1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; modifying the Online and Digital Learning Advisory 
1.3 	Council;amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.095, subdivision 10.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.095, subdivision 10, is amended to 
1.6 	read:
1.7 		Subd. 10.Online and Digital Learning Advisory Council. (a) An Online and 
1.8 	Digital Learning Advisory Council is established. The term for each council member shall 
1.9 	be three years. The advisory council is composed of 1215 members from throughout the 
1.10 	state who have demonstrated experience with or interest in online learning. Two members 
1.11 	of the council must represent technology business. The remaining membership must 
1.12 	represent the following interests:
1.13 	(1) superintendents;
1.14 	(2) special education specialists;
1.15 	(3) technology directors;
1.16 	(4) teachers;
1.17 	(5) rural, urban, and suburban school districts;
1.18 	(6) supplemental programs;
1.19 	(7) full-time programs;
1.20 	(8) consortia;
1.21 	(9) charter schools; 
1.22 	(10) Board of Teaching-approved teacher preparation programs; and
1.23 	(11) parents.
1.24 	The members of the council shall be appointed by the commissioner. 
2.1 	(b) The advisory council shall bring to the attention of the commissioner and the 
2.2 	legislature any matters related to online and digital learning and. The advisory council 
2.3 	shall provide input to the department and the legislature in online learning matters related, 
2.4 	but not restricted, to:
2.5 	(1) quality assurance;
2.6 	(2) teacher qualifications;
2.7 	(3) program approval;
2.8 	(4) special education;
2.9 	(5) attendance;
2.10 	(6) program design and requirements; and
2.11 	(7) fair and equal access to programs.
2.12 	(b) By June 30, 2013, (c) The Online Learning advisory council with the support of 
2.13 	the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Learning Commons shall:
2.14 	(1) oversee the development and maintenance of a catalog of publicly available 
2.15 	digital learning content currently aligned to Minnesota academic standards to include:
2.16 	(i) indexing of Minnesota academic standards with which curriculum is aligned;
2.17 	(ii) a method for student and teacher users to provide evaluative feedback; and
2.18 	(iii) a plan for ongoing maintenance; and
2.19 	(2) recommend methods for including student performance data on the digital 
2.20 	learning content within the catalog.
2.21 	(d) The advisory council shall also consider and provide input to the department and 
2.22 	legislature on digital learning matters including, but not limited to:
2.23 	(1) methods to maximize the effectiveness of technology and related instructional 
2.24 	strategies in teaching and learning to improve student outcomes and identify methods 
2.25 	for measuring the impact of using various forms of digital learning in and outside of 
2.26 	the classroom;
2.27 	(2) the effective use of technology to advance a student's ability to learn 21st 
2.28 	century skills and knowledge and to involve parents in an education system that is more 
2.29 	transparent in terms of outcomes and processes by providing toolkits to help parents, 
2.30 	students, and schools make good decisions in the environment of choice;
2.31 	(3) the use of technology for schools to personalize or differentiate learning to 
2.32 	the needs, abilities, and learning styles of each student and guide them towards greater 
2.33 	ownership of their learning, so that all students are digital learners and have access to 
2.34 	high-quality digital curriculum in every class and level;
2.35 	(4) methods to prepare current and future educators, education leaders, and staff, 
2.36 	to provide professional development and collaboration around best practices to use, and 
3.1 	to evaluate the effectiveness of digital tools and instructional strategies to personalize or 
3.2 	differentiate education and focus on competency-based learning and advancement, so that 
3.3 	all teachers have a digital presence and use high-quality digital curriculum;
3.4 	(5) methods to support collaborative efforts to leverage resources among districts or 
3.5 	at regional levels to provide digital resources, content, and curriculum;
3.6 	(6) the barriers to improving the use of technology in the classroom, and methods 
3.7 	to ensure that each student has access to a digital device and high-speed Internet at 
3.8 	school and at home; and
3.9 	(7) the current disparities in digital education across the state.
3.10 	(e) The advisory council shall make policy recommendations to the commissioner 
3.11 	and committees of the legislature having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 
3.12 	education annually by December 15 of each year, including implementation plans based 
3.13 	on recommendations from previous councils and task forces related to online and digital 
3.14 	learning.
3.15 	(c)(f) The Online and Digital Learning Advisory Council under this subdivision 
3.16 	expires June 30, 2013 2016.