, and educational practices 
3.1 	in high school, and must include a proposed budget detailing the applicant's current and 
3.2 	proposed expenditures for these purposes. The proposed budget must demonstrate that the 
3.3 	applicant's efforts will supplement but not supplant expenditures the applicant currently 
3.4 	makes for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teaching and learning. 
3.5 	Administrative expenditures must not exceed five percent of the proposed budget. The 
3.6 	commissioner may require an applicant to provide additional information.
3.7 	(b) When reviewing applications, the commissioner must determine whether 
3.8 	the applicant satisfied all the requirements in this subdivision and subdivision 1. The 
3.9 	commissioner may give funding priority to an otherwise qualified candidate that: 
3.10 	(1) combines day and evening programs; 
3.11 	(2) restructures grade 12 to allow students to complete out-of??a??a??school learning 
3.12 	experiences aligned with their in-school program; 
3.13 	(3) uses online learning options;
3.14 	(4) embeds higher level science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into 
3.15 	redesigned career and technical programs; 
3.16 	(5) enables students to receive both high school and college credit for successfully 
3.17 	completing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs and meeting 
3.18 	postsecondary institution placement requirements; 
3.19 	(6) targets low-income and other educationally at-risk students to improve their 
3.20 	participation and performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
3.21 	courses and careers; or 
3.22 	(7) strongly supports all students in exploring and preparing for careers in science, 
3.23 	technology, engineering, or mathematics. 
3.24 	The commissioner shall give funding priority to an otherwise qualified recipient 
3.25 	that received a grant for the previous fiscal year if the annual reports the recipient 
3.26 	submitted under subdivision 4 demonstrate that the recipient continues to improve student 
3.27 	achievement in, improve teaching and learning of, and provide expanded access to science, 
3.28 	technology, engineering, and mathematics in a high school.
3.29 		Subd. 3.Grants; permissible uses. (a) The commissioner may award grants to 
3.30 	applicants meeting the requirements of subdivisions 1 and 2.  The commissioner must 
3.31 	award grants on an equitable geographical basis to the extent feasible and consistent 
3.32 	with this section.  
3.33 	(b) Each grant recipient must expend all grant funds it receives consistent with its 
3.34 	approved application and budget and this section. 
3.35 		Subd. 4.Annual reports. (a) Each recipient of a grant under this section must 
3.36 	annually collect student and teacher data to demonstrate and measure the extent to which 
4.1 	the grant recipient improves student achievement in, improves teaching and learning of, 
4.2 	and provides expanded access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in 
4.3 	a high school, and must report the data to the commissioner in the form and manner 
4.4 	the commissioner determines. The commissioner must annually, by February 15, make 
4.5 	summary data about this program available to the committees with jurisdiction over 
4.6 	education policy and finance in the house of representatives and senate.
4.7 	(b) Each grant recipient under this section must  annually report to the commissioner, 
4.8 	consistent with the Uniform Financial Accounting and Reporting Systems, its actual 
4.9 	expenditures for the efforts it undertakes under this section. The report must demonstrate 
4.10 	that the grant recipient has maintained its effort from other sources for science, technology, 
4.11 	engineering, and mathematics teaching and learning efforts compared with the previous 
4.12 	fiscal year, and that the grant recipient has expended all grant funds it received under this 
4.13 	section consistent with its approved application and budget. Any unexpended grant funds 
4.14 	remaining at the end of a fiscal year must be reserved and expended consistent with the 
4.15 	grant recipient's approved budget for the subsequent fiscal year. 

4.16 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
4.17 	and applies to the 2006-2007 school year and later.

4.18 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 4.19 	$??a??A|??a??A|. is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of education in 
4.20 	fiscal year 2007 for purposes of implementing the high school redesign grants under 
4.21 	Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.935.

4.22 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2006.