1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; adopting teacher preparation standards for foreign 
1.3 	languages; providing for world languages resources and pilot program grants; 
1.4 	appropriating money;amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 122A.18, by 
1.5 	adding a subdivision.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 122A.18, is amended by adding a 
1.8 	subdivision to read:
1.9 		Subd. 2c.World languages. By the 2010-2011 school year, all colleges and 
1.10 	universities approved by the Board of Teaching to prepare persons for world languages 
1.11 	teacher licensure must implement the foreign languages teacher preparation standards of 
1.12 	the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and the National Council 
1.13 	for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

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

1.15 	Sec. 2. WORLD LANGUAGES RESOURCES.
 1.16 	(a) The commissioner of education shall employ a full-time state coordinator for 
1.17 	world languages education within the department by July 1, 2007. The commissioner 
1.18 	shall seek input from the Quality Teaching Network before designating or hiring the 
1.19 	coordinator. The coordinator, at a minimum, shall:
1.20 	(1) assist charter schools and school districts in planning to develop or enhance their 
1.21 	capacity to offer world languages courses and programs;
1.22 	(2) cooperate with Minnesota world languages professionals and charter schools and 
1.23 	school districts in developing all aspects of world languages programs; 
2.1 	(3) survey Minnesota charter schools and school districts to (i) determine the types 
2.2 	of existing world languages programs including, among others, those that use information 
2.3 	technology to provide high-quality world languages instruction, (ii) identify exemplary 
2.4 	model world languages programs, and (iii) identify and address staff development needs of 
2.5 	current world languages teachers, preservice teachers, and teacher preparation programs;
2.6 	(4) identify successful world languages programs in other states; 
2.7 	(5) develop and implement a grant program for model pilot world languages 
2.8 	programs, consistent with section 3; 
2.9 	(6) consult with interested stakeholders to prepare a report for the education 
2.10 	commissioner to submit by February 15, 2008, to the education policy and finance 
2.11 	committees of the legislature assessing the feasibility and structure of a statewide 
2.12 	world languages graduation requirement under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.021, 
2.13 	subdivision 1; and 
2.14 	(7) beginning February 1, 2008, and until February 1, 2012, report annually to 
2.15 	the education policy and finance committees of the legislature on the status of world 
2.16 	languages in Minnesota and the needs identified by charter school and school district 
2.17 	surveys, and make recommendations on how to address those needs.
2.18 	(b) After carefully examining existing world languages assessments, including, 
2.19 	among other considerations, the ease or difficulty with which the assessments may be 
2.20 	adapted to world languages not currently assessed, the commissioner, by July 1, 2009, 
2.21 	shall recommend an assessment tool for charter schools and school districts to use in 
2.22 	measuring student progress in acquiring proficiency in world languages.
2.23 	(c) Beginning July 1, 2008, the department shall assist world languages teachers 
2.24 	and other school staff in developing and implementing world languages programs 
2.25 	that acknowledge and reinforce the language proficiency and cultural awareness that 
2.26 	non-English language speakers already possess, and encourage students' proficiency in 
2.27 	multiple world languages. Programs under this paragraph must encompass indigenous 
2.28 	American Indian languages and cultures, among other world languages and cultures. The 
2.29 	department shall consult with postsecondary institutions in developing related teacher 
2.30 	and staff workshops. 
2.31 	(d) The commissioner, upon request, must evaluate the plans of charter school and 
2.32 	school districts to develop or enhance their capacity to offer world languages courses 
2.33 	and programs and continue to offer workshops and consultation to assist districts in 
2.34 	developing or enhancing world languages programs. The department shall assist districts 
2.35 	in monitoring local assessment results.
3.1 	(e) By July 1, 2008, the department shall establish an incentive plan to recruit 
3.2 	students into world languages teaching. 

