1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; pursuing E-16 reforms to improve and expand opportunities 
1.3 	for all students to attain educational success; establishing E-16 advisory 
1.4 	subcommittees.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. E-16 REFORM; DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 
1.7 	IMPROVING THE E-16 EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND STUDENT OUTCOMES.
 1.8 		Subdivision 1.Oversight Advisory Committee; advisory subcommittees. (a) An 
1.9 	E-16 Oversight Advisory Committee shall appoint advisory subcommittee members 
1.10 	with established expertise in specific E-16 structural components to develop strong 
1.11 	recommendations for improving the E-16 educational system and student outcomes, 
1.12 	consistent with this section. The Oversight Advisory Committee shall consist of 13 
1.13 	members: the commissioners of education, finance, and human services or their designees; 
1.14 	the director of the Office of Higher Education; three state senators from the majority party 
1.15 	and one state senator from the minority party with E-16 expertise appointed by the senate 
1.16 	majority leader and the senate minority leader, respectively; three house of representatives 
1.17 	members from the majority party and one house of representatives member from the 
1.18 	minority party with E-16 expertise appointed by the speaker of the house and the house of 
1.19 	representatives minority leader, respectively; and a representative of the governor. The 
1.20 	appointing authorities listed in this subdivision must complete their appointments no later 
1.21 	than July 1, 2009. By August 1, 2009, the designee of the commissioner of education shall 
1.22 	convene the first meeting of the committee. The committee shall select a chair from its 
1.23 	membership at the first meeting.
2.1 	(b) The commissioner of education shall provide the necessary staff support and 
2.2 	meeting space for meetings of the committee and advisory subcommittees. Members of 
2.3 	the committee and subcommittee may not receive any compensation or reimbursement of 
2.4 	expenses for their service from any funds appropriated for the purposes of this section.
2.5 	(c) By September 1, 2009, the E-16 Oversight Advisory Committee shall appoint 
2.6 	members to the advisory subcommittees described in this section. Each advisory 
2.7 	subcommittee shall seek assistance from recognized experts and other sources to explore 
2.8 	research-based strategies and solutions that address the issues listed in the applicable 
2.9 	subdivision and use a thoughtful, iterative process of consensus building to develop 
2.10 	recommendations. The advisory subcommittees are encouraged to research best practices, 
2.11 	review state and national data, seek public input, and rigorously discuss policies and 
2.12 	strategies related to the specific issues raised and the recommendations sought. Each 
2.13 	advisory subcommittee shall meet at least quarterly each year at the call of the chair and at 
2.14 	a time and location that is convenient to the public. All meetings are open to the public.
2.15 	(d) The Oversight Advisory Committee and the advisory subcommittees must frame 
2.16 	the recommendations they develop in the context of increasing by 50 percent by 2020 
2.17 	the number of Minnesota students who complete a postsecondary program and with the 
2.18 	expectation of having available up to $1,000,000,000 in additional education funding to 
2.19 	achieve that goal. The Oversight Advisory Committee must use the recommendations 
2.20 	it receives from the advisory subcommittees and submits to the legislature to proffer 
2.21 	its recommendations to the legislature for:
2.22 	(1) improving student achievement at all educational levels and eliminating the 
2.23 	student achievement gap;
2.24 	(2) effectively integrating preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, 
2.25 	and higher education to create a responsive, comprehensive, and seamless E-16 education 
2.26 	system for all students;
2.27 	(3) providing all students in all schools with qualified and committed teachers and 
2.28 	excellent administrators; and
2.29 	(4) increasing public awareness of the link between educated citizens and the state's 
2.30 	economic and civic health, in part by making public longitudinal data on the performance 
2.31 	of the state's E-16 educational system.
2.32 	(e) The Oversight Advisory Committee shall seek funds from public and nonpublic 
2.33 	sources for the operational costs of the committee and subcommittees. Each advisory 
2.34 	subcommittee shall submit an interim report by December 31, 2009, and a final report 
2.35 	by December 31, 2010, to the Oversight Advisory Committee. The Oversight Advisory 
2.36 	Committee shall submit its recommendations and the recommendations of the advisory 
3.1 	subcommittees to the chairs and ranking minority members of the education policy and 
3.2 	finance committees of the legislature within 45 days of  receiving the subcommittee 
3.3 	reports. The Oversight Advisory Committee and all advisory subcommittees expire on 
3.4 	March 1, 2011. 
3.5 		Subd. 2.Early Learning Advisory Subcommittee. (a) The Early Learning 
3.6 	Advisory Subcommittee shall seek and analyze information and develop immediate and 
3.7 	long-term recommendations for improving children's early learning from birth to age 
3.8 	five in the context of:
3.9 	(1) existing early learning programs and structures;
3.10 	(2) early care and education including access to prenatal care;
3.11 	(3) children's language development;
3.12 	(4) provider qualifications;
3.13 	(5) education and care of children with exceptional needs and disabilities;
3.14 	(6) infant and toddler care;
3.15 	(7) consumer education;
3.16 	(8) parent and guardian engagement;
3.17 	(9) workforce development;
3.18 	(10)	 facilities development;
3.19 	(11)	 technical assistance; and
3.20 	(12)	 program accreditation.
