1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; clarifying staff development goals and expenditures;
1.3 	amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 122A.60, subdivision 3; 122A.61, 
1.4 	subdivision 1.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 122A.60, subdivision 3, is amended to 
1.7 	read:
1.8 		Subd. 3.Staff development outcomes. The advisory staff development committee 
1.9 	must adopt a staff development plan for improving student achievement. The plan must 
1.10 	be consistent with education outcomes that the school board determines. The plan 
1.11 	must include ongoing staff development activities that contribute toward continuous 
1.12 	improvement in achievement of the following goals:
1.13 	(1) improve student achievement of state and local education standards in all areas 
1.14 	of the curriculum by using best practices methods;
1.15 	(2) effectively meet the needs of a diverse student population, including at-risk 
1.16 	children, children with disabilities, and gifted children, within the regular classroom 
1.17 	and other settings;
1.18 	(3) (2) improve and increase teachers' knowledge of the academic subjects they 
1.19 	teach; 
1.20 	(3) encourage a sustained, intensive focus that positively affects teachers' instruction 
1.21 	and performance in the classroom and fosters the use of best pedagogical practices; 
1.22 	(4) align staff development and continuing education opportunities with the state's 
1.23 	academic standards to improve student achievement of state and local academic standards; 
2.1 	(5) be based on scientific research related to increasing teachers' knowledge and 
2.2 	teaching skills and improving student academic achievement; 
2.3 	(6) be implemented by qualified entities and individuals experienced in providing 
2.4 	staff development and continuing education opportunities in the specific subject areas; 
2.5 	(7) support the success of diverse students in the regular classroom and other 
2.6 	educational settings, including at-risk students, students with disabilities, English language 
2.7 	learners, and gifted and talented students; 
2.8 	(8) provide training for teachers to effectively use technology to improve teaching 
2.9 	and learning; 
2.10 	(9) promote the use of data and assessments to improve instruction; 
2.11 	(10) provide for an ongoing review of the plan quality and the results of its 
2.12 	implementation; 
2.13 	(11) provide an inclusive curriculum for a racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse 
2.14 	student population that is consistent with the state education diversity rule and the district's 
2.15 	education diversity plan;
2.16 	(4)(12) improve staff collaboration and develop mentoring and peer coaching 
2.17 	programs for teachers new to the school or district;
2.18 	(5)(13) effectively teach and model violence prevention policy and curriculum 
2.19 	that address early intervention alternatives, issues of harassment, and teach nonviolent 
2.20 	alternatives for conflict resolution; and
2.21 	(6)(14) provide teachers and other members of site-based management teams with 
2.22 	appropriate management and financial management skills.

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

2.24 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 122A.61, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
2.25 		Subdivision 1.Staff development revenue. A district is required to reserve 
2.26 	an amount equal to at least two percent of the basic revenue under section 126C.10, 
2.27 	subdivision 2, for in-service education for programs under section 120B.22, subdivision 2, 
2.28 	for staff development plans, including plans for challenging instructional activities and 
2.29 	experiences under section 122A.60, and for curriculum development and programs, other 
2.30 	in-service education, teachers' workshops, teacher conferences, the cost of substitute 
2.31 	teachers staff development purposes, preservice and in-service education for special 
2.32 	education professionals and paraprofessionals, higher education courses and programs in 
2.33 	teachers' areas of licensure, and other related costs for staff development efforts. A district 
2.34 	may annually waive the requirement to reserve their basic revenue under this section if 
2.35 	a majority vote of the licensed teachers in the district and a majority vote of the school 
3.1 	board agree to a resolution to waive the requirement. A district in statutory operating debt 
3.2 	is exempt from reserving basic revenue according to this section. Districts may expend an 
3.3 	additional amount of unreserved revenue for staff development based on their needs. With 
3.4 	the exception of amounts reserved for staff development from revenues allocated directly 
3.5 	to school sites, the board must initially allocate 50 percent of the reserved revenue to each 
3.6 	school site in the district on a per teacher basis, which must be retained by the school site 
3.7 	until used. The board may retain 25 percent to be used for district wide staff development 
3.8 	efforts. The remaining 25 percent of the revenue must be used to make grants to school 
3.9 	sites for best practices methods. A grant may be used for any purpose authorized under 
3.10 	section 120B.22, subdivision 2, 122A.60, or for the costs of curriculum development and 
3.11 	programs, other in-service education, teachers' workshops, teacher conferences, substitute 
3.12 	teachers for staff development purposes, and other staff development efforts, and 
3.13 	determined by the site professional development team. The site professional development 
3.14 	team must demonstrate to the school board the extent to which that staff at the site have 
3.15 	met the outcomes of the program. The board may withhold a portion of initial allocation 
3.16 	of revenue if the staff development outcomes are not being met. 

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