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

3.4 	Sec. 3. WORLD LANGUAGES PILOT PROGRAM GRANTS.
 3.5 	(a) A pilot program awarding 16 world languages grants to interested and qualified 
3.6 	school sites and school districts is established for fiscal year 2009 to develop and 
3.7 	implement sustainable, high-quality model world languages programs at various grade 
3.8 	levels from kindergarten through grade 12 and to enhance existing world languages 
3.9 	programs for students in kindergarten through grade 12. Program participants must 
3.10 	simultaneously support both non-English language learners in maintaining their native 
3.11 	language while mastering English and native English speakers in learning other languages. 
3.12 	(b) Interested school sites and school districts must apply to the education 
3.13 	commissioner in the form and manner the commissioner determines.  The application 
3.14 	must indicate whether the applicant intends to develop a new world languages program 
3.15 	or expand an existing world languages program and whether the applicant intends to 
3.16 	offer more intensive programs or programs that are readily accessible to larger numbers 
3.17 	of students.  Applicants must agree to disseminate information about their programs to 
3.18 	interested school sites and school districts.
3.19 	(c) The commissioner must award grants to qualified applicants that satisfy the 
3.20 	requirements in paragraphs (a) and (b).  To the extent there are qualified applicants, 
3.21 	the commissioner must award two grants in each congressional district: one grant to a 
3.22 	qualified applicant that intends to develop a new world languages program; and one grant 
3.23 	to a qualified applicant that intends to expand an existing world languages program. The 
3.24 	commissioner must award at least one-half of all grants to kindergarten through grade 8 
3.25 	sites. Grantees must expend the grant consistent with the content of their application 
3.26 	and this section.
3.27 	(d) The commissioner shall provide for an evaluation of the grantees to identify 
3.28 	exemplary model world languages programs and the staff development needs of world 
3.29 	languages teachers and report the findings of the evaluation to the education policy and 
3.30 	finance committees of the legislature by February 15, 2010.

3.31 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2007-2008 school year.

3.32 	Sec. 4. APPROPRIATIONS.
 4.1 		Subdivision 1.Department of Education. The sums indicated in this section are 
4.2 	appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal years 
4.3 	designated.
4.4 		Subd. 2.World languages teacher recruitment. For incentive programs to recruit 
4.5 	students into world languages teaching:

4.6		$
	50,000
	.....
	2008
	
4.7		$
	100,000
	.....
	2009
	
4.8 		Subd. 3.Pilot world languages programs. For world languages pilot program 
4.9 	grants:

4.10		$
	1,400,000
	.....
	2009
	
4.11 	This appropriation is available until June 30, 2009. 
4.12 		Subd. 4.Teacher training. To contract to provide summer professional 
4.13 	development programs in fiscal year 2008 and in fiscal year 2009 for 50 world language 
4.14 	teachers to learn to deliver high quality language instruction and for summer and academic 
4.15 	year professional development programs to help teachers learn to differentiate language 
4.16 	instruction so that diverse students can succeed in learning world languages:

4.17		$
	100,000
	.....
	2008
	
4.18		$
	100,000
	.....
	2009
	
4.19 		Subd. 5.School administrators' training. For developing and implementing 
4.20 	intensive training sessions for public school district administrators interested in 
4.21 	establishing high-quality, sustainable world language programs:

4.22		$
	50,000
	.....
	2008

4.23 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2007.

4.24 	Sec. 5. MINNESOTA OFFICE OF HIGHER EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS.
 4.25 		Subdivision 1.Minnesota Office of Higher Education. The sums indicated in 
4.26 	this section are appropriated from the general fund to the Minnesota Office of Higher 
4.27 	Education for the fiscal years designated.
4.28 		Subd. 2.Scholarships. To the Minnesota Office of Higher Education for 20 college 
4.29 	scholarships of $2,500 in fiscal year 2008 and of $2,500 in fiscal year 2009 to Minnesota 
4.30 	postsecondary students who are interested in pursuing a teaching degree in world 
5.1 	languages and to postsecondary students who are interested in enrolling in a summer 
5.2 	world language program or in study abroad:

5.3		$
	50,000
	.....
	2008
	
5.4		$
	50,000
	.....
	2009