3.21 	(b) This advisory subcommittee shall at least address:
3.22 	(1) the existing early care and education infrastructure, including early learning 
3.23 	quality improvement and rating systems and the features of existing systems that are 
3.24 	effective in determining and improving system quality;
3.25 	(2) the development of an early learning quality rating scale for child development 
3.26 	and care programs that serve children birth to age five, contribute directly to high quality 
3.27 	care, and encourage consumer awareness among parents interested in accessing accurate 
3.28 	information about their children's programs;
3.29 	(3) the development of an integrated funding model that aligns with the quality rating 
3.30 	scale for child care and development programs serving children birth to age five; and
3.31 	(4) how to best use local, state, federal, and nonpublic resources to complement a 
3.32 	statewide funding model to improve early learning in Minnesota.
3.33 	(c) Advisory subcommittee members must be recognized experts with sufficient 
3.34 	relevant knowledge to competently address the issues listed in this subdivision and to 
3.35 	develop the requisite recommendations.
4.1 		Subd. 3.Prekindergarten Through Grade 3 Advisory Subcommittee. (a) 
4.2 	The Prekindergarten Through Grade 3 Advisory Subcommittee shall seek and analyze 
4.3 	information and develop immediate and long-term recommendations for improving and 
4.4 	accelerating the development of children's early language and math skills, developing 
4.5 	children's social skills, providing preschool and out-of-school programs and activities, 
4.6 	and reducing class sizes.
4.7 	(b) This advisory subcommittee shall at least address:
4.8 	(1) the alignment and sequence of standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment 
4.9 	that focus on the academics, social competence, and self-discipline of children from 
4.10 	prekindergarten through grade 3;
4.11 	(2) a school organization that makes available voluntary half-day and full-day 
4.12 	prekindergarten programs for three- and four-year-old children and required full-day 
4.13 	kindergarten programs for students deemed not ready for kindergarten that build on 
4.14 	children's prekindergarten experiences, and gives school teachers and principals sufficient 
4.15 	staff development opportunities to successfully develop and maintain prekindergarten and 
4.16 	kindergarten programs;
4.17 	(3) teacher preparation and certification requirements for teachers to provide 
4.18 	instruction at all levels from prekindergarten to grade 3;
4.19 	(4) small class sizes, where qualified teachers provide balanced instruction that is 
4.20 	both student and teacher directed and meaningful, and where timely and formative student 
4.21 	assessments are administered to improve teaching;
4.22 	(5) school accountability that enables parents and the community to better support 
4.23 	students' education;
4.24 	(6) literacy and math curricula and instruction that focus on the prekindergarten to 
4.25 	grade 3 continuum; and
4.26 	(7) the development of an integrated funding model that aligns with standards, 
4.27 	curriculum, instruction, and assessment focused on children from prekindergarten through 
4.28 	grade 3.
4.29 	(c) Advisory subcommittee members must be recognized experts with sufficient 
4.30 	relevant knowledge to competently address the issues listed in this subdivision and to 
4.31 	develop the requisite recommendations.
4.32 		Subd. 4.Grades 4 Through 8 Advisory Subcommittee. (a) The Grades 4 Through 
4.33 	8 Advisory Subcommittee shall seek and analyze information and develop immediate and 
4.34 	long-term recommendations for improving students' transition from elementary school to 
4.35 	high school by providing students of all backgrounds with strong academic preparation 
4.36 	and high academic expectations that enable them to demonstrate progress and achieve 
5.1 	proficiency in core curriculum, form positive identities and patterns of behavior, facilitate 
5.2 	successful transition to high school, and support successful high school experiences.
