1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education finance; authorizing state grants to leverage quality 
1.3 	improvements in K-12 education; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. QUALITY ACHIEVEMENT GRANTS TO MINNESOTA SCHOOLS.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Purpose. The purpose of this section is to financially assist school 
1.7 	districts to participate in the Minnesota Council for Quality's organizational assessment 
1.8 	and performance improvement process. Grants are designed to help eliminate barriers 
1.9 	for school districts to achieve higher levels of performance, complete a Minnesota 
1.10 	Quality Award application, and for those school districts recognized for achieving the 
1.11 	highest levels of performance to disseminate information and provide guidance to other 
1.12 	school districts and stakeholders about how they achieved their successful performance 
1.13 	outcomes. The goal of this section is to improve K-12 education in Minnesota by building 
1.14 	on organizational structures, processes, and achievements already in place.
1.15 		Subd. 2.Diligence grants. A school district may apply to the commissioner of 
1.16 	education for a diligence grant of an amount not to exceed $20,000. The application must 
1.17 	be in the form and manner specified by the commissioner and must include a documented 
1.18 	summary of the district's activities to receive Minnesota Council for Quality recognition 
1.19 	at the "Commitment" level or higher and action plans to implement activities that will 
1.20 	improve learning and overall district performance methods and outcomes. The statewide 
1.21 	total amount of grants awarded under this section must not exceed $300,000 in any given 
1.22 	legislative year. Districts must wait one year after receiving a diligence grant before 
1.23 	applying for a subsequent grant.
2.1 		Subd. 3.Role model grants. A school district that has received a Minnesota 
2.2 	Council for Quality recognition at either the "Achievement" or "Excellence" level may 
2.3 	apply to the commissioner of education for a role model grant of an amount not to exceed 
2.4 	$500,000 for the first year following recognition. The role model grant must be used by 
2.5 	the district for costs associated with developing, communicating, and sharing with other 
2.6 	school districts and stakeholders its successful learning and overall district, performance 
2.7 	methods, and outcomes. For districts that achieve the "Excellence" level of recognition, 
2.8 	grant applications of an amount not to exceed $100,000 per year can be made to help 
2.9 	those districts continue communication and sharing information a second and third year. 
2.10 	For Minnesota school districts that achieve recognition as a Malcolm Baldrige National 
2.11 	Quality Award recipient, grant applications of an amount equal to the Minnesota Council 
2.12 	for Quality "Excellence" level can be made for similar development, communication, 
2.13 	and information sharing purposes.
2.14 		Subd. 4.Appropriations. $1,300,000 is appropriated in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 
2.15 	from the general fund to the commissioner of education for purposes of making the grants 
2.16 	authorized in subdivisions 2 and 3. The budget base for this program is $1,800,000 for 
2.17 	fiscal year 2012 and later. Any and all grant money not awarded in any year is to be 
2.18 	carried forward and made available for additional eligible grant awards in future years.