5.3 	(b) This advisory subcommittee shall at least address:
5.4 	(1) strengthened middle level organizational structures, instructional practices, and 
5.5 	classroom learning environments;
5.6 	(2) specialized middle level teacher and administrator competencies;
5.7 	(3) middle level transitions for students;
5.8 	(4) professional collaboration and networks focused on best practices, academic 
5.9 	excellence, developmental responsiveness, and social equity;
5.10 	(5) data-driven decision making that increases student academic achievement, with 
5.11 	students' assessment results periodically disaggregated to ensure that students' needs 
5.12 	are met;
5.13 	(6) small learning communities that promote long-term relationships and stability;
5.14 	(7) extensive family and community involvement; and
5.15 	(8) the development of an integrated funding model that aligns with middle level 
5.16 	organizational structures, instructional practices, and classroom learning environments for 
5.17 	students in grades 4 through 8.
5.18 	(c) Advisory subcommittee members must be recognized experts with sufficient 
5.19 	relevant knowledge to competently address the issues listed in this subdivision and to 
5.20 	develop the requisite recommendations.
5.21 		Subd. 5. Grades 9 Through 12 Advisory Subcommittee. (a) The Grades 9 
5.22 	Through 12 Advisory Subcommittee shall seek and analyze information and develop 
5.23 	immediate and long-term recommendations for improving all students' readiness for a 
5.24 	successful postsecondary educational experience and their successful transition from high 
5.25 	school to that postsecondary experience.
5.26 	(b) This advisory subcommittee shall at least address:
5.27 	(1) high school designs that reduce the student achievement gap, increase student 
5.28 	graduation rates, prevent high school students dropping out and teen pregnancies, enable 
5.29 	students to readily adapt to rapid technological changes, improve students' workforce 
5.30 	readiness, improve students' direct access to successful postsecondary educational 
5.31 	experiences, enable students to successfully compete in a global economy, and foster 
5.32 	students' civic engagement;
5.33 	(2) an alignment of courses and assessments that results from a direct connection 
5.34 	between students' high school work and postsecondary expectations and provides options 
5.35 	for dual enrollment, tech prep, middle and early college high schools, programs serving 
5.36 	disadvantaged youth, and college access programs;
6.1 	(3) need-based financial aid policies that link students' postsecondary preparation 
6.2 	and state budgetary policies and support collaboration between high schools and 
6.3 	postsecondary educational institutions;
6.4 	(4) an educational accountability system that effectively integrates K-12 and 
6.5 	postsecondary education;
6.6 	(5) improved, more accessible education-related information for policy makers 
6.7 	and the public about high school students' preparation and readiness for a successful 
6.8 	postsecondary educational experience that anticipates and diagnoses academic problems, 
6.9 	provides information about all educational levels, assesses student achievement, and 
6.10 	provides longitudinal data on students' educational progress; and
6.11 	(6) the development of an integrated funding model that aligns with improved 
6.12 	student readiness for postsecondary education and improved student transitions from high 
6.13 	school to successful postsecondary educational experiences for all students in grades 
6.14 	9 through 12.
6.15 	(c) Advisory subcommittee members must be recognized experts with sufficient 
6.16 	relevant knowledge to competently address the issues listed in this subdivision and to 
6.17 	develop the requisite recommendations.
6.18 		Subd. 6.Transitions to Postsecondary Education Advisory Subcommittee.
 6.19 	(a) The Transitions to Postsecondary Education Advisory Subcommittee shall seek 
6.20 	and analyze information and develop immediate and long-term recommendations for 
6.21 	improving students' access to a successful postsecondary educational experience by 
6.22 	lowering financial and informational barriers to and ensuring better academic preparation 
6.23 	for postsecondary education.
6.24 	(b) This advisory subcommittee shall at least address:
6.25 	(1) the alignment of college placement exams and other college readiness indicators 
6.26 	with K-12 standards and assessments;
6.27 	(2) teacher professional development that improves the rigor of high school courses 
6.28 	and curriculum;
6.29 	(3) improved student counseling related to attaining postsecondary education;
6.30 	(4) a more understandable and accessible student financial aid system;
6.31 	(5) early and ongoing support for middle school and high school students to prepare 
6.32 	them for postsecondary education;
6.33 	(6) student intervention programs provided by a single postsecondary institution or 
6.34 	in collaboration with other institutions, school districts, and education stakeholders to 
6.35 	help students become better prepared; and
7.1 	(7)  the development of an integrated funding model that aligns with increased 
7.2 	college enrollment, improved student graduation rates, improved college-going rates for 
7.3 	at-risk youth, expanded student aspirations and educational attainment, and improved 
7.4 	academic preparation.
7.5 	(c) Advisory subcommittee members must be recognized experts with sufficient 
7.6 	relevant knowledge to competently address the issues listed in this subdivision and to 
7.7 	develop the requisite recommendations.

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